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At least 703 records · Page 39Linked to original sources
PubMed2006

Arsenic in drinking-water and reproductive health outcomes: a study of participants in the Bangladesh Integrated Nutrition Programme.

This study examined 2,006 pregnant women chronically exposed to a range of naturally-occurring concentrations of arsenic in drinking-water in three upazilas in Bangladesh to find out relationships between arsenic exposure and selected reproductive health outcomes. While there was a small but statistically significant association between arsenic exposure and birth-defects (odds ratio=1.005, 95% confidence interval 1.001-1.010), other outcomes, such as stillbirth, low birth-weight, childhood stunting, and childhood under-weight, were not associated with arsenic exposure. It is possible that the association between arsenic exposure from drinking-water and birth-defects may be a statistical anomaly due to the small number of birth-defects observed. Future studies should look more closely at birth-defects, especially neural tube defects, to elucidate any potential health effects associated with arsenic exposure from drinking-water. Further, given the knowledge that serious health effects can result from chronic arsenic exposure, efforts to find alternatives of safe drinking-water for the population must continue.

Abnormalities, Drug-Induced↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Sexual behavior, contraceptive practice, and reproductive health among Nigerian adolescents.

In the context of a high and increasing incidence of unwanted pregnancy among Nigerian adolescents, a sample survey of never-married residents of the Ibadan area, aged 14 to 25 years, was conducted in 1982 to learn about their perceptions and practices relating to reproductive health. A substantial proportion of the young unmarried population is sexually active, and despite comparatively high contraceptive prevalence among that proportion, many are still engaging in sexual relations without benefit of contraceptive protection. Nearly half of the female students interviewed at both the secondary and university levels have been pregnant, as have two-thirds of those not currently enrolled in school. Among those respondents who had been pregnant, almost all reported that they voluntarily terminated their pregnancies. Existing and needed contraceptive services for the adolescent population are discussed.

Abortion, Illegal↗
PubMed2002

Clinical performance of the levonorgestrel intrauterine system in routine use by the UK Family Planning and Reproductive Health Research Network: 5-year report.

OBJECTIVES: This study was undertaken to determine the performance of the levonorgestrel intrauterine system (LNG IUS) in British women in routine clinical use. DESIGN: Doctors working in general practice and at family planning clinics throughout the UK who collaborate in the UK Family Planning and Reproductive Health Research Network were responsible for the fitting of 678 LNG IUSs. RESULTS: Gross cumulative event rates at 5 years per 100 women were pregnancy 1.0, expulsion 5.9, removal for bleeding problems 16.7, removal for pain 4.3, and removal for pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) 1.2. Removals were also required for side effects that may be due to absorbed levonorgestrel. Positive effects include effective contraception and considerably reduced quantity of bleeding for most participants. CONCLUSIONS: A need was identified to counsel women about the early bleeding problems including the possibility of oligomenorrhoea or amenorrhoea. This is considered to be very important as it will help women to persevere so that they can enjoy the longer-term benefits.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Effects of styrene on the reproductive health of women: a review.

Styrene has been shown to cross the placenta. Studies in animals suggest that styrene and styrene oxide have embryotoxic or fetotoxic effects early in pregnancy, but there is no evidence with regard to teratogenicity. This paper is a review of epidemiological investigations on the effects of occupational exposure to styrene on the reproductive health of women. The results of these studies are contradictory. Some early reports suggested that exposure to styrene induces menstrual disturbances, spontaneous abortions and congenital malformations. In more recent studies, no risk was observed among workers exposed to styrene in the reinforced-plastics industry. An excess of spontaneous abortions was, however, indicated by one investigation in women whose work included the processing of polystyrene. Two studies also suggested associations between exposure to styrene and low birth weight and reduced fertility. Although some epidemiological studies suggest that exposure to styrene involves reproductive hazards, the validity of most of these studies is weakened by methodological shortcomings. The available evidence cannot be used to draw any firm conclusions.

Abnormalities, Drug-Induced↗
PubMed2003

[Neighborhood effects influencing reproductive health of Chilean women].

BACKGROUND: Fecundity rates have decreased considerably in Latin America, due to a higher contraceptive use and better family planning programs. AIM: To determine whether neighborhood level socioeconomic variables have an independent effect on reported modern contraceptive use, over and above the effect of individual level measures of socioeconomic status and reproductive health behavior. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Multilevel logistic models determined the effects of individual and neighborhood dimensions (socioeconomic status, urbanization, quality of public health facilities) on contraceptive use among 509 women aged 15 to 49 years living in 85 neighborhoods within the Region of Bio Bio, Chile. RESULTS: After adjustment for women's individual socioeconomic characteristics and other risk factors, less favorable neighborhood socioeconomic characteristics were significantly associated with lower rates of modern contraceptive use. CONCLUSIONS: Changes in the quality of facilities for family planning at the neighborhood level may enhance modern contraceptive use.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Quality assessment of reproductive health services.

Systematic information on the quality of health services is being sought by purchasers and providers of health care. Consensus on an appropriate set of quality assessment criteria should stimulate the development of data collection tools and analytic methods. To begin the dialogue, criteria for evaluating the quality of family planning services, routine gynecologic care, infertility care, male reproductive health services, prenatal care, and early postnatal care are necessary. The effect of report cards on measurement and reporting and the challenges of assessing quality in family planning and other clinic settings are discussed.

Family Planning Services↗
PubMed2006

The healthy men study: design and recruitment considerations for environmental epidemiologic studies in male reproductive health.

OBJECTIVE: To describe study design, conduct and response, and participant characteristics. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING: Participants were male partners of women who were enrolled in a community-based prospective cohort study of drinking water disinfection by-products and pregnancy health. PATIENT(S): Two hundred thirty presumed fertile men recruited from 3 study sites in the United States. INTERVENTION(S): Men completed a telephone interview about demographics, health history, and exposures and provided a semen sample that was express mailed to the study laboratory. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Response and participation rates, participant demographics, and lifestyle exposures. RESULT(S): We obtained a high participation rate (84%) among men who were located, but a low overall response rate (25%). Participants were more likely to be white, more highly educated, be married, and have a higher household income than the underlying study cohort. CONCLUSION(S): Our multisite study design may be applicable to the study of community environmental factors and reproductive health of men. Our design was efficient in that men from geographically disparate sites could be recruited, a semen sample was collected at home, and a telephone interview was conducted from a central study site. Despite these design features, the low response rates may suggest selection bias that can be addressed partially in the analysis.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Sexually transmitted diseases and reproductive health.

Sexually transmitted diseases (STD) are a major health problem, particularly for women in developing countries. Serious sequelae include ascending infections leading to chronic discomfort, ectopic pregnancy and infertility, cervical cancer, and adverse pregnancy outcomes. Primary prevention involves sexual behavior modifications and condom use, and secondary prevention targets early and appropriate management of STD and reproductive tract infections (RTI). There is an urgent need for comprehensive preventive and curative reproductive health services, as well as for inexpensive, simple, rapid, and convenient STD diagnostics and treatment regimens. Female controlled barrier methods are a priority in the field of applied research. In additions, women's voices have to be heard in health and development programs.

Developing Countries↗
PubMed2003

Validation of a sensitive enzymeimmunoassay for 13,14-dihydro-15-keto-PGF2alpha in buffalo plasma and its application for reproductive health status monitoring.

A simple, sensitive and direct enzymeimmunoassay (EIA) procedure on microtitre plates using the second antibody coating technique was standardized and validated for the determination of 13,14-dihydro-15-keto PGF2alpha (PGFM) in unextracted buffalo plasma. The assay was carried out directly in 20 microl of buffalo plasma. PGFM standards prepared in charcoal stripped hormone-free plasma were used. The sensitivity of the assay was 0.4 pg/well, which corresponded to 20 pg/ml plasma. Plasma volumes for the assay ranging from 10 to 50 microl did not influence the PGFM standard curve; however, a slight drop in the OD450 was observed with higher plasma volumes. Biological validation of the assay was carried out in buffalo plasma samples obtained during physiological states of cyclicity, peri-estrus, post-insemination, reproductive tract infection and persistent corpus luteum conditions. A pulsatile pattern of plasma PGFM release was observed prior to estrus when PGFM was determined in blood samples collected at hourly intervals of time. The PGFM pulsatility was not observed when blood sampling frequency of either 4 or 12 h was considered. The PGFM levels stayed high in peripheral circulation of buffaloes with reproductive tract infections and remained low throughout the sampling period in buffaloes having persistent corpus luteum. After an initial increase post-insemination, the plasma PGFM levels showed minor fluctuations. The assay was found to be sufficiently reliable and specific for estimation of PGFM levels in buffaloes. The standardization and validation of PGFM assay in buffalo opens the prospects of using PGFM levels as an indicator for reproductive health status monitoring in this species.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Audio computer-assisted self-interviewing in reproductive health research: reliability assessment among women in Harare, Zimbabwe.

PURPOSE: Research on the measurement of HIV risk demonstrates that interview mode can affect reporting; however, few studies have applied these findings to assessments of hormonal contraceptive use. This paper examines how audio computer-assisted self-interviewing (ACASI) influenced reports of hormonal contraceptive use and pregnancy among Zimbabwean women. METHODS: Using a prospective, randomized, cross-over design, we compared self-reports obtained with ACASI and face-to-face (FTF) interview among 655 women enrolled in a prospective study on hormonal contraceptive use and HIV acquisition. In addition, self-report data were compared to those collected during clinical exams. RESULTS: Compared to FTF interviews, reports of hormonal contraceptive use were lower in ACASI [odds ratio (OR)=0.6; 95% confidence interval (95% CI)=0.5-0.6], and reports of pregnancy were higher (OR=1.5; 95% CI=1.1-1.9). Both modes of self-report differed from records on contraceptive method disbursement. CONCLUSION: Although ACASI yielded higher reports of several reproductive health behaviors, discrepancies between self-reports and clinical data on method disbursement highlight persistent measurement challenges.

Adult↗