Chlamydia trachomatis was cultured from the cervix of 70 of 557 (12.6%) patients admitted for therapeutic abortion. Postoperatively, 22 (3.9%) developed acute pelvic inflammatory disease (PID); of these women, 14 (63.6%) had harboured C trachomatis in the cervix before the abortion. Thus of 70 patients with chlamydial infection, 14 (20%) developed PID postoperatively. Of the chlamydia-positive ...

BACKGROUND Bleeding in the first trimester of pregnancy is a common phenomenon, associated with early pregnancy loss. In many instances a subchorionic hematoma is found sonographically. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the possible benefit of bed-rest in women with threatened abortion and sonographically proven subchorionic hematoma, and to examine the possible relationship of duration of vaginal bleedi...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES The primary study aim was to describe patient satisfaction regarding abortion experiences in urban academic family medicine centers (FMCs). METHODS We conducted a cross-sectional survey of 210 women obtaining a first trimester medication or aspiration abortion at four FMCs. The 32-item written survey consisted of multiple choice, open-ended questions and Likert scale...

Epidemiological and genetic variables in hypospadias were analysed during the years 1978 to 1983 in a case control study of congenital malformations in the Emilia Romagna region of northern Italy. During the observation period, in a sample of 41 078 male newborns, 168 had hypospadias giving a prevalence at birth of 4.1 in 1000 males. Hypospadias was divided into three types: type I or mild (75....

"Therapeutic" bed rest continues to be used widely, despite evidence of no benefit and known harms. In this commentary, we summarize the Cochrane reviews of bed rest and propose an ethical argument for discontinuing this practice. Cochrane systematic reviews do not support "therapeutic" bed rest for threatened abortion, hypertension, preeclampsia, preterm birth, multiple gestations, or impaired...

OBJECTIVE There are many studies supporting the role of certain asymptomatic infections such as Listeria monocytogenes (L. monocytogenes) in spontaneous abortion. In some cases, latent listeriosis may complicate the pregnancy, and serologic tests can, therefore, be used to detect the disease. This study was designed to assess the relationship between seropositivity for L. monocytogenes and spon...

BACKGROUND Women's access to abortion care is often denied or hampered due to a range of barriers, many of which are rooted in abortion stigma. Abortion values clarification and attitude transformation (VCAT) workshops are conducted with abortion providers, trainers, and policymakers and other stakeholders to mitigate the effects of abortion stigma and increase provision of and access to aborti...

Eclipse of Reason is a 1987 anti-abortion [3] documentary film directed, filmed, and narrated by Bernard Nathanson, an obstetrician in the US. American Portrait Films released the film in 1987 featuring Nathanson?s commentary and footage of an abortion [3] of a four-month-old fetus [4]. The film also featured the testimony of women who had suffered following similar procedures. In Eclipse of Re...

Approximately one of five pregnant women will experience bleeding during the first trimester of pregnancy. Of these women, about half will go on to have a spontaneous abortion. Comfort with triaging this common problem assists the midwife in providing quality, cost-effective care without eliminating continuity. This article reviews the causes of early pregnancy bleeding, offers strategies to di...

I propose that a lethal (L. letalis) defect in a foetus or newborn be understood as: (1) a developmental anomaly that leads to spontaneous abortion, immature delivery, or intrauterine death; (2) a developmental anomaly leading to the premature death of a live-born child, irrespective of any therapy that may be applied; and (3) a developmental anomaly classified as grounds for legal abortion. De...