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 170,190 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Like all drugs, combined oral contraceptives (COCs) have side effects that may be harmful or beneficial. During the last 20 years their adverse effects have been fully reported, but their benefits have been largely ignored. Most of the benefits of COCs result from the suppression of ovulation. This means that the advantages they confer are not dose-dependent, provided that ovarian activity is effectively suppressed. The most important health benefit of COCs worldwide is the effective prevention of pregnancy, which carries high risks in developing countries and has a mortality as high as 1 in 150 in Africa. The risk of ectopic pregnancy is reduced by 90% in COC-users compared with women using no contraception. The COC prevents the repeated proliferation of ovarian and endometrial tissue that takes place in the menstrual cycle, and it is therefore not surprising that it reduces the risk of ovarian and endometrial malignancy. What is surprising is that a relative risk of 0.6 for these cancers can be detected after only 12 months or less of COC use, and persists for at least 15 years after the COC is stopped. The COC reduces the incidence of benign breast disease, though not the types of disease linked with breast cancer. It considerably reduces the incidence of benign ovarian cysts, and this has been calculated to avoid 28 operations for functional ovarian cysts per 100,000 pill users every year. The risk of uterine fibroids is reduced by 17% with every five years of COC use. By thickening the cervical mucus, the COC reduces the risk of pelvic inflammatory disease by about 50%. By inhibiting growth and development of the endometrium it reduces the incidence of menorrhagia and consequently iron-deficiency anaemia, and it produces a 40% reduction in the frequency of dysmenorrhoea. Unlike the benefits of the COC, its risks appear to be to some extent dose-dependent. The first serious risk to be discovered was a three- to six-fold increase in venous thromboembolism, which is probably an oestrogen effect and disappears quickly when the COC is stopped. The COC doubles the risk of haemorrhagic stroke, this risk is related to smoking and hypertension, unlike the increased risk of thrombotic stroke. The risk of myocardial infarction is related to smoking and age, and COCs are contraindicated over the age of 35 in smokers though not necessarily in non-smokers. Much of this information, however, is based on studies involving older high-dose COCs. Risks may well be lower with modern COCs, but firm data are lacking.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
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PMID:Benefits and risks of oral contraceptives. 229 44

From 1969 to 1987, 35 pregnancies occurred in 31 women with renal transplant. Four of them were still pregnant when this study was concluded. There was one ectopic pregnancy. All patients received azathioprine and prednisone. In the majority of patients the glomerular filtration rate increased in a way similar to normal pregnant women. In five cases there was a progressive loss in renal function. In four of them this was attributed to preexistent renal damage. No toxemia occurred. Anemia developed during 11 pregnancies and blood transfusion was required for five women. Four patients had urinary tract infection which was easily controlled with antibiotics. One patient had severe arterial hypertension, secondary to chronic rejection. One patient developed jaundice reverted with reduction in azathioprine doses. One woman died of septicemia secondary to fetal death, during the 6th month of pregnancy. Twenty children were born with no abnormalities, although many of them were underweighted. Two thirds of pregnancies were delivered by cesarean section. No harm to the pelvic allograft occurred in vaginal deliveries. There have been 4 abortions (2 of them were induced with no medical indication). Four pregnancies (26 to 39 gestational weeks) ended in stillborn babies: the mothers had impaired renal function associated with hypertension and proteinuria. One newborn died of pulmonary infection two days after delivery. Another was born with microcephaly and polydactilia and survived 6 years. No breast feeding was allowed.
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PMID:[Pregnancy in patients with renal transplantation]. 262 4

Injection of PGF2alpha intratubally, with other conservative management, was compared in 30 consecutive women with proven ectopic pregnancy, to 100 prior women treated surgically. The patient group were all 45 admitted after November 1987 to University of Vienna Hospital with suspected ectopic pregnancy, later proven in 30 by history, positive hCG, ultrasound and laparoscopy; the controls were 74 confirmed cases out of 101 suspected ectopic pregnancies admitted from January 1986- October 1987. They were treated with 5 or 10 mg PGF2alpha (Miniprostin F2alpha, Upjohn, Vienna), injected transabdominally with a 17-gauge needle, during laparoscopic visualization. In 6 patients, 2-3 mg Pgf2alpha was injected into the corpus luteum, but this practice was discontinued when 3 developed tachycardia, hypertension and extrasystole. 25 mg estrogen was injected into the ovary as a luteolytic subsequently. Most women also received PGE2 (Sulprostone, Schering, Berlin) twice daily im, although 4 could not tolerate side effects of nausea and vomiting. All women had hCG levels daily. 5 were treated by laparotomy because of rising hCG or clinical indications. In the control group 74 (73.3%) had laparotomy, and of these, 39 had total or partial salpingectomy, and 21 salpingotomy. Hysterosalpingography demonstrated tubal patency in 11 of 12 PG treated women tested to date; in contract, of 14 of the controls tested, none had patent tubes. 4 of the PG group have since conceived and delivered term infants. The benefits of this conservative method of treating ectopic pregnancy are apparent in the reduced morbidity, shorter hospital stay, simpler treatment technique, lower costs, and especially the higher rate of subsequent tubal patency and fertility.
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PMID:Prostaglandin injection for termination of tubal pregnancy: preliminary results. 271 7

We studied 500 women who conceived after investigation and treatment for different infertility problems and compared the outcome of the 5 infertility groups (Group 1 to 5), the ovulatory dysfunction (Group 1), male infertility (Group 2), A.I.D. (Group 3), tubal surgery and IVF (Group 4) and no treatment (Group 5) with the outcome in the hospital group during a period of 3 years. The incidence of abortion in Group 3 is significantly higher (13.8%), the incidence of ectopic pregnancy is significantly higher in Group 4 (21.7%) as compared with the incidence in the hospital group (P less than 0.01). The rate of pre-existing hypertension and gestational diabetes is significantly higher in all the 5 infertility groups as compared with the incidence in the hospital group (P less than 0.05). The incidence of preterm labor in general is less in the infertility group as compared with the incidence in the hospital group (P greater than 0.05). The incidence of older women, multiple pregnancy, induction of labor, operative deliveries, fetal distress, low Apgar score, babies with birth weight below the tenth centile were higher in the infertility groups (P less than 0.05). But the perinatal mortality or major or minor fetal anomalies were not significantly different in the infertility groups as compared with the rate in the hospital groups (P greater than 0.05).
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PMID:Outcome of pregnancy following investigation and treatment of infertility. 288 35

The opinions of 142 doctors on the relevance of anatomy to the diagnosis and management of common clinical problems in their current medical and dental practice were analysed. This was in a bid to determine the relevant anatomy course content for the new primary health care oriented medical and dental curriculum of the College of Medicine, University of Lagos. The respondents gave high scores to the relevance of anatomy knowledge to the management of acute abdomen (mean = 3.5), dislocated shoulder (3.3), Colles' fracture (3.2), palmar space abscess (3.2), obstructed labour (3.2), carcinoma of the breast (3.2), ectopic pregnancy (3.1), flail chest (3.1) and upper respiratory obstruction (3.0). They gave minimal scores to helminthiasis (mean = 1.5) common cold and anaemia (1.6), sickle cell disease (1.7), gastroenteritis (1.8), dental abscess (2.0), hypertension (2.2) and asthma (2.2). A basis for selecting relevant anatomy course content is deduced for an undergraduate curriculum in which the responsibilities and competence of the graduates is known. A nationwide extension of the study, especially amongst general practitioners and first-line doctors in rural areas, would be useful for identification of health problems that require little or no knowledge of anatomy and which can be safely managed by lower cadres of health personnel, traditional practitioners and members of the lay community.
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PMID:What anatomy shall we teach medical and dental students in a primary health care curriculum? 320 92

The present status of oral contraceptive steroids and the IUD, the 2 most effective and increasingly popular contraceptive methods (used by 41.6% of all U.S. married couples practicing contraception in 1970), is presented. Oral steroid contraceptives with varying quantity and activity of estrogen (ethinyl estradiol or mestranol) and progestogen (norethindrone, norethynodrel, ethynodiol diacetate, or norgestrel), are of 3 types: combination, sequential, and minidose progestogen alone. The most effective contraceptive available is the combined oral pill with a pregnancy rate of less than .2 % per 100 women after 1 year. Contraceptive action is exerted primarily through inhibition of ovulation and secondarily by alterations in cervical mucus, endometrial glands, the ovary, and in the oviduct and uterine muscle. In comparison, sequential oral contraceptives are less effective with greater side effects, and should only be used in women with amenorrhea. Effects of oral contraceptives other than contraception include those on the (1) the primary targets of the female reproductive system, (2) on other endocrine oragans and (3) on the remainder of the body. In the first group, changes may include transitory stromal fibrosis in the ovary, enlarged fibromyomata, intermenstrual bleeding or amenorrhea, increased amount of cervical mucus, polypoid hyperplasia of the endocervical glands, breast tenderness, and changes in lactation. Changes in the second category which may occur affect the adrenal glands, hypothalamus, the thyroid (increased thyroid-binding globulin), and pancreas (alterations in glucose metabolism). Effects on the rest of the body may include increase in serum lipids and changed atherogenic index, abnormalities in liver function, thromboembolism (incidence in oral contraceptive users 4.4 times that in non-users), melasma, alterations in the central nervous system with increased incidence of cerebral vascular accidents, hypertension, and increased body weight. Absolute contraindications to oral contraceptive therapy include cancer of the breast and uterus, pregnancy, active liver disease, hyperlipidemia, and history of gestational diabetes, thromboembolic phenomena or coronary artery disease. Relative contraindications include depression, migraine, myomata of the uterus, hypertension, epilipsy, oligomenorrhea and amenorrhea. Reliable epidemiologic data on IUDs from the Cooperative Statistical Program indicated first year pregnancy rate of 2.5%. Problems with the IUD include: 1) pregnancy with device in situ, which is associated with a higher incidence of spontaneous abortion; 2) ectopic pregnancy, which is prevented at a rate of only 90% compared with intrauterine pregnancies prevented in 97-98%; and 3) expulsions (20% of which are unnoticed), the expulsion rate being higher with decreasing age and parity, higher in the first than second year of use, and higher with smaller than larger devices. A major problem is discontinuation for medical reasons (15% rate in the first year), mainly bleeding and pain. Perforation, another serious complication, occurs initially at time of insertion with an incidence of 1 per 2500 insertions for the loop. IUDs were found to produce a sterile inflammatory tissue reaction, which is postulated as the primary causative factor for their contraceptive effect in humans.
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PMID:Current status of contraceptive steroids and the intrauterine device. 459 80

This study analyzed reproductive deaths (all deaths from pregnancy-related causes, including abortion and ectopic pregnancy, as well as from causes related to contraception) among women 15-44 years of age in the state of Massachusetts in 1981. Of the 971 deaths recorded in this age group, 14 were classified as reproductive deaths, for an overall reproductive mortality rate of 1.8/10,000 live births (1/100,000 women). 10 of these deaths were pregnancy related, and 4 were due to pregnancy prevention (oral contraception). 4 of the pregnancy-related and 3 of the contraception-related deaths were considered preventable since they occurred in women in whom oral contraception (OC) had been contraindicated. The risks related to OC use were higher than those related to pregnancy for women over 35 years of age, suggesting that the reproductive mortality rate could be reduced by proscribing OC use in women in this age group, especially in women who smoke or have hypertension. It is concluded that the reproductive mortality rate is a better measure of the risk associated with reproduction that the maternal mortality rate, and it is recommended that committees on maternal mortality expand their surveillance to include deaths due to the side effects of contraception.
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PMID:Reproductive mortality in Massachusetts in 1981. 647 46

This article summarizes the major risks and benefits of oral contraceptive (OC) use for specific categories of users. Major risks associated with OC use include vascular and circulatory disorders, hypertension, cancer, and other conditions such as gallbladder disease. There are also numerous minor side effects, e.g., breast tenderness, weight changes, yeast infections. Most of these side effects are attributed either to estrogen or progestin, which mimic excesses or deficiencies in the natural hormonal balance. These symptoms can often be reversed through alterations in the hormonal content of the OC. There have been numerous recent reports regarding the protective effect of OC use against conditions such as benign breast disease, ovarian and endometrial cancer, pelvic inflammatory disease, ectopic pregnancy, and rheumatoid disease. The risks and benefits for potential users can only be evaluated through reference to data from the relevant population group, taking into account factors such as age, race, heredity, potential predisposition for disease, and social habits. Information about the risk of medical problems in specific population groups must be weighed against the risk for those problems in the same population when combined with OC treatment. The benefits of the drug must also be weighed against the number and degree of risks found for the specific user. The convenience and efficacy associated with OCs can far outweigh the risks, inconveniences, and less impressive efficacy of other contraceptive methods in many cases. However, women over age 35 years, especially smokers, should use alternative methods of contraception. New hormonal contraceptive formulations and different modes of drug delivery are currently under development. However, several years of scientific investigation will be required to evaluate the longterm advantages or disadvantages of the newer experimental drugs compared with present OCs.
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PMID:The pill: a closer look. 655 6

During the past decade the World Health Organization (WHO) has embarked on a $17 million program to study different kinds of contraceptive methods and their effect on maternal health. More than 600 scientists from 85 countries are participating. These investigations have implicated abortion as a factor in miscarriage, perinatal morbidity, and perinatal mortality due to isthmus-cervical inadequacy. It is also implicated in sterility and extrauterine pregnancy, as well as other disorders of pregnancy. Hence WHO emphasizes other birth control methods, in particular the pill. But the birth control pill also has side effects, as this is the first time that hormones have been used not to treat some illness but in healthy women. Their incidence increases with age (after 30-35 years of age) and also is enhanced by smoking, high blood pressure, hyperlipoproteinemia, and diabetes. Oral contraceptives (OCs) also reduce the incidence of benign tumors of the breast, ovarian cysts, iron-deficiency anemia, and rheumatoid arthritis. They have a beneficial effect also in endometriosis, dysfunctional hemorrhages, polyposis and endometrial hyperplasia, ovulatory problems, and inflammatory conditions of the genitals. Many of the longterm effects of these contraceptives are still unknown, such as their influence on cancer or on the fetus. The WHO investigation has shown that 1/2 stop taking the birth control pill after 1 year, and 2/3 after 2 years. Another widespread technique is the IUD, used by over 60 million women. But this causes hemorrhage in some, especially the women of India, Pakistan, and other countries. Work is now being done on ways to minimize the hemorrhage associated with the IUD, to clarify its presence as a cause of inflammatory processes of the genitals, extrauterine pregnancies, and subsequent sterility. The WHO also studied the rhythm method of preventing conception and found that 35% of women ceased employing it after 13 months, while 20% became pregnant. It was decided to work on elucidating new methods of determining the onset of ovulation. The WHO is also studying the use of prostaglandins to interrupt pregnancy. A major task for the future is determining which women are at greatest risk from the various birth control techniques.
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PMID:[Modern methods of regulating generative function]. 733 55

Eleven cases of an unusual endometrial glandular proliferation associated with early pregnancy are reported. All lesions were incidental discoveries in first-trimester gestational endometria (two elective abortions; five spontaneous abortions; three hydatidiform moles; one tubal ectopic pregnancy). Most patients (nine of 11; 82%) were older than 30 years of age; associated clinical features included oligoovulation (two), hypertension (one), and obesity (one). All lesions were small and localized, and displayed similar histological features of variable severity including glandular expansion with smooth external contours; epithelial stratification (4 to 15 layers); cribriforming (focal to extensive); mitotic activity; bland nuclear cytology; and prominent intraglandular calcifications (eight cases; 72%). Although the natural history of these distinctive pregnancy-associated endometrial lesions was unknown, nine lesions were initially classified as benign, and two were interpreted as atypical endometrial hyperplasia or focal adenocarcinoma. Follow-up for an average of 34 months (range, 18 to 56) in nine patients showed no residual endometrial lesion (seven endometrial curettages and two hysterectomies). Three patients followed by curettage have subsequently completed successful pregnancies. This unusual lesion may represent a localized, endometrial proliferation induced by pregnancy; although some endometrial lesions may display striking architectural complexity, follow-up to date suggests a benign behavior.
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PMID:Localized endometrial proliferations associated with pregnancy: clinical and histopathologic features of 11 cases. 759 Jun 98


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