Position statement of the Latin American Federation of Climacteric and Menopause Societies (FLASCYM) regarding the use of Bioidentical Hormonal Compounds during female mid-life

Introduction Menopause hormone therapy (MHT) is the best option for the management of vasomotor symptoms, the genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM) and the prevention of bone loss [1]. However, in 2002, the preliminary publishing of data of the combined arm estrogen progestogen (E+P) of the Women Health Initiative study (WHI) reporting that women users of […]

Hormonal contraception and menopausal transition: a short review

Introduction Menopause is defined as the permanent cessation of menstrual cycles (more than 12 months since the last menstrual period) due to the loss of ovarian activity [1]. The average age of menopause is 50.5, but it can vary greatly from woman to woman [2]. Early menopause has been defined when it occurs between 40 […]

A comparison between the anti-Mullerian hormone and ovarian ultrasound for diagnosing polycystic ovary syndrome: A systematic review

Abbreviations Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) Follicle Number Per Ovary (FNPO) Hyperandrogenism (HA) Oligo-Anovulation (OA) Polycystic ovarian morphology (PCOM) National Institute of Health (NIH) Androgen Excess and Polycystic Ovary syndrome societies (AE-PCOS) European society of human reproduction and embryology (ESHRE) American society of reproductive medicine (ASRM) Ovarian volume (OV) Transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) Antral follicle […]

Impact of low and ultra-low dose estradiol and dydrogesterone on health-related quality of life of postmenopausal women: outcomes from two Phase 3 studies

Introduction Vasomotor symptoms such as hot flushes and night sweats are often considered the cardinal symptoms of menopause and have a substantial detrimental effect on women’s health-related quality of life [1-6]. The high proportion of women who experience perimenopausal vasomotor symptoms worldwide highlights the need for effective, well-tolerated treatments. Estrogen-based menopausal hormone therapy is the […]

Combined oral hormonal contraception – an update

Introduction In the dynamic landscape of reproductive health, combined oral hormonal contraception (COC) continues to be a pivotal area of research and development. This paper provides a timely and comprehensive overview of well-known facts and recent advancements in COC, aiming to summarize the latest findings, address challenges and highlight potential pitfalls. Estrogens in oral combined […]

Menopausal hormone therapy and breast cancer risk: 21 years from the WHI clinical studies

Introduction Every now and then, the controversy rises again, inexhaustible, on whether menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) increases the relative risk (RR) of suffering from breast cancer (BC). It is an old idea that has often been disproved, and it is still brought up in scientific journals with the consequent social alarm and the consecutive maladjustment […]

Contraceptives: their needs, utilization, and efficacy in the various areas of the world

Introduction The availability of modern methods of contraception has been described as the “first reproductive revolution” in the history of humanity. Indeed, the availability and widespread use of modern contraceptive modalities represents more than a technical advance: it constitutes a true “social revolution” that greatly contributed to changing the future of the human race [1]. […]

An Overview of Current Contraceptive Modalities and Historical Perspectives: A Review

Introduction Current contraceptive methods, namely those based on hormonal contraception, really came to prominence in the 1960s, after Gregory Pincus and his colleagues published the first clinical trials in women on norethisterone and norethindrone, used to inhibit ovulation [1]. Contraceptive methods are commonly categorized as natural, barrier methods, short-acting hormonal forms of contraception, long-acting reversible […]

The use of opioids in post-caesarean delivery pain management: A systematic review of quality improvement studies

Introduction Caesarean section (CS) delivery rates have risen dramatically worldwide over the last three decades [1]. In Canada, there has been a 50.8% increase between 1997 and 2016.  In 2019, 288.80 per 1,000 live births (28.8%) were performed via caesarean delivery [1]. As surgical procedure rates increase and CS become one of the most common […]

Menopause and the effects of Hormone Replacement Therapy on skin aging: A Short Review

Introduction Skin senescent changes are caused by reduced collagen, elasticity and decreased total body water content. The magnitude of these changes is directly proportional to increasing age. However, there is an increasing body of evidence that suggest that skin aging changes are directly correlated to menopausal age rather than chronological age, implying estrogen deficiency as […]

Role of mitochondria and redox state in sperm and oocyte health

Introduction In all eukaryote cells, mitochondria are the organelles providing most of the energy used by these cells and are therefore also called the “powerhouse of the cells”. In terms of evolutionary biology, these organelles originate either from endosymbiotically living aerobic bacteria or from incorporated factual anaerobic bacteria in archaea [1]. Structurally, mitochondria have two […]

Estrogens and colorectal cancer

Introduction Endocrine-related cancer represents a broad area of major interest when considering the undesirable effect of hormones. This field of cancer with a hormonal background is often associated with common cancers such as breast and endometrial cancers, but also with less frequent neoplasms such as ovarian cancer. Colon cancer, or colorectal cancer to be more […]

Pseudohypoparathyroidism-curious case of oligomenorrhoea and obesity

Introduction In 1942, Fuller Albright et al. described a disorder characterized by end-organ resistance to parathyroid hormone (PTH) resulting in increased serum PTH levels, hypocalcemia and hyperphosphatemia. The condition was named ‘pseudohypoparathyroidism’ (PHP) given that the PTH was elevated in the face of low calcium and high phosphorus levels [1]. These patients had specific somatic […]

Recurring perineal endometriosis in a patient with von Willebrand disease

Introduction Endometriosis is a prevalent condition which occurs in an estimated 1 out of 10 women during their reproductive lifespan [1]. Worldwide, this translates to 190 million women with endometriosis. The most commonly occurring symptom is dysmenorrhea, but clinical presentation and disease severity vary widely [1].  Endometriosis usually involves the pelvic organs including the peritoneum, […]

In-utero radiofrequency radiation exposure from cellular telephones leads to growth restriction and permanent cognitive deficits in mice

Introduction The demand for up-to-date information in the palm of our hand and the exponential advancement of technology within the last decade has caused the modern world to become dependent on cellular telephones, specifically smart phones. As of 2020, 97% of Americans owned a cellular telephone and 85% of Americans owned a smartphone [1]. Nearly […]

Does detection of hysteroscopic fluid in the pouch of Douglas increase the accuracy of the hysteroscopic bubble technique for bilateral Fallopian tube occlusion? A retrospective cohort study

Introduction Hysteroscopy, a frequently used tool in the diagnosis of infertility [1,2], is safe and easy to perform. Nonetheless, it is an invasive procedure, even when performed in an outpatient setting [1,2]. Thus, one should get the maximum informative output [3]. In the last decade, several methods for the evaluation of Fallopian tube patency using […]

From pregnancy to menopause: relevance of the reproductive fil rouge for cardiometabolic health

Introduction During the last decades, a growing body of evidence has pointed to the need of focusing on cardio-metabolic health with a sex and gender-oriented approach, in order to reduce the burden of cardiovascular diseases (CVD), which are the leading cause of mortality in both men and women worldwide [1]. The misconception that CVD affect […]

Case report of a multimorbid Serbian transmale person with fatal outcome

Case report A 39-year-old transmale person was referred by his mental health practitioner (MHP) for gender-affirmative hormonal treatment (GAHT) after the diagnosis of gender incongruence was made according the DSM-V criteria. On admission a healthy sportive and clinically unnoticeable person with a female phenotype was seen. Body mass index (BMI) was 27 kg/m2 and smoking […]

Metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance and menopause: the changes in body structure and the therapeutic approach

Introduction When discussing about the metabolic syndrome (MS), many specialists agree that it is has numerous causes; the most important of which is insulin resistance [1]. MS is defined according to specific criteria that are summarized in Table 1. As it can be easily argued, central obesity is the main common criteria among the presented […]

Contraceptive methods for men: an unmet need

1. Introduction 1.1 Male contraceptive methods: an unmet need Currently, nearly half of all pregnancies globally are unintended, totaling 121 million each year. In the United States, about 45% of pregnancies are unintended. Specifically, 27% of all pregnancies were “unscheduled” and 18% of pregnancies were “unwanted” according to a Guttmacher institute survey [1]. A large […]

Bone in women with premature ovarian insufficiency: a review

1. Premature ovarian insufficiency: diagnosis, characteristics, and clinical features Premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) presents a complex challenge for both clinicians and patients. This condition is characterized by the absence of menstruation before the age of 40 [1]. The ovarian function gradually decreases, leading to its eventual cessation, which manifests in both morphological changes in the […]

The association between adenomyosis and infertility

Introduction Myomas, endometriosis, adenomyosis are gynecological disorders that may cause decreased fertility, either individually or as a group.  Namely the prevalence of adenomyosis may reach 90% in the subset of women with endometriosis younger than 36 [1-4]. A causal relation between adenomyosis and life-long primary infertility has been documented, even when cases of coexisting endometriosis […]

New challenges in treatments for menopausal symptoms in breast cancer survivors

Introduction Breast cancer (BC) represents the most frequent endocrine-related tumor with a global incidence of 24.5% and a mortality rate of 15.5%. An estimated 20-25% of new diagnoses occur in premenopausal women [1]. Progress in early diagnosis and in the development of new lines of therapy has improved disease-free survival but at the same time […]

Obstetrics and Gynecology in Third Reich concentration camps: a never-ending nightmare

Introduction Terrible crimes against humanity were committed during World War II. The murder of more than 1.5 million children was justified by the Nazis, to prevent “(…) the avengers, in the form of children, grow up and confront our children and grandchildren (…)”. The extermination was carried out with a policy of abortions and infanticide […]

Statement on transdermal contraception as an underused option for unmet needs in contraception: the importance of structured counselling

Introduction Evra® (Gedeon Richter Plc., Budapest, Hungary), introduced nearly 20 years ago, was the first transdermal contraceptive patch designed to deliver two hormones. The Evra® patch has high contraceptive efficacy with an overall Pearl Index of 0.90 (95% CI, 0.44–1.35) 1. Studies have shown that the use of  the Evra® patch is associated with improved […]