What is the role of an OB-GYN?
An OB-GYN is an obstetrician-gynecologist specializing in women's reproductive health and providing obstetric care for women during their pregnancy, delivery, and after the baby is born. They deal with women's most significant health issues, including birth control, childbirth, and menopause. They also do cancer screenings, treat infections, and perform surgery to treat pelvic organ or urinary tract conditions.
OB-GYNs diagnose and manage a wide range of illnesses. They treat unexpected bleeding, urinary incontinence, pelvic pain, genital itch infections of the bladder or cervix, endometriosis, breast cancer, hormonal issues, infertility, etc.
OB-GYNs are skilled in various operations, such as hysterectomy, cesarean section, assisted deliveries during childbirth, removal of growths including ovarian cysts and uterine fibroids, and surgery to treat damage to the pelvic organs.
Additionally, they can carry out a wide range of standard office procedures, such as pap screenings to check for cervical cancer and the care of urinary tract infections and incontinence. They also look into fertility treatments, including egg retrievals for IVF or egg freezing and pelvic ultrasounds to examine the pelvic organs and monitor pregnancy. Mammograms, breast exams, and breast health management are all types of breast cancer screening.
Education and training
All aspirants wishing to pursue OB-GYN begin their journey from medical school. The first two years of medical school are devoted to general medical education, which includes studying human anatomy and physiology. In their final two years, medical students work primarily as medical apprentices in hospitals or clinics.
After graduating from medical school, the individual may choose to undergo residency training in obstetrics-gynecology. An OB-GYN residency typically lasts four years, allowing them to observe and perform various procedures. Specifically, they learn about diagnosis, treatment, management, and prevention during this period.
After residency, they must complete two additional years of training to specialize in specific areas. After completing all the required training, they are supposed to clear a certification exam conducted by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology to become board-certified obstetrician-gynecologists. Certified practicing OB-GYNs must appear and pass a maintenance exam every six years to maintain their board certification.
Subspecialties of OB-GYN
Following obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN) residencies, doctors frequently pursue extra sub-specialty training through fellowships. Here are the sub-specialties within OB/GYN:
- Maternal-fetal medicine: OB-GYNs specializing in this field focus on managing high-risk pregnancies, which are complex due to maternal or fetal conditions. Examples of pregnancy complications include difficulty carrying to full term, insufficient amniotic fluid, uncontrolled maternal diabetes, and thyroid issues. Pregnant women usually start with a regular OB/GYN and are referred to a maternal-fetal medicine specialist if complications arise.
- Reproductive endocrinology: These experts assist couples struggling with fertility issues. They employ various techniques, such as medication to stimulate egg production, intrauterine insemination (IUI), and in vitro fertilization (IVF). It's important to note that reproductive endocrinology is distinct from endocrinology, which deals with hormone disorders related to internal medicine.
- Gynecologic oncology: These specialists focus on cancers affecting female reproductive organs, including breast, ovarian, endometrial, and vulvar. They perform surgeries to remove tumors and may oversee chemotherapy administration. Under this practice, the OB-GYN must collaborate with medical and radiation oncologists for comprehensive cancer care.
- Urogynecology: Specialists who treat urinary problems in women, specifically stress urinary incontinence, which occurs during activities that stress the abdominal muscles, such as sneezing or coughing. Urogynecologists use various medications and surgical procedures to treat this condition. While urogynecology focuses on urinary problems, it's not a subspecialty of urology.
- Pediatric and adolescent gynecology: This branch addresses the reproductive health requirements of girls and young women from birth to late adolescence. It addresses a range of issues, such as menstrual problems, pelvic pain, genital anomalies, and sexual health education. OB-GYNs specializing in this field aim to promote healthy development and provide support and guidance through childhood to adulthood, ensuring optimal reproductive health outcomes for young females.
OB-GYN and your reproductive health
Preventive care is the best method of treating medical and health issues. You could use your appointment with an OB-GYN doctor to ask questions and clear doubts about your health. Do not hesitate, even if your questions seem intimate or embarrassing. You can ask about your periods, sex, or anything else that may bother you about your reproductive health.
Your doctor might perform vaccinations, assessments, or lab testing to check for specific diseases during the visit. Additionally, your doctor will examine your pelvis. Depending on age and condition, your doctor might ask for additional screenings. You should also discuss changes in your reproductive cycle, such as first periods, pregnancy, perimenopause, and menopause. Your OB-GYN may also ask you many questions to decide on appropriate care. The questions can include:
- Your menstruation, including any irregularities like missed or heavy periods
- Sexual disorders or difficulties
- Whether you engage in sexual activity, as well as how much.
- Vaginal discharge
- Any sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) that you suspect or may have contracted earlier
- Contraceptive techniques
- Vaccine background
How can OB-GYNs help with family planning?
OB-GYNs can provide family planning assistance. They can help you plan the size of your family and achieve your family goals. A qualified OB-GYN near you can help you with the following:
- Pregnancy planning: OB-GYNs can regularly guide you on the best practices and lifestyle changes for a successful conception. They suggest when to start taking prenatal vitamins to lower neural tube defect risk. They even help you follow a nutrient-rich diet, review your medications, and instruct you to stop alcohol intake and smoking to ensure the healthiest pregnancy.
OB-GYNs can diagnose and treat underlying health conditions and improve your chances of natural conception. They also help you with fertility issues and recommend safe assisted pregnancy options.
- Pregnancy prevention: OB-GYNs can suggest appropriate contraception options to prevent pregnancy. It can help if you don't want more children or want to avoid unwanted pregnancies. Birth control or contraception is a personal choice, but OB-GYNs can help you determine the most suitable contraception method for safe pregnancy prevention. Temporary pregnancy prevention options include:
- Vaginal rings
- Birth control pills
- Intrauterine devices
- Hormonal birth control patches
- Diaphragms
- Birth control shots
If you no longer wish to grow your family size, you can ask the OB-GYN for permanent birth control solutions. They will examine your body and suggest safe methods for permanent pregnancy prevention.
- Interpregnancy care: Women may prefer to keep a few years' gap between two children. OB-GYNs can provide appropriate interpregnancy family planning assistance to such women.
Sometimes, a woman may get weak after the first childbirth, and another pregnancy soon after can be risky for the woman and the baby. In such cases, OB-GYNs recommend spacing the pregnancy to allow the woman to recover before another pregnancy fully. This kind of care is called inter-pregnancy care. It begins during the postnatal stage until the woman is entirely healthy. For instance, in a C-section delivery, the doctor advises the patient to wait at least 18 months before planning another baby.
Inter-pregnancy care also includes women who have suffered a miscarriage, dilation, curettage (D&C), and complications during childbirth. OB-GYNs first conduct detailed physical examinations in these cases to identify safe pregnancy planning timelines. It helps to minimize the risks and achieve better pregnancy outcomes.
Understanding infertility risk factors in women
Infertility can be influenced by various factors, some of which are preventable with lifestyle changes. The following guide explores key risk factors that affect fertility to support reproductive health:
- Age: A woman's fertility declines as she ages. Egg quality and quantity decline, especially in the mid-30s, when follicle loss accelerates. This decline results in fewer, lower-quality eggs, making conception more challenging and increasing the chances of miscarriage.
- Weight plays a crucial role in fertility. Being either overweight or significantly underweight can disrupt ovulation. Achieving a healthy body mass index (BMI) enhances the regularity of ovulation and boosts the chances of pregnancy.
- Sexual history: Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) such as gonorrhea and chlamydia can harm the fallopian tubes, impairing fertility. Having unprotected intercourse with several partners raises the risk of STIs, which may lead to fertility challenges later in life.
- Smoking: Smoking significantly impacts reproductive health. It damages the cervix and fallopian tubes, elevates the risk of ectopic pregnancy and miscarriage, and accelerates ovarian aging, leading to premature depletion of eggs. Quitting smoking before starting fertility treatments can improve outcomes.
- Alcohol: Excessive alcohol consumption negatively impacts fertility. Reducing alcohol intake is essential for improving reproductive health.
How can you find an OB-GYN near you in Cedarhurst, New York?
Establishing a partnership of trust and effective communication with your OB-GYN is crucial. You must conduct due diligence to find the right doctor to ensure this. Finding a doctor who puts you first may sound daunting, but it doesn't have to be! Zocdoc can help you locate the best doctor in your area.
You can browse Zocdoc's extensive list of OB/GYN profiles to find the right match. You can peruse various doctor profiles to learn more about their area of specialization, education, licensure, clinical interests, and experience. Not only this, but you can also read authentic patient reviews to ensure you're going to the right doctor.
Moreover, our comprehensive search tool helps you search based on your symptoms, location, appointment preference, insurance plan, and specialty. You can narrow the results based on gender, languages spoken, hospital affiliations, and timings.
If you cannot locate your insurance plan among those listed on Zocdoc, you can take an alternative route. You can upload a photo of your card (this feature is solely applicable to medical insurance cards and does not extend to vision or dental plans). Upon receiving the image of your card, our application will conduct a scan and present you with the most probable plan associated with it. Should you encounter any difficulties uploading your card's image, don't hesitate to contact the service team for assistance.
If you have multiple insurance plans, you can add your medical, dental, and vision plans to your Zocdoc account; however, you'll only be able to search for and book appointments using one plan at a time. You can note your secondary insurance carrier and plan details in the provider's notes section for additional coverage during the final booking step. If your provider utilizes Zocdoc's Intake forms, you can add your secondary insurance information when completing the forms online. For more insurance-related questions, please visit Zocdoc's patient help center.
You can schedule appointments online from the convenience of your home and see an OB-GYN near you in person or by video call. All bookings on Zocdoc are secure and free.
Cesarean deliveries and related health concerns in New York
According to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention website, New York has double the acceptable rate of cesarean births, between 10 and 15%. Regarding C-section births, New York is ranked 12th in the US with over 34%. Cesarean deliveries have a nearly twofold higher chance of pregnancy-related deaths, which raises the possibility of infection and the emergence of additional health problems.
According to a report published by the New York State Department of Health, almost 78% of pregnancy-related fatalities in New York could have been avoided in 2018. The report also stated that the major causes of pregnancy-related deaths in New York included embolism or hemorrhage (20% each) and mental health issues (15%).
According to Statista's research from 2022, there were 207,774 births in New York, with a third of them delivered via cesarean section. The report also stated that about one in ten babies were born prematurely in the state.
Sources
WebMD
Medical News Today
Healthline
Statista
Spectrum News Syracuse
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
Gynecology and Obstetrics Medical Group
Alight
Virginia Commonwealth University
New York State Department of Health
Mayo Clinic
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