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The effectiveness of a new levo-norgestrel releasing intrauterine device is assessed in fourteen patients with histologically confirmed hyperplastic lesions of the endometrial mucosa. The morphologic response of the hyperplastic endometria to the action of the levo-norgestrel in this study explains the regression of the cases so treated.
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It has been recently advocated that avoiding partners who may be at high risk of carrying HIV provides 5000-fold better protection against HIV infection than usage of condoms [1]. In this paper, it is demonstrated that this guideline is largely based on unrealistic assumptions. If the sensitivity of identifying high-risk partners, realistic estimates of the efficiency of mechanical and chemical barrier methods, and the compliance in following either strategy are taken into account, use of condoms and/or suppositories containing nonoxynol-9 might be more effective than the attempt to avoid high-risk partners. Thus, both barrier methods should be strongly recommended for casual sexual heterosexual contacts.
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In a group of 55 unmarried women, mean age 25 years, attending a family planning clinic and having minor gynecological complaints, the correlation between Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) antigen, CT antibodies, vaginal colonization by Candida or bacteria and the method of contraception was investigated. The correlation between CT antigen and CT antibodies (IgG) was significant in oral contraceptive users (p = 0.003), as was the correlation with vaginal colonization by Candida and potential pathologic bacteria. In the group using the natural family planning method, a statistically significant correlation was found between CT antigen, IgG (p = 0.002), IgA (p = 0.02) antibodies, and vaginal candidiasis (p = 0.002), but not with bacterial colonization (p = 0.90). The discrepancy between CT antigen and antibodies is discussed. Differences in the prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis infection were found among groups using different birth control methods, indicating an association between Chlamydia infection and the contraceptive method used.
Although sexually transmitted diseases, including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), are a major concern for women, few prevention messages are targeted specifically to women. Those that are generally stress abstaining, altering the number or selection of partners, and urging partners to use condoms. But these behaviors may be unrealistic for many women, particularly women who are at highest risk for sexually transmitted diseases, because they require significant changes in life-style or depend on male-controlled condom use. Recommendation of contraceptives for prevention of sexually transmitted diseases depends largely on how well specific methods perform under controlled conditions, either in the laboratory or in clinical trials. Observational studies, which better reflect day-to-day use, indicate that condoms, barriers, and spermicides, used properly and consistently, can provide substantial protection against various sexually transmitted diseases. Condoms can similarly help protect against HIV, but studies of barriers and spermicides are scant and currently inconclusive. Finally, those methods that are controlled by women are consistently more effective in preventing sexually transmitted diseases. Thus, although condoms used well are still the best choice, the imperative for female-controlled methods indicates that diaphragms and spermicides should receive greater emphasis in prevention messages.
Globally, sterilization protects more couples from pregnancy than any other contraceptive method. However, use of sterilization has grown only gradually and annual rates of adoption remain low. The high prevalence of sterilization can be explained by its excellent continuation rate, its appeal to a broad age range at the time of adoption, and its long history of availability. International patterns show that sterilization users are concentrated in the two large countries of China and India, but numerous smaller countries also have high proportions of couples using the method. Four personal characteristics differentiate its use within each country: age, parity, residence, and sex. A new projection method indicates that approximately 159 million sterilization adoptions are expected between 1990 and 2000, half of them in China. Most future sterilization users will be found where they have been in the past, due to their concentration in China and India and to the large carry-over of current users in all countries. Projections for sterilization are more dependable than are those for other contraceptive methods, because most current users are young enough to remain in the pool of active users for 10 years. They constitute a large component of the expected total in the year 2000--about 269 million users, or 29 percent of all couples.