Studies Examine Allergies And Contraceptive Use, Maternal Mortality Disparity, Cervical Treatments And Preterm Births, Condom Use Prevalence

Main Category: Sexual Health / STDs
Also Included In: Pregnancy / Obstetrics;  Women's Health / Gynecology;  Allergy
Article Date: 09 Jan 2007 - 15:00 PDT

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The following highlights recently released journal articles on women's health issues.

Pregnancy & Childbirth
"Does the Pill Make a Difference? Previous Maternal Use of Contraceptive Pills and Allergic Diseases Among Offspring," Allergy: Leea Keski-Nisula of Kuopio University and colleagues compared 618 asthmatic children ages five to six with 564 children in the same age group who were not asthmatic to determine if the mother's use of oral contraception increased the likelihood of the children having allergic rhinitis, or nasal allergy, Reuters Health reports. The study found that children whose mothers used oral contraceptives within one year of becoming pregnant were 67% more likely to have nasal allergies than the children whose mothers did not use oral contraceptives. The association was common in families where the parents had allergies and was strongest among boys, the study found. Researchers found no association between oral contraceptive use and the likelihood of the pregnant woman's child having asthma or eczema. The researchers wrote that the results are "tentative and possibly provocative," and they suggest that an allergy study of oral contraceptives might be valuable (Reuters Health, 12/29/06).

"The Black-White Disparity in Pregnancy-Related Mortality From Five Conditions: Differences in Prevalence and Case-Fatality Rates," American Journal of Public Health: Myra Tucker, a physician at CDC, and colleagues looked at data collected between 1988 and 1999 collected from the National Hospital Discharge Survey and from the Pregnancy Mortality Surveillance System. Researchers calculated prevalence and case-related fatality rates for preeclampsia, eclampsia, abruptio placentae, placenta previa and postpartum hemorrhage -- which together account for 26% of all pregnancy-related deaths. The study found that the fatality rate among black women with the conditions were two to three times higher than that of white women (United Press International, 12/29/06). For every 100,000 women who developed preeclampsia, about 27 white women died, compared with about 73 black women, according to the study. For every 100,000 women who develop postpartum hemorrhage, 21 white women died, compared with 68 black women. Researchers concluded that a "complex interaction of biological and health services factors must be untangled" in order to determine reasons behind the disparity in pregnancy-related deaths (Reuters Health, 12/29/06).

"Precancerous Changes in the Cervix and Risk of Subsequent Preterm Birth," BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology: Researchers from Melbourne University and Royal Women's Hospital in Australia looked at the records of about 5,000 women who had undergone treatments to remove precancerous cells between 1982 and 2000. The researchers compared four common treatments of the cervix: loop excision, where an electrical current is passed around a wire in order to remove a tissue sample; cone biopsy, where tissue is removed with a cone-shaped blade; diathermy, where an electrical current is used directly on the tissue; and laser ablation, where the tissue is destroyed by a laser beam (Kirby, Press Association/Daily Mail, 1/2). The study found that all the treatments except laser ablation were associated with an increased of preterm birth later in life (Ricks, Long Island Newsday, 1/4). The study also found that both treated and untreated women who had precancerous cells were at increased risk of preterm birth, compared with women who did not have precancerous cells, which suggests that treatment was not the only risk factor. The authors write, "While we acknowledge that there are clinical scenarios where excisional treatment is necessary, we believe that treatment programs that have adopted a 'see and treat' policy for the management of abnormal Pap smears need to be re-evaluated in the light of these findings ... Furthermore, the use of precise ablative techniques such as laser ablation need revisiting" (Press Association/Daily Mail, 1/2).

Public Health
"Who Uses Condoms With Whom? Evidence From National Probability Sample Surveys," Sexually Transmitted Infections: Jackie Cassell of the University of Brighton and colleagues studied trends in condom use using data of 13,765 British residents ages 16 to 44 surveyed in 1990 and 11,161 similarly aged individuals surveyed in 2000. According to the study, about 82% of sexually active men ages 16 to 24 surveyed in 2000 said they used condoms, compared with 61% of such men in 1990. Condom use among women in the same age group increased from 42% in 1990 to more than 63% in 2000, the study found (Rauscher, Reuters Health, 1/3). Among people reporting at least two partners in the previous four weeks, 63.1% of the men and 68.5% of the women reported inconsistent or no condom use (Cassell et al., Sexually Transmitted Infections, 12/1/06). The data also suggested that younger people are more likely to report using condoms in part to prevent transmission of STIs, including HIV, researchers said (Reuters Health, 1/3).

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