Female Sexual Dysfunction: New Treatments on the Way
 Hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD) is the most common type of female sexual dysfunction, affecting approximately 10% of all adult women. In certain populations of women that we see in our clinic, including women treated with serotonergic antidepressants and perimenopausal women, rates of sexual dysfunction are even higher.  Currently, flibanserin is the only medication approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat women with HSDD.  Flibanserin is a [...]
United Kingdom Limits the Use of Valproate in Reproductive Age Women
 Last year France banned the use of the antiepileptic during valproate in certain populations of reproductive age women.  Now the United Kingdom's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has banned the use of valproate in women of childbearing age unless they are enrolled in a pregnancy prevention program (PPP).  From the initial report, it is not so clear exactly what the pregnancy prevention program will entail. The press release [...]
Event: Perinatal Mental Health Awareness & Advocacy Day 2018
For those in the Boston area, this Wednesday May 9th is Perinatal Mental Health Awareness & Advocacy Day 2018. This event will be held at the Great Hall, Massachusetts State House at 24 Beacon St. in Boston from 12PM to 3PM. This is a free event for all who are interested in promoting awareness of perinatal mental health issues and expanding access to care. This is the fourth Perinatal Mental Health Awareness [...]
Fetal exposure to depression: How does ‘dose’ figure in?
The following post was first published in OB/GYN News. Please see our OB/GYN News archives here. Publish date: April 23, 2018 The last two decades have seen an ever-growing number of reports on risks of fetal exposure to medicines used to treat depression during pregnancy. These reports have described issues ranging from estimated risk of congenital malformations following fetal exposure to various psychotropics such as SSRIs or atypical antipsychotics to adverse neonatal effects such [...]
In Brief: What’s the Connection Between Alcohol and Premenstrual Symptoms?
When we meet with women reporting premenstrual symptoms, we often recommend that they avoid the use of alcohol. Â Analyzing 19 previously published studies of alcohol and PMS, researcher found that risk for PMS risk was 45% higher in women who reported drinking than in non-drinkers. Â Women who were heavy drinkers, drinking more than one drink per day) were 79% more likely to have PMS than non-drinkers. While this study documents [...]
Weekly Roundup for MAY 4, 2018: Recent Publications in Women’s Mental Health
An updated meta-analysis (Zhou et al, 2018) did not reveal an association between antidepressant exposure during pregnancy and increased risk of autism spectrum disorders. It is noteworthy that this publication -- one that would provide reassuring information to women making the decision to take or to avoid antidepressants during pregnancy -- received no mention in the press. Ruta Nonacs, MD PhD Association between maternal antidepressant use during pregnancy and autism spectrum [...]