Susac syndrome (SS) consists of a triad of vision loss, hearing loss, and encephalopathy due to autoimmune-mediated vascular endothelial injury. Herein we describe a 25-year-old previously healthy woman who presented at 20 weeks' gestation with symptoms of confusion, difficulty walking, and vision and hearing loss. She had branch-retinal artery occlusions ...

Early puberty is associated with stressful family environments, early sexual intercourse, and teenage pregnancy. We examined pubertal timing and sexual debut among the 14-year-old offspring of teenage mothers. Mothers (71% Black, 29% White) were recruited as pregnant teenagers (12-18 years old). Data were collected during pregnancy and when offspring were 6, ...

Background: Preterm delivery and preeclampsia are common adverse pregnancy outcomes that have been inconsistently associated with ambient air pollutant exposures. Objectives: We aimed to prospectively examine relations between ambient carbon monoxide (CO) and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) exposures and risks of preeclampsia and preterm delivery. Methods: We used data from ...

Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) is a group of connective tissue disorders which are divided into various distinguishable phenotypes. The type of EDS determines the potential obstetric complications. Due to the spectrum of clinical manifestation and overlap between phenotypes, there are no standardised obstetric management guidelines. Existing literature illustrates different obstetric management ...

Infections and inflammatory conditions during pregnancy can dysregulate neural development and increase the risk for developing autism and schizophrenia. The following research utilized a nonhuman primate model to investigate the potential impact of a mild endotoxemia during pregnancy on brain maturation and behavioral reactivity as well as the infants' hormone ...

It is often questioned whether sperm parameters, including whether retrieved or ejaculated, have any effect on intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) results. Do severe spermatogenic defects affect embryo quality or pregnancy rate? Further, does it matter in azoospermic patients whether the sperm source is testicular or epididymal? Our studies show there ...

Emergency hormonal contraception (EHC) can reduce unintended pregnancy and the associated costs and consequences for the individual and National Health Service (NHS). Levonorgestrel (LNG 1.5 mg) is currently the standard of care in the UK; however, it is not licensed for use >72 hours after unprotected sexual intercourse (UPSI). This ...

To determine the prevalence and correlates of prior pregnancy termination and unmet need for contraception among female sex workers (FSWs) in Afghanistan. FSWs in Jalalabad, Kabul, and Mazar-i-Sharif were recruited between June 2006 and December 2007 through outreach programs. Participants completed an interviewer-administered survey describing demographics, behaviors associated with risk ...

Adolescents consistently demonstrate the lowest rates of breastfeeding among women of reproductive age despite well-documented benefits of breastfeeding. In Amarillo, Texas, a medium-sized community with a perennially high teen pregnancy rate, we sought (1) to determine breastfeedings practices among adolescent females immediately after delivery and again at 6 weeks and ...

To review the literature regarding pharmacists' roles in preventing unintended pregnancy, review the relevant laws and policies in the United States to describe pharmacists' and/or pharmacy's role in policy development related to unintended pregnancy, and identify partners who pharmacists can work with in this public health area. A systematic review ...

This study aims to determine the rates of contraceptive discontinuation and usage failure and to examine their relation with termination of pregnancy. This is a descriptive (cross-sectional) type of study. The study population was chosen among women treated at a state hospital in Karaman City, located in the southern part ...

Controversial opinions exist about the possible mechanisms throughout emergency contraception prevents pregnancy. Recently, the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics and the International Consortium for Emergency Contraception released a Joint Statement declaring that 'inhibition or delay of ovulation should be their primary and possibly only mechanism of action'. They still ...

BACKGROUND Despite increasing contraceptive availability, unintended pregnancy remains a global problem, representing as many as 30% of all known pregnancies. Various strategies have been proposed to reverse this disturbing trend, especially increased use of long-acting reversible contraceptive (LARC) methods. In this review we aim to discuss the role of LARC ...

Point-of-care (POC) testing for the detection of pregnancy and the prediction of ovulation has grown and evolved since the introduction of the first qualitative pregnancy test marketed directly to the consumer over three decades ago. Numerous publications have analyzed both pregnancy and ovulation prediction devices for their sensitivity, accuracy and ...

PRACTICAL RELEVANCE: Reproduction control is an area of feline medicine that is assuming increasing importance in companion animal practice. Signs of oestrus such as increased vocalisation, rolling on the ground and a very short interoestrous interval may negatively influence the relationship between cat and owner, and prompt the owner to ...

We sought to determine the potential effect and cost-effectiveness of different means of accessing emergency contraceptive pills (ECP) on unintended pregnancy rates in sexually active women. We used a computer simulation model to compare the effects of advance provision, on-demand provision, and no use of ECP on unintended pregnancies and ...

BACKGROUND: Attempts to address the 'problem' of teenage pregnancy need to further explore contraceptive use among young people at potentially greatest risk. We examine contraceptive use among a particularly vulnerable subgroup: girls who reported having had sex with more than one partner by age 16 years. METHODS: Females (n = ...

Studies increasingly consider the role of pregnancy motivations on contraceptive use. Few studies include measures of men's pregnancy motivations. We used baseline data (from a couples-intervention study) to examine the contribution of women's and men's pregnancy motivations and participation in decision making to contraceptive use by women in relatively stable ...

To avoid unintended pregnancy, women in the UK need to consistently use reliable contraception for over 30 years. The long-acting reversible contraceptive methods compromise the progestogen-only implant, the progestogen-only injectable contraceptive, the copper-bearing intra-uterine device and the levonorgestrel-releasing intra-uterine system. These methods of contraception are highly reliable in pregnancy prevention, ...

To evaluate the existing data to estimate the rate of ectopic pregnancy among emergency contraceptive pill treatment failures. Our initial reference list was generated from a 2008 Cochrane review of emergency contraception. In August 2009, we searched Biosys Previews, the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Medline, Global Health Database, Health ...

We present the case of a 26-year-old woman with retained fetal bones, discovered eight years after an induced mid-trimester abortion in a West African country. The patient had requested her general practitioner to change the intrauterine device (IUD) which she assumed had been inserted immediately post-abortion. No threads were seen ...

The intrauterine device (IUD) is a widely used, highly effective method of birth control. Uterine perforation is a rare yet serious complication and is usually seen during insertion of the IUD. A regular examination is necessary for follow-up. We present a patient with an IUD that had perforated the cervix. ...

We report two cases of pregnancy in patients taking TNFalpha antagonists for chronic inflammatory joint disease. A factor in both pregnancies was the use of rifampin concomitantly with a combined oral contraceptive. Both patients were taking rifampin and isoniazid for tuberculosis prophylaxis in compliance with French recommendations for patients with ...

Despite high rates of unintended pregnancy among women aged 18 to 30 years, little research has been conducted to understand the factors associated with their contraceptive use. Eighteen focus groups were conducted with young adult women (N = 106) who were mostly white, non-Hispanic. Results suggested that contraceptive use was ...

BACKGROUND: There is a need to improve our understanding of contraceptive use over the long term. The aims of this study were to describe contraceptive use and pregnancies in the same women followed prospectively from 19 to 44 years of age. METHODS: In 1981, a postal questionnaire about contraception, pregnancies ...

Nigeria, like most African nations, is basically conservative, but the young people are becoming more sexually liberated, and the incidence of STD/HIV, unwanted pregnancies and abortions among these young people is on the increase. The use of barrier contraception (BC), which is a cost-effective method of preventing STD/HIV, unwanted pregnancies ...

The relationship between contraceptive awareness and use in an environment of both high levels of unplanned pregnancies and prevalence of HIV/AIDS continues to be a major challenge. The objective of this study is to ascertain the knowledge of contraception and methods chosen in women of 18-45 years old attending primary ...

Improper and inconsistent contraceptive use contributes to the unintended pregnancy rate. The intrauterine device (IUD) is an effective, safe method of contraception that cannot be used improperly or inconsistently. However, it is relatively underused in the United States. We developed a qualitative study to better understand patient beliefs and attitudes ...

Despite the popularity of 'modern' contraceptives, natural family planning (NFP), including fertility awareness-based (FAB) methods and withdrawal, are practised in most countries. Worldwide FAB methods and withdrawal are used, respectively, by about 3.6% and 2.9% of all couples of reproductive age. This article describes the underpinnings of the different NFP ...

Since the 1959 revival of the IUD, non-hormonal devices have become the most widely used of all reversible contraceptives. Pregnancy rates of copper-releasing IUDs in current use range from approximately 0.5 to 1.5 per hundred continuing users in the first year, with somewhat lower annual pregnancy rates thereafter. Evidence-based research ...

Contraceptive failure contributes to a substantial proportion of unintended pregnancy, particularly in the developed world. A number of socio-demographic factors seem to impact on the risk of a woman experiencing contraceptive failure. Many of the issues exist across cultural boundaries and are complex to address. In discussing the failure rates ...

Most studies on pregnancy ambivalence are based on data from women and depend on the women's perceptions to measure their partner's pregnancy intentions. Because these perceptions may not be accurate, data collected directly from men are needed to understand the role of couple dynamics in fertility behavior. Matched couple data ...

Most healthy women have normal pregnancies; however, even healthy women may experience serious morbidity during pregnancy. Women with chronic medical problems face increased pregnancy-related risks compared with their healthy peers. Planning pregnancy improves maternal and fetal outcomes; medical conditions can be stabilized, teratogens can be avoided, and early antenatal intervention ...

U.S. women experience high rates of unplanned pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs), yet they seldom combine condoms with highly effective contraceptives for optimal protection. Because oral contracep tives (OCs) have been the predominant form of highly effective contraceptio in the U.S., it is unknown whether condom use is similarly ...

Emergency contraception (EC) is the postcoital method of pregnancy prevention. Three methods of EC are used in the United States: (1) levonorgestrel-only pills, Plan B (Barr Pharmaceuticals, LLC, New Jersey) (2) combined estrogen and progestin pills, and (3) the copper intrauterine device. Used within 120 hours after unprotected sexual intercourse, ...

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects on adhesion formation and pregnancy maintenance of an intrauterine device (IUD) and/or estrogen treatment after hysteroscopic septum resection. METHODS: After septum resection 100 women received either no treatment, or estrogens, or an IUD, or an IUD plus estrogens (n=25 per group). Most were later checked ...

The study was conducted to test the feasibility of conducting a randomized controlled contraceptive trial in postpartum teens and to assess whether postpartum advanced supply of emergency contraception (EC) to teenaged mothers helps to prevent repeat pregnancies of close proximity. We performed a randomized controlled trial of 50 postpartum teens ...

Hormonal emergency contraceptives have been used to prevent unwanted pregnancy for more than 3 decades. The mechanisms of action of the regimen containing a combination of estrogen and progestin, known as the Yuzpe regimen, and those of the levonorgestrel regimen continue to be controversial, especially over the possibility that these ...

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of ulipristal acetate as emergency contraception in women presenting 48-120 hours after receiving ulipristal acetate for unprotected intercourse. Women aged 18 years or older with regular cycles who presented for emergency contraception 48 to 120 hours after unprotected intercourse were enrolled in 45 Planned ...

We aimed to evaluate whether emergency contraception with levonorgestrel (LNG-EC) administered after ovulation is equally effective to LNG-EC administered before ovulation. We studied a cohort of women attending a family planning clinic for EC. From interview, we recorded menstrual history, time of intercourse and of intake of LNG-EC. On the ...

BACKGROUND: This study was conducted to compare the incidence of repeat teenage pregnancy over a 24-month period postpartum among users of Implanon, the combined oral contraceptive pill (COCP) or depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) and barrier methods or nothing (barrier/none). Contraceptive continuation rates 24 months postpartum for Implanon and COCP/DMPA were ...

Isabel Sawhill, Adam Thomas, and Emily Monea believe that given the well-documented costs of nonmarital births to the children and parents in fragile families, as well as to society as a whole, policy makers' primary goal should be to reduce births to unmarried parents. The authors say that the nation's ...

OBJECTIVE: Intrauterine devices (IUDs) are used for contraception worldwide; however, the management of pregnancies with an IUD poses a clinical challenge. The purpose of this study was to determine the outcome of pregnancy in patients with an IUD. STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective cohort study (December 1997-June 2007) was conducted. The ...

BACKGROUND: Repeated use of postcoital hormonal contraception is not currently recommended due to the higher risk of side effects and lower contraceptive effectiveness compared to other modern methods of contraception. However, emerging evidence indicates renewed interest in a regular coitally-dependent method of oral contraception. We re-evaluated the existing data on ...

BACKGROUND: Insertion of an intrauterine device (IUD) immediately after delivery is appealing for several reasons. The woman is known not to be pregnant, her motivation for contraception may be high, and the setting may be convenient for both the woman and her provider. However, the risk of spontaneous expulsion may ...

BACKGROUND: This clinical trial was conducted to demonstrate the efficacy and safety of a 91-day extended-regimen, low-dose combination oral contraceptive (OC) consisting of 84 days of ethinyl estradiol (EE) 20 mcg/levonorgestrel (LNG) 100 mcg, followed by 7 days of 10 mcg EE in place of placebo. STUDY DESIGN: A multicenter ...

BACKGROUND: Insertion of an intrauterine device (IUD) immediately after an abortion has several advantages. The woman is known not to be pregnant. Many clinicians refuse to insert an IUD in a woman who is not menstruating. After induced abortion, a woman's motivation to use contraception may be high. However, insertion ...

ABSTRACT: In Brazil, a Ministry of Health report revealed women who underwent an abortion were predominantly in the use of contraceptive methods, but mentioned inconsistent or erroneously contraceptive use. Promoting the use of contraceptive methods to prevent unwanted pregnancies is one of the most effective strategies to reduce abortion rates ...

Women with hereditary angioedema (HAE) are more likely to be symptomatic that men. Hormonal factors (puberty, contraception, pregnancy,....) play a significant role in the precipitation or worsening of the condition in women. So, combined contraceptive pills are not indicated and progestogen pill must be preferred. During pregnancy, attack rate can ...

OBJECTIVE: To examine the hospital and state costs of offering the option of a postpartum intrauterine device (IUD) to an underinsured population of recent immigrants to the United States with Emergency Medicaid (EM) insurance coverage only. STUDY DESIGN: This study is a retrospective cohort study comparing the costs of offering ...