Articles: disease.
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To determine human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) prevalence in low- and high-risk populations in Papua New Guinea (PNG), anonymous unlinked serosurveillance was conducted in government-administered antenatal and sexually transmitted disease (STD) clinics at six sites beginning in June 1989. Although 3 of 1233 samples were HIV positive in a pilot study, none of 7948 samples was HIV positive during the first full year of serosurveillance (June 1989--May 1990). HIV-infected people are also identified in PNG through clinical diagnostic testing. ⋯ Limited surveillance continued in PNG in 1991 and 1992. By June of 1992, 5 of an additional 6035 serosurveillance samples had tested positive. All 5 were among 2000 samples from a single site, the Port Moresby STD Clinic.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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To describe the use of hormonal contraceptives in institutionalised women with psychiatric and/or intellectual disabilities. ⋯ Improvements in reproductive health care for these women are needed, in particular attention to education and client participation in decisions about contraceptive treatment. It is suggested that gynaecological and family planning services be provided separately from psychiatric services.
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Epilepsy is the most common neurological disease of females in reproductive age. Problems concerning contraception, reproduction, teratogenicity and antiepileptic therapy preceding and during pregnancy are discussed and recommendations made. We underline the advantages of a planned pregnancy with optimal adjustment of antiepileptic drug therapy and recommend prophylactic treatment with folic acid before and during, and with vitamin K towards the end of pregnancy.
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Comparative Study
Attitudes toward abortion for fetal anomaly in the second vs. the third trimester: a survey of Parisian obstetricians.
Cross-cultural differences exist in prenatal diagnosis and abortion for fetal anomaly, stemming from variations in laws, reimbursement policies, litigation, physicians' decision-making authority, and attitudes toward the prevention of handicaps. The first part of this paper discusses such differences in France and the U. S. ⋯ Such permissive abortion attitudes might imply more permissive prenatal diagnosis and abortion practice among Parisian obstetricians, which might lead to increased migration of patients from other E. C. countries. Cross-cultural variation in obstetric practice suggests that an international registry of pregnancies terminated for medical reasons, enabling further study of this issue, would be valuable.