Current Women's Health Reviews - Current Issue

After the injection of the COVID-19 vaccinations, many women around the world have reported abnormalities in their menstrual periods. Hence, the objective of our study was to compare the prevalence of menstrual abnormalities after the COVID-19 vaccine among females residing within two regions (Hamedan and Zahedan) that are different in the length of sunlight in Iran.

The research (cross-sectional study) utilized a questionnaire to evaluate the menstrual status following COVID-19 vaccination. Based on the determined sample size, 170 women were selected, with 85 from Hamadan and 85 from Zahedan (both situated in Iran). Checklists were distributed among women above the age of menarche in both regions who had been vaccinated, were not pregnant or lactating, and did not have a history of primary ovarian insufficiency, hypothalamic menopause, or hysterectomy. The demographic and clinical characteristics were assessed through the questionnaire, which consisted of three parts: demographics, menstrual disorders after vaccination, and length/repetition/quantity of menstruation disorders. Data analyzed using SPSS software at descriptive and inferential levels included frequency, percentage, Chi-Square, and Fisher exact tests, which were used for comparison.

A total of 170 females were included in our study; 85 females were from the Hamedan region, and 85 females were from the Zahedan region. About 57.6% of participants reported menstrual symptoms post-vaccination in the Hamedan region, and around 54.1% of women experienced these disorders in the Zahedan region (P-value 0.643). The frequency of people in the study who had disorders in length was higher in the Hamedan region (P-value 0.208). Also, disorders in the intensity and recurrence of their menstruation were higher in the Hamedan region than in the Zahedan region (P-value 0.054).

This research has demonstrated a potential correlation between the intensity of menstrual disorders experienced by women following the administration of the COVID-19 vaccine and the duration of sun exposure, which impacts the level of vitamin D in the body. Hence, it is crucial to comprehend and substantiate this association as it holds significant value for the well-being of women and, subsequently, the health of future generations.

The present study aimed to compare the effect of two methods on mothers' sleep in the postpartum period.

The postpartum period refers to the first 6 weeks after birth. Some mothers may find it difficult to adapt to the new role, and thus the quality of their life and sleep may be affected.

The objective of the present study was to compare the effect of aromatherapy and mindfulness through social media during the postpartum period on sleep.

This study was a randomized clinical trial study conducted in parallel design involving 3 groups (mindfulness, aromatherapy, and control) with an allocation ratio of 1:1:1. The population consisted of women who had given birth one week before and were in the postpartum period. In the mindfulness group (n=44), counseling was performed via WhatsApp in 8 sessions. The other group was given the lavender essential oil (n=44); the members of this group joined the WhatsApp channel and were shown how to use the essential oil (two drops on a napkin every other night before bed for 2 months). The control group (n=44) received routine postpartum care via WhatsApp. The quality of sleep was assessed at the beginning of the study and 8 weeks after starting the intervention.

After the intervention, sleep quality was examined at 10.39 ± 3.46, 10.77 ± 3.72, and 8.82 ± 3.47 in the control, mindfulness, and aromatherapy groups, respectively (p=0.027). A difference was found between the mindfulness group and the aromatherapy group after 8 weeks (p=0.03).

The results of the present study have indicated the important role of complementary medicine as aromatherapy in improving sleep quality with no side effects.

IRCT 2022 0706055397N1.

The Herlyn-Werner-Wunderlich (HWW) syndrome is a very rare congenital anomaly of the Mullerian duct and Wolffian duct with three symptoms of uterus: didelphys, obstructed hemivagina, and ipsilateral renal agenesis. In this syndrome, hydrometrocolpos or hematocolpometra, which are clinically equivalent to colpatresia, causes mass and pain.

This case reports a case of HWW syndrome with a left adnexal mass suspected as a tubo-ovarian abscess found on an abdominal CT image in a 12-year-old female patient who visited our hospital with the main complaint of lower abdominal pain and fever.

A patient with HWW syndrome may be admitted to the emergency room with abdominal pain, though it is a rare case. This syndrome is manifested as abdominal pain and a mass due to hematocolpometra, mainly in women after puberty. For an adolescent female with ipsilateral renal agenesis accompanied by abdominal pain and mass, the diagnostic imaging test may be performed, considering HWW syndrome and precise surgical treatment should be planned.

During pregnancy, hormonal and physiological changes can affect the abdominal muscles. Diastasis rectus abdominis can often be detected during pregnancy and the postpartum period.

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of kinesio taping on rectus abdominis diastasis in the postpartum period.

In this study, all published RCTs and quasi-RCT studies related to the studied title were searched and evaluated by considering the PICO method in PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus until September 2022. Meta-analysis was performed using Review Manager 5.3 statistical software. Initially, 146 articles were analyzed, and after duplicates had been removed, 109 articles were available for evaluation. Finally, seven studies were included in the meta-analysis.

The outcome of the meta-analysis showed a statistically significant difference in improving intra rectus Diastasis above the umbilical (MD: -0.24 (95% CI: -0.33, -0.16; P < 0.00001, I² = 89%), but at the level and below the umbilical, the results were not significant. In this study, the results of this meta-analysis using the random effects model showed a statistically significant difference between the intervention group receiving kinesio taping and the control group (MD: -0.51; 95%) regarding physical disability due to back pain. CI: -1.86, -1.16, P = 0.00001, I2 = 0%.

Kinesio taping alone or in combination with exercise improves DRA (more significant above the umbilicus), physical disability due to low back, and decreased abdominal circumference size in postpartum better than other methods.

The enduring COVID-19 pandemic has implications for the sexual well-being of diverse populations, notably women. This worldwide emergency persists in affecting daily routines of individuals, as research indicates that alterations in lifestyle and imposed limitations are linked to mental health challenges.

The objective of this research is to examine the interpersonal dynamics of couples and the sexual well-being of women in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This cross-sectional research involved 395 female participants who utilized Google Forms to complete online questionnaires in Iran from November 2022 to December 2022. The data collection instruments comprised the Sexual Quality of Life-Female (SQOL-F) questionnaire, Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS), Relationship Rating Scale (RAS), and Fear of COVID-19 Scale. Statistical analyses employed in the study included independent t-test, one-way ANOVA, Tukey post hoc test, and Univariate and Multiple linear regression.

The average age of female participants in the study was 31.97 years, with a standard deviation of 9.04. The mean scores for sexual quality of life among women were 64.82 with a standard deviation of 11.93, 18.28 with a standard deviation of 4.48 for DASS, 22.48 with a standard deviation of 4.30 for RAS, and 12.88 with a standard deviation of 3.93 for fear of COVID-19 scale. Univariate linear regression analysis indicated a significant association between the quality of sexual life and fear of COVID-19 (P = 0.001), DASS (P = 0.001), and RAS (P = 0.007). The study found a noteworthy and negative impact of fear related to COVID-19 and DASS on the sexual quality of life of women (P < 0.05).

The anxiety stemming from the COVID-19 outbreak seems to have repercussions on the dynamics of romantic partnerships and the sexual well-being of women. Furthermore, the pandemic is associated with heightened levels of anxiety, stress, and depression. It is recommended that further research be undertaken to explore the mental health of women and its implications on their sexual experiences in the aftermath of the COVID-19 crisis.

An increasing incidence of breast cancer (BC) among young women aged<40 and also a growing pattern of delay in childbearing decision-making among couples in developed and developing countries leads to considerable concerns regarding the possibility of pregnancy for young BC survivors without children. These women may have had different experiences and needs during pregnancy, which were not assessed in previous studies.

This study was carried out to explore the experiences of pregnancy and perceived needs through the lens of Iranian BC survivors.

In this qualitative conventional content analysis, sixteen BC survivors at two referral centers in Sari, Mazandaran, Northern Iran, were selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews, and the content analysis of the interviews was carried out according to Graneheim and Landman's strategies using MAXQDA 2018 software.

The participant's age mean ± standard deviation was 31.94 ± 3.90 years, and also, the age of participants at BC diagnosis time ranged from 20-33 years (mean ± SD= 25.81 ± 3.50 years). 14 out of 16 participants had one pregnancy after cancer treatment, one survivor had two, and one had three pregnancies experienced after surviving. The result of data analysis led to the extraction of six main categories, including “pregnancy and childbirth problems”, ” mental health problems,” “social problems”, “marital instability”, “need to support,” “need to resort to spirituality,” and 13 subcategories.

The results of this study provide significant information regarding the experiences and needs of BC survivors during pregnancy. As pregnancy considered as a stressful occurrence in women's life especially in BC survivors, attention to their concerns and needs is an important issue which should be addressed. These women need to a special attention and follow up during pregnancy by their midwife or gynecologist. In addition, promoting the healthcare providers' information regarding the pregnancy consequences among these women is vital to providing high-quality maternal care to them.

Menopause can cause a variety of unpleasant symptoms, such as hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings, and sleep disturbances. Although hormone replacement therapy is frequently utilized to help manage these issues, long-term use of this treatment approach carries certain potential risks.

This study aims to examine the effects of foot reflexology, a type of massage therapy that focuses on applying pressure to specific reflex points on the feet, on menopausal symptoms (primary outcome) and anxiety, fatigue, and depression (secondary outcomes).

A systematic electronic search for relevant studies was conducted in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library, SID, Magiran, and Google Scholar until September 21, 2023. In addition to the electronic database searches, manual searches were also performed. This manual search process included scanning the reference lists of the included studies and hand-searching key journals in the topic area. The risk of bias was assessed via the RoB 2.0 and ROBIN-I tools. Heterogeneity was evaluated via the I² statistic, and in cases of high heterogeneity, a random effects model was used instead of a fixed effects model. Subgroup analyses were performed for the primary outcome on the basis of menopausal symptoms (vasomotor/psychosocial/physical/sexual). The certainty of evidence was assessed via the GRADE approach.

A total of 186 articles were retrieved from database searches, and an additional 9 articles were identified through manual searches. Ultimately, 8 studies were included in the systematic review, and 6 studies were included in the meta-analysis. The meta-analysis revealed that foot reflexology had a significant effect on menopausal symptoms, with an average reduction of 3.41 points on the associated measurement scale (95% confidence interval (CI): -4.81 to -2.01; low-certainty evidence). It also significantly reduced fatigue, with an average reduction of 5.84 points (95% CI: -11.61 to -0.06; very low-certainty evidence). However, there was no significant impact on anxiety (SMD: -0.89, 95% CI: -1.96 to 0.18; very low-certainty evidence) or depression (SMD: -0.73, 95% CI: -1.80 to 0.34; very low-certainty evidence) compared with the control group.

The present study demonstrated that the use of foot reflexology as a nonhormonal and noninvasive intervention led to a significant reduction in menopausal symptoms and fatigue among women. Given the limited number of studies available in this area and the low to very low-level certainty of the evidence for the desired outcomes, further research with appropriate methodologies to ensure accurate conclusions in this field is strongly recommended.

Sexual myths are mainly devoid of any substantial evidence and are passed on by word of mouth. Myths about sexuality may thus diminish the quality of sexual activities, cause sexual dysfunctions, including erectile dysfunction (impotence), vaginismus, difficulty reaching an orgasm, and premature ejaculation, and make individuals feel dread, anxiety, and failure or inadequacy, which can have adverse effects on their sexual identity.

This study investigated the factors affecting sexual myths in women and men based on the biopsychosocial model.

In this scoping review, the research databases of PubMed, Google Scholar, Magiran, PsycINFO, IranDoc, Ovid, ProQuest, Scientific Information Database (SID), and the Cochrane Library were systematically searched. For this purpose, a systematic search was conducted to retrieve the relevant articles from November 3 to 21, 2023, using the keywords of “sexual myth, sexual beliefs, wrong beliefs, dysfunctional sexual beliefs, sexuality, opinions, and associated factors.” The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) further evaluated the quality of the included studies. The data were then extracted from all the articles that met the eligibility criteria based on the study objectives.

In total, 12 articles were reviewed, whose data were grouped into three general categories, viz., (i) biological factors (i.e., age and gender), (ii) psychological factors (that is, sexual dysfunction, political opinions, opinions on virginity), and (iii) social factors (namely, educational attainment, occupation, place of residence, marital status, type of marriage, age at marriage, premarital sexual experience, parents’ educational attainment, spouse’s educational attainment, number of children, parent’s employment status, spouse’s occupation, primary source of information about sex and feelings about sexual conversations, information about sexual life, academic department, sexual health assessment, and religious beliefs).

Biopsychosocial factors could significantly affect sexual myths; therefore, considering their mediating role in providing sex education to women and men is crucial.