Menstrual age

Approximately 280 days (about 40 weeks or 9 months) constitute the duration of a pregnancy this time period extends from the first day of the last menstrual period to birth. Gestational age or menstrual age refers to the age of the embryo or fetus beginning with the first day of the last menstrual period, which is about 2 weeks prior to fertilization. To calculate an approximate pregnancy due date, the clinician adds 7 days to the first day of the last menstrual period and subtracts 3 months. ... 

The same tests were applied to 29 women of menstrual age, 4 with persisting menstruation and 25 with amenorrhea. 

Fig. 1. E)strogen activity during recovery in several women of menstrual age. Time in weeks is represented along the abscissa. The ordinates correspond to the degree of vaginal response (Grades I to IV) or to Urinary Estrogen Excretion expressed in mouse units.

Fig. 2. Pituitary gonadotropin excretion during recovery from malnutrition in women of menstrual age. Each line graph represents a different case. Time in weeks after admission to the hospital is represented along the abscissa. Gonadotropin excretion in mouse units per 24 hours is expressed along the ordinates.

A decrease in axillary hair is perhaps the manifestation most clearly dependent on adrenal function in females and, to a lesser degree, in males (Albright, 1947). Such a decrease was observed in 77% of male patients, in 96% of menopausal women, and in 89% of women in menstrual age. These incidence figures agree roughly with the frequency of lowered 17-ketosteroid excretion observed. 

This drug may cause spontaneous abortion. Women of childbearing age must use a reliable contraceptive If pregnancy is suspected, discontinue use of tiie drug and notify the primary health care provider. Report severe menstrual pain, bleeding, or spotting. 

Positive urine human chorionic gonadotropin followed by positive ultrasound, fetal heart sounds, and/or fetal movement. Pregnancy Dating and Gestational Age Calculated from the first day of the last menstrual period. 

Problems related to the menstrual cycle are exceedingly common in women of reproductive age. The issues considered in this chapter are the most frequently encountered menstrual-related difficulties and include amenorrhea, menorrhagia,... 

TP, a 22 year-old woman, presents to your office for a routine gynecologic examination. She entered menarche at the age of 12. Her last menstrual period was 3 months ago. Her periods are often irregular and occur about every 2 to 3 months. She has had all normal Pap smears in the past and no history of sexually transmitted infections. She is currently in a monogamous relationship with a male partner. She has had a total of four sexual partners. She is not taking oral contraceptives and does not routinely use condoms. She has never been pregnant in the past, but she plans on starting a family in the near future. As you examine the patient, you note facial and chest acne, increased facial and abdominal hair, and obesity. 

A number of endocrine factors have been linked to the incidence of breast cancer.5,6 Many of these relate to the total duration of menstrual life. Early menarche (prior to age 12) and late menopause (after age 55) increase a women s breast cancer risk. Similarly, investigators have reported that bilateral oophorectomy prior to age 35 reduces the relative risk of developing breast cancer. Nulliparity and a late age at first birth (greater than or equal to 30 years) have been reported to increase the lifetime risk of developing breast cancer twofold. 

Menarche The onset of menstrual periods, usually occurring between the ages of 10 and 17. 

After a lipid abnormality is confirmed, major components of the evaluation are the history (including age, gender, and, if female, menstrual and estrogen replacement status), physical examination, and laboratory investigations. 

Uterine leiomyomas, or fibroids, are the most common type of solid tumors in adult women, clinically apparent in at least 25% of those of reproductive age [24-26]. Abnormal menstrual bleeding, pelvic pain, and infertility are the most commonly experienced symptoms in these women. Uterine fibroids are the leading cause of hysterectomies performed in the United States, accounting for over 200,000 of these procedures each year. Other invasive surgical interventions for the treatment of uterine fibroids include myomectomy and uterine artery embolization. Leiomyomas are estrogen-responsive tumors that can be treated... 

The menopause is the period after the final menstrual period which occurs normally at about the age of 50. It is estimated that by the year 2030, more than 20% of the population in the USA will be over 65 and a high proportion will be women who will be menopausal. Clinical problems associated with the menopause will then be of even greater concern for the health services. 

These correlation studies stimulated experiments to identify the active chemical cues. Russell etal. (1980) rubbed underarm perspiration from a single woman onto the upper lip of five women aged 19-39 years. After 5 months, the odor-exposed women differed from one another in their onset of the menstrual cycle by 3.4 days, on average, compared with 9.2 days in the control group. Before the experiment, the mean differences had been 9.3 and 8.0 days, respectively. The volunteers were aware of the purpose of the experiment. 

For the treatment of panic disorder, the starting adult dose is 0.25 mg twice a day, which may be increased by one mg daily after three days. Clonazepam s safety and effectiveness has not been determined for individuals under the age of 18. Side effects in the treatment of panic disorders are similar to many of the benzodiazepines, and include allergic reaction, inflamed sinuses or nasal passages, flu, menstrual problems, respiratory infection, speech problems, and vaginal inflammation. 

Even in people with the same diagnosis and the same inclusion and exclusion criteria, there are different treatment responses based on individual variability. The most important individual variables are probably sex and age. It is unfortunate that even though affective disorders and some anxiety disorders are more prevalent in women than in men, until recently results of clinical trials did not take into consideration sex differences and variables unique to women [e.g., reproductive status and menstrual cycle]. As is demonstrated by Yonkers et al. [see Chapter 5, in this volume], there are substantial sex differences in the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of most antidepressants and anxiolytics, which influence treatment response. Attention to these variables will indeed improve the efficacy of treatment. 

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