Iowa Radiology Blog

Fertility Changes Over Time

If you’ve been trying to get pregnant, you may be surprised at how long it can take. While women tend to be most fertile in their 20s, many in the U.S. have been waiting longer to start their families. Census data show that the median maternal age at birth rose to 30 in 2019, up from 27 in 1990. Births to women in their 20s fell dramatically during that period, while births to women aged 30–44 rose even more sharply.

Menopause and the years of shifting hormone levels that lead up to it (called perimenopause) cause changes in the body that affect both mental and physical health. Decreasing levels of estrogen and progesterone influence not just the reproductive system but also the nervous system, urinary tract, circulatory system, bones, muscles, hair, skin, and more. 

If you’ve had X-ray imaging done in the past, you may remember having a lead shield laid over part of your body to prevent radiation from reaching areas that are not being imaged. In the 1950s, radiologists began shielding patients’ reproductive organs as well as the wombs of pregnant patients because they were unsure what long-term effects X-ray exposure may have on reproductive cells or a developing fetus.

Doctors have several types of tests at their disposal to diagnose gastrointestinal (GI) disorders. These include lab tests, MRI, CT, ultrasound, X-ray, colonoscopy, and more. Often, doctors order a type of moving X-ray called fluoroscopy to assess patients’ GI health. Because it creates a moving image, fluoroscopy allows radiologists to watch the digestive tract in action.

If you have a uterus, there is a good chance that at some point in your life, you’ll have uterine fibroids. Also known as leiomyomas, fibroids are typically benign smooth muscle tumors that commonly grow in and around the uterus during a woman’s childbearing years. Fibroids don’t usually require treatment, but treatment may be advised if they cause severe discomfort or fertility issues. Here are seven things you should know if you have (or think you might have) uterine fibroids.

Continuing a Tradition of Exceptional Service

Iowa Radiology has always been committed to providing exceptional service to our patients and our community. In keeping with that commitment, we are proud to announce our voluntary three-year accreditation with the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC). Iowa Radiology achieved this accreditation in partnership with the John Stoddard Cancer Center and UnityPoint Health. To attain accreditation, a breast center must demonstrate compliance with NAPBC’s high standards, determined by an assessment of the center’s clinical services, leadership, research, professional education, community outreach, and quality improvement.

Reasons to Celebrate

Each year during the week of November 8, we celebrate National Radiologic Technology week to highlight the vital role radiologic technologists (RTs) play in patient care and safety. The American Society of Radiologic Technologists chose November 8 to coincide with the anniversary of the discovery of X-rays by Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen in 1895. Notably, the week also includes the birthday of Marie Curie. Among other important accomplishments, Curie developed portable X-ray machines to be used in the battlefield during World War I. She not only trained 150 women—the world’s first battlefield radiologic technologists—to operate the machines, but also joined them on the battlefield to help treat wounded soldiers.

In 2016, the United Nations General Assembly declared February 11 the International Day of Women and Girls in Science. In doing so, they promoted the understanding that the participation of women and girls is essential to meeting global goals for sustainable development and scientific achievement and also that barriers to their full participation persist around the globe. In fact, a study comprising 14 countries found that women are only about half as likely as men to earn bachelors’ or masters’ degrees in the sciences and one third as likely to earn science-related doctorates.

Each year, we recognize the contributions of radiologic technologists (RTs) to health care during National Radiologic Technology Week (NRTW). Although initially celebrated in July, it was later moved to coincide with Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen’s discovery of X-rays on November 8, 1895. This year, NRTW is celebrated November 5–11 with the theme, “Positioning to Save Lives.” November 8 is the International Day of Radiology, and its focus this year is on the vital role of radiology in the emergency room in supporting effective care and treatment.