Introduction: Unsafe abortion is one of the major medical and public health problems in developing countries. However, there is a lack of up‑to‑date and reliable information on induced abortion distribution and its determinant factors in the country Objectives: This study determined the sociodemographic and clinical profile of women admitted for abortion at a tertiary government hospital in Cebu city from 2013‑2017 Methods: This study reviewed the charts in medical records of women diagnosed with abortion admitted at a government tertiary hospital from January 2013 to December 2017 with key words “abortion” in the final diagnosis Results: The results of this study showed that 86% of patients who had induced abortion discharged improved from this institution, 2 patients died due to medical complications and 12% were discharged against medical advice. Majority of abortions were within early ages of gestation. Primigravidas and primiparas had the highest incidence of induced abortion 20.44% and 27.73%respectively. Of the treatments employed, the major method of abortion employed was mechanical. Majority of induced abortions did not develop septic complications Conclusion The trend in admission of induced abortions from 2013 to 2017 showed a downward trend. This decrease in incidence may be attributed to improved access to family planning methods since the Reproductive Health Law was implemented in 2014 and the introduction of the Maternal Perinatal Statistics quarterly conferences headed by Department of Health (DOH) Region 7 and the different DOH‑retained hospitals as well as BEMONC/SEMONC facilities in Cebu Province. 17. These statistical events focuses the spotlight on the importance of health education and further improvement in the provision of health care in the local setting. Moreover, further improvement in post abortive care and adequate coverage should be provided to patients with abortion to reduce the incidence of complications and potential mortality
Contraception ; Abortion, Induced

Introduction. Teen pregnancy in the Philippines is a public health concern. Contraception is viewed as key in controlling teen pregnancy brought by early sexual initiation. Unfortunately, among sexually active teenage girls, 68.7% are not using any form of contraception. Objectives. The study determined the predictors of Family Planning practice among teen mothers in Manila; specifically, regarding knowledge and attitude towards family planning, and social and informational support. Methods. The study utilized a descriptive correlational design. Purposive sampling was used for a target sample size of 188 teenage mothers from the City of Manila. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data. Multiple regression was employed to determine predictors of FP practice. Results. Of the 163 teenage mothers who participated, less than one-third (30.7%) were currently using a family planning method. Teen mothers who had two or more pregnancies were four times more likely to report FP practice, and those who received informational support on FP were six times more likely to report FP practice. Conclusion. The rate of FP practice among teen mothers is low. A comprehensive assessment of the physical, psychosocial, and environmental factors that impact teen mothers should be further studied.
Pregnancy in Adolescence ; Adolescent ; Family Planning Services ; Contraception

Female ; Pregnancy ; Humans ; Abortion, Induced ; Abortion, Spontaneous ; Contraception ; Telemedicine

Dysmenorrhea is the most common gynecologic condition in women during the reproductive period. Severe dysmenorrhea pain affects their social activities, sleep, and quality of life. Nevertheless, the proportion of women with dysmenorrhea do not receive adequate medical counseling or pharmacological treatments. Primary dysmenorrhea is diagnosed clinically, and the secondary causes that can cause pelvic pain should be identified. The treatment of choice for primary dysmenorrhea is non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). In order to maximize the therapeutic effect, it is necessary to ensure that the appropriate medication is administered in a proper way. NSAIDs can cause adverse effects, including gastrointestinal disorders. If side effects occur or are anticipated with NSAIDs, the use of hormonal contraceptives may be recommended when contraception is considered. In addition to these pharmacological treatments, heat, dietary, and behavioral therapies have been tried and reported to have some effects. However, further research is required for robust conclusions.
Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal ; Contraception ; Contraceptive Agents ; Counseling ; Dysmenorrhea ; Female ; Hot Temperature ; Humans ; Menstruation ; Pelvic Pain ; Quality of Life ; Reproduction

Intrauterine device is a popular means of reversible birth control in the world. In the Philippines, Copper T intrauterine device (IUD) supplies may come from private sources but the bulk has been from the public sector. The public sector gets IUD for free and inserts them at virtually no cost. Although the IUD has been known for decades, there is still low utilization despite its effectiveness and safety. It is worthwhile to determine the dynamics of IUD use. This study reviewed the use of IUD among women consulting the Family Planning Unit of a tertiary university hospital. It is necessary to evaluate the clients’ needs both by improving the accessibility and quality of services and intensifying information dissemination on available family planning services. This is especially true for those who already want to limit their children but do not want to undergo a permanent method.
Intrauterine Devices ; Contraception

PURPOSE: To determine association of contraceptive knowledge, sexual double standard, and contraceptive self-efficacy among unmarried women in their 30s and 40s. METHODS: With a survey design, data were collected from 119 unmarried women in their 30s and 40s in G city of Korea from September 2017 to March 2018. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, independent t-test, one-way ANOVA, Scheffé test, Pearson's correlation coefficients, and stepwise multiple regression. RESULTS: Contraceptive knowledge, sexual double standard, and contraceptive self-efficacy scores of participants were 8.97±2.22, 18.54±5.57, and 45.84 ± 6.90, respectively. Contraceptive self-efficacy was negatively correlated with sexual double standard. Factors influencing contraceptive self-efficacy were sexual double standard (β =−.26, p=.003), existence of boyfriend (β=.25, p=.004), and contraceptive education need for adults (β=.17, p=.044). They explained 19% of contraceptive self-efficacy of participants. CONCLUSION: To increase contraceptive self-efficacy of unmarried women in their 30s and 40s, lowering sexual double standard and developing customized contraceptive education according to age and knowledge level are needed. Research on factors related to contraceptive self-efficacy of unmarried women in their 30s and 40s from various regions are also needed in the future.
Adult ; Contraception ; Education ; Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Self Efficacy ; Single Person

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to assess the prevalence and determinants of folic acid supplementation among women referred to community health centers. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study conducted in 325 women referred to community health centers. The subjects were selected from 8 community health centers, using a stratified sampling technique. Data regarding demographics, socioeconomic status, obstetrics, folic acid supplementation status, and household food security status were obtained via questionnaires. The data was analyzed in SPSS v22. RESULTS: The prevalence of folic acid supplementation both before and during pregnancy was 54.5%. The results of the study showed that folic acid supplementation had a significant positive association with education level (odds ratio [OR],0 .441; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.199–0.977; P<0.05), being employed (OR, 0.353; 95% CI, 0.148–0.840; P<0.05), and planned pregnancy (OR, 18.113; 95% CI, 7.371–44.51; P<0.001). However, other variables, including age, husband's age, husband's education and employment status, the number of prior pregnancies, economic satisfaction, and household food security, were nonsignificant factors affecting folic acid supplementation. CONCLUSION: Women with lower socioeconomic status are less likely to take folic acid supplements, and more effort should be made to increase their awareness of the importance of supplementation. Unplanned pregnancy is another strong risk factor for not supplementing with folic acid, and thus should be avoided.
Community Health Centers ; Contraception ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Demography ; Education ; Employment ; Family Characteristics ; Family Planning Services ; Female ; Folic Acid ; Food Supply ; Humans ; Obstetrics ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy, Unplanned ; Prevalence ; Referral and Consultation ; Risk Factors ; Social Class

INTRODUCTION: This study explored attitudes towards vasectomy and its acceptance as a method of contraception among clinical-year medical students, and determined the association between their demographic characteristics, and attitudes and acceptance. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among clinical-year medical students from a Malaysian private medical college using a self-administered questionnaire. RESULTS: There were 330 participants with a female preponderance and a mean age of 22.0 ± 1.1 years. The largest proportion of respondents were from Year 3. The vast majority were ethnically Malay (91.8%) and followed Islam (92.4%). Overall, 60.9% of participants had a positive attitude towards vasectomy and 76.0% showed good acceptance. Gender, academic year, ethnicity and religion variables were not associated with attitudes and acceptance (p > 0.05). A significantly higher proportion of male respondents thought that vasectomy was religiously forbidden and would give a bad impression. A significantly higher proportion of Year 5 students agreed to the statement 'I would recommend vasectomy to relatives, friends and people close to me' compared to Year 3 and 4 students. CONCLUSION Students' perception of vasectomy as a contraceptive method was encouraging. Our results suggest that their knowledge improved as medical training progressed, and attitudes evolved for the better irrespective of their traditional, cultural and religious beliefs - highlighting the importance of providing students with evidence-based learning about male sterilisation, which is more cost-effective and is associated with lower morbidity than female sterilisation. A qualitative study involving students from different ethnicities and religions would provide a better understanding of this subject.
Adult ; Attitude of Health Personnel ; Contraception ; methods ; psychology ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Female ; Humans ; Malaysia ; Male ; Religion and Medicine ; Schools, Medical ; Students, Medical ; psychology ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Vasectomy ; psychology ; Young Adult

Testosterone has a variety of functions and is commonly used in older men to treat symptoms of hypogonadism, such as decreased libido, decreased mood and erectile dysfunction. Despite its positive effects on sexual function, it has a negative effect on fertility. Exogenous testosterone therapy can negatively affect the hypothalamic-pituitary gonadal axis and inhibit the production of follicle stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone. The purpose of this review is to discuss the contraceptive properties of testosterone therapy and to discuss strategies to increase testosterone in men with the desire to preserve fertility.
Contraception ; Erectile Dysfunction ; Family Planning Services ; Fertility* ; Follicle Stimulating Hormone ; Gonads ; Humans ; Hypogonadism ; Infertility ; Libido ; Luteinizing Hormone ; Male ; Testosterone*

OBJECTIVES: The perceptions of family-planning (FP) acceptors regarding contraception influence the reasons for which they choose to switch their method of contraception. The objective of this study was to analyze the perceptions of contraception and rationales for switching contraceptive methods among female FP acceptors in West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. METHODS: This study involved the analysis of secondary data from the Improve Contraceptive Method Mix study, which was conducted in 2013 by the Center for Health Research, University of Indonesia. The design of the study was cross-sectional. We performed 3 stages of sampling using the cluster technique and selected 4819 women who were FP acceptors in West Nusa Tenggara Province, Indonesia as the subjects of this study. The data were analyzed using multiple logistic regression. RESULTS: The predominant pattern of switching contraceptive methods was switching from one non-long-term method of contraception to another. Only 31.0% of the acceptors reported a rational pattern of switching contraceptive methods given their age, number of children, and FP motivations. Perceptions of the side effects of contraceptive methods, the ease of contraceptive use, and the cost of the contraceptives were significantly associated (at the level of α=0.05) with rational patterns of switching contraceptive methods. CONCLUSIONS: Perceptions among FP-accepting women were found to play an important role in their patterns of switching contraceptive methods. Hence, fostering a better understanding of contraception through high-quality counseling is needed to improve perceptions and thereby to encourage rational, effective, and efficient contraceptive use.
Child ; Contraception ; Contraceptive Agents ; Counseling ; Family Planning Services ; Female ; Foster Home Care ; Humans ; Indonesia ; Logistic Models ; Methods ; Patient Acceptance of Health Care