CPD Portal
What is PCOS?
Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is becoming more common in SA and globally, affecting as many as one in 10 women. Polycystic simply means that there are multiple cysts on the ovaries.
What you need to know about preeclampsia testing
Testing placental growth factor (PIGF) may have value as a diagnostic adjunct in women with suspected preeclampsia, according to results of research by British investigators.
iNova’s Women’s Health digibook
This beautifully designed digibook brings you the best women’s health-related articles from the pages of Medical Chronicle, collected for ease of reference in a single volume.
Endometriosis 101
Endometriosis is a fairly common condition that affects about 1 in 10 women during their reproductive years. Symptoms may vary widely between women, ranging from pain, usually around menstruation, to infertility.
Predictors of premature and early natural menopause
About 1% of women younger than 40 experience premature menopause, and 5% younger than 45 experience what is defined as early menopause. The average age of menopause ranges between 50-52 years with variations according to ethnic group.
Insulin resistance in PCOS patients
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is defined as a hormonal disorder common among women of reproductive age. Studies have shown that up to 85% of women diagnosed with PCOS were unaware of their condition.
Optimising treatment for bacterial vaginosis
Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is the most commonly reported microbiological syndrome among women of childbearing age, as well as the most frequently occurring condition within the female genital tract.
What you missed at ESHRE 2019
The 35th annual meeting of The European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) was held in Vienna (Austria) from 23 to 26 June.
Re-evaluating the WHI trials: have we come full circle?
Launched in 1993, the landmark Women’s Health Initiative Studies (WHI) were designed to examine the effects of oestrogen and progestin and oestrogen alone in post-menopausal women. While the study’s findings have been consistently disproven, has clinical practice cottoned on to the benefits of hormone replacement therapy yet?
Ovulation induction therapies in women with anovulatory infertility
Infertility is estimated to affect between 8% and 12% of reproductive-aged couples worldwide. In some regions of the world such as South and Central Asia, the Middle East, sub-Saharan and North Africa as well as Eastern Europe, the rates of infertility are much higher, reaching ∼30%.
A syndromic approach to STIs
A South African study has found that sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and bacterial vaginosis (BV) are common among men and women between 15-24 years. They warn that untreated STIs have significant immediate and long-term complications.
The pitfalls of long-term glucocorticoid therapy
We chat to Prof David Kendler, director of the Osteoporosis Programme at Providence Health Care in Vancouver (Canada) and Dr Sue Brown, council member of the National Osteoporosis Foundation of South Africa (NOFSA) about glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis (GIOP).
Women’s acne battles
Patients diagnosed with acne vulgaris (AV) have a 63% increased risk of developing depression in the first year following diagnoses compared to their clear skinned counterparts, found a 2018 study published in the British Journal of Dermatology.
Hypertension during pregnancy
Women who experience hypertensive disorders during pregnancy are at high risk for developing hypertension, diabetes, and hypercholesterolemia later in life.
Guidelines: achieving pregnancy safely
Updated safe conception guidelines by the Southern African HIV Clinicians’ Society give healthcare providers up-to-date information to support efforts to optimise safer conception care for HIV positive patients.
What patient characteristics influence the choice of biological drug in RA?
The choice of biological drug for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis is a highly significant one and should be informed by a clear understanding of the patient’s disease profile.
Why first trimester screening is so important
February is reproductive health month. Dr Lou Pistorius, a gynaecologist and obstetrician with a special interest in maternal foetal medicine, looks at the importance and benefits of first trimester screening.
The eye of the surgeon
We chat to Dr Suran Ramphal, Head of Urogynaecology and the Advanced Endoscopy Unit at the University of KwaZulu-Natal and the Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital (IALCH) about the future of gynaecological surgery.
Painful intercourse
Dyspareunia, an important but neglected area of female health, is characterised by persistent or recurrent pain with attempted or complete vaginal entry or penile-vaginal intercourse.
Abnormal vaginal discharge: accurate differentiation
The aetiology of vaginitis can be from infections of Candidiasis (thrush), Trichomoniasis, or bacterial vaginosis and it is important to distinguish them clearly.
