Blog Archive

There’s a more sophisticated, highly sensitive communication system than all the high technology we have at our fingertips — and it’s right inside our own bodies. It’s the endocrine system, which produces our hormones. Hormones impact everything from your metabolism and mood to your skin and reproductive system. When dysregulation...

Three out of four women experience the discomfort of a yeast infection at some point, and the symptoms can be quite uncomfortable. Also known as vaginal candidiasis, this condition doesn’t go away on its own and requires treatment. It’s also important to understand that these infections aren’t sexually transmitted. We...

Unlike in the past when birth control options were limited, couples can now choose from many options. Picking the right method requires in-depth conversations with your partner and doctor, so you can choose a method that works well with your lifestyle. What if you’ve both decided that you don’t want...

Just as the sexual revolution of the 1960s ushered in an era of more birth control options and less shame, the last decade has brought awareness around consent and other important aspects of how sexuality fits within our lives.  We have also come to understand more about the different influences...

If you’ve recently learned that you have uterine fibroids, don’t panic. First, you’re not alone — 77% of women will have fibroids at some point, typically during their childbearing years. The other thing to remember is that even though fibroids are technically tumors that develop in your uterus, over 99% of them...

A common condition for pregnant and postpartum women that isn’t talked about enough is diastasis recti — though it may sound more like an exotic plant species. This is when the rectus abdominis, popularly known as your “six pack” muscles that meet in the middle of your stomach, separate as...

It wouldn’t be accurate to say that amidst the deep joy that accompanies expecting a baby, there isn’t also a considerable amount of worry. It’s only natural to wonder about how you can give your baby the best start — even before they’re born — by eating well, exercising safely,...

If you’ve ever watched a classic film from the 1940s, and there’s a character who’s pregnant in it, you’ll likely notice that they are encouraged to avoid any strenuous activity and take it as easy as possible. Now, however, it’s common knowledge that exercise is an essential for a healthy...

Becoming pregnant is a joyful and thrilling time in any woman’s life, and excellent prenatal care is critical to ensure that you have a comfortable pregnancy and a healthy baby. If you’re over 35 and expecting, however, there are special things to think about and discuss with your doctor throughout your pregnancy....

Decades ago, it was thought that pregnant women should take it as easy as possible, but now we know that exercising throughout pregnancy provides the mother-to-be with benefits like reducing back pain, lessening the likelihood that you will become constipated, and helping to keep your weight at a healthy level...

Never is proper nutrition more important than when you’re pregnant, but some women develop strong aversions to foods that might be excellent for them when they’re expecting. Between palate changes during pregnancy and nausea brought on by morning sickness, it can become challenging to get the nutrients you need.  This...

If you’re planning on getting pregnant, you have a lot to think about, from fun things like shopping for maternity clothes to decorating the nursery. There are also self-care practices and other steps you can take to ensure that you have the healthiest pregnancy possible. If you’re yearning to have...

There’s no more thrilling news in the world than learning you’re expecting a baby! When you come to The Miami Institute for Women’s Health, Dr. Peter Khamvongsa and his caring team in Miami, Florida, provide you with education, support, and the most advanced prenatal care, as well as a host...

There are fewer happier and more exciting milestones in a woman’s life than learning she’s expecting a baby. Along with the thrill, though, are understandable concerns about how the pregnancy will go and what she can do to make it a healthy one. There are certain factors that can cause...

Sexual health is something that, even though it’s nearly 2023, people can have a hard time talking about. But sexual health isn’t just about getting health screenings like your Pap smear or choosing the right contraceptive for you; it’s about whether you’re experiencing intimacy with your partner that’s satisfying. But what does that mean? For...

If you’ve ever experienced urinary leakage, you know that it’s one of the most dreaded, embarrassing situations ever! Some factors make certain women more prone to incontinence problems, but solutions do exist.  Dr. Peter Khanvongsa and the attentive team at the Miami Institute for Women’s Health want to provide you with the most...

When your childbearing years end, you’ve entered menopause. Technically, you’re in menopause when you haven’t had a period for 12 consecutive months, but perimenopause is the time leading up to menopause, and its symptoms are a precursor to the much-discussed “change of life.”  These early menopause symptoms that emerge in...

You’re pregnant and likely filled with excitement. There are plenty of fun things to think about, like what color to paint the nursery and that magical moment when you first lay eyes on your little one.  You might also notice, however, that a new question enters your brain about every...

Amidst the thrill and joy of being pregnant, there seem to be a million things you should watch out for and take care not to do during those nine months: Are those shoelaces tied so you don’t trip? Are you getting the right kinds of exercise? Are you scheduling the...

If you’re one of the 11+% of American women who suffer with endometriosis — a problem where endometrial tissue grows uncontrolled in other places in your body besides your uterus — you’re more likely to have a tougher time getting pregnant.  Since your body can’t eliminate the extra tissue as it would...

So much excitement surrounds pregnancy and finally meeting your little one after nine months. You make sure you’re eating right, getting enough rest, and taking good care of your health, as well as doing fun things like choosing a name and decorating your nursery.  We wish for a pregnancy that...

Uterine fibroids are benign tumors that grow in the uterus. They affect a surprising 25% of women in their childbearing years, and 70-80% of women age 50 and over.  Many women don’t know they have fibroids, but when your fibroids do cause symptoms, they’re uncomfortable and hard to live with.  Dr. Peter...

Menopause, or “the change,” as it used to be known, is when a woman’s childbearing years come to an end, along with your periods. Some women mourn this time, while others feel relieved to be done with women’s sanitary products, cramps, and food cravings. Menopause isn’t a sudden “on-off” hormonal...

Surgery may be the solution for many problems, and it can also be pretty traumatic to the body. But now there’s a less invasive, advanced type of surgical procedure that can often replace traditional open surgery: minimally invasive surgery.  Dr. Peter Khamvongsa offers an array of minimally invasive procedures to...

When you learn that you’re expecting a baby, your first thoughts might revolve around doing all you can to ensure that your baby is healthy.  Dr. Peter Khamvongsa and our team at The Miami Institute for Women’s Health partner with you throughout your pregnancy and delivery, as well as afterwards,...

Have you ever been mortified by a urinary accident? You might have sneezed and experienced a leak, or maybe you were on your way to the bathroom, but you didn’t quite make it.  Urinary incontinence is stressful and embarrassing, and it plagues far more women than men. It’s important to...

If you’re sexually active, you should be tested for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) as a routine part of your yearly wellness exam.  It’s critical to talk to your OB/GYN about STD testing and what they recommend based on your age, number of partners, and other factors.    Dr. Peter Khamvongsa and...

You probably know that cervical cancer screening is all-important for women.  One well-known method is the Pap test, a procedure whose name comes from the physician who developed it in the 1920s, Dr. George Papanikolaou. It wasn’t used widely for a few decades, but the Pap test eventually became the...

Before making a diagnosis and creating a treatment plan, your doctor should gather as much info as possible.  This starts with asking about your symptoms and health background, but to delve more deeply, this often means getting a screening or procedure that’s more specific. This way, your doctor can rule...

Tubal implants were heralded as a revolutionary — and permanent — method of contraception for women. They didn’t require any incisions, and the soft coil implants that were placed in the fallopian tubes prevented pregnancy over the long-term.  However, serious side effects and problems arose for many women who opted...

Endometriosis is a painful condition where your uterine lining, or endometrium, goes a bit “haywire” and grows beyond your uterus. Nearly 10% of women live with endometriosis.  If you suffer from endometriosis, you’ve likely worried about how these symptoms could affect your ability to get pregnant. When you’re dealing with...

Uterine fibroids are muscular tumors that develop on the uterine wall? They are extremely common — between 20-80% of women develop them before age 50 — and most often benign. Some women with fibroids don’t experience any symptoms, and therefore don’t realize they even have them. Yet others suffer intense...

Pregnancy is life-changing and a cause for great celebration as you prepare to bring your sweet baby into the world. Everyone hopes that pregnancy will go smoothly, but there’s always a risk of complications.  That’s why proper monitoring and care by a board-certified obstetrician-gynecologist throughout your pregnancy is a must....

Getting the right diagnosis is critical to your treatment plan, but a diagnosis is only as good as the tools doctors have at their disposal.  Imagine, for example, how difficult it must have been to diagnose so many conditions, from pneumonia to a cyst or a tumor, without the aid...

Essure was the first transcervical birth control device for women, and it debuted in 2002, following FDA approval. It was developed as a permanent form of birth control, the only other one being tubal ligation, a surgery that involves tying, cutting, or blocking the fallopian tubes to prevent sperm from...

Women who struggle with infertility share the unique pain of wanting a baby badly and being  disappointed again and again. Sophisticated fertility treatments do exist, but this doesn’t mean that the persistent inability to conceive doesn’t continue to affect over 6 million women.  Dr. Peter Khamvongsa and the team at...

Many women — a surprising 75% — experience pain during intercourse for many reasons and at different phases in their lives.  But simply seeking treatment usually ends the problem. Dr. Peter Khamvongsa at the Miami Institute of Urogynecology and Minimally Invasive Surgery can help if your intimate relationships have been...

Human papillomavirus, or HPV, is really a blanket term for a common sexually transmitted infection that affects an estimated 79 million people.  HPV is acquired through sexual contact. It can cause genital warts, but it can still be passed on even if the infected person shows no signs and has...

You may feel embarrassed about discussing your low libido with your doctor. Or you may think that it’s not a “real” medical concern.  But in reality, your intimate life is an important part of your overall health. The quality of your sexual relationships impacts your emotional well-being, which affects many...

If your abdomen feels heavy and looks larger, or you’re experiencing pain or heavy bleeding during your periods, you may be dealing with uterine fibroids.  These common tissue growths develop in women of childbearing age — 70-80% of women have them by the time they reach age 50.  The good...

There are almost too many menopause symptoms to count: hot flashes, muscle and joint discomfort, headaches, night sweats, unpredictable bleeding, and more. Menopause can even drive the progression of other conditions, like osteoporosis.  There’s not an aspect of your health that menopause doesn’t turn upside down, too, from what’s happening...

It’s thought that over 11% of American women aged 15 to 44 suffer with endometriosis.  This painful condition occurs when the lining of your uterus, or the endometrium, “goes rogue” and grows outside of it. It can affect your fallopian tubes, ovaries, the exterior of your uterus, and even your...

There’s not a single person whose life hasn’t been completely upended by COVID-19: parents, employees, students, essential service workers, and of course, patients and healthcare providers. The challenge of COVID-19 is that what we know about it is constantly changing, which can make it hard to determine our “new normal.” ...

A silent disease is one that has no obvious symptoms to the sufferer or the outside world, and this can include their own doctor. When you have a rash, you know there’s a problem, but other health issues aren’t so obvious. Osteoporosis, the condition that weakens your bones, puts you...

When many people think of obstructive sleep apnea — the most common type — they might peg an overweight male as the typical sufferer.  Actually, not only does the risk of sleep apnea go up for postmenopausal women, but pregnant women and their babies face special challenges too, if they...

Urogynecology is a specialty that you might not have heard of, but the issues that this type of physician treats are surprisingly common. Urogynecologists provide a unique but vital combination of expertise in urology, gynecology, and obstetrics care.  Dr. Peter Khamvongsa is the premier urogynecologist in Miami and its surrounding...

When you bring your beautiful new baby home, your top priority is their comfort and care. The last thing you want to think about is birth control.  After you’ve given birth, your body is recovering and providing all sorts of nutrients for your newborn. You certainly can’t get pregnant again...

Surgery doesn’t have to be the painful, invasive, and life-altering event that it once was.  Stunning advances in minimally invasive surgical techniques allow surgeons to make very small incisions, which means shorter hospital stays and easier recoveries. In the world of women’s surgery, Dr. Peter Khamvongsa and the team here...

Are you dismayed to find increasing wrinkles and lines forming around your eyes, brows, and forehead? Or perhaps you’re not thrilled about the loss of volume in the lower half of your face, leaving it looking hollowed out. Thankfully, we have solutions for both — Botox® and dermal fillers. At...

While no one wants to hear the results of their latest Pap smear are abnormal, there is no reason to assume the worst. Finding unusual cells on the cervix is relatively common. Following up with your doctor is key to learning more about your health and creating the best care...