Prior to 1938 no form of oral hormonal contraception was possible as none of the then availablehormones were active when given orally. The era of oral contraception commenced withthe reports of Pincus et al (3). The contraceptive pills used today contain a synthetic oestrogenand a synthetic progestational agent. Oestrone and oestradiol were available prior to 1938as esters but these were active...

BACKGROUND AND METHODOLOGY Sexually active women presenting to genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinics are at risk of both sexually transmitted infections and unwanted pregnancies. Emergency hormonal contraception is the only contraceptive service provided in our GUM clinic in Birmingham, UK. We wanted to assess whether contraception use was adequate in women attending our clinic and whether we we...

BACKGROUND Sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services for HIV-positive women and men often neglect their fertility desires. We examined factors associated with pregnancy intent among recently diagnosed HIV-positive women (N = 106) and men (N = 91) who reported inconsistent condom use and were enrolled in an SRH intervention conducted in public sector HIV care clinics in Cape Town. METHODS ...

BACKGROUND Women with sickle cell disease have an increased risk of pregnancy-related complications and need safe, effective contraceptive methods to prevent unintended pregnancy. STUDY DESIGN We conducted a systematic review to examine the safety of hormonal and intrauterine contraceptive use among women with sickle cell disease. RESULTS Eight articles met the inclusion criteria. The evide...

BACKGROUND Community pharmacists are expanding their sphere of activity within primary health care, increasing their role not only in health care but also research. METHODS AND RESULTS We describe the challenges encountered in carrying out a pilot study of women obtaining emergency hormonal contraception through different providers, including pharmacies, highlighting deficiencies in understan...

Millions of women use hormonal contraception and it has been suggested that such use may alter mate preferences. To examine the impact of oral contraceptive (pill) use on preferences, we tested for within-subject changes in preferences for masculine faces in women initiating pill use. Between two sessions, initiation of pill use significantly decreased women's preferences for male facial mascul...

Women account for nearly one-half of new human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infections worldwide, including the majority of infections in Africa. Biological and epidemiological studies suggest that hormonal contraceptive use could influence susceptibility to HIV-1, as well as infectivity and disease progression for those who become infected. However, not all studies have shown this rel...

How to achieve social dominance in a group is a recurrent challenge for individuals of many species, including humans. Previous research indicates that both relationship status and contraceptive use appear to moderate women’s testosterone levels. If testosterone contributes to social dominance, this raises the possibility for group differences in social dominance between single and partnered wo...

20 Millions of women use hormonal contraception and it has been suggested that such use may alter 21 mate preferences. To examine the impact of oral contraceptive (pill) use on preferences, we 22 tested for within-subject changes in preferences for masculine faces in women initiating pill use. 23 Between two sessions, initiation of pill use significantly decreased women’s preferences for male 2...

The impact of some commonly prescribed anti-epilepsy drugs (AEDs) on female health is well documented. Yet many women continue to experience side effects such as menstrual irregularities, interactions with hormonal contraception/HRT and teratogenicity [Seizure 8 (1999) 201] through lack of awareness or opportunity to discuss problems with a health professional on a regular basis. The 'Ideal Wor...