Certain procedures historically associated with childbirth are being re-evaluated. Some have been found to be unnecessary, others unjustified. However, most of today`s obstetricians believe that they can guarantee that childbirth is a safer and happier experience for a mother and her baby with the help of modern technology.

By drawing your attention to the arguments con­cerning some standard medical practices, this will help you to question them assertively with your medical and nursing attendants. More often than not, your wishes will be complied with, especially if you have written a birth plan in advance, but occasionally you will be told that to continue with a particular option will put you or your baby at serious risk — for instance, if your baby is showing signs of distress and you fight to continue with a totally natural childbirth. Be prepared to adapt your ideas.

Shaving

Nowadays, shaving is unnecessary unless you are having a Caesarean section. Any chance of infection can be eliminated by wiping the vulva with gauze and simply spraying with an antiseptic.

Nil by mouth

Many modern obstetric units have aban­doned the old custom of nil by mouth but some hospitals may still practice it. There is no medical nor scientific rationale for starving a woman during labour. In fact, quite the opposite: the hard work of labour uses up much energy, which causes sweating, and a woman must replace the fluids that she has lost.

Before epidurals became commonplace for Caesarean sections, if a general anaesthetic became necessary it could not be given to a woman who had eaten recently as she might have inhaled vomit. But, even so, there is no reason why every woman should still suffer simply because a small number need surgical intervention.

Moving to a delivery room

In some hospitals a woman still has to undergo the physical and emotional upheaval of leaving the room in which she had so far laboured in order to have her baby in a delivery room. Ideally, labour should proceed smoothly in peaceful surroundings, and as long as a room is equipped with good lighting, oxygen in some form, and a suction apparatus to clear out the babys air passages, if necessary, I can see no reason why a woman in normal labour should be forced to move to a delivery room. Many progressive hospitals now have more congenial all-in-one labour and birthing rooms and, if possible, you should choose a hospital with these.

Induction

Starting off labour artificially is not a new idea, but it only became an easy procedure in the latter half of the twentieth century. Labour is usually induced for medical reasons such as pre-eclampsia, high blood pressure or post-maturity, when induction can save the lives of mothers and babies.

An induced labour may involve the use of a Syntocinon drip, which will restrict your movements. Such a labour can be shorter and sharper and probably will increase your need for heavy-duty painkillers.

Amniotomy

This is when the membranes (the bag of waters) surrounding the baby are artificially ruptured. It may be carried out in a high-tech birth, and if so, is usually done early in labour for three reasons. The first is so that electronic fetal monitoring equipment can be set in place; the second is to check if the amniotic fluid contains meconium (this is the baby’s first bowel movement and its presence may indicate fetal distress); the third is that once they are ruptured, the baby’s head can press down hard on the cervix, helping dilatation of the cervix and speeding up the first stage.

There are more than 100 types of HPV, most of which cause infection without any symptoms and will clear. However, some strains of the virus can cause infections with serious consequences.

About 30 types of HPV are known as genital HPV since they affect the genital area. Some types can cause cervical cancer or abnormal in the lining of the cervix that could turn into cancer. HPV type 16 and 18 account for an estimated 70% of all cervical cancers, while other cancer causing HPV types are associated with about half of all vaginal, vulvar and penile cancers, and about 85% of anal cancers.

*Non-cancer causing HPV types 6 and 11 have a negligible risk of progressing but may persist, and account for 90% of all genital warts.

HPV is also responsible for nearly all juvenile onset recurrent respiratory papillomatosis – a rare disease acquired through the vertical transmission of HPV from mother to infant, characterized by warts in the throat of the child. HPV may not show any signs or symptoms, so people can transmit the virus without even knowing it. Because the virus is transmitted via the skin, even non penetrative sexual contact can result in passing on the virus to another person.

How do You know if You have contracted HPV?
Most people infected with HPV do not know they have it. HPVrelated cervical lesions can be detected by Papanicolaou (Pap) test, or Pap smear. A Pap test is the primary cancer-screening tool for cervical cancer or pre-cancerous changes in the cervix, many of which are related to HPV.

A HPV DNA test can also identify 13 of the cancer causing HPV types associated with the development of cervical cancer. Most women are diagnosed with HPV on the basis of abnormal Pap test results. There is no laboratory test available to detect HPV infection in men.
How is HPV treated?
Unfortunately, at current moment, there is no known cure for HPV infection yet. However, HPV-related lesions and warts can be treated by freezing and destroying the affected tissues, removal using a hot wire loop and conventional surgery.

Cervical Cancer and Precancerous Lesions
Cervix , is the part of the uterus (or womb) that connects to the vagina. Sometimes, cells in the lining of the cervix begin to grow in abnormal ways. This precancerous condition is called dysplasia, and it can go away without treatment for some women.

However, dysplasia may need to be treated to keep it from developing into cancer. Cervical cancer develops when abnormal cells in the lining of the cervix begin to grow out of control, and when these abnormal cells later invade other parts of the body, it is called metastasis.
Abnormal cervical cells sometimes form benign (noncancerous) tumors ; they do not spread and are usually not harmful. Malignant (cancerous) tumors, however, spread from their sources and can grow into life-threatening cancers.