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Biomedical subjects

H Leridon

Publications and source records attributed to H Leridon.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Analysis of the underestimation of induced abortions in a survey of the general population in France.

INTRODUCTION: A pilot study has been conducted in France to estimate the extent of underreporting of induced abortion and the factors linked to underreporting. METHODS: A representative random sample of 300 women aged between 18 and 44 years of age who had been pregnant during the previous 2 years and 100 women who had not was selected from the telephone directory. Interviews were conducted by telephone. RESULTS: The annual incidence of induced abortion for the 18-44-year-old age group was 6.9 per 1000 (95% confidence interval 2.2-11.6), while the rate derived from national statistics was 15 per 1000. Five women who reported a therapeutic abortion in their lifetime had confused induced abortion and therapeutic abortion. There was no significant difference in the proportion of women reporting induced abortion in their lifetime between those answering with another adult present and those who were alone when answering (13.1% versus 11.1%, p = 0.8). There was also no significant difference according to the sex of the interviewer (10.0% for men versus 12.2% for women, p = 0.6). CONCLUSION: The results suggest that the context in which the questions were asked does not affect the validity of the answers and that there is a problem in the comprehension of the terminology used. Extensive rewriting and reformulation of the questions is required to minimize the underreporting of induced abortion.

Abortion, Induced↗

[Evolution of the member population of the French Academy of Medicine].

This survey includes all the 843 members of the French Academy of Medicine elected over the last 150 years (1850-1999). Various variables are analysed, namely the age at election, the length of life and the duration of membership. The main trends observed during the 20th century are the following. 1. A regular increase in the length of life (about 20 years), greater than in the overall French population. 2. A rising in the mean age at election until 1970 and a stabilisation afterwards. 3. A steady increase of the mean age of the population of members. Some projections are also developed for the next 25 years, based on various hypotheses: 1. A continuation of the current trends, taking only into account the foreseeable lengthening of life; this makes the difficulties observed during the last two decades becoming more acute; 2. The introduction of new rules such as a decrease in the mean age at election, or the settling of an upper age limit for regular membership (giving access to an Emeritus status). These measures induce a decrease of the mean age of the population, less or more intense. Some of the assumptions may also have a negative effect, by reducing the turnover rate.

Academies and Institutes↗

[30 years of contraception in France].

Modern contraceptive methods have diffused almost continuously over the last 30 years in France. The progress of the pill has been masqued during the recent years by the spread of new treatments of perimenopause, while the use of IUD seems to have reached a ceiling. French couples rely now basically on these two methods for their contraception, and sterilisations remain uncommon. The use of pill is highest among younger women, while IUD is at a maximum between 35 and 45 years. Differences by social status are limited, and the number of unplanned births has decreased dramatically. The relatively high number of abortions, however, shows that the situation is not yet fully satisfactory.

Abortion, Induced↗

[Contraceptive practices in France].

Between 20 and 44 years of age, in France, two women out of three use contraception; 41% use oral contraception, and 16% the IUD; 5% use condoms, and sterilization remains uncommon. Since 1988, when some information was made about the AIDS epidemics, condoms have become widely used, as a temporary method, especially by young people and people not living as a couple; 59% of women and 83% of men aged 20-24 ever used condom, and half of the women who had their first sexual intercourse during the two last years used condoms.

Adult↗

Ultrasonographically guided fine needle aspiration cytology and core-needle biopsy in the diagnosis of breast tumors.

The present study was designed to assess the performance of fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) and core-needle biopsy (CNB) of breast lesions when these procedures are performed under sonographic guidance. The results obtained in 1142 FNAC procedures and 180 CNB procedures were analysed. The study took place in a University Hospital and a private practice clinic. The patients eligible for this study were a series of women, in whom at least one hypoechoic, limited mass was found at breast ultrasonography. Cystic masses were excluded from the study. Each individual mass was investigated using either FNAC or CNB under sonographic guidance. Accuracy characteristics to suspect or diagnose malignant and pre-malignant breast lesions, such as sensitivity and specificity, were calculated. The cytological results were classified into four categories according to standard criteria: benign; atypical and/or suspicious for cancer (hyperplasia with atypia); malignant; and unsatisfactory for diagnosis specimen. Tissue specimens were classified according to the W.H.O. The 1142 lesions submitted to FNAC included 66 invasive carcinomas, 4 intraductal carcinomas, and 4 atypical hyperplasias. FNAC led to 6 false-negative examinations, equally distributed between small (volume < or = 1 cm3), and larger lesions, and 1 false-positive examination. There were 12.9% (147/1142) inadequate smears. Only 3 inadequate samples were obtained in the presence of a discrete pathologic lesion (3/363, or 0.1%). All 3 corresponded to invasive carcinomas. The majority of inadequate samples (144/147, or 98.0%) were obtained in the normal/dystrophic group. Overall, the sensitivity is 92.1%, and the specificity is 84.8%. The 180 lesions submitted to CNB included 31 invasive carcinoma, 5 intraductal carcinomas, and 17 atypical hyperplasias. CNB, in this series, had an accuracy rate of 100%. In conclusion, US guidance increases the accuracy of breast tissue sampling procedures. This is of particular importance as the number of suspicious images to be investigated steadily increases, as the result of mass screening.

Biopsy, Needle↗

[Current status of reproduction control in France].

Fertility declined rapidly in France between 1965 and 1976, mainly because of a decrease in the number of births of parity 3 or more. This change was due to both a decline in the desire for children and to a large reduction in the number of unwanted births. The INED national survey of 1988 showed a rapid spread of medical contraceptive techniques (pill and IUD) since 1965. In the same survey, a significant proportion of women reported difficulties in conceiving: these difficulties resulted in a much longer time-interval before conception; in addition women tended to become more and more impatient in this regard.

Birth Intervals↗

[Not Available].

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Demography↗

[Spontaneous fetal mortality. Role of maternal age, parity and previous abortions].

Analysing the reproductive biographies of samples of women has made it possible to clarify the role of various factors in bringing about a risk of spontaneous fetal death during the reproductive life of the mother. However, attention must be paid to the difficulties in observing the cases and measuring parameters. To make the various features comparable it is necessary to distinguish between apparent intra-uterine mortality (the pregnancy being diagnosed by the woman), recognisable (the pregnancy is diagnosable clinically) and total (from the time of fertilisation). The effect of maternal age is definite and quite independent of parity. Apparent intra-uterine mortality rises from about 120 per 1,000 pregnancies at the age of 20-24 to 200 per 1,000 at 35-39 and 270 per 1,000 at 40-44. If there has been no previous abortion the risks generally are less than 150 per 1,000, but if there has been even one previous abortion they become practically double. This discontinuity can be interpreted as showing the existence of marked changes between women as far as this risk is concerned.

Abortion, Habitual↗

Problems in measuring the effectiveness of infertility therapy.

Couples consulting for infertility are a highly select group, and this makes the evaluation of the effectiveness of a type of therapy difficult. The most obvious selection results from the time they have been unsuccessfully waiting for a conception. Because fecundability is variable from one couple to another, the monthly probability of conceiving after 2 or 3 years of waiting time is low, but the proportion of couples who will conceive within 1 year is still significant and can be predicted. However, in most cases, couples submitted to a specific treatment include hypofertile and totally sterile couples, in unknown proportion. This fact makes difficult the measurement of the effectiveness of therapy, and procedures including control groups should be used. An example of such a process is given.

Female↗