Lower Gastrointestinal Tract Disorders: Clinical Updates in Women's Health Care Primary and Preventive Care Review

Lower gastrointestinal (GI) diseases and associated symptoms account for a large number of health care visits each year. Many women visit their obstetrician-gynecologists more often than their primary care physicians or use them as primary health care providers. Many gynecologic and lower GI disorders share symptoms, such as lower abdominal or pelvic pain and bloating. Some diseases are more common in women compared with men, such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), or warrant special consideration in women, for example, for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). This monograph outlines the major diseases that affect the lower GI tract and reviews epidemiology, pathology, presentation, and treatment of these diseases. Concerns specific to women are addressed, including reproductive issues, changes in GI physiology during pregnancy, and management of lower GI disease during pregnancy.