DIABETES AND CONGENITAL MALFORMATIONS — Major congenital malformations remain the leading cause of mortality and serious morbidity in infants of mothers with type 1 or type 2 diabetes. Several studies have established an association between elevated maternal glucose or glycohemoglobin levels during embryogenesis and high rates of spontaneous abortions and major malformations in newborns. Clinic...

BACKGROUND This secondary analysis for the Twin Birth Study, an international, multicenter trial, aimed to compare the cesarean section rates and safety between methods of induction of labor in twin pregnancies. METHODS Women with twin pregnancies where the first twin was in a cephalic presentation and who presented for labor induction, were non-randomly assigned to receive prostaglandin or a...

BACKGROUND Adolescent pregnancies are most often the result of sexual risk taking. Such pregnancies are in themselves "risks" perpetuating other adverse social outcomes on the adolescents who go through such pregnancies. Of the close to 14 million births among adolescents each year, between one-third and two-thirds are unplanned. Unplanned pregnancies coupled with societal restrictions result i...

BACKGROUND Comprehensive sex education, including the promotion of consistent condom use, is still an important intervention strategy in tackling unplanned pregnancies, HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among Ugandan adolescents. This study examines predictors of the intention to use a condom and the intention to delay sexual intercourse among secondary school students (aged 1...

Emergency contraception is used to prevent pregnancy in the event of unprotected sexual intercourse. The most common methods of emergency contraception are combination and progestin-only oral contraceptive pills. They are effective, safe, and have few side effects. Most physicians are aware of emergency contraception, yet it is not widely prescribed or used. The American Medical Association and...

BACKGROUND Integration of family planning services into HIV care was implemented in South Africa as a core strategy aimed at reducing unintended pregnancies among childbearing women living with HIV. However, it is unclear whether this strategy has made any significant impact at the population level. This paper describes the prevalence and correlates of self-reported unplanned pregnancy among HI...

Many young people attending genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinics are using inadequate contraception and are at high risk of unplanned pregnancy. Those attending for pregnancy testing or to request emergency contraception are a particularly high risk group, with the majority failing to return for contraceptive follow-up and continuing to use unreliable methods of contraception 3 At 43.5 per 1000...

INTRODUCTION Students in the universities mostly live independently from their parents or guardians, some of them for the first time. This gives them freedom and opportunity for high risk behavior such as unplanned and unprotected sex. The results of such sexual experimentation may include unplanned and or unwanted pregnancies that may lead to unsafe abortions and sexually transmitted infection...

BACKGROUND Pregnancies in women with sickle cell disease (SCD) are known to have high rates of maternal and fetal mortality and morbidity. Given these pregnancy-associated problems for women with SCD, advice both about pregnancy planning and about effective contraception are of paramount importance. This study sought to discover the contraception methods used by women with SCD, what complicatio...