Current Women's Health Reviews - Volume 1, Issue 2, 2005

Endometrial cancer, cancer of the epithelial lining of the uterine corpus, is the most common gynecological malignancy in the United States and is the eighth leading cause of cancer death in U.S. women. The endometrium is highly responsive to hormonal stimuli; cyclic production of estrogen and progesterone during the menstrual cycle, and declining sex steroid levels after menopause are correlated with endometrial prolifer Read More

Radical vaginal trachelectomy (RVT) is a relatively new procedure in Gynecologic Oncology. It is gaining acceptance worldwide as a safe management option that allows fertility preservation in women with early cervical carcinoma who are unlikely to require adjuvant therapy. This review of 319 cases reported in the literature includes patient/tumour demographics, operative details, recurrence and fertility rates, an Read More

The concept of hormonal contraception is believed to have begun in the early 1900s, with the first oral contraceptive coming onto the market in 1960. The contraceptive pill revolutionized society and in recent years, there has been an escalation in the range of hormonal contraceptive options available. Long-term contraceptives have been designed to deliver hormones via injections, implants, intrauterine devices, vagin Read More

Accurate estimates of the effectiveness of hormonal emergency contraception (EC) are important for public policy and clinical application. Because there are no randomized trials of emergency contraception, observational studies with historical controls are employed to estimate effectiveness. There are many methodologic issues that can influence estimates of effectiveness, with multiple opportunities for bias. These include iss Read More

Excess body weight can influence the hormone production and consequently the chance of achieving pregnancy of patient undergoing ovarian hyperstimulation for in vitro fertilization embryo transfer, could be reduced. Besides, maternal obesity leads to major maternal and fetal complications. Even moderate obesity has a significant deleterious effect on pregnancy outcome. In addition, obesity is also a risk factor Read More

Loss of sexual desire is a common problem among surgically menopausal women that often results in personal distress and diminished quality of life. Various physiological, psychosocial, and interpersonal factors may contribute, but the hormonal changes induced by the removal of the ovaries should not be overlooked. Postoperative declines in testosterone often result in loss of sexual desire, and estrogen deficiency may aggra Read More

There is controversy about the protective effect of condoms in preventing sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). This paper summarizes recent studies that assess the association between condom use and the prevalence of various STDs. Because condom use is considered a marker for sexual partnerships with greater risk of STD transmission, limited evidence of protection has been found among those reporting condom Read More

Trophoblast cell differentiation and fusion during human placentogenesis are controlled by a variety of regulatory genes and key molecules. In this review, we focus on the fusogenic protein syncytin, which originally derived from a human endogenous retrovirus and was discovered in 2000, and discuss its possible role in pre-eclampsia and HELLP syndrome. Secondly, we define a further regulator of placental syncytium formation Read More

Vaginal birth after prior cesarean has become a part of routine obstetric care over the past three decades. Recently, however, the pendulum has swung in the other direction with a decreasing proportion of women choosing to undergo a trial of labor after prior cesarean. Since more than one-fourth of all deliveries are via cesarean, counseling patients regarding the risks and benefits of undergoing a trial of labor in a subseque Read More

Prostaglandin preparations have been the traditional approach to second trimester abortions for at least 40 years, and misoprostol recently has gained an almost “standard of practice role in obstetrics. Although many applications of misoprostol are still off-label, after more than 1,000,000 women have been treated with misoprostol all over the world, a broad base of knowledge has accumulated on the efficacy and safety o Read More