Breast cancer in Thailand: policy and health system challenges to universal healthcare.

Thailand has successfully implemented Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and embedded the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development into its Thailand 4.0 policy. Breast cancer is a growing challenge in Thailand, as it is globally.

Developing the role of midwives as 'contraceptive champions' to support early access to effective postnatal contraception for women.

Objective: To evaluate the acceptability of the new contraceptive champion role to the first hospital and community midwives in NHS Lothian trained in this role.

Design: Health service evaluation.

Population: Hospital and community midwives trained as contraceptive champions, NHS Lothian, Scotland, UK.

Antenatal contraception counselling and provision of contraception after delivery for first-time young mothers enrolled with a Family Nurse Partnership programme.

Objective: To evaluate antenatal contraceptive counselling and provision of postpartum contraception on contraceptive choices of first-time teenage mothers enrolled with a Family Nurse Partnership (FNP) programme.

Design: Health service research evaluation.

Population: Cohort of FNP clients (n=195), Scotland, UK.

Assessing system-based trainings for primary care teams and quality-of-life of patients with multimorbidity in Thailand: patient and provider surveys.

Background: Strengthening primary care is considered a global strategy to address non-communicable diseases and their comorbidity. However, empirical evidence of the longer-term benefits of capacity building programmes for primary care teams contextualised for low- and middle-income countries is scanty. In Thailand, a series of system-based capacity building programmes for primary care teams have been implemented for a decade.

More talk than action: gender and ethnic diversity in leading public health universities.

Improving the career progression of women and ethnic minorities in public health universities has been a longstanding challenge, which we believe might be addressed by including staff diversity data in university rankings. We present findings from a mixed methods investigation of gender-related and ethnicity-related differences in career progression at the 15 highest ranked social sciences and public health universities in the world, including an analysis of the intersection between sex and ethnicity. Our study revealed that clear gender and ethnic disparities remain at the most senior academic positions, despite numerous diversity policies and action plans reported.

Statin use and association with colorectal cancer survival and risk: case control study with prescription data linkage.

Background: In Scotland colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer and a leading cause of cancer death. Epidemiological studies have reported conflicting associations between statins and CRC risk and there is one published report of the association between statins and CRC survival.

Methods: Analysis was carried out on 309 cases and 294 controls from the Scottish Study of Colorectal Cancer (SOCCS).

Changes in vaginal morphology, steroid receptor and natural antimicrobial content following treatment with low-dose mifepristone.

Background: We have previously shown that the antigestagen mifepristone is contraceptive when given in a daily dose of 5 mg, po. Epidemiological studies suggest that gestagen-only contraceptives may increase the risk of transmission of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) due to effects on the vaginal defenses to infection. We investigate the effects of mifepristone on vaginal thickness, steroid receptor and natural antimicrobial content and pharmacokinetics of mifepristone.

Unintended pregnancy and use of emergency contraception among a large cohort of women attending for antenatal care or abortion in Scotland.

Background: Unintended pregnancy is common. Although many unintended pregnancies end in induced abortion, up to a third of those proceeding to birth might be unplanned. Some of these pregnancies could be prevented by emergency contraception.

Continuation rates of Implanon in the UK: data from an observational study in a clinical setting.

Background: Long-acting reversible methods of contraception can potentially reduce unintended pregnancy. There are few data on "real-life" continuation rates of the contraceptive implant Implanon.

Materials And Methods: Three hundred twenty-four women choosing Implanon in a community family planning clinic in Scotland were followed up by case note review (n=236) or postal questionnaire (n=87) 3 years after insertion of the implant (1 woman chose not to disclose her home address).

The acceptability of self-administration of subcutaneous Depo-Provera.

Depo-Provera (depot medroxyprogesterone acetate, or DMPA) is an important contraceptive option for women worldwide. Currently, it is only available in intramuscular form requiring regular quarterly routine attendance at a health facility. A new subcutaneous preparation has been developed.

Advanced provision of emergency contraception does not reduce abortion rates.

A number of small studies have demonstrated increased use of emergency contraception (EC) when women have a supply available at home. It has been suggested that widespread use of EC could reduce abortion rates. We undertook a community intervention study designed to determine whether offering advanced supplies of EC to large numbers of women influenced abortion rates.