Dear Doc Kate 4

As always, the lovely Dr Kate is in the house ready and waiting to answer all your medical concerns. This month she discusses the problem of over-produced prostaglandins and the dreaded period pain!

Dr Kate specialises in women's reproductive health and is a representative of MSIA - Marie Stopes International Australia. As the resident doctor at FEMAIL, she is here to advise and answer all your medical queries.

MSIA is part of the http://www.mariestopes.org.au Marie Stopes International partnership which works in 39 countries across Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Latin America and Europe. Collectively they are a movement advocating for reproductive rights and providing services that improve and save peoples lives, making a real difference. Marie Stopes in Australia, plays a pivotal role in facilitating this within the Asia Pacific region.

So if you have a question or a concern - go to:

Dear Doctor




Dear Hot And Sweaty,

The recent findings about hormone replacement therapy (HRT) have made a lot of women taking HRT and their doctors face a difficult decision. Women take HRT to combat the symptoms of menopause, such as hot flushes, mood swings, depression, and insomnia. HRT has also been used to prevent osteoporosis, or weakening of the bones. Recently however a study found that women taking hormone replacement therapy for longer than five years were at a slightly increased risk of breast cancer and stroke.

So should women continue taking HRT? It is really a decision that you must make on an individual level. Note that these findings relate to women who take HRT for longer than five years. You need to discuss with your doctor the benefits and the risks that are associated with HRT, and the alternatives, to see which option best suits you. Some women have found other ways to reduce the symptoms of menopause, others are happy to continue taking HRT despite the slightly higher risk.




Dear Andrea,

I'm afraid there is nothing else you can do, than to muster up the courage, and ignore your embarrassment for long enough to go to a doctor and have this examined! This may just be a pale mole, however it is impossible to tell without actually seeing it. I understand that it can be embarrassing, if it helps, see a female doctor. The sooner you do go, the faster you can be sure as to what it is.