Journal of women's health
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Journal of women's health · Dec 2015
Characteristics of Females Who Use Contraception at Coitarche: An Analysis of the National Survey of Family Growth 2006-2010 Database.
To determine demographical and behavioral characteristics associated with contraceptive use at coitarche, or first sexual experience, to determine which populations are at greatest risk of contraceptive nonuse during early sexual experiences. ⋯ This study highlights several key differences between females who use contraceptive methods at coitarche versus those who do not. Greater effort needs to be focused on increasing access to more reliable contraceptive methods for young females, as females who obtain methods from nonmedical facilities are more likely to use contraceptive methods at coitarche.
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Journal of women's health · Dec 2015
Psychosocial Functioning and Health-Related Quality of Life Associated with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Male and Female Iraq and Afghanistan War Veterans: The VALOR Registry.
Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans suffer from high rates of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Given the growing number of women in the military, there is a critical need to understand the nature and extent of potential gender differences in PTSD-associated psychosocial functioning and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF)/Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) veterans, which has not been studied to date. ⋯ PTSD among warzone-deployed OEF/OIF veterans is associated with significant impairments in both overall psychosocial functioning and HRQOL, with associations that are largely similar by gender. Findings support the need for thorough and continuous assessment of functional impairment and HRQOL during treatment of PTSD for both male and female OEF/OIF veterans.
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Journal of women's health · Dec 2015
Mammography Decision Aid Reduces Decisional Conflict for Women in Their Forties Considering Screening.
Clinical guidelines recommend a personalized approach to mammography screening for women in their forties; however, methods to do so are lacking. An evidence-based mammography screening decision aid was developed as an electronic mobile application and evaluated in a before-after study. ⋯ Women reported less conflict about their decisions for mammography screening, and felt more confident to make decisions after using Mammopad. This approach may help guide women through the decision making process to determine personalized screening choices that are appropriate for them.
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Journal of women's health · Dec 2015
Defining Vitamin D Deficiency and Its Relationship to Hypertension in Postmenopausal Korean Women.
Inconsistent results regarding the association between low vitamin D level and hypertension (HTN) have led to uncertainty in clinical practice as to the use of vitamin D cutoff value. The aims of this study were to investigate the association between vitamin D deficiency and HTN in postmenopausal women and to determine the clinically significant cutoff value for vitamin D deficiency. ⋯ Using serum PTH level, we defined vitamin D deficiency as 25(OH)D <15 ng/mL in postmenopausal women. Vitamin D deficiency [25(OH)D <15 ng/mL] was a significant risk factor for HTN in postmenopausal women.