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Among 2,005 women attending a contraceptive clinic 9-3 per cent. were found to have gonorrhoea. When these women were classified according to the method of contraception used at the time of their initial visit to the clinic, the following prevalence of gonorrhoea was observed: oral contraceptives 11-5 per cent., intrauterine contraceptive devices 9-9 per cent., barrier methods (condom-diaphragm-foam) 4-2 per cent. These differences are statistically significant. The authors suggest that the additional protective advantage of barrier methods should be considered when the physician and patient are selecting appropriate methods of contraception.

This study examines the relationships between fetal size (biparietal diameter and crown-rump length) and gestational age among subjects aborted by hypertonic saline in the second trimester of pregnancy. With a confidence of 90 per cent, biparietal diameter can be used to predict gestational age within plus or minus 2 weeks, and crown-rump length can be used to predict gestational age within plus or minus 3 weeks.

Among 4,069 healthy gravidas undergoing saline abortion, patients administered intravenous oxytocin had a significantly shorter instillation-to-abortion time (median, 25.5 hours) than did patients not administered oxytocin (median 33.3 hours). The instillation-to-abortion time was independent of the rate of oxytocin administration, which ranged from 1 to 4 U. per hour (17 to 67 mU. per minute), but was associated with the time at which oxytocin infusion was begun. When oxytocin infusion was started within eight hours after instillation, a shortened time from instillation to abortion was observed. Although oxytocin augmentation may result in a lower proportion of patients being exposed to the risk of infection associated with prolonged intervals from instillation to abortion, this potential advantage appears counterbalanced by an increased incidence of clinical consumptive coagulopathy associated with instillation-to-abortion intervals of less than 24 hours.

Among 2,019 women screened by triplicate culture technique, 191 (9.5 per cent) had one or more positive cultures of specimens for Neisseria gonorrhoeae. The prevalence rates by site of infection were as follows: cervix-8.1 per cent; rectum-2.4 per cent, and oropharynx-0.9 per cent. Of the 191 patients with gonorrhea, 163 (85 per cent) had a positive culture of the cervical specimen. Addition of routine cultures of rectal and oropharyngeal specimens detected only 15 per cent of positive cases, while tripling the cost of the screening program. Based on a cost-benefit anallysis, a culture of the cervical specimen is most appropriate for routine screening, and cultures of rectal and/or oropharyngeal specimens should be obtained on a selected basic only.