Perceived uncertainty, coping strategies, and adaptation in women with human papillomavirus on pap smear.

Objective: To explore, identify, and describe the perception of uncertainty over time in college-aged women experiencing the unexpected event of an abnormal Pap smear with human papillomavirus (HPV).

Methods: Eighty-eight female patients, who had abnormal Pap smear and had indications for colposcopy, were recruited from a Student Health Service and consented for study participation. Uncertainty levels were measured over time.

Antenatal exposure to DES: lessons learned...future concerns.

The short- and long-term effects of the widespread use of diethylstilbestrol (DES) over 3 decades have become a distant memory for many clinicians. Others are too young to remember the flurry of activity in the early 1970s on the part of many medical centers to identify the offspring of women who were prescribed DES during their pregnancies. This medication was given in an attempt to prevent multiple pregnancy-related problems such as miscarriage, premature birth, and abnormal bleeding.

Effect of Replens gel used with a diaphragm on tests for human papillomavirus and other lower genital tract infections.

Objective: Little is known about effects of vaginal lubricants with barrier contraceptives on detection of sexually transmissible infections. We hypothesized that Replens gel used with a diaphragm would neither inhibit human papillomavirus (HPV) detection in cervical samples and chlamydia (CT) and gonorrhea (GC) detection in urine samples, nor affect cervical cytology quality.

Materials And Methods: After a clinician-collected cervical sample and a self-collected vaginal sample for HPV detection ("pregel" specimens), women placed a diaphragm containing Replens gel into the vagina.

Prophylactic surgery to reduce the risk of gynecologic cancers in the Lynch syndrome.

Background: Women with the Lynch syndrome (hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer) have a 40 to 60 percent lifetime risk of endometrial cancer and a 10 to 12 percent lifetime risk of ovarian cancer. The benefit of prophylactic gynecologic surgery for women with this syndrome has been uncertain. We designed this study to determine the reduction in the risk of gynecologic cancers associated with prophylactic hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy in women with the Lynch syndrome.