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Proposes an experimental study which main purpose was to evaluate the role of fetal ultrasonography in prenatal detection of trisomy 21. Details on how the study was conducted; Indepth look at what the results showed; Conclusions on the study.

Background: Relief of climacteric symptoms is currently the main role of hormone therapy. However, vaginal bleeding complicating this therapy is among the leading causes for its early discontinuation., Objectives: To assess the effect of a vaginal ring delivering estradiol and progesterone in postmenopausal women and to determine whether continuous administration can relieve climacteric symptoms, produce an acceptable pattern of vaginal bleeding and control endometrial proliferation., Methods: Twenty-nine postmenopausal women with an intact uterus were studied. All had climacteric symptoms. The vaginal rings contained 0.36 g estradiol and either 3.6 g progesterone (high dose progesterone) or 1.8 g (low dose progesterone), and were kept in place for 4-6 months. Serum progesterone, estradiol and estrone were measured and endometrial thickness determined. All women kept a daily diary of bleeding/spotting and completed a questionnaire on climacteric symptoms at monthly intervals. The low dose progesterone group comprised 14 women and the high dose progesterone group 15 women., Results: A total of 18 patients (9 in each group) completed the study. Mean levels of estradiol, estrone and progesterone were at their peak after 2 to 4 weeks. All rings were effective in alleviating vasomotor symptoms, although there was evidence of "escape from effect" in month 6. Endometrial thickness increased in 6 of the 29 women but biopsy in each case showed no evidence of hyperplasia. Of the 18 women who completed the study, 5 had amenorrhea throughout, 7 had amenorrhea after 3 months, and the remainder had one or two bleeding episodes after 3 months. Therapy was discontinued in 11 women., Conclusions: A vaginal ring delivering estradiol and progesterone controlled climacteric symptoms, prevented endometrial proliferation, and provided an acceptable bleeding pattern. It should be viewed as a possible alternative for short-term estrogen-progesterone therapy.

The successful pharmacological treatment of erectile dysfunction in males has led to increasing interest in the sexual problems of women. Yet in recent years there has been growing consensus regarding the differences between male and female sexuality. William Masters and Virginia Johnson's model of sexual response, revised by Helen Singer Kaplan, has been generally accepted for many decades. This model consists of 4 successive phases: desire, excitement (arousal), orgasm and resolution. Rosemary Basson has suggested a different model, valid especially in long-term relationships. According to Basson, a woman may decide to seek a stimuli necessary to ignite sexual desire, for reasons which are not sexual (such as the need for intimacy or emotional bonding). The desire develops at a latter stage, as a consequence and not as a cause. As the understanding of the sexual response grows, new methods of classification and treatment are being developed. Female sexual dysfunction is common, frequently neglected and has a significant impact on the lives of women. It has a diverse etiology including anatomical, physiological, medical as well as psychological and social factors. The assessment of these disorders incorporates both medical and psychological evaluation. The treatment includes education, improvement of inter-personal communication, behavioral treatment and the solution of medical problems. Different medications are being developed but most have yet to be proven effective. This review presents the female sexual response as it is understood today and the different methods of classification, diagnosis and treatment of female sexual dysfunction.