Effect of sexual intercourse on the absorption of levonorgestrel after vaginal administration of 0.75 mg in Carraguard gel: a randomized, cross-over, pharmacokinetic study.

Background: The Population Council studied a pre-coital contraceptive microbicide vaginal product containing levonorgestrel (LNG) as active component and Carraguard gel as a vehicle (Carra/LNG gel) for couples who engage in occasional unplanned intercourse. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of sexual intercourse after vaginal application of Carra/LNG gel on serum levels of LNG in women and to assess LNG absorption by the male partner.

Study Design: This was a randomized, cross-over, pharmacokinetic study including an abstinence arm and an arm in which couples engaged in sexual intercourse between 2 and 4 h after gel application.

Access to emergency contraception.

The introduction of emergency contraception (EC) has encountered barriers derived from the erroneous perception of EC as an abortificient and conservative attitudes. In several countries, "prolife" groups have initiated lawsuits against national regulatory bodies for approving EC. Other barriers are limited availability and high price of dedicated products, lack of information among providers about EC and the requirement of medical prescription for EC.

Health and growth of infants breastfed by Norplant contraceptive implants users: a six-year follow-up study.

The objective of the study was to evaluate safety to infants whose mothers used Norplant levonorgestrel implants during breastfeeding. A nonrandomized clinical trial design was used. Participants were 220 and 222 healthy breastfed infants of mothers initiating use of Norplant or T-Cu IUD, respectively, at 55 days to 60 days postpartum.

Luteinizing hormone pulsatile release and the length of lactational amenorrhoea.

The pattern of luteinizing hormone (LH) pulsatile release and the mean concentrations of follicle-stimulating hormone, oestradiol and progesterone were studied in nursing and non-nursing women. Blood samples were drawn at 5 min intervals between 10:00 and 14:00 h and between 22:00 and 02:00 h at months 3-4, 5-6, 7-8 and 9-10 postpartum in nursing women and in the follicular phase in non-nursing women. In nursing women, mean LH concentrations at months 3-4 were significantly lower than in non-nursing cycling women only in the subgroup which subsequently experienced > 6 months of lactational amenorrhoea, although all were fully nursing with a similar suckling frequency.

Breast-feeding duration and growth of fully breast-fed infants in a poor urban Chilean population.

The duration of breast-feeding and the growth of fully breast-fed infants during the first year of life were analyzed according to sex, birth weight, characteristics of the mother, and breast-feeding pattern. All infants (n = 1217) were healthy and fully breast-fed at 30 d postpartum and 63% and 24% were still fully breast-fed at 6 and 12 mo, respectively. The median ages at introduction of nondairy food and of milk supplements were 6.