Dr. Beth A. Plunkett, MD, MPH

According to a new study conducted by researchers from Australia, repeat cesarean sections are safer than natural vaginal birth. Both delivery methods were not associated with death or any serious health issues. But women who had cesarean sections had less serious bleeding complications, when...

What is HIV and how is it diagnosed?HIV refers to a virus and an infection that attacks the immune system. The virus is transmitted from one person to another by the sharing of body fluids. This can happen through unprotected sex, blood transfusion, or sharing of any piercing objects that might pass...

According to a new study, the sudden drop in the rate of mammograms taken by women is due to the fear of hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Up to the year 2000, many women used to take up mammography, once every two years, as a screening method for breast cancer. By the year 2005, researchers...

Gastric bypass surgery is a method that can help an individual to lose weight by means of changing how the stomach and small intestine deal with the food consumed. After surgery, the stomach is much smaller than before. In addition, the food eaten will no longer pass into some regions of the stomach...

Herpes blistersThe most obvious symptoms of genital herpes are the appearance of blisters or sores on the genitals. Most people may experience a tingling or itchy sensation before blisters appear on the skin or mucous membranes. This sensation is limited to the area where the lesions will occur....

A person who has a body weight that is 20% or more than the designated normal weight is considered to be obese. Obesity actually refers to the excess amount of fat present in the body. Based on the statistical measurement of Body Mass Index or BMI, obesity refers to BMI above 30. BMI is a...