Category: D
Dysthymia
Dysthymic disorder is a chronic mood disorder characterized by depressed mood (extreme irritability in children and teenagers) almost every day for most of the day for at least 2 years in adults and 1 year for children and teenagers. Most individuals with these disorders complain that they have been depressed for as long as they [...]
Dyspareunia
Pain during or after sexual intercourse is called dyspareunia. Women with dyspareunia may experience pain in the labia, clitoris, vagina, or deep in the pelvis. There are many causes of dyspareunia, and most can be treated successfully. The pain of dyspareunia can vary from superficial pain at penile entry of the vagina, to deeper pain [...]
Dysmenorrhea
Primary dysmenorrhea is painful menstrual cramping in the absence of pelvic pathology (disease of the pelvis). The pain occurs only in relation to ovulation. The pain involves the uterus and can also radiate to the lower back and thigh area. The painful period can also be accompanied by sweating, tachycardia, headaches, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and [...]
Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care
The standard power of attorney (POA) is a written legal instrument authorizing a person (named an agent or attorney-in-fact) to sign documents and conduct transactions on behalf of the principal or maker who has delegated away that authority. The principal can delegate as much (for instance, a general or complete delegation) or as little (such [...]
Dowry
In most societies, marriage plays an important role for men and women alike. In the past few decades there has been much research on the institution of marriage and the family among economists and anthropologists. One of the most intriguing and contested issues is the dowry. A dowry, in its simplest form and structure, is [...]
Douching
Douching is the irrigation or flushing of the vagina with plain water, vinegar and water, or other name brand prepared or medicated products. The fluid is allowed to run into the vagina from a bag connected to tubing or is flushed into the vagina from a premixed squeeze bottle. Many women feel this is necessary [...]
Domestic Violence
Domestic violence, or intimate partner violence, is defined as a pattern of assaultive and coercive behaviors, including physical, sexual, and psychological attacks as well as economic coercion that adults or adolescents use against their intimate partners. Other terms used to describe intimate partner violence include domestic abuse, spouse abuse, courtship violence, battering, marital rape, and [...]
Domestic Partnership
Domestic partnership is a description of a status of an intimate relationship between two people. Domestic partnership that can also be called a civil union is often used by same-sex couples who cannot obtain a marriage license due to gender restrictions in state laws. Such partnerships are increasingly being recognized by employers, local governments, one [...]
Divorce Mediation
Divorce mediation is a process in which two people who have made the decision to separate or divorce meet with a neutral mediator to negotiate the terms of their separation or divorce. It is appropriate for married couples, same-sex partners, or any couples who have been in a committed relationship that has involved shared financial [...]
Divorce
Divorce is the undoing of a marriage. In some states it is called a dissolution of marriage. No matter what the label, this is a way to formally end legal ties between a husband and a wife, and resolve other issues that may connect them, such as child custody, child support, property division, debt division, [...]
Dissociative Identity Disorder
Dissociative identity disorder (DID), formerly known as multiple personality disorder, is one of five dissociative disorders recognized by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition (DSM-IV). Of the dissociative disorders, Dissociative identity disorder is associated with the most chronic and severe symptomatology. Dissociation is a process wherein a person mentally separates oneself [...]
Discrimination
Women face discrimination on a variety of fronts in health today ranging from the battle to include contraceptives in basic health plans, to biases inherent in the male-dominated medical establishment. This has created an atmosphere of growing resentment that has spawned a campaign toward a better understanding of the critical issues women face when making [...]
Disability
Individuals with disabilities, the currently preferred term used to describe disabled or handicapped persons, refers to those whose physical or mental impairments so interfere with life’s activities, including working, that they are set apart from those without disabilities. Disability, like beauty, is in the eyes of the beholder. Whether the beholder is the Social Security [...]
Dilation and Curettage
Cervical dilation and uterine curettage (D&C) is a procedure done for both diagnostic and therapeutic reasons. D&C is one of the most commonly performed operations in the United States. Dilation entails enlarging the cervical opening or “os” with instruments specifically for this purpose called dilators. Dilation may be done alone for problems of cervical stenosis [...]
Diethylstilbestrol
Diethylstilbestrol (DES) is a synthetic form of estrogen, which was prescribed to millions of women from 1940 to 1971. It was thought to prevent miscarriage and ensure a healthy pregnancy. Its use declined in the 1960s after studies showed that it was not effective in preventing the complications of pregnancy that it was prescribed for. [...]
Diet
Prevention of disease is the cornerstone of a healthy life and what you eat has an enormous impact on your chances of avoiding disease. A poor diet is one of the major causes of problems such as heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. Diet is defined as the amount and kind of food and drink that [...]
Diaphragm
The diaphragm is a dome-shaped, flexible device inserted into the vagina that covers the cervix and prevents conception by blocking live sperm from entering the uterus and tubes. The diaphragm is a reversible, prescription, barrier method of contraception. The most frequently used diaphragms are made of latex, but a silicone diaphragm is now on the [...]
Diabetes
Diabetes mellitus is a disease in which blood glucose (sugar) levels rise out of control. insulin is the hormone that regulates blood glucose levels by signaling cells to take glucose out of the bloodstream and by signaling the liver not to put more glucose into the bloodstream. insulin is made in the pancreas, an organ [...]
Dermatitis
Dermatitis, also referred to as eczema, is an inflammation of the skin. This is a common condition that has a variety of different causes and presentations. It may be acute or chronic and extent of involvement may be localized or generalized. Depending on the specific features, various types of dermatitis have been classified. Itching is [...]
Depression
This widely used term Depression may be referred to as a symptom, a syndrome, an illness, or a disorder. A depressive symptom refers to a temporary, subjective sense of sadness that everyone does experience at one time or another and it may be related to any condition. A depressive syndrome is defined as a collection of [...]