Family planning in rural Kwazulu: transition from traditional to contemporary practices.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Africa↗
SEARCH · PubMed Health
Results for “Fertility Pattern Method”
Explore indexed PubMed citations for clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health research. Read source abstracts and follow each citation to its original PubMed record.
Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.
Family and fertility careers of Polish females: a semi-parametric and life table approach.
"In this paper an evaluation has been made using the semi-parametric analysis and life table method of changes in the process of formation and dissolution of families in Poland, and changes in fertility careers by cohorts. An answer was sought to the following questions: What are the factors significantly determining the process studied? What differences appear between cohorts?"
Cohort Studies↗
Identical giemsa banding patterns of two macaca species: Macaca mulatta and M. fascicularis. A densitometric study.
Karyotypes of Macaca mulatta and M. fascicularis (2n equals 42) were compared using the Giemsa banding pattern technique. No differences between the chromosomes of both Macaca species were found with conventional staining methods. In the literature the occurrence of fertile hybrids is used as an argument in favor of conspecificity. The banding patterns were evaluated by comparison of their density distribution curves. Our data indicated no significant differences between the two Macaca species.
Animals↗
Model-based approaches to studying fertility and contraceptive efficacy.
Statistical methods recently developed to aid in identifying environmental exposures with reproductive toxicity can also be applied to trials of interventions undertaken specifically to impair fertility, i.e. methods of contraception. Although only applicable in a trial that includes a reliable benchmark for identifying the day of ovulation, the proposed measures of contraceptive efficacy derived from such a trial offer certain interpretive advantages over the more traditional approaches of evaluating contraceptives. Extensions of the same models also allow one to evaluate efficacy under any assumed pattern of imperfect use. One can also evaluate methods based on biomarkers for the fertile phase of the cycle, such as hydration of the cervical mucus, that may prove to be enormously helpful to couples who wish to use periodic abstinence as their method. In prospective studies of fertility, couples who occasionally use a barrier method should not be excluded from the study, but can be retained, without biasing the estimates for fertility parameters.
Contraception↗
Do cycle disturbances explain the age-related decline of female fertility? Cycle characteristics of women aged over 40 years compared with a reference population of young women.
BACKGROUND: The cause of declining fertility with age, in women who still have regular menstrual cycles, is not clear. METHODS: Follicle development, endometrial growth and hormonal patterns were evaluated in cycles of older women (aged 41-46 years; n = 26) who previously were normally fertile, and these cycles were compared with a reference group of relatively young fertile women (aged 22-34 years; n = 35). RESULTS: Clearly abnormal cycles were found in only two women in the older age group, and in one woman in the younger group. The main differences between the age groups were a shorter follicular phase and cycle length in the older group, in combination with higher FSH levels in the late luteal and early follicular phase. In contrast to published data which suggest an "accelerated" follicle development in older women, sonographical and hormonal evidence was found of an "advanced" follicle growth, with an earlier start already during the luteal phase of the preceding cycle, and an advanced selection and ovulation of the dominant follicle. CONCLUSIONS: Such an earlier start of follicle growth in a possibly less favourable hormonal environment, as well as a limited oocyte pool, may contribute to a decreased follicle and oocyte quality, resulting in diminished fertility in ageing women.
Adult↗
Contraceptive use in Canada: 1984-1995.
CONTEXT: In every country, contraceptive behavior has important implications for fertility and the prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). There has been relatively little attention to contraceptive practices in Canada, however, particularly how patterns of method use may have changed. METHODS: Data on contraceptive use were collected from 5,315 women in the 1984 Canadian Fertility Survey, and from 3,220 women and 3,449 men in the 1995 General Social Survey. RESULTS: Among Canadian women aged 15-49, current contraceptive use declined from 69% to 60% between 1984 and 1995. Pill use dropped from 19% to 17%, and IUD use declined from 6% to 3%. However, during the same period, condom use increased from 6% to 10%; tubal ligation declined from 24% to 17%, while vasectomy increased. In addition, the proportion of women sterilized for reasons other than contraception rose between 1984 and 1995. Men were less likely to rely on sterilization than were women (31 % vs. 40%). Men reported higher levels of condom use (22%), but lower levels of pill use among their partners (9%), than did women (10% and 17%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Contraceptive behavior in Canada is unique: The decline in contraceptive use over the last decade has left Canada's overall contraceptive prevalence among the lowest in the industrialized world, and the rate of sterilization among the highest These changes in contraceptive behavior complicate efforts to plan for social and health needs, particularly policy decisions focusing on reducing infections with STDs.
Adolescent↗
Aging issues in invasion and metastasis. Fertile ground for investigation.
BACKGROUND: Ovarian cancer is a disease of predominantly older women and one in which metastases occur early and extensively. The unusual pattern of local metastasis is fertile ground for laboratory and clinical investigation. METHODS: Tools are now available with which to study the complex cascade of invasion and metastasis as it underlies invasive ovarian cancer. The metastatic cascade involves five repetitive steps: angiogenesis, adhesion to the vascular basement membrane, local proteolysis, migration into and out of the vasculature, and proliferation at the secondary sites. Both in vivo and in vitro models of ovarian cancer are available; however, there are no systems targeted to understanding age-related differences in ovarian cancer biology. RESULTS: Progress in investigation of the biology of ovarian cancer has led to new diagnostic and therapeutic leads, including the use of adhesion receptors, protease secretion, and stimulation of tumor cell migration as potential markers and the identification of a new anti-cancer agent, CAI (NSC609974). CONCLUSIONS: CAI inhibits signal transduction pathways important in the regulation and activation of metastasis and proliferation. A phase I study has begun accrual at the National Cancer Institute; the protocol will contain no upper age limit.
Aging↗
Is the lactational amenorrhea method a part of natural family planning? Biology and policy.
The lactational amenorrhea method is a natural method of family planning for women who breastfeed their infants. The underlying physiology results in a natural suppression of ovulation, and the concomitant amenorrhea, induced by exclusive (or almost exclusive) breastfeeding. This in addition to the infant's age of 6 months or less and specific feeding pattern are the parameters used to identify the possible return of fertility. The lactational amenorrhea method provides at least 98% protection against pregnancy. Data from a recent multicenter study of breastfeeding support the use of the lactational amenorrhea method as a natural family planning method. The lactational amenorrhea method can be incorporated into natural family planning programs and teaching.
Amenorrhea↗
Population policies and reproductive patterns in Vietnam.
BACKGROUND: Vietnam's population policy since the 1980s had stipulated a limit on family size to two children, born 3-5 years apart, and recommends a minimum age of 19 for the mother of a first child. We analysed trends in the timing of marriages and births, and in fertility and abortion rates, among women born between 1945 and 1970, to assess the impact of these policies on reproductive patterns. METHODS: Reproductive histories were recorded in a random sample of 1432 married women aged 15-49 in a rural province in northern Vietnam. Mean age at marriage and at birth of the first child, birth intervals, fertility, and abortion rates were examined in relation to the woman's year of birth. FINDINGS: Later-born women married and had their first child at a younger age than women born earlier. Birth intervals had increased among later-born women but 25% still had only a 1-year interval between first and second child. Fertility had gradually decreased while abortion ratios had increased rapidly. Childbearing patterns had become "earlier, longer, and fewer" rather than "later, longer, and fewer" as stipulated by the policies. The results also show that women with more schooling married and had their first child later. Women involved in farming had shorter spacing between children. INTERPRETATION: There are signs that Vietnam's population policy has focused too strongly on contraception and abortion while ignoring the connection between fertility and women's opportunities for education and employment. In these respects, rural women are at particular risk.
Abortion, Induced↗
Contraceptive practices and trends in France.
CONTEXT: Contraceptive use has been legal in France for the past 30 years, and patterns of use changed substantially from the 1960s to the 1980s. Given the rapidity with which use patterns change and the possible impact of rising concern about infection with HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases, it is important to determine trends of contraceptive practice into the 1990s. METHODS: A total of 5,900 French households were selected in 1994 for inclusion in the Fertility and Family Survey. Respondents were questioned about their contraceptive use patterns and family formation status. The results were compared with those of comparable surveys conducted in 1978 and 1988. RESULTS: Two-thirds of French women used some form of reversible contraceptive method in 1994. Oral contraceptive use has grown steadily in France: About 40% of women aged 20-44 reported using the pill alone or combined with another method in 1994, compared with 34% in 1988 and 28% in 1978. Condom use has also been on the rise: Nearly 8% of women were using condoms alone or combined with another method in 1994, up from 5% in 1988 and 6% in 1978. IUD use has declined from 19% in 1988 to 16% in 1994, and both male and female sterilizations remain rare. CONCLUSIONS: Contraceptive behavior in France appears unique among developed countries, with fairly high levels of oral contraceptive use--even among older women--relatively high levels of IUD use and little reliance on either male or female sterilization. As with other countries, however, condom use has climbed in recent years, and is especially common at first intercourse.
Adult↗
Education, fertility and contraception among Hindus and Roman Catholics in Goa.
Differences in age at marriage, fertility and contraceptive use are related to religious background, individual educational level and community level education. In general, the effects of community education are weak compared to individual level of education, but differences exist between Hindus and Roman Catholics.
Adult↗
The predictability of fertility planning status.
For any couple, the planning status of a pregnancy (what they intended, whether they used contraception, and whether they were successful) is strongly dependent on the planning status of their preceding pregnancy. The introduction of more acceptable and effective methods of fertility regulation has, however, attenuated the strength of these relationships. The patterns of continuity and change in planning status from pregnancy to pregnancy provide a parsimonious description of reproductive behavior over the course of the life cycle and of the major trends in planning in the recent past.
Contraception↗
Population growth and fertility patterns in an Old Order Amish settlement.
BACKGROUND: Since they are a healthy and well-nourished isolate with strong religious proscriptions against birth control, the fertility patterns of the Old Order Amish have long been studied by demographers, particularly those with an interest in natural fertility. AIM: The present report describes population growth, population structure, and fertility patterns in a little-studied Amish settlement located in northeastern Ohio, USA (Geauga Settlement). SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A directory prepared by the Geauga Settlement provides data on the dates of birth of the mother, father, and all children for 1337 families for the period up to 1 January 1993. This information was used to assess population size, population structure, fertility rates, age at marriage, age of mothers at first and last birth, and birth intervals. Estimates of total settlement size were also derived from an older directory covering the period up to 1 January 1988 and a recently published directory which covers the period up to 1 January 1998. RESULTS: The settlement consisted of 7546 individuals in 1988, 8345 individuals in 1993, and 9572 individuals in 1998. The completed marital fertility rate was 7.7 (SD 3.6) births per woman. Total fertility rate decreased by about one birth between 1909 and 1967, in association with a change in fertility patterns, with women born in more recent cohorts tending to have more of their offspring at an earlier age, both of which suggest the existence of behaviours to control fertility. On the other hand, the age at the birth of the last child remained fairly constant over this time period. CONCLUSIONS: There is some suggestion of fertility control by Amish families. However, this control appears to be independent of parity, suggesting that there is no intention to limit family size. It is therefore reasonable to conclude that the Amish in the Geauga Settlement are a natural fertility population.
Adult↗
[Socioeconomic determinants of migration in Mexico].
"This study examines the socioeconomic influence on migration frequency and transitory movements in four Mexican regions. The analysis is based on data gathered from the [Mexican Fertility Survey] 1976-1977, considering the influences of...education, occupation, literacy, place of residence and fertility. The methods used for this analysis were regression and logistic regression." Aspects considered include patterns of internal migration in Mexico, data sources, analysis of independent variables, migration experiences, and age effects. A comment by Carlos Brambila Paz is included (pp. 179-83). (SUMMARY IN ENG)
Age Factors↗
Correlation of plasma gonadotrophins and ovarian steroids pattern with symptomatic changes in cervical mucus during the menstrual cycle in normal cycling women.
27 healthy young Italian women were studied to evaluate their ability to identify symptomatically the potentially fertile phase of the menstrual cycle by self observation of their cervical mucus pattern as described in the Ovulation Method Billings. The women's observations were correlated with daily plasma levels of FSH, LH, estradiol-17 beta and progesterone. Ovulation was considered to occur on the day following the LH peak. The hormonal assays revealed that 2 of the 34 cycles studied were anovulatory. 24 of the 27 subjects in the study group demonstrated their ability to recognize the onset of the mucus discharge and the peak symptom from the first cycle after teaching, another two from the second cycle. The only other subject contributed an anovulatory cycle in which the hormonal assay confirmed the accuracy of her mucus observations. In the study, the mean interval between the time of ovulation as assessed and the peak symptom recorded by the subjects was 0.0 days, with a range from -2 to +1 days. The mean time interval from the first recorded symptom to the estimated day of ovulation was 6.0 days, with a range from 3 to 10 days. The study shows that young Italian women can be taught to recognize their cervical mucus pattern as described in the Ovulation Method Billings. The accuracy of their observations is demonstrated by the hormonal assays. The study also confirms the conclusion reached in earlier similar studies that there is a direct correlation between the cervical mucus symptom and the potentially fertile phase of the cycle. Research is currently being conducted on a larger number of couples employing the Ovulation Method Billings to actually regulate their fertility.
Adolescent↗
Home monitoring with the ClearPlan Easy Fertility Monitor for fertility awareness.
Many couples planning a pregnancy have had to gauge the best time for sexual intercourse from subjective indications, e.g. cervical mucus changes, or retrospective information, e.g. temperature and calendar methods. Between women, and within a woman, there are considerable variations in menstrual cycle length and underlying hormonal patterns. Although fertility test kits are available, most still rely on visual interpretation by the user. A new combination of immunochemical testing and computing technology is now available in the ClearPlan Easy Fertility Monitor. This paper describes the features of this accurate, simple-to-use, home-based fertility monitor, which gathers data on hormonal patterns and takes account of the individuality of menstrual cycles in women. These data and information about other events, such as sexual intercourse, can be stored in the monitor and accessed by the couple and their medical professional for retrospective review. The monitor is useful for couples who have just started trying to conceive, or those who have been planning a pregnancy for some time.
Estrone↗
Changes in endometrial thickness, width, length and pattern in predicting pregnancy outcome during ovarian stimulation in in vitro fertilization.
OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the clinical features of the endometrium as observed by transvaginal high resolution sonography are predictive of pregnancy outcome in in vitro fertilization cycles. PATIENTS AND METHODS: One hundred and forty-five patients undergoing in vitro fertilization were included in this prospective controlled study. Endometrial thickness, width, length, growth and pattern during the follicular and early luteal phases of stimulated cycles were assessed using transvaginal ultrasound by an operator who was blinded to the protocol of stimulation and to the type of assisted reproductive technology treatment. The relationship between these findings and embryo implantation and pregnancy outcome was examined. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in endometrial thickness, width, length, growth and pattern in conception compared to non-conception cycles. The endometrial growth and its pattern transformation during the stimulation did not influence the pregnancy outcome. CONCLUSION: The endometrial features as assessed by transvaginal ultrasound do not provide significant prognostic information with regard to the outcome of in vitro fertilization.
Adult↗
Mass isolation and fertility testing of temperature-sensitive mutants in Tetrahymena.
A set of 239 heat-sensitive (38 degrees) and 16 cold-sensitive (18 degrees) conditional mutants of Tetrahymena has been generated by combining techniques to manipulate large numbers of clones with a method for the selection of self-fertilized cells after mutagen treatment. A simple technique is presented for determining the fertility of individual clones; 179 of the clones in this set (71%) are fertile. The fertile conditional mutants have already been shown to have lesions in a number of diverse functions, including nucleic acid metabolism, mobility, cell cycle, and cortical pattern.
Animals↗