Family Planning

Family planning is the planning of when to have children,and the use of birth control and other techniques to implement such plans. Other techniques commonly used include sexuality education,prevention and management of sexually transmitted infections,pre-conception counseling and management, and infertility management.

Family planning is sometimes used as a synonym for the use of birth control, though it often includes more. It is most usually applied to a female-male couple who wish to limit the number of children they have and/or to control the timing of pregnancy (also known as spacing children).

Family planning services are defined as "educational, comprehensive medical or social activities which enable individuals, including minors, to determine freely the number and spacing of their children and to select the means by which this may be achieved."




Source
spc dot int/popadvocacy/IEC%20MATERIALS dot HTM#BROCHURES"

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Unprotected Intercourse in Adult Women

Abstract

Despite the focus on adolescents, most unintended pregnancies occur in adults. The objective of this study was to identify reasons why adult women have unprotected intercourse when they do not desire pregnancy. We held 4 focus groups to explore reasons for unprotected intercourse. Participants were adult women aged 18 to 39 who were unmarried, fertile, not currently pregnant, not desiring pregnancy, and who had recently had intercourse without using effective contraception. Sessions were audiotaped and transcripts were analyzed thematically. Women gave 146 reasons for unprotected intercourse. Four major categories emerged: method-related, user-related, partner-related, and cost/access-related reasons. The reasons for unprotected intercourse were numerous, but could be organized into a logical framework. The results suggest that multidimensional interventions may be needed to effectively reduce the rate of unintended pregnancy.

medscape dot com

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Power Nanobots

Floating in an aliquot of laboratory test fluid, these hypothetical early medical nanorobots are testing their ability to find and grasp passing virus particles.

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I Want Your Antibodies

Disassortative mating alert! A group of European scientists led by Oxford biostatistician Raphaelle Chaix has provided some of the most compelling evidence yet that we humans pick our partners based on how different their immune systems—or officially, their Major Histocompatibility Complexes—are from our own.

The MHC is a large and super-important group of related genes that regulate what antibodies we produce. It is unusually polymorphous—that is, it differs quite a bit from person to person, even within genetically similar groups. Theoretically, it makes perfect sense that animals would choose to reproduce with someone with a very different MHC so that the resulting offspring will have immunity to as many disease-causing pathogens as possible. And it has long been known that a number of squirmy little creatures—mice, rats, frogs, and the like—prefer mates who have dissimilar MHCs. But the case for MHC-based mate selection in humans is not so clear-cut.

For the past ten years, it has seemed like every study that "proved" that we choose MHC-dissimilar partners was immediately contradicted by another bit of evidence. When University of Chicago geneticist Carole Ober looked at the Schmiedeleut Hutterites of South Dakota (a group of tremendously fertile Amish-like Anabaptists who isolate themselves on remote "colonies"), she found that an improbably low number of community members—who marry for love but are not allowed to divorce—chose mates with similar MHCs. The effect was so strong that when couples whose immune systems were too similar tried to have children, they had more trouble conceiving, and their fetuses were more likely to spontaneously abort. But later, two ASU biologists surveyed couples across 11 different Amerindian tribes in the Amazon Basin and discovered that similarities between the MHCs of men and women who had chosen to reproduce together were almost completely random. A series of gross-sounding "sweaty t-shirt experiments" performed at the University of Bern conclusively demonstrated that women prefer to smell the sweat of men who are MHC-dissimilar. But if the women were on birth control, their scent preferences were reversed.

The latest study, published on September 12, examined the genomes of fertile Mormon and Yoruba couples to see how exactly their MHCs differed. The results were both fascinating and conflicting. Chaix and her coauthors found that the Mormons were significantly more MHC-dissimilar than randomly chosen pairs of people. Even more interestingly, although the Mormon mates were genetically very close to each other (they're Mormons, after all), the genes in their MHCs were often very different. But (as usual in this area of study, there's a "but") they couldn't find any pattern at all in the MHC-dissimilarity of the Yoruba couples. This might be because Yoruba society is highly patriarchal and stratified, producing a lot of social pressure for genetically similar men and women to mate. Or it might be that in Africa, where modern medical care is less widely available, there is much more selection pressure for antibodies that will protect their carriers against a few especially devastating diseases. More research here is definitely necessary to tease out the precise relationship between histocompatibility and mating choices, and how social and environmental factors might affect this relationship. But if you're a European American woman, sniff hard next time you're at the gym; the best-smelling guy might just be your immunological soulmate.

Source
popsci dot com

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A Monthly Contraceptive for Men?

When it comes to contraception, women have their pick of techniques. In addition to sperm-blocking barriers and foreign objects in the uterus (IUDs), there are about a million ways to pump extra hormones into the bloodstream (pill, patch, ring, shot, or implant).

For men, it's always been pretty much condoms or a vasectomy.

But medicine is (finally) trying to even the burden. Popular Science has featured several up-and-coming techniques, but most of them are still in the lab, more useful for multiplying rabbits than the reproductive habits of humankind.

However, a recent large-scale clinical trial, published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, features a method closer to real-world use. The results show that someday men may be able to temporarily put their sperm on hold. If they're willing to put up with a monthly shot. In the butt.

The study enrolled about 1,000 healthy men and their female partners. In a preliminary phase, docs gave men monthly time-release testosterone shots for a few months until exams showed that their sperm counts had dropped to sub-preggo levels. Then the couples mated at will, without the aid of other contraceptives, for two years. Those who stuck it out 'til the end of the two-year test period had nine "oops" pregnancies, a failure rate of 1.1 in 100 couples per year, comparable to perfect use of condoms or the pill.
Caveats: Testosterone injections don't prevent STIs. (They do tend to increase sex drive.) The initial shots didn't lower the sperm counts enough for 5 percent of the men to try the method for contraception. Two poor fellows' sperm counts never recovered at the end of the trial. And about a third of the guys who enrolled in the trial dropped out before it ended due to a combination of going MIA, skipping injections, and rare side effects (skin rash, severe acne).

So, men, would you be willing to put up with this literal pain in the ass in order to keep the reins on impending parenthood? Ladies, would you ever trust a man with the future of your womb? Chemists and pharmacists, why can't testosterone work in a pill?

Source
popsci dot com

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Sexual Dysfunction

Sexual Dysfunction

A sexual problem, or sexual dysfunction, refers to a problem during any phase of the sexual response cycle that prevents the individual or couple from experiencing satisfaction from the sexual activity. The sexual response cycle has four phases: excitement, plateau, orgasm, and resolution.

While research suggests that sexual dysfunction is common (43% of women and 31% of men report some degree of difficulty), it is a topic that many people are hesitant to discuss. Fortunately, most cases of sexual dysfunction are treatable, so it is important to share your concerns with your partner and doctor.
What Causes Sexual Dysfunction?

Sexual dysfunction can be a result of a physical or psychological problem.

* Physical causes. Many physical and/or medical conditions can cause problems with sexual function. These conditions include diabetes, heart disease, neurological diseases, hormonal imbalances, menopause, chronic diseases such as kidney disease or liver failure, and alcoholism and drug abuse. In addition, the side effects of certain medications, including some antidepressant drugs, can affect sexual desire and function.
* Psychological causes. These include work-related stress and anxiety, concern about sexual performance, marital or relationship problems, depression, feelings of guilt, and the effects of a past sexual trauma.

Who Is Affected by Sexual Dysfunction?

Both men and women are affected by sexual dysfunction. Sexual problems occur in adults of all ages. Among those commonly affected are those in the geriatric population, which may be related to a decline in health associated with aging.
How Does Sexual Dysfunction Affect Women?

The most common problems related to sexual dysfunction in women include:

* Inhibited sexual desire. This involves a lack of sexual desire or interest in sex. Many factors can contribute to a lack of desire, including hormonal changes, medical conditions and treatments (for example cancer and chemotherapy), depression, pregnancy, stress, and fatigue. Boredom with regular sexual routines also may contribute to a lack of enthusiasm for sex, as can lifestyle factors, such as careers and the care of children.
* Inability to become aroused. For women, the inability to become physically aroused during sexual activity often involves insufficient vaginal lubrication. The inability to become aroused also may be related to anxiety or inadequate stimulation. In addition, researchers are investigating how blood flow problems affecting the vagina and clitoris may contribute to arousal problems.
* Lack of orgasm (anorgasmia). This is the absence of sexual climax (orgasm). It can be caused by a woman's sexual inhibition, inexperience, lack of knowledge, and psychological factors such as guilt, anxiety, or a past sexual trauma or abuse. Other factors contributing to anorgasmia include insufficient stimulation, certain medications, and chronic diseases.
* Painful intercourse. Pain during intercourse can be caused by a number of problems, including endometriosis, a pelvic mass, ovarian cysts, vaginitis, poor lubrication, the presence of scar tissue from surgery, or a sexually transmitted disease. A condition called vaginismus is a painful, involuntary spasm of the muscles that surround the vaginal entrance. It may occur in women who fear that penetration will be painful and also may stem from a sexual phobia or from a previous traumatic or painful experience.

Source 1
webmd dot com
Source 2
familydoctor dot org

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Treatment of Premature Ejaculation

Premature ejaculation (PE) is a common problem, the treatment of which has received an increasing interest in recent years. Traditional management continues to be psychotherapy, with techniques such as the 'squeeze' and 'stop-start' most commonly employed. The application of local anaesthetics to the glans to delay ejaculation, first described over 60 years ago, continues to be used both in medical practice and as an 'over-the-counter' remedy. Over the years, a variety of psychopharmacological agents, especially antidepressants, have been described as treatments for PE. At the present time, the selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors, licensed for other indications, emerge as the most effective agents to delay ejaculation, but none are licensed for the treatment of PE. There appears to be a high relapse rate irrespective of the mode of therapy used.
Introduction

It is axiomatic that a man presenting with premature ejaculation (PE) requires proper psychosexual, relationship and medical assessment. As there is comorbidity of PE with female sexual dysfunction,[1,2] the patient's partner should be involved in the assessment process. Both partners' reasons for seeking treatment for PE and what they hope to get out of the treatment should also be elucidated. The physician should ascertain whether these expectations are attainable; if not, initial treatment should address the couple's unrealistic expectations.

It is important to hear a description of the problem from both partners and to listen for similarities and discrepancies in their reports. When rapid ejaculation becomes a problem, it depends not only on ejaculatory latency after vaginal penetration but also on the sexual attitudes of both partners, which vary with the sociocultural background of each. There may be differences in distress levels in the male as compared with his partner. A survey of representative population samples in Sweden, Finland, Estonia and St Petersberg, Russia, found that females stated that PE was a problem in their male partners more often than those men who reported this as a problem. Later cohorts of females reported this problem in their male partners far more commonly than earlier cohorts, suggesting a societal change in female expectations of male sexual performance.[3]

Source
medscape dot com

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Feuer Nursing Review Lecture Audio MP3

Download torrent file here

Download torrent file here

Audio Books : Misc. Educational : MP3/64Kbps : English
Feuer Nursing Review Lecture Audio MP3

The lecture is 33 hours, recorded live and then carefully edited.
The current version contains updated material. New material
has extra emphasis on delegation, priorities, legal issues, and
disaster situations. Psychiatric includes a new section on
multicultural nursing. NCLEX-style questions are integrated
throughout the lectures.

f-n-r dot net

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