The following highlights recently released journal articles on women's health issues.
Abstinence, American Journal of Sociology: Teenagers who have sexual intercourse for the first time after age 15 are less likely to develop depression or low-self esteem than those ages 15 or younger, according to research published in the Thursday issue of the American Journal of Sociology, USA Today reports. Ann Meier, an assistant professor of sociology at the University of Minnesota, used data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health of 8,563 students in grades seven through 12 during the mid-1990s. Meier used the data to compare mental health measures among teenagers who reported being virgins during the study period with those had sex for the first time during the study period. She found that girls under age 15 and boys under age 14 were more vulnerable to depression after having sex for the first time. "Among those who had sex, only about 14% experienced increases in depression or decreases in self esteem," Meier said, adding, "In terms of depression, these are relatively modest increases." According to Meier, for 86% of study participants who had sex, sex had "no big effect" (Jayson, USA Today, 5/29).

"Vaginoplasty Using Autologous In Vitro Cultured Vaginal Tissue in a Patient With Mayer-von-Rokitansky-Kuster-Hauser Syndrome," Human Reproduction: Cinzia Marchese of Rome's Policlinico Umberto I Hospital and colleagues reported on results of an operation of a 28-year-old woman born with MRKHS, a rare congenital reproductive abnormality in which woman are born with no vagina, Reuters reports. According to Marchese, researchers removed cells by biopsy from the area where the vagina should develop and applied an enzyme to the removed tissue so it could develop into stem cells. The stem cells then were used to develop mucosal tissue. Marchese said it took about 15 days to grow a thick enough layer to transplant in the 28-year-old woman and another 17-year-old girl who underwent the operation on Tuesday. Marchese said the 28-year-old woman, who had the surgery one year ago, now has a healthy vagina. According to Reuters, the MRKHS affects about one in 4,000 to 5,000 female infants. Girls with the syndrome often have a normal uterus, ovaries and external secondary sexual organs, but because they do not have a vagina, they cannot have sexual intercourse or give birth. Previously, surgeons have treated the condition with a surgery involving reconstructing the vagina out of grafted skin or intestinal tissue, but the procedure is invasive, lengthy and painful, Reuters reports (Reuters, 5/30).

"Effect of Prophylactic Human Papillomavirus L1 Virus-Like-Particle Vaccine on Risk of Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia Grade 2, Grade 3, and Adenocarcinoma in Situ: a Combined Analysis of Four Randomized Clinical Trials," Lancet: Kevin Ault of Emory University and colleagues examined data from four clinical trials of Merck's HPV vaccine Gardasil that collectively enrolled more than 20,000 women, AFX/Forbes reports (AFX/Forbes, 6/1). Researchers found that after three years follow-up, the vaccine was 99% effective at preventing cervical cancer among women who tested negative for HPV strains 16 and 18 at the time of enrollment and 44% effective among women infected with HPV strain 16 or 18 (Ault et al., Lancet, 6/2). The researchers concluded that vaccinating both sexually active women and those who have not had sex with Gardasil could significantly reduce incidence of cervical cancer and precancers. Follow-up in the larger trials would be required to establish the efficacy period of the vaccine, according to researchers (AFX/Forbes, 6/1).

"Burch Colposuspension versus Fascial Sling to Reduce Urinary Stress Incontinence," New England Journal of Medicine: Michael Albo, co-director of the Women's Pelvic Medicine Center at the University of California-San Diego, and colleagues enrolled 655 women at nine research centers who randomly received either fascial sling procedures, in which a surgeon extracts a small piece of excess tissue from the abdominal wall to creates a sling to close the urethra, or Burch colposuspension procedures, in which a surgeon stitches tissue around the urethra to one of the pelvic ligaments. Researchers tracked 520 of the women for two years. The NIH-funded study found that fascial sling procedures eliminated symptoms of urinary incontinence 47% of the time, compared with 38% for the Burch colposuspension procedures (Clark, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5/22). The study found that about 63% of women who underwent fascial sling procedures developed urinary tract infections, compared with 47% of those who underwent Burch colposuspension procedures. In addition, the study found that about 14% of women who underwent fascial sling procedures experienced urination problems, compared with 2% of those who underwent Burch colposuspension procedures (Collins, Deseret Morning News, 5/21).

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