Gynecologic Oncology

Q & A with Dr. Rani Bhat Honeymoon Cystitis What is honeymoon cystitis? Inflammation of the bladder that happens after a woman's first sexual encounter or after a period of abstinence is known as "honeymoon cystitis." It affects women almost exclusively and can occur at any age. As with any type of urinary tract infection, honeymoon cystitis is generally caused by bacteria. There are normal bacteria that tend to live on the skin around the anus and during sexual intercourse, these bacteria can be transferred into the urethra causing cystitis. Half of all women get cystitis at least once in their lives. Honeymoon cystitis remains more common among young women in their twenties but can also happen to women of any age group when they start having sex again after not having done so for a long period of time. Why do women get cystitis after intercourse? The rubbing during sex can cause bacteria from the genital area and anus to come in co

Q & A with Dr. Rani Bhat Is HPV vaccination recommended for me? What is HPV? Full form of HPV is human papillomavirus . HPV is a viral infection and is generally transmitted through intimate skin-to-skin contact during vaginal, anal, or oral sex. You can contract HPV during your first sexual encounter or your 20th, and you can get it even if you have been monogamous and have been having sex with only one person. HPV will not cause any symptoms and they generally go away on their own. But some types of HPV can cause cervical cancer in women and can also cause cancers such as cancers of the anus, penis, vagina, and vulva and oropharynx. Why is HPV vaccine important? Generally, most HPV infections will clear up on their own within two years, with no long-term consequences. But sometimes, the infection does not clear up and since there is no treatment nor cure for HPV, the virus can put people at risk for potentially serious problems such as cancer and genital warts.