Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0021051 (immunodeficiency)
 71,517 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

: Summary. The impact of having a child with an inherited bleeding disorder such as haemophilia can have a far-reaching effect on the individual as well as other close family members. This situation is further complicated in the case of human immunodeficiency (HIV) serodiscordant couples, where the haemophilic man is affected with HIV through infected blood products whilst his partner is seronegative and wanting to have children. It is essential that information on the effects of haemophilia, its inheritance, the possibilities of antenatal diagnosis, the consideration of selective abortion and the new reproductive opportunities available to these couples are made accessible so that an informed decision about proceeding with having a family can be made. Couples may wish to have a family through nonreproductive methods such as fostering or adoption. Alternatively, they may wish to remain childless. In this paper, the terms 'having children' and 'having a family' will refer to conception through biological reproduction. Pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) offers families at risk of having a child with certain inherited genetic disorders the opportunity to give birth to an unaffected child. It may be considered as an option for couples who would not wish to have prenatal diagnosis leading to possible termination of a pregnancy. Assisted conception techniques, such as 'sperm washing' or the use of 'donor sperm', offer serodiscordant couples affected by HIV a risk-reduced or risk-free opportunity, respectively, to have a child without infecting the mother, who could in turn infect the fetus by vertical transmission. This article, in addition to outlining the inheritance of haemophilia and the more common prenatal screening and diagnostic tests, discusses in more detail the latest reproductive opportunities available for families affected by haemophilia and considering having a family.
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PMID:Reproductive choices for couples with haemophilia. 1201 Apr 32

At present, about 250 million new cases of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) occur in the world each year. This statistics includes 120 million cases of trichomoniasis, 50 million cases of chlamydia, 30 million cases of genital warts, 25 million gonorrhea cases, 20 million cases of genital herpes, 3.5 million syphilis cases, 2.5 million case of hepatitis B virus, 2 million cases of chancroid, and 1 million infections with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Among the adverse health sequelae the STDs are sterility, infertility, stillbirth, miscarriage, blindness, brain damage, and cancer. The greatest incidence of STDs is in the 20-24-year age group, followed by persons 15-19 years of age. The finding that lesions caused by some STDs can increase the risk of HIV infection by more than 300% has led governments concerned with control of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) to take a more aggressive stance toward the prevention and treatment of STDs. There are many obstacles to STD prevention, however, including the development of treatment-resistant strains, inadequate infrastructure for diagnostic testing and penicillin treatment, resistance to changing sexual behavior, increased travel and migration, and the practice of exchanging sex for drugs. Even in some developed countries where the rate of STD infection has finally stabilized, the level remains unacceptably high and STDs cannot be considered as under control. In developing countries, STDs have reached epidemic levels and the number of new infections reported annually shows a pattern of steady increase. The World Health Organization is urging governments to intensify STD prevention activities through funding research, health education, and more accessible clinic services.
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PMID:Sexually transmitted infections increasing -- 250 million new infections annually. 1231 65

The National Congress in Brazil is currently considering 9 abortion bills, 2 of which were introduced by women. In this interview, the women senators--Jandira Feghall of the Communist Party and Eva Blay of the Social Democrat Party--discuss the likely outcome of the abortion debate. Although the Roman Catholic Church has announced its intentions to oppose any liberalization of the abortion law, there are divisions within the Church as evidenced by the existence of groups such as Catholics for a Free Choice. Both senators agree that decriminalization of abortion will depend upon the societal response and an effort must be made to reach the many people who are confused and undecided about the issue. Although the present debate fits within the broader current debate on population policies, it has been the insistence of the feminist movement that put abortion reform on the agenda. Blay's bill calls for the legalization of abortion on demand until the 12th week of pregnancy and in cases of rape or risk to the woman's life after that point. A controversial aspect of Feghall's bill is the inclusion of maternal human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection as a condition for abortion. Feghall notes that this is an option rather than a requirement, but she will eliminate this condition if it engenders discrimination against HIV-infected women.
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PMID:Bills to decriminalize abortion in Brazil. 1231 22

The Youth Risk Behavior Survey, conducted by the Centers for Disease Control in 1990, 1991, and 1993, found that a substantial proportion of US teens engage in behaviors that place them at risk of unintended pregnancy, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and other sexually transmitted diseases. Included in the survey were over 50,000 public and private high school students from all states. The rate of teens who reported having sexual intercourse in the three months preceding the survey remained constant at about 39% between 1990 and 1993, but use of oral contraceptives and condoms at last intercourse rose from 15% to 18% and from 46% to 53%, respectively. Between 1990 and 1991, the number of live births to high school students 15-19 years of age dropped from 62.1 to 60.7/1000 and the induced abortion rate declined in 30 of the 41 states that provided abortion data. Between 1991 and 1992, the gonorrhea rate among teens 15-19 years old decreased 20% for males and 13% for females, but an increasing percentage of chlamydia infections involved adolescents. Despite some encouraging trends, concerns remain regarding the finding that close to half of teenagers are not protected by condom use.
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PMID:Trends in sexual behavior among high school students in the United States: the Youth Risk Behavior Survey. 1231 63

Viet Nam's postwar modernization has led to an increase in premarital sexual activity and sex with multiple partners. Current trends include high rates of adolescent pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), an abortion rate that exceeds the birth rate, a rise in reproductive tract infections, and a growing number of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected persons. In large part, these trends reflect a lack of sex education and inadequate contraceptive availability. Where sex education exists, the emphasis tends to be on morality rather than on responsible decision making. Misinformation, especially about acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), is widespread; many Vietnamese believe that HIV cannot be transmitted by a friend or spouse and can be prevented by washing after intercourse. More effective than current campaigns based on the induction of fear about AIDS and other STDs would be educational programs that promote knowledge and understanding.
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PMID:Vietnam faces modern sexuality problems with inadequate knowledge and solutions. 1232 4

Some 250 million cases of sexually transmitted disease (STD) occur each year, and in some countries 1 or even 2 women in every 10 are infected with an STD. STDs are likely to reach an advanced stage before women notice them. The consequences of STDs are devastating, according to a report by the Population Information Program of the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, and they include stillbirths, blinding eye infections in the newborn, chronic female abdominal pain, ectopic pregnancy, and infertility. There are social consequences for women such as divorce, and husbands may abandon infertile wives. Gonorrhea and chlamydia can cause both severe inflammation of the pelvis with acute pain and possible infertility. Pelvic inflammatory disease can permanently scar the fallopian tubes, increasing the risk of ectopic pregnancy, which can be fatal when the fallopian tube ruptures. Babies born to mothers with gonorrhea and chlamydia are likely to develop eye infections that may make them blind. Chlamydia infection in pregnant women may also cause premature rupture of the membranes, sepsis, and the death of premature neonate. Infection may spread to the lungs of newborns, leading to chlamydial pneumonia. Syphilis can cause spontaneous abortion, stillbirth, neonatal death, or congenital syphilis in the infant. Trichomoniasis and herpes can also be transmitted from mother to fetus. And infection with an STD increases the risk of infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that prenatal care should always include checks for STDs. A WHO Technical Working Group on Care of Mother and Baby has stressed the importance of detecting and treating STDs in pregnant women. The working group urged training of health workers to distinguish between STDs and other infections. The group, which met July 5-9, 1993, outlined health center strategies for prevention and treatment.
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PMID:STDs infect 250 million a year. 1234

Dr. Charlotte Gardiner, technical officer of the Reproductive Health Branch, Technical and Evaluation Division, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), was interviewed on June 6 concerning the focus of UNFPA on reproductive health following the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) and the role foreseen for JOICFP in implementing the Program of Action. Her remarks include the following information. UNFPA has high regard for the JOICFP program in family planning (FP) because of its community-based approach. The perceptions of the community dictate the way the project is fashioned; local needs are met; services are acceptable; and the quality of care is ensured. JOICFP's approach has always been integrated (controlling intestinal parasites; nutrition; family planning). It has operated one of the earliest reproductive health (RH) programs, an approach to FP that would better fit Africa's local needs and that has been successful in Asia and Latin America. Over the years UNFPA has increasingly supported the RH approach, one that integrates the vertical type of FP program in a maternal and child health (MCH) framework. The ICPD has moved further into a RH approach where FP becomes a changing concern over the lifespan of a woman and more attention is paid to the relationship between contraception and health. The ICPD has focused on the needs of adolescents for FP information and services. UNFPA will support programs that incorporate information and services for prevention, early detection, and management of sexually transmitted diseases, especially human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections. Another goal of the ICPD is to reduce the high maternal mortality rates that exist in most of the developing world, so UNFPA will continue to advocate the integration of FP in maternity care programs and to support integration of obstetric care interventions in the public health care system. UNFPA sees FP programs as an important means of preventing abortion and reducing the impact that abortion has on maternal health.
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PMID:Embracing the reproductive health approach. Global perspective. 1234 93

The following guidelines for pre-sterilization counseling have been adopted by the Association for Voluntary Surgical Contraception: 1) emphasize that sterilization is permanent; 2) involve both partners in the decision making and present male sterilization as a viable option; 3) even if sterilization is requested, also present the range of long-term reversible methods available; 4) inform the client of failure rates associated with female sterilization and the associated risk of ectopic pregnancy; 5) emphasize that sterilization provides no protection against sexually transmitted diseases, including human immunodeficiency virus; 6) screen candidates for risk factors of post-sterilization regret, including young age and sterilization at the time of abortion or delivery; 7) fully explain the surgical procedure, preoperative instructions, surgical site, timing of the procedure, type of anesthesia, surgical risks, and length of recovery; 8) describe the possibility of unrelated changes in menstruation; 9) answer all questions; 10) discuss the positive effects on sexuality once concerns about unwanted pregnancy are removed; and 11) provide printed educational materials that the couple can review privately.
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PMID:Guidelines for pre-sterilization counseling. 1234 59

Since most human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections are initiated following mucosal exposure to the virus, the anatomic containment or abortion of an HIV infection is likely to require vaccine-elicited cellular immune responses in those mucosal sites. Studying vaccine-elicited mucosal immune responses has been problematic because of the difficulties associated with sampling T lymphocytes from those anatomic compartments. In the present study, we demonstrate that mucosal cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) specific for simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) and simian HIV can be reproducibly sampled from intestinal mucosal tissue of rhesus monkeys obtained under endoscopic guidance. These lymphocytes recognize peptide-major histocompatibility complex class I complexes and express gamma interferon on exposure to peptide antigen. Interestingly, systemic immunization of monkeys with plasmid DNA immunogens followed by live recombinant attenuated poxviruses or adenoviruses with genes deleted elicits high-frequency SIV-specific CTL responses in these mucosal tissues. These studies therefore suggest that systemic delivery of potent HIV immunogens may suffice to elicit substantial mucosal CTL responses.
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PMID:Elicitation of simian immunodeficiency virus-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes in mucosal compartments of rhesus monkeys by systemic vaccination. 1238 10

This prospective study was carried out to estimate the prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and the risk factors for HIV infection in women undergoing laparoscopy evaluation for infertility. Of 1906 women evaluated between January 1995 and December 2000, 130 (6.82%) tested positive for HIV infection. Husbands of 58.5% of the HIV positive women also tested positive. Analysis of their sexual behaviour within the duration of the marriage revealed that the HIV positive infertile women had more sexual partners [86.2% (112/130) average of five partners vs. 38% (675/1776) average of two partners; P<0.001] and previous sexually transmitted infections [73.1% (95/130) vs. 56.8% (1009/1776); P<0.001] than the HIV negative infertile women. Previous history of induced abortion and blood transfusion was not significantly different for HIV positive and negative women (42.3% vs. 39.3%) and (1.5% vs. 1.0%), respectively, P>0.20. In conclusion, infertile women are exposed to a higher risk of HIV infection due to their promiscuous sexual behaviour in search of pregnancy.
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PMID:HIV infection and sexual behaviour among infertile women in southeastern Nigeria. 1252 7


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