Which Contraceptive is Best for Me? The WHO MEC WHEEL Can Provide Guidance
In the world of family planning the question “Which contraceptive method is best for me?” is a common one. The World Health Organization (WHO) has tried to address this through a document called Medical Eligibility Criteria for Contraceptive Use (MEC). This document, now in its fifth edition, provides guidance for choosing the safest contraceptive method given a woman’s health conditions and personal preferences. The MEC makes recommendations based on whether the [...]
Combining Tamoxifen with Antidepressants: What You Need to Know
An updated version of this post can be found HERE. Two thirds of all breast cancer tumors are known to have receptors that respond to hormones; that is they can grow in response to estrogen. Tamoxifen is a medication which selectively blocks estrogen receptors on breast cancer tumors and, in this fashion, reduces the risk of recurrence by half in women with estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer (1). Tamoxifen, however, is [...]
Weekly Roundup for NOV 18 2016: Recent Publications in Women’s Mental Health
We have seen articles over the last decade which suggest that while some women experience clinically significant psychological symptoms after early pregnancy loss, the vast majority of women manage to navigate this stressful life event without serious after effects. A small study from Farren and colleagues suggests that PTSD is quite common among women who have experienced either a miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy, with 28% meeting the criteria for probable PTSD [...]
Another Medication for Pregnancy-Related Nausea and Vomiting
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved another medication for the management of pregnancy-related nausea and vomiting. It is not really a new medication but is similar to Diclegis, a combination doxylamine succinate and pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), which was approved several years ago. The newly approved medication will be marketed as Bonjesta. Each tablet contains 20 mg of doxylamine succinate, an antihistamine, and 20 mg of pyridoxine [...]
Women Outperform Men on Tests of Cognitive Functioning — Until Menopause
Many women report cognitive difficulties — forgetfulness, distractibility, feeling foggy — as they enter into the menopause. Looking at sex-related differences in memory, Rentz and colleagues examined 212 men and women between the ages of 45 and 55 years. Participants completed a battery of cognitive tests and underwent hormonal assessments. On all measures of cognitive functioning, women outperformed age-matched men. However, the difference largely disappeared after women transitioned into the menopause. [...]
Worse Pregnancy Outcomes in Women with Bipolar Disorder
When we meet women for consultations regarding the use of psychotropic medications during pregnancy, we focus primarily on the impact of medications on the developing fetus and the pregnancy. However, we need also to address the impact of psychiatric illness in the mother on the pregnancy. In studies of pregnant women with unipolar depression, it has been shown that untreated psychiatric illness in the mother may have a negative impact on [...]