Questions about getting pregnant, being pregnant or the first 12 months of parenting? Now there is a pregnancy birth and baby helpline to provide support for women, partners & families. Helpline offers free, confidential information, support and counselling 24 hours a day.
Phone 1800 882 436
www.healthdirect.org.au/pbb
Last Updated on Tuesday, 14 September 2010 09:51
What is Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)?
Tuesday, 16 February 2010 02:26
PCOS is a hormonal disorder that affects five to 10 per cent of women of reproductive age.
If you have PCOS you may have:
periods that are irregular, infrequent or heavy
difficulty in becoming pregnant
immature ovarian eggs that do not ovulate, forming small follicles
weight gain and an increase of fat in your upper body
The vagina isn?t positioned vertically within the pelvis - it is angled towards the lower back. In most women, the uterus is tipped forward so that it lies over the bladder, with the top (fundus) towards the abdominal wall. Another normal variation found in some women is the upright uterus, where the fundus is straight up.
About one quarter of women have a retroverted uterus. This means the uterus is tipped backwards so that its fundus is aimed toward the rectum. While a retroverted uterus doesn?t cause problems in most cases, some women experience symptoms including painful sex. Other names for retroverted uterus include tipped uterus, retroflexed uterus and uterine retrodisplacement.
Symptoms Generally, a retroverted uterus does not cause any problems. If problems do occur, it will probably be because the woman has an associated disorder like endometriosis. A disorder like this could cause the following symptoms:
Painful sexual intercourse
The woman-on-top position during sex usually causes the most discomfort
Period pain (particularly if the retroversion is associated with endometriosis)
