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Patients are using email to communicate with their doctors more than ever. But what are they corresponding about? A group of researchers recently evaluated unsolicited emails sent from patients to their general obstetrician-gynecologist to better understand why patients email their physicians.

There is no denying that we live in a fast-paced, communications-driven world. Email is increasingly being used for business and personal communications, but how has this impacted communications between patients and their doctors?

Mayer-Rokitansky-Kuster-Hauser (MRKH) syndrome affects at least 1 in 4500 female births.1 The syndrome consists of vaginal aplasia with other müllerian duct abnormalities. The characteristic feature of MRKH syndrome is congenital absence or underdevelopment of the upper vagina and uterus; it is rarely associated with unilateral renal agenesis, ectopia, or horseshoe kidney.

When it comes to consulting with their doctors, Americans are not averse to email but do not like the idea of using social media such as twitter or Facebook.

Evidence is mounting that pelvic organ prolapse results from a disruption in the balance between the buildup and breakdown of the extracellular matrix in pelvic tissues.

The American Medical Association introduced its first-ever "app," an on-the-go reference guide that helps physicians determine the appropriate current procedural terminology evaluation and management billing codes.

Working 11 hours per day instead of 7 to 8 may make you wealthier, but it also may be deadly.

Worried about financial pressure and the effects of healthcare reform, an increasing number of physicians are considering making changes in how they practice medicine.

Thyroid disorders are among the most common endocrinopathies encountered during pregnancy.

The Institute of Medicine released new reports that recommend standards to enhance the quality and reliability of 2 important tools for informing healthcare decisions: clinical practice guidelines and systematic review of the evidence base for healthcare services.

Red blood cell alloimmunization is the formation of maternal antibodies to fetal RBC antigens.

Commercial insurers are instituting programs to allow physicians to preferentially prescribe the compounded 17-OHP.

Mothers who exclusively breastfeed their babies for the first 2 to 4 weeks of life are more likely to have a stronger emotional bond with their child during the first few months of life than mothers who exclusively formula feed.

Preterm birth-even late preterm birth-increases the chances that the child will be prescribed medication for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder later in life.

Overactive bladder and nocturia have a significant impact on the lives of middle-aged American women, affecting sleep patterns, relationships, intimacy, and social and physical activity, according to a recent study.

Combined oral contraceptives containing drospirenone are associated with a 2- and 3-times higher risk for nonfatal venous thromboembolism than COCs containing levonorgestrel, according to new findings from 2 studies.

Although teen birth rates in the US have declined over the past 20 years, they remain higher than in other developed nations, according to a new report.

Understand the perioperative considerations regarding thromboprophylaxis during cesarean delivery.

This list of US-based National Institutes of Health trials is derived from the NIH database and includes US phase III and IV clinical trials that are currently recruiting female participants.

Apparently the time of day when a heart attack occurs may determine how deadly it is.

Using available evidence on effectiveness, cost and utility values, hysterectomy is a more cost-effective solution for heavy menstrual bleeding than first- or second-generation endometrial ablation techniques or the levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system, according to a new UK analysis.

In this case, the patient alleged that the defender should not have induced her and that he had mismanaged administration of the butorphanol, theoretically contributing to poor maternal effort.

Once more, ob/gyns are being teased with the prospect of federal medical liability reform.

Pelvic pain and urinary symptoms can present following delivery, but how does delivery method impact these symptoms? Dr Daniel G. Kiefer, physician in the division of maternal-fetal medicine/obstetrics in Lehigh Valley Health Network in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and colleagues conducted a prospective observational cohort study to further explore this question.

Uterine fibroids that are completely or partially inside the cavity of the uterus (submucous myomas) can often be removed through the cervix by using an instrument called a resectoscope.

Endometrial stromal sarcoma (ESS) is a rare malignant tumor of the endometrium, occurring in the age group of 40-50 years.

The cost of health care has been a major topic in the news of late. The growth in public debt is due in no small part to inflation in the Medicare and Medicaid programs. As physicians, we always wish to do what we can to maximize our patient’s health. But is there any way to do this without increasing the price-tag of medicine?

Along with the excitement and joy of a new baby come stresses, increased health concerns for mom and the newborn, and other health service issues. Women with infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) often experience more distress than their counterparts with healthy infants, yet they may lack the resources to address these needs. Dr Kathryn Menard, director of the Center for Maternal and Infant Health and division director and distinguished professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Medical School, and colleagues sought to ascertain the specific needs of this patient population to help determine if these needs can be met in the NICU setting.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends that women begin Pap test screening at 21 years, but are there certain circumstances in which Pap tests are warranted at younger ages? Dr Amy M. Johnson of Hartford Hospital in Connecticut and colleagues hypothesized that teenage girls who engage in risky behaviors would benefit from early initiation of cervical screening.

Dr Rebecca B. Perkins and colleagues recently found that the HPV vaccine was not being appropriately offered in a cohort of 136 young, low-income, minority women. The results of their study were presented at the Annual ACOG Meeting in Washington, DC.