Articles: disease.
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The efficacy of a low dose of mifepristone, 5 mg/day for the first 15 days of the menstrual cycle, followed by medroxy-progesterone acetate (MPA), 10 mg/day for the next 13 days, for inhibiting ovulation was assessed in ten volunteers who were treated for three successive cycles. Hormonal determinations in blood and urine samples, ovarian ultrasonography and an endometrial biopsy taken on day 21-24 of the third treatment cycle were used to monitor the cycles. Ovulation was confirmed in 11 of the 30 treated cycles and, in these 11, the LH peak and follicular rupture occurred during MPA treatment periods. ⋯ Progestin administration induced secretory changes in the endometrium, but irregular or delayed development was found. Regular withdrawal bleeding occurred in all subjects. These data indicate that the sequential regimen can suppress ovulation while maintaining regular bleeding but increased efficacy is needed for phase II clinical trials.
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Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg. · Jul 1996
ReviewPreventing opportunistic infections in human immunodeficiency virus-infected persons: implications for the developing world.
More than 18 million persons in the world are estimated to have been infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the cause of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). As immunodeficiency progresses, these persons become susceptible to a wide variety of opportunistic infections (OIs) The spectrum of OIs varies among regions of the world. Tuberculosis is the most common serious OI in sub-Saharan Africa and is also more common in Latin America and in Asia than in the United States. ⋯ These include trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole to prevent Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia, toxoplasmosis, and bacterial infections; isoniazid to prevent tuberculosis; and 23-valent pneumococcal vaccine to prevent disease due to Streptococcus pneumoniae. Research is needed to determine the spectrum of OIs and the efficacy of various prevention measures in resource-poor nations, and health officials need to determine a minimum standard of care for HIV-infected persons. An increasing problem in the developing world, HIV/AIDS should receive attention comparable to other tropical diseases.
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Self-treatment for sexually transmitted diseases (STD) is common, but little studied, in Thailand, and its influence on human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is unknown. ⋯ These men are attempting to prevent HIV and STDs. Self-treatment with antibiotics may lower HIV risks associated with bacterial STD in a high-prevalence population.
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Networks of concurrent sexual partnerships may be the primary cause of epidemic spread of HIV-1 in parts of sub-Saharan Africa. This pattern of sexual behaviour increases the likelihood that individuals experiencing primary HIV-1 infection transmit the virus to other persons. ⋯ However, prevention of transmission in the endemic phase also requires a greater awareness of early clinical manifestations of HIV-1 infection in the general population. Such awareness, coupled with the availability of condoms and access to HIV-1 testing facilities, may reduce transmission in discordant couples.
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Consanguineous marriages in two population samples, one rural and one urban, from Swat (Pakistan) were studied. The frequency of consanguineous marriages was found to be 37.13% and 31.11%, and mean inbreeding coefficients were calculated as 0.0168 and 0.0162, for the rural and urban populations respectively. The most frequent type of marriage was between first cousins, in both samples. ⋯ Contrary to previous studies, a significant increase in the incidence of consanguineous marriages over the years has been observed. The incidence of premature mortality was significantly higher only in the offspring of first cousin marriages. Significantly higher incidence of morbidity in the offspring of consanguineous marriages was also observed.