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Early-stage labor lasts longer today than 50 years ago, and the data suggest that the current clinical approach to labor and delivery are the reason for it.

Telling a patient about an adverse event is arguably one of the more difficult aspects of practicing medicine. When an adverse outcome does occur, a timely, honest, fact-based account can actually benefit the patient-physician relationship in that it can promote trust.

Although more than 500,000 hysterectomies are performed annually in the U.S. to treat benign pelvic diseases, most outcome studies of the procedure look at clinical factors such as operation time, surgical complications, and hospital stays while ignoring patient satisfaction and quality of life issues. Now, a new study published in Obstetrics & Gynecology has found that patients who receive laparoscopic hysterectomy may fare better than those who receive abdominal hysterectomy.

Here's a situation that illustrates how fantastic medical advances don't always translate to patients benefiting in the clinic. For that to happen, the science needs to be carried along a pipeline of practitioner communication, all the way to the patient.

A recent study shows that health care professionals continue to have misconceptions about the safety of IUDs for nulliparous women.

Using only this image, describe what phase of the menstrual cycle this patient is in.

Magnetic resonance imaging can be helpful and cost-effective in detecting breast cancer in certain patient populations, according to new research presented at the 8th European Breast Cancer Conference in Vienna, Austria.

An Italian meta-analysis assessing differences between traditional and robot-assisted laparoscopic hysterectomy found the robotic approach superior in shorter length of hosptial stay, fewer complications, and fewer conversions to laparotomy.

Gestational weight gain within the first 24 weeks is a significant prognostic factor for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), particularly in women who are already overweight or obese before becoming pregnancy, according to a retrospective cohort study.

Heavy menstrual bleeding in the years leading up to menopause may resolve spontaneously without treatment with surgery or drugs, according to a British study of more than 2,000 women.

Engaging in 6 months of regular ?robic workouts may help women to reduce the mood changes, irritability, and vasomotor symptoms that often accompany the transition to menopause, Finnish researchers report.

A 39-year old G1P0 is at 30 weeks' gestation. Her pregnancy has been uncomplicated, with a normal cardiovascular system and anatomy scan. She has no underlying medical disorders. What are the risks of antepartum stillbirth associated with advanced maternal age?

The association between the human papillomavirus (HPV) and cervical cancer has been well established. Ongoing research and interest have led to the development and improvement of screening methods and preventive vaccines that have effected an overall decrease in incidence rates of cervical cancer, especially in developed countries. In addition, the recently developed prophylactic vaccines against HPV provide the potential benefit of reducing cytologic abnormalities, leading to fewer referrals for colposcopy and excisional procedures.

The 34-year-old patient was admitted to the defendant hospital for a repeat c?sarean delivery at 39 weeks' gestation. She has no significant past medical or surgery history. According to a perinatal admission form, she had 2 daughters: a 13-year-old, born at a nonparty hospital by cesarean delivery following breech presentation and a 7-year-old, born at the defendant hospital after a failed vaginal birth after prior cesarean,. The preanesthesia evaluation noted that she had also had 2 prior ectopic pregnancies.

The optimal management of a woman with an ovarian adnexal mass remains a clinical challenge to obstetricians, gynecologists, and other providers who care for women.

I have been teaching gynecologic ultrasound for 25 years and espousing the virtues of saline infusion sonohysterography (SIS) for more than 20. And almost since the introduction of global endometrial ablation (GEA) devices, at various ultrasound courses and conferences, I have virtually always been asked, "What do I do with the patient who has had a global endometrial ablation and now has irregular bleeding premenopausally or any bleeding postmenopausally?"

Compared with those who abstain, women who consume a glass of wine, beer, or a mixed drink each day have a modestly lower risk of ischemic and hermorrhagic strokes, a study from Brigham and Women's Hospital reports.

While the field of cancer genetics may seem pretty rececnt, ancient Greek physicians observed that the occurrence of breast cancer was more common in certain families. In the late 1800s, Paul Broca, the famous French surgeon and anthropologist best known for discovering the speech production center in the frontal lobe, was one of the first to formally recognize genetic pedigrees in breast cancers.

Women whose first pregnancy occurred during adolescence face an increased likelihood of postmenopausal osteoporosis and osteoporsis-related fracture, according to a Korean study.

Physiologic developments associated with pregnancy, including increased blood volume and hormonal changes, appear to increase both the risk and severity of acute myocaridal infarction during pregnancy and as long as 3 months postpartum, according to research presented at the 61st Annual Scientific Session of the American College of Cardiology in Chicago, March 24-27.

Delivering a small-for gestational-age (SGA) baby in a first pregnancy almost doubles the risk of a stillborn baby in a second pregnancy, and when the first baby is born premature, the risk increases more than 5-fold.

Although the amount of experience a surgeon has in laparoscopic hysterectomy is directly associated with the quality of the outcomes, intrinsically good surgical skills may be a bigger factor.

Not taking vitamins or supplements containing folic acid around the time of conception may double the risk of heart and noncardiac birth defects in children of women with diabetes mellitus.

In spite of widespread information about IUDs, many healthcare providers don't prescribe them because of misconceptions about their safety in nulliparous women and lack of knowledge about implanting them.

Nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs are relatively safe during pregnancy, according to new research published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

In the largest study to date looking at botulinum toxin for this use, the agent was found to an effective and safe treatment option for detrusor overactivity (DO). The results can be found in European Urology.

The evaluation and purchase of long-term disability insurance is more complex than most insurance companies and agents will tell you. Policy language can be confusing and contradictory and the coverage itself varies substantially from one contract to another. An insured person who has not paid close attention at the time he or she purchased the insurance may seriously regret that fact later on.

A recently published survey indicates that ob/gyns fail to routinely ask their patients about sexual problems, orientation, or sexual satisfaction, even though they routinely ask about sexual activity.