-
Research findings have suggested higher failure rates in oral contraceptive (OC) users who are heavy; however, new results from a retrospective analysis of Phase III efficacy data of a popular ethinyl estradiol/norgestimate formulation (Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo, Ortho McNeil Pharmaceutical; Raritan, NJ) indicate that it is not associated with an increased risk of pregnancy in such women.
-
Unplanned pregnancies carry extra health risks for obese women. In a 2005 study, researchers found that overweight women (BMI 25-29.9) had increased risks of diabetes, hypertension, pre-eclampsia, and cesarean delivery, with even higher risks for obese women (BMI 30 and above).
-
In the first study specifically designed to evaluate bleeding patterns after use of the emergency contraceptive pill (ECP) Plan B (Barr Pharmaceuticals, Pomona, NY), data indicate that intermenstrual bleeding following treatment is uncommon.
-
You're reviewing the medical history for a new patient. The 26-year-old woman complained of back pain for months before a neurologist ordered a magnetic resonance imaging test to check for a herniated disc. The test detected something else: ovarian cancer that has spread to the spine.
-
When it comes to the periodic well-woman visit, how do you and your staff balance time management and patient care?
-
Learn more about chronic vulvar pain: Use the Internet to check out "Vulvodynia: Integrating Current Knowledge into Clinical Practice," the National Vulvodynia Association's updated teaching program on chronic vulvar pain for health care professionals.
-
As you perform physical exams for your college-bound patients, you tick off the number of vaccinations needed to bring their immunizations up to schedule.
-
Check the statistics for post-vasectomy follow-up tests at your family planning clinic. How many men are returning for semen analysis following their sterilization procedures?
-
Your next patient is a 35-year-old mother of three and has a body mass index of 36. She says she is interested in permanent birth control. What are her options?
-
While running for president in 2000, then-Republican candidate George W. Bush promised that his answer to the problem of teenage pregnancy would be to dramatically increase federal funding for abstinence-only education. Sure enough, President Bush has made good on that pledge.
