Current Women's Health Reviews - Volume 2, Issue 1, 2006

Every Women Count The World Health Report 2005 - Make Every Mother and Child Count, says that this year almost 11 million children under five years of age will die from causes that are largely preventable. Among them are 4 million babies who will not survive the first month of life. At the same time, more than half a million women will die in pregnancy, childbirth or soon after. The report says that reducing this toll in line wi Read More

The occurrence of a vesicovaginal fistula is rare in the developed world, and usually follows gynaecological surgery for benign conditions. In the developing world it is still a common occurrence, usually as a result of prolonged labour, foetal demise and ischaemic necrosis of the vaginal and bladder walls. Regardless of the cause, and accurate diagnosis and the most appropriate management for the fistula is important to defi Read More

Studies show that health education and better access to temporary contraceptives decreases the popularity of sterilization and that most Indian women report no knowledge/no use of other contraceptives prior to sterilization. However, data from this survey of 169 Indian urban and rural women demonstrates that poor women chose sterilization more for personal and socio-economic reasons (low income, dissatisfaction w Read More

Aim: The aim of this study was to perform a systematic review on the maternal and fetal/neonatal outcome of grand multiparity (defined as a woman giving birth for the fifth to ninth time) and on the outcome of great grand multiparity (women delivering for the tenth or following time). Methods: A Medline (1966-2004) and Google Scholar search was performed. Studies reporting on grand multiparity or great-grand multi Read More

Emergency contraception (EC) is defined as the contraceptive measure capable of preventing pregnancy following an unprotected vaginal intercourse. It works by mainly preventing ovulation and fertilization. Efficacy for different available methods of EC is now well established. Side effects of emergency contraception are less and manageable. Dedicated emergency contraceptive regimens are available for use in m Read More

Hemoglobinopathies, including sickle cell disease and thalassemia, present unique health care challenges during pregnancy. Women with sickle cell disease generally tolerate pregnancy well, with low maternal and perinatal mortality, when provided access to coordinated high-risk obstetrical and hematological care. Pregnancy may be complicated by pre-term labor, intrauterine growth retardation, small-for-gestational-age births Read More

Pregnancy is accompanied by altered levels of coagulation factors, which are likely responsible for an increased risk of thrombosis, including an increased risk of deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, stroke and myocardial infarction. Women with thrombophilia, an acquired or inherited predisposition to thrombosis, are at an even greater risk of thrombosis during pregnancy than other women. The presence of t Read More

Female sexual steroids strongly influence different steps of coagulation. This explains why women's health during different life spans is affected significantly by thrombophilias. The aim of this review article is to summarize current knowledge on thrombophilias regarding oral contraception (OC) and hormonal replacement therapy (HRT). More than a hundred million women worldwide use female sexual steroids as OC or HRT Read More

A considerable body of literature is accumulating regarding the therapeutic potential of androgens in women with sexual dysfunction. Most of the studies point to a beneficial role of androgens in improving sexual function in women with limited adverse events. Nevertheless, use of androgens in women remains highly debated and controversial. With the advent of new testosterone preparations for women, albeit not FDA appro Read More

Gender specificity of the clinical presentation and the course of diseases may - at least in part - be mediated by polymorphic genetic variation. In addition, different pharmacogenetic effects in men and women may be accounted for by the carriage of polymorphisms. A variety of studies have investigated these issues with respect to blood lipids and found clear indications for gender-specific effects depending on the carriage of Read More

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a syndrome of ovarian dysfunction showing cardinal features of hyperandrogenism and polycystic ovarian morphology. It is one of the most common reproductive endocrine disorders in young adult women, showing clinical signs of menstrual disorder, anovulation, hirsutism, acne, and obesity. Frequently, this group of patients present with infertility due to chronic oligoovulation or anovu Read More