Good sexual and reproductive health is essential for women’s general health and well-being. More than just treating physical ailments, sexual and reproductive healthcare also includes the right to healthy and respectful relationships, inclusive health services, and safe access to accurate information. However, advancements in technology have made unreliable and contradicting data on female reproductive health more accessible.
To educate and empower women, Dr. Teresa Irwin, The Vaginacologist, provides women of all ages with essential explanations on sexual and reproductive problems and solutions. She provides tips and techniques in her Instagram and Youtube channel such as yoga movements to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles, explanations on how to properly do Kegel exercises, and general preventative tips for common diagnoses.
Unlike Web MD and other online platforms, Dr. Irwin has been in private practice since 2000. She is board-certified in female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery (FPMRS) and is a Fellow of The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (FACOG). She has been voted as one of Texas’ Best Doctors by Texas Monthly between 2005 to 2007. Furthermore, she was also featured as one of Texas Monthly’s “Super Doctors” in 2011 and 2020.
In the midst of a doctor’s busy day, Dr. Irwin takes the time to prioritize education with her patients to empower them to take an active role in their healthcare decisions. After years as both a female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgeon and expert witness in pelvic dysfunctions, Dr. Irwin aims to provide early and accessible education for women. This preventative education reduces the very high rate of vaginal dysfunctions such as pelvic organ prolapse, bowel and bladder incontinence, and sexual dysfunction. If it is too late for preventative education to work, Dr. Irwin performs surgery using robotic surgical instruments and intricate nerve stimulators to correct these problems.
The main focus of her campaign for female reproductive education is the prevention of urinary incontinence (UI). She explains that 50 percent of women will suffer from UI or a leaking bladder at some point in their lives. Urinary Incontinence is the uncontrollable loss of urine triggered by an activity that places pressure on the bladder, such as coughing, sneezing, laughing, sex, and exercise. In addition, the sport which places women at a higher risk for developing loss of bladder control is volleyball.
She wants women to gain control of their bodies, specifically their bowel, bladder, and vaginas. Through her preventative education, women can keep their vaginas young, have better sex, and improve their quality of life.
Connect with Dr. Teresa Irwin through her TikTok, YouTube channel, and website.
Opinions expressed by NY Weekly contributors are their own.
