In Australia and other countries, certain groups of women have traditionally been denied access to assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs). These typically are single heterosexual women, lesbians, poor women, and those whose ability to rear children is questioned, particularly women with certain disabilities or who are older. The arguments used to justify selection of women for ARTs are most ...

Epidemiological studies suggest H(2)O(2)-producing lactobacilli protect women against gonorrhea. Here we demonstrate that Lactobacillus crispatus and Lactobacillus jensenii, the most common lactobacilli in the female genital tract, inhibit gonococci in both acidic and neutral pH conditions. Inhibition was neutralized by bovine catalase, suggesting that H(2)O(2) is the primary mediator of inhibi...

In this article, we review five instruments for assessing female sexual dysfunction (FSD): the Brief Index of Sexual Functioning for Women (BISF-W; Taylor, Rosen, & Leiblum, 1994), the Changes in Sexual Functioning Questionnaire (CSFQ; Clayton, McGarvy, & Clavet, 1997), the Derogatis Interview for Sexual Functioning (DISF/DISF-SR; Derogatis, 1997), the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI; Rosen ...

Most birds have simple genitalia; males lack external genitalia and females have simple vaginas. However, male waterfowl have a phallus whose length (1.5->40 cm) and morphological elaborations vary among species and are positively correlated with the frequency of forced extra-pair copulations among waterfowl species. Here we report morphological complexity in female genital morphology in waterf...

Background The overall proportion of female physician is increasing worldwide. However, its ratio exhibits a substantial diversity among each member country of Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). This study aimed to reveal the social factors of countries associated with the percentage of female physicians....

Background: Infertile women suffering from more psychological distress than other people. Women with involuntary childlessness have higher depression scores than others. Psychological factors are predictor for successive treatment and fertility. Cognize needs to be taken of these factors for effective treatment. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relative frequency of depressive disorder...

Objective Orexin is a hypothalamic orexigenic neuropeptide, which third cerebral injection of it mainly exerts inhibitory effects on reproductive functions. It increases significantly the Aromatase (Cyp19) gene expression in the hypothalamus of male rats. Aromatase is an enzyme which converts androgens to estradiol in the hypothalamus of rats. Prenatal or neonatal exposure of females to testost...

BACKGROUND Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C) is a harmful traditional practice with severe health complications, deeply rooted in many Sub-Saharan African countries. In The Gambia, the prevalence of FGM/C is 78.3% in women aged between 15 and 49 years. The objective of this study is to perform a first evaluation of the magnitude of the health consequences of FGM/C in The Gambia. METHO...

Asylum seekers and refugees (ASRs) are a heterogeneous population with distinct physical and psychological needs. ASRs with additional health needs are girls and women who have undergone, or are at risk of undergoing, female genital mutilation (FGM). Across the European Union (EU), variation exists in Member States' anti-FGM and asylum legislation, the rigour of existing research programmes, an...

A major hindrance in studying human meiosis has been the inability to assess all four products of female meiosis. Overcoming this hurdle, a new study discovers a high incidence of non-canonical 'reverse meiosis' and a new form of meiotic drive.