Limitations of follicle-stimulating hormone in assessing menopause status: findings from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES 1999-2000)*.

Objective: We used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES 1999-2000) to: establish new population-based estimates for follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH); identify factors associated with FSH; and assess its efficacy in distinguishing among women in the reproductive, menopause transition, and postmenopausal stages.

Design: Nationally representative sample of 576 women aged 35 to 60 years examined during NHANES 1999-2000.

Results: Levels of FSH and LH increased significantly with reproductive stage.

A comparison of women's regret after vasectomy versus tubal sterilization.

Objective: To compare the 5-year cumulative probability of regret and risk factors for regret among women whose husbands underwent vasectomy with women after tubal sterilization.

Methods: A total of 525 women whose husbands underwent vasectomy were compared with 3672 women who underwent tubal sterilization in a prospective, multicenter, cohort study.

Results: The cumulative probability of a woman expressing regret within 5 years after her husband's vasectomy was 6.