TGmeds

The Council of Europe - 23rd Colloquy on European Law - 14-16 April, 1993.

Transsexualism, medicine and law

Closing speech by Professor L.J.G. Gooren, University Hospital, Amsterdam.

The transcript of this speech (delivered to an international audience of government representatives, lawyers, doctors and transsexuals at the end of the three …

Our understanding of vitamins has come a long way in the two centuries since an English naval doctor showed that adding citrus fruit to sailor's diets could prevent scurvy.

What are vitamins?

The word vitamin is derived from the term 'vital amine', given to vitamins by the scientists who discovered …

Summary

The use of vitamin and mineral supplements is growing rapidly. This article describes the effects of common supplements and asserts that for most people they are an unnecessary waste of money. However, they can be a useful adjunct to the diet for certain vulnerable groups.

Dietary supplements are big …

So, you are planning your surgery. You have your reservations, your tickets, your suitcase, etc, etc. But what about when you get home? This information was gathered primarily to help get you through the rough times after surgery. What you are going through will not be easy, but you have …

Genetics have been hitting the headlines in 2000 with news that insurance companies are likely to be given rights to ask prospective clients about genetic tests, and in February 2001 revealing findings about the human genetic map.

Doctors and scientists believe genetics - testing and altering genes - creates huge medical possibilities …

Introduction

This article reviews the literature relating to healthcare provision for lesbians. The author discusses the attitudes of healthcare providers to this client group and the experiences of these women in a prejudiced healthcare system.

by Doreen Kimura.

The incidence of homosexuality in women has been reported to be from …

Abstract

Objective

To review the efficacy and safety of specific herbal medications that have been used traditionally to treat common conditions in women.

Data Sources

Current literature, with emphasis on more rigorously controlled studies.

Data Synthesis

Herbal medicines have long been used in traditional healing systems to treat conditions of …

Introduction

Homophobia, according to Blumenfield (1992) is both the belief that heterosexuality is or should be the only acceptable sexual orientation and the fear and hatred of those who are sexually attracted to those of the same sex. This definition forms the basis for this article, which explores whether living …

THYROID HORMONE

Hypothyroidism (low thyroid hormone, TH) is a condition that causes a decline in metabolic function that slows arterial blood flow and impedes the delivery of key nutrients and oxygen to the brain. As a result, the person both thinks and moves more slowly. If not treated in time …

Abstract

The author reviews the relevant current literature on the subject. He goes on to outline detailed treatment recommendations for MTFs with estrogens and antiandrogens. He highlights side effects and complications such as venous thrombosis, breast cancer in individuals with a predisposing family history and the rare incidence of prolactin …

Introduction

There are almost ten million menopausal women in the UK today, of whom 80 per cent will suffer from climacteric symptoms. Less than a quarter of these women, however, seek help. Unfortunately, of those who do seek medical advice, many have their questions or problems unresolved either due to …

Authors - Henk Asscheman, MD and Louis J.G. Gooren, MD

Henk Asscheman and Louis J.G. Gooren are both affiliated with the Division of Andrology/Endocrinology, Free University Hospital, Amsterdam. Please send all correspondence to: Professor Louis J.G. Gooren, Free University Hospital, P0. Box 7057, 1007 MB Amsterdam, the …

by: Wendi Pierce

Recently I saw a cartoon in Tapestry that took a little while to sink in. The cartoon was a take-off on the drug addiction awareness ads running in many national publications. The original ad went something like this, "This is Crack, this is your brain on crack …

It was a marriage with three people in it. A wife, her husband and his female alter ego. In 1930 the Danish artist Einar Wegener became the first man to have a sex-change operation, after he had been married for 15 years to Gerda, another painter. With her support and …

Top tips to help you Reduce, Re-use and Recycle

Recycling processes are generally carried out by commercial or governmental organisations; however, the entire process starts with you. Besides recycling, you can help protect the environment by reducing and re-using. The following tips might help you.

REDUCE

Change your perspective. Before …

Introduction

Hysterectomy simply means the surgical removal of the uterus. Having a hysterectomy can be devastating for some women, especially those who find difficulty in accepting an end to their fertility. For others, however, it is seen as offering a welcome relief from pain or discomfort, or debilitating heavy blood …

During 1997-98, over 55,000 hysterectomies were performed in England on the NHS. One in five women aged 20 - 80 years faces a hysterectomy: in the UK it is the fifth most common operation. Most hysterectomies are performed on women aged 35 - 45.

Hysterectomy means the removal of the uterus …

by H. Asscheman, L.J.G. Gooren, and P.L.E. Eklund

Sex steroid treatment is associated with side effects. The number of deaths and morbidity cases in 425 transsexual patients treated with cross- gender hormones were evaluated retrospectively and compared with the expected number in a similar reference group …

Abstract

Various estrogen preparations can be used in hormone replacement therapy for peri- and postmenopausal women. Different progestagens can be combined with these estrogens and different methods of administration, different dosages and administration schemes can be used. The pharmacokinetics can vary greatly in the same treatment according to the individual …

Abstract

In this article Rebecca Jester and Suzanna Williams describe an action research project that led to a marked reduction in the fasting times of pre-operative orthopaedic patients.

Authors

Rebecca Jester BSc(Hons), RGN, ONC, DPSN, is a lecture practitioner, University of Birmingham and Birmingham Orthopaedic Hospital, and Suzanna Williams …

Sex reassignment surgery is perhaps the most controversial issue in psychiatry today. Clinicians involved in the treatment of transsexualism have been accused of "playing God" or colluding with the patient's psychopathology. This paper reviews the literature and argues for a systematic approach to the treatment of transsexualism.

The first medical …

Rhinitis is defined as a non-infective nasal disorder of more than eight-weeks duration which is characterised by inflammation of the nasal mucosa (Scadding et al, 1995).

During the past two decades, many developed countries have seen an increase in the prevalence of asthma, eczema and allergic rhinitis. In some places …

Exam time is a period of considerable stress for many young people and their families. But in addition to the rigour of the exams themselves, revision and examination periods coincide with the peak hay fever season. This includes not only GCSE's and A levels, but also most university and college …

Hormonal therapy for transsexual patients undergoing gender re-assignment suffers from a lack of knowledge about possible adverse effects. This article presents a description of some of the drugs we have found useful for management of these patients and gives an outline of our scheme for monitoring change.

The endocrinological management …

Abstract

This article reports the findings of a study into the information given to women about hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and the prevention of osteoporosis. The author examines the reasons for prescription of HRT and why some women discontinue the treatment before a preventative effect is likely to have taken …

Author - Stothers L.

Source - Canadian Journals of Urology. 2002 Jun;9(3):1558-62.

Department of Surgery, Division of Urology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.

Purpose

To determine, from a societal perspective, the effectiveness and cost effectiveness of concentrated cranberry tablets, versus cranberry juice, versus placebo used as prophylaxis …

Why?

It is recommended by healthcare professionals that all women over the age of 20 examine their breasts once a month. By examining your breasts regularly, you will know how your breasts normally feel. If a change should happen in your breasts, you will be able to identify it and …

Abstract

Somebody you know may have died or been injured. Your experience was a very personal one, but this pamphlet will help you to know how others have reacted in similar situations. It will also show you how you can help normal healing to occur and to avoid some pitfalls …

Source - Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2004;(1):CD001321 (ISSN: 1469-493X)

Authors - Jepson RG; Mihaljevic L; Craig J

Department of General Practice, Edinburgh University, 20 West Richmond Street, Edinburgh, UK, EH8 9DX.

BACKGROUND

Cranberries (particularly in the form of cranberry juice) have been used widely for several decades for the prevention …

Source -Clin Infect Dis 2004 May 15;38(10):1413-9 (ISSN: 1537-6591)

Authors - Raz R; Chazan B; Dan M

Infectious Diseases Unit, Haemek Medical Center, Afula, Israel. [email protected].

Cranberries have long been the focus of interest for their beneficial effects in preventing urinary tract infections (UTIs). Cranberries …

by Susan L. Hendrix, DO; Barbara B. Cochrane, RN, PhD; Ingrid E. Nygaard, MD; Victoria L. Handa, MD; Vanessa M. Barnabei, MD, PhD; Cheryl Iglesia, MD; Aaron Aragaki, MS; Michelle J. Naughton, PhD; Robert B. Wallace, MD; S. Gene McNeeley, MD.

Journal of the American Medical Association; (2005); Vol. 293 …

Abstract

Cross-sex hormone treatment is an important component in medical treatment of transsexual people. Endocrinologists are often faced with designing treatment recommendations. Although guidelines from organizations, such as the Harry Benjamin International Gender Dysphoria Association, have been helpful, management remains complex and experience guided. We discuss the range of treatment …

Estrogen deprivation leads to the death of dopamine cells in the brain, a finding by Yale researchers that could have implications for post-menopausal women. The cells can be regenerated if estrogen is administered within 10 days, but by 30 days, the cells appear to be permanently lost, said D. Eugene …

Write down your symptoms before you see your doctor

It is very easy to forget the most important things during any examination, or any discussion. Doctors home in on important clues - When did it start? How did it feel? Did anyone else suffer as well? Has this ever happened before …

M. A. Sortino, M. Chisari, S. Merlo, C. Vancheri, M. Caruso, F. Nicoletti, P. L. Canonico and A. Copani

Endocrinology 2004,Vol. 145, No. 11, 5080-5086

Departments of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology (M.A.S., M.Ch., S.M.), Internal Medicine (C.V., M.Ca.), and Pharmaceutical Sciences (A.C …

Rule number one for successful weight loss is this - don't go on a diet. Despite the fact that doctors and dieticians tell us the only way to lose weight is to eat less, study after study shows that the majority of the people who lose weight on a diet put …

Authors

Shalender Bhasin, Linda Woodhouse, Richard Casaburi, Atam B. Singh, Ricky Phong Mac, Martin Lee, Kevin E. Yarasheski, Indrani Sinha-Hikim, Connie Dzekov, Jeanne Dzekov, Lynne Magliano and Thomas W. Storer.

Source

The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism; (2005); Vol. 90, No. 2 678-688.

Although testosterone levels and muscle mass decline …

Authors

Giltay EJ; Verhoef P; Gooren LJ; Geleijnse JM; Schouten EG; Stehouwer CD

Department of Human Nutrition and Epidemiology, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 8129, Netherlands. [email protected].

Source

Atherosclerosis 2003 May;168(1):139-46 (ISSN: 0021-9150)

Plasma total homocysteine (tHcy) levels are on average lower in women versus …

Abstract

Fasting before surgery is necessary to avoid the risk of regurgitation and vomiting; it is also a legal requirement. But the current practice of fasting overnight or up to eight hours before surgery can cause dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, malnutrition and general malaise. Evidence shows that patients can benefit from …

Abstract

Background

Breast cancer affects up to one in twelve women in the UK. Breast awareness, which is advocated in place of routine breast examination, involves women becoming more familiar with their bodies.

Conclusion

Nurses have a vital role to play in encouraging women to become more breast aware. Their …

Abstract

Deep vein thrombosis can have serious long-term consequences and can result in fatal complications. Many patients are at increased risk of DVT, but knowledge of common risk factors and an awareness of appropriate prophylactic measures can help prevent its occurrence. An ability to recognise common clinical signs and symptoms …

A statutory declaration can be drawn up by yourself, or by a solicitor, on your behalf. All statutory declarations must then be signed by the you in your new name and witnessed, either by a solicitor (other than the one who prepared the statutory declaration) or a Justice of the …

In May 2000, the Medical Devices Agency (MDA) convened an Advisory Group (consisting of toxicologists, plastic surgeons and a lay representative) to consider new data on the safety of Trilucent breast implants. The Group considered the available scientific evidence, made an assessment of the risk to patients and, based on …

Abstract

Hall, A. (2004) Understanding the benefits and risks of breast augmentation. Nursing Times; 100: 2, 30-33.

There are a number of reasons a woman might consider breast augmentation, including cosmetic improvement, reconstruction after a mastectomy, or to address a congenital or developmental abnormality. Nurses should ensure that patients considering …

Abstract

Objective

To determine whether recurrences of urinary tract infection can be prevented with cranberry-lingonberry juice or with Lactobacillus GG drink

Design

Open, randomised controlled 12 month follow up trial.

Setting

Health centres for university students and staff of university hospital.

Participants

150 women with urinary tract infection caused by …

Concerns about the overuse of antibiotics and the development of antibiotic resistance have contributed to growing interest in non-pharmacological alternatives for the prevention and treatment of infections. The successful use of cranberry juice to prevent and treat urinary tract infections (UTIs) has led to its endorsement by health care professionals …

Abstract

This article considers the treatment of recurrent cystitis. It examines the evidence for drinking cranberry juice to prevent recurrent urinary tract infections and discusses the nursing issues raised, drawing conclusions from the evidence presented.

Author

Linda Nazarko, BSc(Hons), RN.

Cystitis is normally treated with antibiotics and usually this …