Browse OB/GYN Clinical Alert Articles by Topic

What Are Period Pills?

In this national survey of almost 7,000 people aged 15 to 49 years who were assigned female sex at birth, conducted between December 2021 and January 2022, one-quarter of participants (24%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 22%, 25%) stated that they would personally use period pills and about half of the respondents (52%; 95% CI, 50%, 53%) were in favor of the availability of period pills.

Intrauterine Hemorrhage-Control Devices for Postpartum Hemorrhage

This multicenter, prospective, observational study comparing intrauterine balloon tamponade vs. vacuum-induced devices for postpartum hemorrhage demonstrated no difference in blood loss after device placement (median quantitative blood loss, 194 mL balloon vs. 240 mL vacuum; P = 0.40), need for blood transfusion (59.7% balloon vs. 50.0% vacuum; P = 0.08), need for more than three units of packed red blood cells (27.0% balloon vs. 24.9% vacuum; P = 0.53), or device failure (7.7% balloon vs. 8.5% vacuum; P = 0.70).

Update on Early Pregnancy Loss Management

Early pregnancy loss affects 15% to 20% of pregnancies and typically is diagnosed via ultrasound. Management options — expectant, medical, or procedural — should be tailored to patient preference. For medical management, mifepristone combined with misoprostol offers the highest success. Routine Rh testing before 12 weeks is no longer broadly recommended. Shared decision-making and access to effective medications remain critical.

Which Method Is Best for Assessing Fetal Well-Being During Labor?

Although this study began as a randomized controlled trial and did not show a statistically significant difference between groups for the primary outcome, pooled analysis via a meta-analysis incorporating prior pilot data suggested a potential reduction in cesarean delivery with digital fetal scalp stimulation (dFSS) compared to fetal scalp blood sampling. Secondary maternal and neonatal outcomes were similar between the two groups, both procedures were well-tolerated, and clinicians showed a clear preference for dFSS.

Lymphedema Risk After Pelvic Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy in Endometrial Cancer

This prospective longitudinal cohort study in Denmark of women with low-grade endometrial cancer undergoing sentinel lymph node mapping during surgical staging demonstrated a statistically significant mean change in patient-reported outcome lymphedema scores from prior to surgery (5.0; 95% confidence interval, 3.3 to 6.8). However, the change did not meet preset thresholds for clinical importance (8.0 points). The study did identify body mass index (P = 0.01) and preoperative leg swelling (P < 0.01) as risk factors for lymphedema and demonstrated that this complication negatively affects several quality-of-life domains.

Assessing the Availability of Procedural, Later Abortion Services Pre- and Post-Dobbs

From 2021 to 2023, the number of publicly advertising procedural abortion facilities in the United States decreased 11%. Of those that persisted, 28% of facilities decreased their gestational age limits and 21% increased their gestational age limits.

Antibiotics for Asymptomatic Bacteriuria: Using Urinalysis to Improve Stewardship

A cohort study found that in patients receiving antibiotics for a urinary tract infection, a urinalysis with pyuria and/or nitrituria identified 40% more cases of unnecessary antibiotic use compared to asymptomatic bacteriuria.

Addressing the Recurrence of Bacterial Vaginosis: The Emerging Role of Male-Partner Therapy

This open-label, randomized controlled trial involving 164 monogamous heterosexual couples demonstrated that for women diagnosed with bacterial vaginosis (BV), concurrent male partner treatment with a combination of oral metronidazole and topical clindamycin resulted in an 43% absolute risk reduction in BV recurrence at 12 weeks, representing a hazard ratio of 0.37 (95% confidence interval, 0.22 to 0.61).

Vasectomy Follow-Up Rates: How Good Are They?

In this retrospective cohort study of 2,567 patients at a single institution, 42.1% of men did not follow up at all after vasectomy for semen analysis. Of those with spermatozoa on the initial testing post-vasectomy, 43.3% of men failed to return for repeat testing.

Adolescent Pregnancy

Adolescent pregnancy is shaped by socioeconomic disadvantage, rural residence, early marriage, history of abuse, and limited contraceptive access. These factors increase the risk for anemia, stillbirth, preeclampsia, preterm birth, and low birthweight in adolescent mothers. Meaningful reduction requires coordinated, multisectoral action, with targeted educational and reproductive health interventions focused on adolescents.