Glossary: Health

Glossary

Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Perinatal Program 
Overseen by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC), provides limited prenatal care services to low-income women ineligible for Medicaid.

Contraception
The intentional use of artificial methods to prevent pregnancy as a result of sexual intercourse. Contraceptives include hormone pills and intrauterine devices.

C-section
Short for Cesarean delivery, a surgical procedure in which a baby is delivered through an incision on the mother’s abdomen and uterus.

Depo-Provera
Birth control method that uses an injection of the hormone progestin to prevent pregnancy for about three months. Depo-Provera does not protect against STDs.

Ectopic Pregnancy
An abnormal pregnancy in which the fertilized egg attaches itself somewhere other than inside the mother’s uterus, most commonly in the fallopian tube. Ectopic pregnancy must be treated, as the uterus is the only area suited to support a growing embryo.

Emergency Contraception
AKA “the morning after pill,” a form of birth control that lessens the chance of pregnancy when taken up to five days after unprotected sexual intercourse.

Expanded Primary Health Care (EPHC)
State program that provides primary care, screening, and preventive services to women, targeting women 18 and older who are at or below 200 percent of federal poverty and lack access to healthcare.

Endometriosis
A condition in which tissue similar to that normally lining the uterus is found outside of the uterus, usually on the ovaries, fallopian tubes, and other pelvic structures.

Estrogen
A female hormone produced in the ovaries.

Family planning 
Practice where couples or individuals control the number of children they have and/or the spacing of births.

Fetal anomaly
Mid-pregnancy ultrasound scans or other screening methods are typically conducted on an expectant mother between her 18th and 20th week of pregnancy to check for fetal anomalies.

Fibroids
Benign growths that form in the muscle of the uterus.

Gestation
Through this process, the fetus grows and develops within a mother’s uterus from the
time of conception until birth. The average human gestation period is 280 days from the first day of
the last menstrual period (LMP) until delivery.

Gestational Diabetes
Diabetes that develops in women for the first time during pregnancy. Gestational diabetes increases the
chance of having a very large baby and possible cesarean birth. High blood pressure and preeclampsia are more common in women with gestational diabetes.

Gynecologist
A physician specializing in gynecology, the branch of medical science that deals with the health maintenance and diseases of women, especially of the reproductive organs.

High Risk Pregnancy
Pregnancy that involves increased challenges before, during, or after delivery for the mother or her baby. The chances of a high-risk pregnancy may increase as a result of preexisting conditions (i.e. advanced maternal age, diabetes, or heart disease) or pregnancy complications (i.e. increased amniotic fluid levels). Mothers carrying twins or higher order multiples of children are considered a high-risk pregnancy.

Hormones
Substances produced by the body to control the functions of various organs.

Human Immunodeficiency Virus
A virus that attacks certain cells of the body’s immune system and causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)

Human Papillomavirus (HPV)
The most common sexually transmitted infection in the U.S. and may lead to certain types of cancer. HPV is spread by direct skin to skin contact, most commonly by having vaginal, anal, or oral sex with someone who has the virus. For some women, symptoms may not appear for years after one has the infection. The HPV vaccine helps reduce the effects of HPV.

Inter-conception care
Care delivered between pregnancies. Inter-conception care aims to mitigate problems encountered in previous pregnancies from occurring in future ones.

Induction
The use of medications or other methods to bring on (induce) labor. Labor is induced to stimulate contractions of the uterus in an effort to have a vaginal birth. Labor induction may be recommended if the health of the mother or fetus is at risk. Elective (without a medical reason) induction should not occur before 39 weeks of pregnancy.

Intrauterine Device (IUD)
A small device inserted into a woman’s uterus by a medical professional. There are two types of IUDs which are used as birth control: the hormonal IUD and the copper IUD. Both types of IUDs work mainly by preventing fertilization of the egg by the sperm. The hormonal IUD also thickens cervical mucus, which makes it harder for
sperm to enter the uterus and fertilize the egg.

In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)
Form of assisted reproduction that involves the manual combination of a woman’s egg and a man’s sperm outside of the body in a laboratory. A catheter is then used to place the embryo in the woman’s womb, where pregnancy will result if the embryo implants in the woman’s uterus. IVF may be an alternative to artificial insemination or fertility drugs if fertility problems persist.

Long Acting Reversible Contraception (LARC)
Birth control methods effective for an extended period without user action but are not permanent. Examples of LARC include intrauterine devices (IUDs) and sub-dermal implants.

Maternal-Fetal Medicine (MFM) Specialist
Specialized physicians who are experts in high-risk pregnancies. MFM physicians typically partner with other health care providers to meet the mother’s needs.

Maternal morbidity
Any physiological or psychological medical complication that a mother experiences as a result of pregnancy, labor, or delivery. Complications range in severity from fever to severe bleeding.

Maternal mortality
The death of a woman as a result of pregnancy or childbirth complications. The rate has been rising in Texas and African American women are much more likely to die than are Caucasian or Hispanic women. The most common causes of maternal mortality in Texas are heart problems and high blood pressure.

Menopause
Time in a woman’s life when she stops having menstrual periods. The years leading up to this point are called perimenopause, or “around menopause.” Menopause marks the end of the reproductive years. Menopause typically occurs between the ages of 40 and 60. Hot flashes, emotional swings, and unusual sleep patterns may signal the onset of menopause. Treatments such as hormone therapy or lifestyle changes may be used to
mitigate these symptoms.

Obstetrician
A physician qualified to practice in obstetrics, the branch of medical science concerned with childbirth and caring for and treating women in or in connection with childbirth.

Ovulation
The release of an egg from one of the ovaries.

Papanicolaou (Pap) test
Assesses a sample of cells taken from a woman’s cervix or vagina to look for signs of cervical cancer, which is highly treatable when detected early. Pap tests are recommended every few years for women between the ages of 21 and 65 years.

Pelvic Exam
Examination of a woman’s reproductive organs by a physician, either as part of a regular physical checkup or to address unusual symptoms. Pelvic exams may include a Pap test, which screens for cervical cancer.

Perinatal
The time period immediately preceding and following a birth. The perinatal period is typically thought to begin between the 20th and 28th week of pregnancy and ends 1-4 weeks after delivery.

Perimenopause
The period around menopause that usually extends from age 45 years to 55 years.

Post-partum
Also known as the postnatal period, the post-partum period is that period of time immediately following a baby’s birth and is typically considered to last for 6-8 weeks.

Preconception Care
Care that a woman receives in planning for a future pregnancy. The goal of preconception care is to address health issues and needs that could affect a pregnancy. Identifying these factors before pregnancy allows women to take steps to increase the chances of having a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby.

Preeclampsia
A disorder that can occur during pregnancy or after childbirth in which there is high blood pressure and other signs of organ injury, such as an abnormal amount of protein in the urine, a low number of platelets, abnormal kidney or liver function, pain over the upper abdomen, fluid in the lungs, a severe headache, or changes in vision.

Prenatal Care
Specialized health care a woman receives during pregnancy. It includes medical care, education, and counseling.

Pregnancy Medical Home Model
A health care setting that facilitates partnerships between individual patients, their physicians, and, when appropriate, the patients’ families. The model aims to improve pregnancy and newborn outcomes, enhance the experience of patients and reduce the overall costs of care by increasing access to care and emphasizing preventive services.

Progestin
A synthetic form of progesterone that is similar to the hormone produced naturally by the body.

Sonogram Bill (2011)
Stipulates that women seeking abortions must receive a sonogram, including both images and heartbeat audio, from the doctor or agent who is to carry out the abortion before the procedure is performed. Exceptions include cases where the pregnancy resulted from sexual assault or the fetus has a serious, irreversible abnormality.

Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI)
AKA sexually transmitted diseases (STD), infections that may be contracted by intimate sexual contact. Examples include Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, Syphilis, and HIV/AIDS.

Texas House Bill 2 (2013)
Adds regulatory measures for abortion procedures, providers, and facilities. HB 2 requires that abortion doctors have admitting privileges at a hospital within 30 miles of the abortion clinic, prohibits abortions in pregnancies that have progressed past 20 weeks minus severe health complications for the mother or severe abnormalities of the fetus, and creates additional requirements for how and when abortion-inducing drugs may be given.

Title X
Allows the federal government to determine family planning policy and establishes flexible grant funds that subsidize reproductive health services to ensure that family planning centers are available to local communities. Title X-supported sites provide contraceptives and/or health screenings.

Texas Women’s Health Program (TWHP)
This program provides reproductive health services such as screenings and contraceptives to Texas women of low-income who are between the ages of 18 and 44.

Tubal Ligation and Implants
AKA “having your tubes tied,” this surgical procedure blocks, ties, or cuts a woman’s fallopian tubes and prevents future egg fertilization. The nonsurgical alternative to tubal ligation is tubal implantation, in which scar tissue grows around small metal springs placed in each fallopian tube, eventually blocking the tubes. These procedures are considered permanent birth control methods and are typically carried out by an ObGYN.

Well-woman visit
Screening women for potential reproductive health problems. This visit typically includes questions about
family and medical history, counseling about healthy behaviors, a general physical, administration of
vaccinations, a breast exam, and may include a pelvic exam with a pap smear.

1115 Waiver
Allows for a statewide expansion of Medicaid managed care, increases funding for hospitals that treat large numbers of uninsured patients, and establishes incentive payments for health care improvements.

17-alpha-hydoxyprogesterone caproate (17P)
Injections of this progesterone have been shown to reduce the chance of recurring preterm birth, which is the leading cause of infant morbidity and mortality.