It’s September – Let’s Talk about Your Ovaries

So, I’m sure for the last 21 days you’ve been all “It’s September, when is Emily going to start talking about ovaries??” Well, fortunately for you, that time has come.

In case you don’t know what I’m talking about and think I’ve completely lost it, September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. It’s a cause that is important to me and Jenny, and we like to talk about it – a lot – because we want everyone to be aware and know the signs and symptoms of this craptastic disease.

Here’s a little info-graphic from the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund:

In case you were wondering, the awareness color for ovarian cancer is teal. I currently have my nails painted teal, which is great because as I was doing a little teal shopping online this week I discovered that it’s ALSO the color for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder awareness. SO convenient that I can support two causes that impact me at once!

But seriously, though, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – know the signs and symptoms!

Signs & Symptoms
• Bloating
• Pelvic and/or abdominal pain
• Difficulty eating or feeling full quickly
• Urinary symptoms (urgency or frequency)

Risk Factors
• Increasing age, with highest occurrence in women over 50
• Family or personal history of ovarian, breast, endometrial, or colon cancer
• Uninterrupted ovulation (having no pregnancies, infertility, low parity)
• Presence of gene mutations, especially BRCA 1 or BRCA 2

Prevention & Risk Reduction
• Use of oral contraceptives for more than five years can reduce your risk by approximately 50%
• Multiple pregnancies, having first full-term pregnancy before the age of 25
• Breastfeeding

Until next September (or the next time I harp at you, whichever comes first), I will leave you with this – a bit of wisdom from one of America’s great music legends… Debbie Gibson. You’re welcome. (And if you’d like to join me in my minivan today, we can rock out to Electric Youth together.) (nope, not even kidding.)