How to Care for the Female Reproductive System

Infertility can be heartbreaking and treating it can be expensive. While no one can guarantee you won't have fertility problems, you can help prevent them by taking a few precautions before you begin thinking about conceiving a child. Caring for your reproductive system is important for a woman's overall health as well.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. Quit smoking. Smoking damages your ovaries, interferes with the production of estrogen and makes your eggs prone to genetic abnormalities.
2. Maintain a healthy body weight. If you weigh too little, you won't produce enough estrogen and your reproductive system will shut down. If you weigh too much, you'll have too much estrogen in your system, which acts like birth control medication, and in your later years, is a risk factor for cancer.
3. Practice safe sex. Some sexually transmitted diseases can render you infertile. Many of these diseases have no symptoms at first, so you can severely damage your fertility before you know you have them.
4. Get a regular gynecological examination. Your doctor will check the size and shape of your uterus and ovaries and screen you for cervical cancer.
5. Receive treatment recommendations from your doctor for conditions such as endometriosis or fibroids.
6. Avoid vaginal infections, which can result in damage to your uterus if left untreated. Precautions include changing tampons regularly, cleaning yourself properly after using the toilet, taking care of genital piercings and staying out of contaminated water.
7. Take steps to be healthier. A healthy diet, regular exercise and stress management all help to keep your reproductive system, along with all your body's systems, in good shape.

Tips & Warnings

• Although a yeast infection probably won't result in infertility, it can be maddening. Over-the-counter medications are available, and there are many effective home remedies.