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Objective: This study aimed to describe the vaginal microbiome of women with premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) receiving systemic hormone therapy (HT)., Methods: Forty women with POI receiving systemic HT for at least 6 months, who were sexually active, were included in the descriptive cross-sectional study. Vaginal secretion was collected for DNA extraction followed by pyrosequencing of the 16S rRNA. The samples were pooled into phylogenetic groups (Ravel groups I-V)., Results: Women had mean age of 37.13 (± 7.27) years and POI diagnosis at age 27.90 (± 8.68) years, and a mean HT duration of 8.20 (± 8.73) years. It was observed that 33.4% of the women presented group I flora, with a predominance of Lactobacillus crispatus ; 9% group II flora, with a predominance of Lactobacillus gasseri ; 33.4% group III flora, with a predominance of Lactobacillus iners ; 15.2% group IV flora, with a predominance of anaerobic bacteria; and 9% group V flora, with a predominance of Lactobacillus jensenii ., Conclusion: Women with POI receiving HT presented a vaginal microbiome with a predominance of lactobacilli in the composition of the vaginal flora, specifically L. crispatus and L. iners when evaluated by molecular biology through pyrosequencing of 16S rRNA.

Objective: The aim of the study was to evaluate the efficacy of interferential current (IC) in the sexual function of women with premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) using systemic hormone therapy (HT), compared to topical estriol., Methods: A randomized clinical trial with 40 women with POI using systemic HT, who were sexually active and referred for dyspareunia and reduction of lubrication. The women were divided into two treatment groups for 4 weeks: IC group (eight electrotherapy sessions twice a week); or E group (estriol vaginal cream, daily application, 0.5 mg/d). The Female Sexual Function Index was used to evaluate pre-/posttreatment sexual function., Results: Mean age was 37.13 ± 7.27 years and mean treatment time with HT was 8.20 ± 8.73 years, similar data for both groups. There was an improvement in global sexual function, lubrication, and pain domains for both treatments. The differences between the pre-/posttreatment lubrication scores were respectively 0.75 ± 3.31 (P = 0.014) for IC and 1.16 ± 1.22 (P < 0.001) for estriol, whereas for dyspareunia the differences were 1.00 ± 1.47 (P = 0.005) for IC, and 0.68 ± 1.30 (P = 0.006) for estriol. There was no pre-/posttreatment difference for the desire and arousal domains. Only in the IC group did orgasm (difference 0.90 ± 1.42, P = 0.010) and satisfaction improve (difference 0.70 ± 1.28, P = 0.021)., Conclusion: The use of perineal IC seems to be a new option for women with POI using systemic HT and presenting with sexual complaints, leading to an improvement in pain, lubrication, satisfaction, and orgasm.

Introduction: Women with premature ovarian failure (POF) often manifest complaints involving different aspects of sexual function (SF), regardless of using hormone therapy. SF involves a complex interaction between physical, psychological, and sociocultural aspects. There are doubts about the impact of different complaints on the global context of SF of women with POF., Aim: To evaluate the percentage of influence of each of the sexuality domains on the SF in women with POF., Methods: Cross-sectional study with 80 women with POF, matched by age to 80 women with normal gonadal function. We evaluated SF through the "Female Sexual Function Index" (FSFI), a comparison between the POF and control groups using the Mann-Whitney test. Component exploratory factor analysis was used to assess the proportional influence of each domain on the composition of the overall SF for women in the POF group., Main Outcome Measures: SF was evaluated using FSFI. Exploratory Factor Analysis for components was used to evaluate the role of each domain on the SF of women with POF., Results: The FSFI score was significantly worse for women with POF, with a decrease in arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction, and dyspareunia. Exploratory factor analysis of SF showed that the domain with greater influence in the SF was arousal, followed by desire, together accounting for 41% of the FSFI. The domains with less influence were dyspareunia and lubrication, which together accounted for 25% of the FSFI., Conclusion: Women with POF have impaired SF, determined mainly by changes in arousal and desire. Aspects related to lubrication and dyspareunia complaints have lower determination coefficient in SF. These results are important in adapting the approach of sexual disorders in this group of women., (© 2014 International Society for Sexual Medicine.)

Background: Whether panty liners predispose to vulvovaginitis is unclear., Objectives: To clarify the effects of the use of panty liners on the female genital tract., Search Strategy: Several electronic databases (including PubMed and Embase) were searched to identify studies published in English before May 3, 2012., Selection Criteria: Case-control studies, randomized controlled trials, and cohort studies comparing young women who did and did not use panty liners in the intermenstrual period were included., Data Collection and Analysis: The quality of the studies was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale or the Jadad Scale. Data from suitable studies were extracted for analysis., Main Results: Five articles met the inclusion criteria. Four studies-all of which included only healthy women-found no significant clinical implications arising from the use of panty liners. The fifth study was of women with recurrent candidiasis and showed that use of panty liners was associated with new candidiasis episodes., Conclusions: The intermenstrual use of panty liners does not seem to have a negative effect on the vulvovaginal area., (Copyright © 2014 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: This study aims to compare breast density between two mammograms in women with premature ovarian failure (POF)., Methods: A cohort study evaluated 56 women with POF. Two mammograms performed at least 2 years apart were analyzed. Mammogram films were digitalized, and images were assessed using a computer-assisted method; the percentage of breast image that is radiologically dense is referred to as the percentage of mammographic density (PMD). Age at menarche, age at onset of POF, length of POF, length of estrogen-progestin therapy (EPT), body mass index (BMI), pregnancy, and age at the time of each mammogram were evaluated., Results: The mean (SD) age at POF diagnosis was 32.35 (5.95) years. In the first mammogram, the mean (SD) age, BMI, and length of POF were 37.58 (3.72) years, 26.79 (4.86) kg/m, and 5.25 (4.61) years, respectively. EPT had been used for a mean (SD) of 2.71 (3.12) years. In the second mammogram, the mean (SD) age, BMI, and length of POF were 43.23 (4.98) years, 27.6 (5.39) kg/m, and 10.5 (5.11) years, respectively. EPT had been used for a mean (SD) of 7.25 (4.6) years. The mean (SD) interval between mammograms was 5.25 (3) years, and the mean (SD) PMD decreased from 27.78% (21.04%) to 17.53% (15.71%) (P = 0.007). Comparing PMD between women taking EPT and those not taking EPT, we observed no significant differences. In both instances, multiparous women had lower PMD than nulliparous women (P < 0.05). BMI, length of POF, and pregnancy were negatively correlated with PMD., Conclusions: Breast density in young women with POF decreases across a period of 5 years, regardless of EPT use. Further studies may elucidate how this result will correlate with decision-making in clinical therapeutics and breast cancer risk in POF.

Background: Papillary squamous cell carcioma is rare form of squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix occurring in women in the sixth decade of life and is frequently misdiagnosed as high-grade intraepithelial lesion. Few reports with cytologic study have been performed, especially with cytology in liquid-based specimens., Case: A 58-year-old woman who had 8 gestations (no abortions) and mitral cardiopathy treated with coumarin medication was referred for transvaginal bleeding of 20 days' duration. Specular examination showed an exophytic, easily bleeding lesion occupying all of the uterine cervix and superior third of the vagina. Liquid-based cytology showed squamous cells, mostly basaloid but some bizarre or in fiber, with clearly atypical nuclei. Second-generation hybrid capture for high-risk human papillomavirus was positive, with a viral load of 404 relative light unit/positive control B, and the tumor expressed p16(INK4a)., Conclusion: This report adds further experience with liquid-based cytology to the existing conventional and liquid-based cytologic findings, particularly in the Brazilian female population.