Blog Archive

Many of us spend time strengthening and shaping some of the more visible muscles in our bodies — who doesn’t want to have rock-hard abs, toned biceps, and a round hind end?  Whether or not we achieve these lofty muscle goals, there’s one muscle group that you shouldn’t overlook —...

In 2023 in the United States, around 3.6 million babies entered the world. Some day, you may add to that number, or perhaps you’ve already contributed because you have children. Whatever your circumstance, you’re here because you don’t want to get pregnant at this point in your life, and you're...

In 2022, around 3.6 million newborns came into the world in the United States. Many babies are born on time and are delivered according to plan. But not all. Having a birth plan in place is a step that Dr. Fernando Otero and the team here at Women’s Clinic of...

You wanted a solution that would permanently end your ability to get pregnant, so you opted for Essure®, which was approved by the FDA in 2002 as a nonsurgical female sterilization technique. And the Essure system has certainly delivered on its promise that you won’t be delivering a child. That...

While orange may be an October color, so is pink, which is the color for Breast Cancer Awareness month. From athletes who wear pink sneakers to celebrities pinning pink ribbons to their red carpet outfits, efforts to raise awareness for this disease are in full swing, and we want to...

Menopause has always been that thing that your older relatives dealt with or you heard about vaguely in the company of women. Now, you’re making the transition through menopause and you’re realizing just how impactful this journey can be, on all areas of your wellness. Each year in the United...

Surgery of any kind can disrupt your life, and you would jump at the chance to make your surgical journey both faster and easier. Well, the good news is that we can often accomplish both of those objectives thanks to advanced minimally invasive surgery techniques. Each year in the United...

Having kids isn’t where you’re at right now. You want to join the 65% of women in the United States between the ages of 15 and 49 who are taking steps to prevent an unplanned pregnancy. The good news is that you have lots of birth control options. And that’s...

You can hardly believe how fast your daughter is growing into a young woman, and you realize she’s ready for that rite of passage into the world of specialized women’s health care. If you can remember back to your first OB/GYN visit, you might remember being a little apprehensive, and...

Whether it’s your first attempt or you're trying to add to your family, you’ve decided that the timing is right to have a child. As you make plans to ready the homefront, you should also take some steps to boost your fertility, which can go a long way toward successfully...

Thanks to an overactive bladder and urges to urinate that strike out of nowhere — and strike often — you feel like a prisoner. You don’t like going anywhere where a bathroom isn’t readily available, to say nothing of the fear you have of leaking urine. It may help you...

You look at the calendar and realize, with dread, that your period is coming up. No woman enjoys their periods, but yours seem to be far worse than what your friends are dealing with. Heavy bleeding, pelvic pain, abdominal bloating, and more, leave you feeling wiped out each month —...

The world of birth control can be confusing given all the options, but you already know which boxes you need checked — you want long-lasting protection, but the ability to quickly reverse this protection when you’re ready to have children. Well, there’s a name for what you’re looking for — long-acting...

You’re used to the pain and discomfort that arrives each month with your period, but you know these menstrual cramps won’t last and that they’re a normal part of your reproductive process. So, when you develop pelvic pain outside your periods, and it’s not going away, you want answers. It...

Not long after people become sexually active, most are infected with the human papillomavirus (HPV). While your immune system does a great job of fighting these infections, they can still lay the groundwork for cancer in the future, which is why screening tools like the Pap test should be a...

It’s always preferable when organs in your body stay where they’re supposed to be, but for millions of women, this isn’t the case. We’re referring to pelvic organ prolapse (POP) — a condition in which organs in your pelvis shift downward POP affects 40% of women around the world, which...

If you have a vagina, you understand all too well the different substances that can exit this passageway, starting with your monthly periods. Outside of your periods, however, vaginal discharge is very common, and figuring out whether one type of discharge might be more problematic than another can be challenging,...

Your cervix plays an important role in your reproductive health, acting as sort of a gatekeeper to your uterus. Once your cervix allows sperm to pass through and you become pregnant, it closes off to keep your womb protected. With cervical incompetence, there’s a problem with this barrier, and the...

The state of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the United States is beyond concerning — 1 in 5 Americans (that’s 20% of the population!) has an STI at any given time. Perhaps not so surprising is the fact that almost half of new STIs occur in younger people between the...

You’ve lost count of the times you’ve been caught by surprise by your period, and you’re tired of that threat constantly hanging over your head. Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to set your clock to your periods as they come and go, on time and without making a...

Millions of women sail through their pregnancies without issue and give birth to healthy babies each year in the United States — there were 3.6 million live births in 2021 alone.  It might surprise you to know that some of these pregnancies were considered high-risk.  Dr. Fernando Otero and the...

To call endometriosis common is almost an understatement, if you consider that 11% of women in the United States between the ages of 15 and 44 have the condition. Given this high prevalence, it certainly makes sense for women in this age group to recognize the signs of endometriosis, especially...

There’s a lot you have to deal with when you age — your skin loosens, your joints ache more, and you have a little less energy than you used to. For many women, we can add urinary incontinence to this laundry list of unwelcome developments. In fact, more than 40%...

You’re envious of your friends who know exactly, almost to the minute, when they’re going to get their periods. Or, you wish to be one of those women who bleeds for a few days and then they’re done. For many women, menstruation is anything but comfortable or reliable — up...

If you consider that there are more than 3.6 million births each year in the United States, it follows that millions of women are pregnant during each holiday season. We all know that holidays can be a bit stressful at the best of times, but when you’re looking out for...

There are a dizzying number of ways that you can prevent an unplanned pregnancy, and you’re thrilled to have settled on one that best suited your needs and your lifestyle — the birth control pill.  Unfortunately, you’re now experiencing some side effects that are making you regret your choice, and...

Women have their own set of health issues, and pelvic organ prolapse (POP) is a perfect example of this. POP affects about 1 in 4 women in their 40s, 1 in 3 women in their 60s. By the time women reach their 80s, about half have some degree of prolapse....

Wouldn’t it be great if your periods came and went quietly every 28 days? Instead, you only have about eight periods a year or they’re coming far too frequently, every three weeks or so. One of the most common culprits behind irregular menstrual cycles such as these is polycystic ovary...

We hesitate to use the word, “embarrassing,” when it comes to urinary incontinence because we understand just how common the issue is — it affects half of women, especially as they get older. Whether you find urinary incontinence embarrassing or you’re simply tired of feeling like a prisoner to the...

You’re not ready to have children now, and nor do you think you’ll be ready for the foreseeable future. Rather than using short-term birth control methods that require your attention, whether daily, weekly, or monthly, you want to explore longer-term options that you don’t have to think about. You’re in...

We want to start with one significant fact about uterine fibroids — they're very common. Up to 80% of women may develop fibroids at some point during their childbearing years, which usually means between the ages of 15 and 44. Now that we’ve gotten one of the more salient points about this...

You’re used to dealing with some discomfort during your periods, perhaps even moving beyond discomfort to meaningful pain during the first couple of days, thanks to cramps. While this type of pain is a perfectly normal part of menstruation, pelvic pain that’s severe or that occurs outside your periods is...

While you would have preferred not to need a hysterectomy in the first place, you recognize that this is your best path forward to improve your health and wellness. It may be of some comfort to know that you’re joining a large group — about 400,000 hysterectomies are performed each year in...

More than 11% of American women in their childbearing years have endometriosis, which can impact reproductive health in many different ways, including during pregnancy. The connection between pregnancy and endometriosis is a two-way street — each can affect the other. To better explain the connection between endometriosis and pregnancy, Dr. Fernando Otero and the team here...

Essure® hit the United States market after its approval by the FDA in 2004, but, by 2018, the female sterilization device was pulled from the market due to complications. According to the FDA, these complications ranged from pelvic pain and headaches to weight gain and menstrual irregularities. If you’re among...

As the summer starts to heat up here in Texas, you look down at your pregnant belly and wonder how you’re going to exercise comfortably, and safely, when the temps soar. The benefits of exercise when you’re pregnant, for both you and your unborn child, are well worth finding some...

While pelvic organ prolapse (POP) may not be a life-threatening condition, it can certainly be a life-changing one. If you’re struggling with POP, you’re in excellent company, as between 35% and 50% of women develop POP. If the numbers don’t provide you with much comfort, perhaps the fact that there are solutions for POP...

The good news when it comes to family planning is that there are a number of different ways you can prevent an unplanned pregnancy. This also happens to be the bad news — the sheer number of choices can leave you confused as to which one will work best for...

When you entered your pregnancy, your blood pressure numbers were just fine, and you were relieved you didn’t have that concern on your already full plate. Then, about halfway through your pregnancy, your blood pressure started rising, and you want to know whether it’s cause for concern and what you...

Urinary incontinence isn’t exactly a topic of everyday conversation, despite the fact that it affects many women at some point during adulthood. Thanks to the taboo nature of talking about incontinence, there’s a fair bit of misinformation and no small stigma attached to the perfectly natural and common condition. Here...

Pain is your body’s way of trying to alert you to a problem, and it’s typically an effective signal. If you’re experiencing ongoing pelvic pain, it usually points toward an issue that needs to be solved, both for your health and for your quality of life. So, if you’re gritting...

The time is just not right to start a family and you want to back up this decision with birth control. There are many different ways to prevent pregnancy, and wading through your options can be confusing. While Dr. Fernando Otero and the team here at Women’s Clinic of the Rio Grande Valley offer a wide...

About 300,000 women in the United States undergo a hysterectomy each year, making it one of the most common surgeries. That said, every surgery is unique, and there’s nothing common about the care that we provide when performing this important surgery. At Women’s Clinic of the Rio Grande Valley, Dr. Fernando Otero and our team have considerable...

You’re looking forward to building a family, and you want to do what you can to increase your chances of conception, not to mention a smooth pregnancy. Aside from quitting habits like smoking and drinking, you’re wondering whether the extra pounds you’re carrying may pose a problem. The answer depends...

You’re not ready to start a family and you’re researching your birth control options. The protection rates and ease of use of many of the hormonal birth control options are appealing, but you’re worried that tinkering with your hormones might affect your mental and emotional health. There’s no simple answer...

While 11% of women between the ages of 15 and 44 in the United States have endometriosis, not all develop complications due to the condition. For those who do, these complications can be life-altering, such as infertility or moderate-to-severe pain. If your endometriosis is causing serious quality-of-life issues, one of the answers...

It’s rare to find someone who hasn’t encountered a little constipation now and then. Chronic problems with constipation, however, often signal a larger problem and, for women, that might be pelvic organ prolapse (POP). This is a condition that affects one in five women in the United States. Depending upon which organs...

Years ago, you decided that the Essure® sterilization device was a good option for preventing pregnancy and you had the coils implanted during a simple outpatient procedure. Fast forward to now, and you’re one of the unfortunate women to experience negative side effects from your Essure device — and you want...

Your lower abdomen cramps, signaling the coming of your period. This type of pain is quite normal and is part and parcel of many women’s menstrual cycles. If your menstrual pain is severe or you’re experiencing pelvic pain that’s not related to your periods, there may be a problem.  There...

Your pelvis houses many organs that belong to different systems — your reproductive organs, urinary tract, and lower digestive tract. Ensuring that all of your organs are well-positioned and supported is your pelvic floor. When this support structure weakens, organs can shift out of place and lead to pelvic organ prolapse...

Menorrhagia is the medical term for heavy bleeding during periods, which affects far more women than you may realize. About one third of women in the United States seek help for heavy bleeding. The first thing to understand about heavy bleeding is that it isn’t normal. The second point is that it’s...

Each year in the United States, approximately half a million women undergo hysterectomies, and the reasons for these surgeries vary.  At Women’s Clinic of the Rio Grande Valley, Dr. Fernando Otero and our team have helped many women to improve their health through hysterectomies. To give you an idea about when a hysterectomy is a good solution,...

You’d prefer a barrier method for preventing pregnancy and you also want to protect yourself against sexually transmitted diseases, in which case condoms make the most sense. Your next decision comes down to whether you want to use female (internal) condoms or male condoms. At Women’s Clinic of the Rio Grande...

About one-quarter to one-third of adults in the United States report problems with urinary incontinence and women account for a far larger percentage of these numbers than men. In fact, women are twice as likely as men to have problems with involuntary leakage. As experts in women’s health, Dr. Fernando Otero and the team here at...

Often, surgery provides the best road forward to good health, but this type of intervention hasn’t always been an easy one. Thanks to the advent of minimally invasive surgical techniques, however, we can offer some key advantages over open surgery. Thanks to minimally invasive surgical techniques, Dr. Fernando Otero and the team here at Women’s...

You’re thrilled to find out you’re pregnant, but your excitement is dampened when you hear the words, “high risk.” There are many different reasons why pregnant women are classified as high risk, but ultimately all have to do with the safety of the mother and the unborn child. As you...

You’re experiencing pain in your pelvic region and you want to narrow down the causes. One potential cause of the discomfort is uterine fibroids, which affect 20-80% of women by the time they reach the age of 50.  In most cases, the benign growths don’t cause any symptoms, and many...

You’re experiencing symptoms that might be related to your reproductive health, such as pelvic pain. To help you figure out what might be wrong, Dr. Fernando Otero and the obstetrics team here at the Women's Clinic of the Rio Grande Valley decided to focus on endometriosis in this month’s blog post. This common gynecologic condition...

When you embark on a pregnancy, the last thing you want to hear is that there’s some risk right from the start. High-risk pregnancies are more common than you might think, but with some careful management, you can set yourself up for the best possible outcome. At the Women's Clinic...

You dread your period each month, as the bleeding is excessive enough that it has a significant effect on your quality of life. In short, you’re tired of being a prisoner to heavy menstrual bleeding or long periods and you want to put a stop to the problem. At Women’sClinic...

Each year in the United States, 600,000 women opt for tubal occlusion, or tubal ligation, to prevent pregnancy. There are several reasons why women choose sterilization, which include not wanting to deal with the hassle of birth control or having a medical condition that makes pregnancy dangerous. If you want to...

You laugh too hard at a friend’s joke or you execute a beautiful dive for a tennis ball, but these joyful moments are ruined by accompanying urinary leakage. To get straight to the question we pose in the title of this blog, Dr. Fernando Otero and the team here at...

When you cast about for a long-term birth control solution, you settled on Essure®, which permanently blocked your fallopian tubes without a surgical procedure. Unfortunately, some women developed complications due to these devices, which prompted the manufacturer to discontinue the product in December 2018. If you’re wondering what your next...

In most cases, pelvic inflammatory disease stems from untreated sexually transmitted infections (STIs), which is worrisome when you consider recent numbers surrounding STIs. At any given time, one in five people in the United States has an STI, and the prevalence of the most common STIs — chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis —...

You’re trying to figure out the best way to prevent an unplanned pregnancy, and you’re not all that keen on the idea of hormonal controls. Fortunately, hormones aren’t the only birth control route as there are highly effective barrier options from which to choose. As part of our family planning...

Woody Allen is credited with saying, “If you want to make God laugh, tell him about your plans.” While there is some truth to this statement, planning ahead does have some incredible benefits, especially when it comes to your birth plan. If you’ve never developed a birth plan before, Dr....

As many as 600,000 women undergo a hysterectomy each year in the United States for a variety of reasons and the choice is rarely an easy one. In most cases, the decision is fueled by the fact that certain reproductive organs have become more of a liability than an asset,...

Uterine fibroids may sound serious, but the reality is that up to 75% of women develop these noncancerous growths in their uteruses during their reproductive years. In fact, many women are unaware they even have fibroids. For the unfortunate few, however, uterine fibroids can become problematic. To help you determine...

You’re building the family of your dreams, and you want your pregnancy to go as smoothly as possible. Unfortunately, there are several conditions that can place your pregnancy into a high-risk category, and carrying too much or too little weight certainly qualifies. When it comes to any pregnancy, knowing your...

Cervical incompetence occurs in one out of every 100 pregnancies, and it can end in heartbreaking pregnancy loss because in many cases there are no signs of a problem. That said, there are steps that we can take to prevent the unthinkable. Here at Women’s Clinic of the Rio Grande...

If you have endometriosis, the first thing to understand is that you’re not alone — 11% of American women in their reproductive years may have the condition. Many of these women are still able to successfully build their families despite their endometriosis, while others encounter fertility problems. While it would...

You laugh too hard at a friend’s joke and leak urine, or you suddenly need to urinate in the middle of a romantic dinner. These situations are all too common for women with urinary incontinence, and there are many of them — one in four women in the United States...

Chronic pain, heavier periods, headaches — these are just a few of the long-term side effects that some women are facing after getting the Essure® device. If you find yourself struggling with serious quality-of-life issues after having the Essure device implanted, removal may be the best option for bringing you...

Your reproductive organs are held in place by your pelvic floor, as well as by each other. If these support systems weaken, certain organs can shift out of place and follow gravity downward into, and sometimes out of, your vaginal canal. One of these pelvic organs is your vagina itself,...

While the thought of surgery is rarely a welcome one, when the procedure corrects a dangerous medical issue or greatly improves your quality of life, surgery may be most welcome, indeed. This is often the case with a hysterectomy. When it comes to deciding whether or not to undergo a...

You’re excited to start or add to your family, and then you hear the words, “High-risk pregnancy,” and your excitement fades just a little. In most cases, a high-risk pregnancy simply means we have to take a measure of extra care during your pregnancy. To give you an idea about...

You’re experiencing pelvic pain, and you want to know whether a sexually transmitted disease (STD) may be to blame. While there are many conditions that can lead to this type of discomfort, there are two STDs that count pelvic pain among the potential side effects — chlamydia and gonorrhea. In...

Whatever your reasons, now is not the time to start a family, so you want to avoid becoming pregnant. As you research your birth control options, you quickly realize that there are many ways to go about preventing pregnancy — in fact, so many that you’re left confused. To help...

Almost half of women between the ages of 50 and 79 have some degree of pelvic organ prolapse, and uterine prolapse is among the more common. While there may be some comfort knowing you’re not alone with this problem, you’re anxious to find solutions, which is where the experienced team...

You’ve been told that you’re of “advanced maternal age,” even though you’re feeling more than ready to begin (or add to) your family. While having children after the age of 40 may carry more risks, it’s certainly something we don’t want to discourage, as many women create wonderful families later...

You sneeze or laugh too hard and you feel urine escape, or perhaps you’re having trouble with frequent and sudden urges to urinate, forcing you to stay near a bathroom at all times. These are just a few of the challenges that come with urinary incontinence, which affects twice as...

You’ve waited with excitement for your baby to make their entrance into the world, but you find that your moods don’t reflect the much-anticipated event. And now you’re wondering whether your feelings are temporary or whether your altered moods will wreak havoc on your ability to care for your newborn....

The field of gynecology is continually evolving, but few advancements have made an impact like the introduction of minimally invasive surgery. Now, we’re advancing this revolutionary technology a step further by introducing a robotic component, which provides the perfect blend of human experience and machine-driven precision. Thanks to minimally invasive...

You’re driving in your car or sitting down to lunch with friends and the urge to urinate comes on suddenly. Depending upon the severity of the urge and where you’re located, it may lead to problems with incontinence. Called overactive bladder (OAB), the problem affects more women than you might...

There’s light at the end of the tunnel when it comes to the COVID-19 pandemic, yet you find yourself still in its grips as you decide whether or not to get yourself vaccinated while you’re pregnant. We hear your concerns, and we’ve followed the data. Education is important, especially while...

You feel young and ready to take on the challenges of building a family, only to have the words, “advanced maternal age,” temper your excitement. Rest assured, plenty of women successfully navigate pregnancy and childbirth after the age of 35, but your risks for complications are higher, which is why...

One of the first signs of a problem with your reproductive health is abnormal or painful periods. Of the many conditions that can lead to issues with your menstrual cycles, adenomyosis is one, and we review this condition here. Whatever’s causing your symptoms, rest assured that Dr. Fernando Otero and our...

Few people relish the thought of surgery, but when you add the words, “minimally invasive,” the road is going to be a much easier one. With your health and wellness as our top priority, Dr. Fernando Otero and the team here at Women’s Clinic of the Rio Grande Valley understand...

If you’re among the women who had Essure® coils implanted in order to prevent pregnancy, you may be aware of the news surrounding the discontinuation of the product.  Dr. Fernando Otero and our team here at the Women’s Clinic of the Rio Grande Valley have followed this news and adjusted...

Under normal circumstances, your period comes on time and your bleeding is perfectly manageable. Unfortunately, many women experience abnormal uterine bleeding, which can encompass everything from prolonged bleeding to bleeding outside of your menstrual cycles. At Women’s Clinic of the Rio Grande Valley, Dr. Fernando Otero and Dr. Norma Garcia...

While the passage through menopause means freedom from your menstrual cycles, it also brings with it some unwelcome changes, including urinary incontinence. It may be of some comfort to know that more than half of postmenopausal women experience urinary incontinence in some form, but it does little to remedy your...

Whether this is your first pregnancy or you’re adding to your growing family, you want to make sure that everything goes as smoothly as possible. When a condition like cervical incompetence develops, which often does so without warning, the consequences can be devastating. Thankfully, this condition isn’t common, but it’s...

Sometimes a certain part of your body becomes more of a liability than an asset, and your endometrium (the lining of your uterus) can fit the bill. The good news is that we have a solution with endometrial ablation, though the procedure isn’t for everyone. To help determine whether a...

You always knew kids were in your future, and you feel that the future has arrived with the new year. Of course, you want everything to go as smoothly as possible for your first pregnancy, which is why we pulled together a few tips to help you get started. Dr....

Definitive numbers on the prevalence of pelvic organ prolapse are tricky, but researchers estimate that 50% of women experience some degree of prolapse. One of the problems in identifying the condition is that there are several different types of pelvic organ prolapse. To shed some light on the problem, the...

The advantages of preventive health care are almost without limits, which is why most health plans cover routine preventive care, such as your annual well-woman exam. To avail yourself of these annual benefits, you need to schedule your appointment before the year comes to a close. At the Women's Clinic...

You want to take charge of your family planning through birth control, but now you’re faced with a wide range of options. To help you find the best solution for your unique situation, it’s important to understand the many approaches to preventing an unwanted pregnancy. We believe that education is...

The idea behind Essure® was a good one — a permanent birth control solution that didn’t rely on surgery. Unfortunately, enough women developed complications from the implant that the manufacturer voluntarily discontinued its manufacture. If you’re among these women, removal is the best option, and we have the expertise necessary...

The goal of surgery is to correct a health issue, but sometimes this approach can lead to unwanted side effects. With minimally invasive surgery, we can reduce your exposure to complications and help you get on the road to better health more quickly. Dr. Fernando Otero and our team here...

When it comes to building your family, the last words you may want to hear are “high risk.” In most cases, this designation is precautionary and means that you require a higher standard of care and observation. At Women’s Clinic of the Rio Grande Valley, we offer high-risk obstetrics care...

Pelvic floor disorders affect one in five women in the United States and 3% of women experience pelvic organ prolapse (POP), which can lead to a host of complications, including urinary and fecal incontinence. The good news is that there are ways to both prevent and treat pelvic organ prolapse....

Approximately 600,000 women have hysterectomies each year in the United States, which effectively puts an end to their reproduction capabilities. This procedure, however, can also put an end to several painful and quality-of-life gynecologic issues, making the decision an easy one. At Women’s Clinic of the Rio Grande Valley, Dr....

The prevalence of urinary incontinence among women is staggering — one in two report symptoms of the problem, which can either be temporary or chronic. If you’re struggling with ongoing issues with urinary leakage and the inability to control your bladder, it’s clear that you’re not alone. And to answer...

Although family planning is often understood as birth control, in reality, it’s much more. The World Health Organization defines family planning as, “the ability of individuals and couples to anticipate and attain their desired number of children and the spacing and timing of their births. It is achieved through use...

From the moment you pass through puberty, your reproductive system comes on line in earnest, and with this transition can come problems with pelvic pain. Though many women experience pelvic pain during their menstrual cycles (cramping), 15% of women in their childbearing years in the United States report pelvic pain...