El Camino Women's Medical Group

10/08/2026

More Women Are Switching to Reusable Menstrual Products: What You Need to Know

In recent years, the conversation around menstrual health has expanded beyond symptom management and product convenience to include sustainability, cost-effectiveness, and women’s overall well-being. According to a recent update highlighted by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and reported by the Associated Press, more women are making the switch to reusable menstrual products such as flexible discs, silicone cups, and period underwear. This shift is not just a passing trend—it reflects a broader cultural movement toward environmentally conscious living and greater awareness of long-term health and financial benefits.

The Changing Landscape of Menstrual Products
For decades, disposable pads and tampons have been the default choice for menstrual care. They are widely available, familiar, and convenient. However, these single-use products come at a cost: billions are discarded every year, creating an enormous burden on landfills.

Reusable menstrual products, once considered niche, have steadily grown in popularity—particularly during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, when supply chain disruptions and financial constraints prompted women to explore alternatives. Flexible menstrual discs, silicone cups, and absorbent period underwear offer reliable protection while addressing concerns about waste, cost, and sustainability.

The Environmental Impact
Disposable menstrual products generate massive amounts of waste. The average woman uses between 5,000 and 15,000 pads or tampons over her lifetime. Each of these products, often packaged in plastic and containing synthetic materials, can take hundreds of years to break down in a landfill.

By contrast, reusable options are designed to last for years. A single menstrual cup, for example, can be safely used for up to 10 years with proper care. Period underwear and reusable pads can last for several years as well, depending on usage and washing practices. For environmentally conscious women, the ability to drastically cut down on waste is one of the most compelling reasons to switch.

10/02/2026

Get your flu shot

10/01/2026

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

09/29/2026

Is Endometriosis a Metabolic Disease? New Research Is Changing the Way We Think About Treatment

For decades, endometriosis has been understood primarily as a hormonal condition — one in which tissue similar to the uterine lining grows outside the uterus, driven largely by estrogen. Hormonal suppression has been the cornerstone of medical treatment ever since. But a landmark new review published in the Journal of Advanced Research is challenging that framework in a profound way, arguing that endometriosis is, at its core, a metabolic disease — and that understanding it as such could finally open the door to treatments that go far beyond hormones.

What Is Endometriosis — And Why Is It So Hard to Treat?
Endometriosis affects an estimated 1 in 10 women of reproductive age worldwide. It causes chronic pelvic pain, painful periods, pain with in*******se, and — for many women — significant difficulty getting pregnant. Despite how common it is, the average time to diagnosis is still 7 to 10 years, and treatment options remain frustratingly limited.

Current treatments — hormonal birth control, GnRH agonists, and surgery — can reduce symptoms, but they don’t cure the disease. Lesions often return after surgery, symptoms frequently come back after stopping hormonal therapy, and none of the available options address the underlying biology of why these cells survive where they shouldn’t.

That’s exactly the gap this new research aims to fill.

09/22/2026

Your recovery after delivery deserves the same attention as your pregnancy. Here’s how modern postpartum care is changing — and what it means for you.
For decades, postpartum care meant one thing: a single appointment at six weeks. You came in, your provider checked your incision or confirmed your uterus had returned to size, and that was largely it. The assumption was that if you made it to six weeks without a crisis, you were fine.

We’ve always known that picture was incomplete. Now, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) has made it official: postpartum care should be an ongoing, individualized process spanning the first 12 weeks after delivery — what many are calling the fourth trimester.

Why the Old Model Fell Short
Pregnancy transforms nearly every system in your body. Your heart, kidneys, hormones, joints, and mental health are all affected — and they don’t simply “reset” the moment your baby arrives. In fact, some of the most serious complications of pregnancy, including high blood pressure, postpartum depression, and blood clots, emerge or peak in the first days and weeks after delivery. A single visit at six weeks was never designed to catch what can go wrong in week one or week three.

The fourth trimester framework acknowledges this reality. Instead of one milestone appointment, it calls for personalized, continuous contact — whether by phone, telehealth, or in-person visit — timed to your individual needs and risk factors.

“Postpartum care isn’t a single checkpoint. It’s an ongoing conversation between you and your care team during one of the most physically and emotionally demanding transitions of your life.”

What This Means for Your Care
Under this updated model, your postpartum care begins before you even deliver. During your third trimester, we’ll talk through what to expect after birth — including infant feeding, emotional changes, and any conditions like gestational diabetes or high blood pressure that will need monitoring once the baby arrives.

After delivery, here’s what comprehensive fourth-trimester care looks like:

An early contact — phone call or visit — within the first one to three weeks, sooner if you had a high-risk pregnancy, usually by our RN
Screening for postpartum depression and anxiety, which affect up to 1 in 5 new mothers, usually at your pediatrics visits and then with us at 6 weeks
Blood pressure monitoring if you had hypertension, preeclampsia, or gestational hypertension, this is tailored to each patients risk factors
Blood sugar follow-up if you had gestational diabetes, which increases your lifetime risk of type 2 diabetes
Breastfeeding support and infant feeding guidance
A conversation about contraception and, when you’re ready, birth spacing — which affects outcomes for future pregnancies
A comprehensive visit around 6–12 weeks that ties everything together and addresses longer-term health
Your Heart Health Matters, Too
One aspect of postpartum care that deserves more attention: your long-term cardiovascular health. Pregnancy complications such as preterm delivery, gestational hypertension, and preeclampsia are now recognized as warning signs for heart disease later in life. This doesn’t mean something is wrong now — but it does mean your postpartum visits are an important opportunity to establish a baseline and make sure your primary care provider has the full picture of your pregnancy history.

You Don’t Have to Navigate This Alone
The fourth trimester model recognizes that new mothers need more than a doctor — they need a team. At El Camino Women’s Medical Group, that means your OB/GYN works alongside our women’s health PA, our nutritionist, and our mental health providers — including psychiatry and therapy — to support you across the full spectrum of postpartum needs. Your family and support network matter too, and we’re here to help you mobilize all of it.

We also believe the healthcare system has a responsibility to do better. ACOG advocates for policies like paid parental leave and insurance coverage that matches the reality of postpartum recovery — not a single visit — and we share that commitment.

If you’re pregnant or recently delivered, know this: your care doesn’t end in the delivery room. The fourth trimester is yours, and we’re here for all of it.

09/20/2026

We wish all of you celebrating Yom Kippur and easy and meaningful fast!

09/18/2026

The 2026 Women's Health Fair is on Saturday, September 19, 2026

9 - 11 a.m. - Health Fair (in-person guests only)
11 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. - Main program presentations (in-person and online guests)

Two options to attend
In-person
El Camino Health
Mountain View Campus Conference Center
2500 Grant Road
Mountain View, CA 94040

Online
Attend the event through our online platform. Links will be sent via email before the event.

Register here:
https://www.elcaminohealth.org/WomensHealthFair2026

Join us for a day of learning, connection, and wellness as we come together to support women's health at every stage of adulthood.

09/18/2026

When Hormones Are the Problem Behind the Breakouts and Hair Growth

Unwanted hair growth and persistent acne are more than skin-deep concerns for many teenage girls and young women. New guidance from ACOG is helping doctors take a more thorough, personalized approach — and that’s good news for patients and families navigating these often frustrating conditions.
For many adolescents, acne and unwanted facial or body hair are written off as inevitable rites of passage — something to endure until hormones “settle down.” But for a meaningful number of teenagers, these symptoms aren’t just a byproduct of puberty. They’re signals from the body that something more specific is going on hormonally, and they deserve a thoughtful medical evaluation.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) has recently updated its guidance on diagnosing and managing hirsutism (excess hair growth in a male-pattern distribution) and acne in adolescents — both of which can be signs of hyperandrogenism, or elevated levels of male-type hormones like testosterone. For patients and families, understanding this updated framework means knowing what to ask for, what to expect from an evaluation, and what treatment options are available.

What’s Actually Causing These Symptoms?
The most common underlying cause of hyperandrogenism in adolescent girls is polycystic o***y syndrome (PCOS). PCOS is a hormonal condition that affects how the ovaries function and is associated with irregular periods, excess androgen production, and often (though not always) the appearance of multiple small follicles on the ovaries on ultrasound. It’s far more prevalent than many people realize — affecting an estimated 1 in 10 women of reproductive age.

That said, PCOS isn’t the only explanation, and diagnosing it in teenagers comes with real complexity. Irregular periods and acne are common in the first few years after puberty even without an underlying condition, which means a diagnosis of PCOS in a young adolescent requires careful consideration and follow-up. Other conditions that can cause similar symptoms include:

Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) — a group of inherited disorders affecting the adrenal glands’ hormone production
Androgen-secreting tumors — rare but important to rule out, particularly when symptoms appear suddenly or are severe
Cushing syndrome — caused by prolonged exposure to elevated cortisol levels
Thyroid dysfunction and elevated prolactin levels, which can contribute to hormonal imbalance
Because these conditions have different implications for long-term health, getting the diagnosis right matters — not just for treating symptoms today, but for protecting cardiovascular health, fertility, and metabolic health down the road.

09/15/2026

What a Newly Published Alcohol Study Means for Your Health

If you’ve seen recent news about alcohol and your health, you may be wondering what it actually means for you. A federal research report on alcohol — originally commissioned to help shape the nation’s dietary guidelines — was set aside and never officially released. Its authors have now published their findings independently in a peer-reviewed scientific journal. We want to walk you through the takeaways in plain language, with special attention to what they mean for women.

09/11/2026

The 2026 Women's Health Fair is on Saturday, September 19, 2026

9 - 11 a.m. - Health Fair (in-person guests only)
11 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. - Main program presentations (in-person and online guests)

Two options to attend
In-person
El Camino Health
Mountain View Campus Conference Center
2500 Grant Road
Mountain View, CA 94040

Online
Attend the event through our online platform. Links will be sent via email before the event.

Register here:
https://www.elcaminohealth.org/WomensHealthFair2026

Join us for a day of learning, connection, and wellness as we come together to support women's health at every stage of adulthood. This free event brings together physicians, healthcare experts, and our community to share trusted information, answer your questions, and empower you to make informed d...