Clinical Medicine Insights. Women's Health

INTRODUCTION: Self-esteem and self-image are psychological aspects that affect sexual function. AIMS: To validate a new measurement tool that correlates the concepts of self-esteem, self-image, and sexuality. METHODS: A 20-question test (the self-esteem/self-image female sexuality [SESIFS] questionnaire) was created and tested on 208 women. Participants answered: Rosenberg's self-esteem scale, the female sexual quotient (FSQ), and the SESIFS questionnaire...

The global fight against HIV is progressing; however, women living in rural areas particularly in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) continue to face the devastating consequences of HIV and AIDS. Lack of knowledge and geographical barriers to HIV services are compounded by gender norms often limiting the negotiation of safe sexual practices among women living in rural areas. This paper discusses findings from a qualitative study conducted in rural areas of Mozambique examining factors that influenced women to engage in HIV risk-reduction practices...

Numerous studies have found that increased body size (weight or body mass index) is a risk factor for breast cancer development, recurrence, and death. The detrimental relationship between body size and breast cancer recurrence may be more pronounced among women with estrogen receptor (ER)/progesterone receptor (PR)-negative breast cancer. Considering the limited availability of treatments, and the association between body size and recurrence, alternative treatments are needed for ER/PR-negative breast cancer survivors, particularly overweight survivors...

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to assess women's awareness of the benefit and use of folic acid during pregnancy and to assess whether their knowledge has improved following hospital visits. METHOD: This is a prospective survey conducted in a large teaching hospital in the UK. The survey questionnaire consisted of 28 questions about demographic variables, behavioral variables, and knowledge about folic acid and neural tube defects (NTDs). RESULT: A total of 603 women participated in this study...

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that can result in rare opportunistic infections occurring in humans. The onset of these infections is known as Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). Sexual transmission is responsible for the majority of infections 1, resulting in transmission of HIV due to infected semen or vaginal and cervical secretions containing infected lymphocytes. HIV microbicides are formulations of chemical or biological agents that can be applied to the vagina or rectum with the intention of reducing the acquisition of HIV...

Taxol is recognized as one of the most potent anticancer agents used in the treatment of breast and ovarian cancers, which are common cancers in women. To overcome its shortcomings, that is, its low water-solubility that reduces drug loading capacity of DDS carriers when incorporating taxol, chemo-enzymatic synthesis of ester-linked taxol-glucose conjugate, i.e., 7-propionyltaxol 2″-O-α-D-glucoside, as a water soluble taxol prodrug was achieved by using a-glucosidase as a glucosylation catalyst. The water-solubility of 7-propionyltaxol 2″-O-α-D-glucoside (25 mM) was 63 fold higher than that of taxol (0...

Vitamin D is pivotal to the absorption of calcium and maximizing bone health. Women suffer great morbidity and mortality related to osteoporosis and fractures, which may be decreased by interventions such as vitamin D. In addition, extraskeletal benefits of vitamin D have been postulated including positive effects on cancer. Both the classical and nonclassical functions of vitamin D will be discussed here, with a focus on women.

Various exercise interventions have been shown to benefit weight control and general health in different populations. However, very few studies have been conducted on martial arts exercise (MAE). The objective of this pilot study is to evaluate the efficacy of 12 weeks of MAE intervention on body composition, serum biomarkers and quality of life (QOL) in overweight/obese premenopausal women. We found that subjects in the MAE group did not lose body weight, while they significantly decreased fat-free mass and muscle mass as compared to those in the control group, who demonstrated an increase in these parameters...

BACKGROUND: Bladder flaps are commonly created during routine cesarean deliveries and often require multiple steps that increase operating time and expose the surgeon to inadvertent injury. OBJECTIVE: We report a simple method of creating a bladder flap that eliminates the need for multiple instrument handoffs and repositioning. CONCLUSION: The simplicity of this method allows the surgeon decreased operative entry time while decreasing exposure to injuries from multiple instrument handoffs during bladder flap development...

The objective of this review was to evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of remifentanil in the management of labor pain. Although neuraxial analgesia is the best option during labor, alternative analgesic options are needed for patients with contraindications. Using a systematic literature search, clinical outcomes of remifentanil for labor pain have been summarized. Also, comparisons of remifentanil to other options including meperidine, epidural analgesia, fentanyl, and nitrous oxide are provided. Based on the literature review, remifentanil is associated with high overall maternal satisfaction and favorable side-effect profile...

Since the first Pharmacopoeia under the title "De Materia Medica," the importance of the utilization of plants and herbs has been an invaluable medicinal tool successfully employed for strengthening the immune system for combating a number of diseases in general, or assisting fertility and reproductive issues in particular. The beneficial use of herbal extracts, constituting the basis of modern medicines, is lately under the shadow of Codex Alimentarius that threatens, if not properly applied, serious immunity features rendering the host defenseless for intercepting harmful invaders, one of which is the mesenchymal endometriotic stem cell causing endometriosis...

OBJECTIVE: The link between central adiposity and osteopenia has not been extensively studied in Latina women. In particular, the association between abdominal weight and bone mineral content (BMC) and bone mineral density (BMD), independent of total weight and aerobic capacity, remains uncertain, especially in overweight and obese individuals. METHODS: Trunk weight, total body fat mass, fat-free mass, BMC, and BMD of 33 premenopausal Latina women age 22 to 51 years from Los Angeles, California were measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA)...

OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to review the involved mechanisms and propose actions for controlling/treating abnormal uterine bleeding during climacteric hormone therapy. METHODS: A systemic search of the databases SciELO, MEDLINE, and Pubmed was performed for identifying relevant publications on normal endometrial bleeding, abnormal uterine bleeding, and hormone therapy bleeding. RESULTS: Before starting hormone therapy, it is essential to exclude any abnormal organic condition, identify women at higher risk for bleeding, and adapt the regimen to suit eachwoman's characteristics...

Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed malignancy in women, with over 200,000 new cases diagnosed each year. Adjuvant systemic endocrine therapy has demonstrated its benefits in reducing the risk of occult micro metastatic infiltration by preventing breast cancer cells from receiving endogenous estrogen stimulation. Initial adjuvant treatment with an aromatase inhibitor (AI) is considered the standard of care for most postmenopausal women with node-positive and high-risk node-negative estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancer...

OBJECTIVE: This article summarizes the process of developing and evaluating a series of alcohol educational leaflets with pregnant women. METHODS: Four group interviews were conducted with a total of 33 pregnant women. RESULTS: The copy, font, and color should be tailored to pregnant women. Scientifically compelling information was preferred; the use of too many colors and objects was considered distracting and reducing the seriousness of the information...