Browse OB/GYN Clinical Alert Articles by Topic

New Guidelines for HPV Testing of Self-Collected Vaginal Specimens for Cervical Cancer Screening

This article outlines national consensus guidelines for the use of human papillomavirus (HPV) testing of self-collected vaginal specimens for cervical cancer screening.

Opportunistic Salpingectomy in Patients with High-Grade Serous Ovarian Carcinoma

Of 650 patients diagnosed with high-grade serous ovarian cancer between 2014 and 2021, 56.5% underwent a prior abdominal or pelvic surgery with opportunity to undergo risk-reducing opportunistic salpingectomy with a median time between ovarian cancer diagnosis and prior surgery of 30.0 years (interquartile range, 19.4 to 37.7 years).

The Role of Doula Support in Reducing Cesarean Delivery Rates

Professional intrapartum doula support is associated with a clinically meaningful reduction in cesarean deliveries and operative vaginal births without adverse effects on neonatal Apgar scores. Although heterogeneity and possible publication bias temper certainty, the consistency of benefit across randomized controlled trials and high-quality observational studies supports doulas as a promising and focused strategy to improve intrapartum outcomes.

The Effect of Criminalizing Illicit Drug Use in Pregnancy

In this observational study of three states, punitive prenatal drug use policies were associated with 4,396.29 fewer births per 100,000 patients receiving any prenatal care (95% confidence interval [CI], -6,176.07, -2,616.51) and 1,847.99 fewer facility-based deliveries (95% CI, -3,688.29, -7.69).

Long-Term Outcomes of Peripartum Cardiomyopathy

A large, prospective, observational study from Israel of peripartum cardiomyopathy has shown that, in general, outcomes are favorable, with high rates of left ventricular function recovery that remain stable and with no mortality but also that show high rates of cardiovascular comorbidities during long-term follow-up.

Fertility-Sparing vs. Surgical Treatment for Stage I Endometrial Cancer

This retrospective cohort study using the National Cancer Database demonstrated similar overall survival between fertility-sparing treatment and hysterectomy for patients younger than 40 years of age with clinical stage 1, low-grade endometrial cancer (hazard ratio [HR], 1.00; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.50-2.00) but an increased mortality risk for patients aged 40-49 years receiving fertility-sparing treatment (HR, 4.94; 95% CI, 1.89-12.91).

Spironolactone for the Treatment of Acne Vulgaris

In this meta-analysis of 563 patients from five randomized controlled trials, objective assessment of acne improvement was higher in the spironolactone group compared to the placebo group (odds ratio, 6.59; 95% confidence interval, 3.50-12.43).

Acetaminophen Use During Pregnancy and Neurodevelopmental Disorders

The synthesized evidence on prenatal acetaminophen exposure and neurodevelopmental outcomes highlights modest and inconsistent associations and emphasizes that causality remains unproven because of confounding and measurement biases. The authors conclude that, consistent with American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine guidance, acetaminophen remains appropriate in pregnancy when clinically indicated.

The Proton Pump Inhibitor Use and Hypertension Link in Menopausal Women

In a large study, long-term use of proton pump inhibitors in menopausal women was associated with an increased risk of developing hypertension.

Comparison of the Mini and Standard Copper IUD

This Phase III randomized clinical trial demonstrated a three-year cumulative pregnancy rate of 4.8% (95% confidence interval, 2.75 to 6.86) for the NTCu380 mini intrauterine device (IUD), with similar discontinuation rates between the mini copper IUD and the TCu380A standard copper IUD (51.3% vs. 57.3%, P = 0.07), but fewer discontinuations for bleeding and pain for the mini copper IUD (14.5% vs. 27.3%, P < 0.001).