The knowledge, acceptability, and use of misoprostol for self-induced medical abortion in an urban US population.

Objective: To assess the knowledge, acceptability, and use of misoprostol as an abortifacient in a primarily Latina population in the United States.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of 610 women who used one of three obstetrics/gynecology clinics in New York City. Participants answered a self-administered questionnaire about their demographic and obstetrical characteristics; patterns of contraceptive use, including emergency contraception; general acceptability of abortion; perceptions of accessibility to abortion; prevalence of misoprostol use; and knowledge, attitudes, and availability of misoprostol.

Endangered bliss: Reflections on joy and religion.

This essay begins with the observation that experiences of intense joy are increasingly absent from the religious lives of many Americans. Examination of the linguistic history of the words "bliss" and "bless" suggests the origins and implications of this loss of joy. A case is made that bliss is crucial to vital Christian life, so long as it occurs in the context of disciplined behavior productive of moral and aesthetic value.

Precancerous and cancerous cervical lesions: the multicultural "male" risk factor.

Purpose/objectives: To review current knowledge regarding characteristics of males whose partners develop cervical cancer.

Data Sources: Classic and current descriptive, cohort, and case-control studies of "male factors" associated with risk of precancerous squamous cell intraepithelial lesions and invasive cervical cancer.

Data Synthesis: Male hygiene sperm and seminal fluids, occupational exposure to carcinogens, smoking, promiscuity, and venereal infections have been linked to increased risks for developing cervical cancer in a number of studies.