Category: Am-Am

A person who is trained in both nursing and midwifery and, in the US, is certified by the American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM). In order to practice, a nurse-midwife must pass an examination for certification by a national board. Nurse-midwife training focuses on the management of women’s health care, particularly pregnancy, childbirth, the postpartum period, care of the…

A “nationwide community-based voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by preventing cancer, saving lives and diminishing suffering from cancer through research, education, advocacy, and service.” The American Cancer Society is one of the oldest and largest voluntary health agencies in the United States. It is the largest source of private, nonprofit cancer…

One of a multitude of professional societies in the health arena. The AMA (the American Medical Association) is a better known example in the U.S. Only a small selection of the many health-related organizations is given as a sampler in this dictionary.

Spoken of as the “triple-AS”, the American Association for the Advancement of Science is an organization concerned not only with the biomedical sciences but with all of the sciences. The AAAS publishes the weekly journal “Science”, one of the more famous scientific periodicals. “Science” carries a wide range of new scientific information.

AAP. Its member pediatricians “dedicate their efforts and resources to the health, safety and well-being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults.” According to the Academy, it had as of 1998 some 53,000 members in the United States, Canada and Latin America. Over 34,000 of them were board-certified and called Fellows of the American Academy…

The professional organization of American orthopaedists. Literally, the practice of bone straightening of children, orthopaedics is the branch of surgery that is broadly concerned with the skeletal system (bones).

The AAFP is a professional society for American family doctors. The AAFP states that: “The American Academy of Family Physicians is the national association of family doctors. It is one of the largest national medical organization. Until October 3, 1971, it was known as the American Academy of General Practice. The name was changed in…

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists is an organization concerned with the quality of ob/gyn practice in the U.S. It is called “a cog.” The members of ACOG are “Women’s Health Care Physicians.” ACOG is (in their own words) “the nation’s leading group of professionals providing health care for women. As a private, voluntary, nonprofit…

Amenorrhea: Absence or cessation of menstruation. Amenorrhea is conventionally divided into primary and secondary amenorrhea. Primary amenorrhea — menstruation never takes place. It fails to occur at puberty. Secondary amenorrhea — menstruation starts but then stops. The absence of menstruation during pregnancy is a form of physiologic secondary amenorrhea, physiologic in the sense that it is completely normal and is not caused…

Better known as amenorrhea, amenia is the absence or cessation of menstruation. Amenorrhea is conventionally divided into primary and secondary amenorrhea. With primary amenorrhea, menstruation never takes place. It fails to occur at puberty. With secondary amenorrhea, menstruation starts but then stops. The absence of menstruation during pregnancy is a form of physiologic amenorrhea, physiologic in the sense that it is completely…