Changes in sexual activity in young women during pregnancy

Objective:To conduct changes in sexual activity during pregnancy and its related factors in pregnant women.Methods:The present descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in 2017 on pregnant women who referred to the women's clinic of Afzalipour Hospital in the southeast of Iran.Participants were included in the study through convenient sampling.The data collection tool was a researcher-made questionnaire consisting of two parts of personal social information of the couple and questions to measure the level of sexual activity and the attitude of the subjects during pregnancy compared to before pregnancy.Results:201 Pregnant women were included.The average age of pregnant women was(27.3±6.1)years and their average gestational age was(24.7±11.8)years.More than 62%of women had decreased sexual activity.There was a significant relationship between the amount of changes in sexual activity and delivery time(P=0.013),abortion history(P=0.001)and premature birth history(P=0.002).Most pregnant women believed that sex during pregnancy caused damage to the fetus(67.7%).A decrease in the intensity of sexual desire was reported in 63%of pregnant women.More than 60%of the subjects did not consult with doctors and midwives with regards to sexual issues(63.5%).The most common reason for not consulting was not feeling the need(32%).Most women experienced back pain during(42.8%)and after(39.8%)intercourse.Conclusions:Changes in sex life during pregnancy are often caused by the lack of sexual knowledge and the increase in misconceptions among couples,which can affect the quality of relationships.The role of education is essential.Therefore,it is suggested that by including sexual counseling along with pregnancy care,wrong beliefs and information among women will be corrected.

Deciphering resistancemechanisms and novel strategies to overcome drug resistance in ovarian cancer:a comprehensive review

Ovarian cancer is among the most lethal gynecological cancers,primarily due to the lack of specific symptoms leading to an advanced-stage diagnosis and resistance to chemotherapy.Drug resistance(DR)poses the most significant challenge in treating patients with existing drugs.The Food and Drug Administration(FDA)has recently approved three new therapeutic drugs,including two poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase(PARP)inhibitors(olaparib and niraparib)and one vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF)inhibitor(bevacizumab)for maintenance therapy.However,resistance to these new drugs has emerged.Therefore,understanding the mechanisms of DR and exploring new approaches to overcome them is crucial for effective management.In this review,we summarize the major molecular mechanisms of DR and discuss novel strategies to combat DR.

Circulating tumor cells and circulating tumor DNA in breast cancer diagnosis and monitoring

Liquid biopsy,including both circulating tumor cells and circulating tumor DNA,is becoming more popular as a diagnostic tool in the clinical management of breast cancer.Elevated concentrations of these biomarkers during cancer treatment may be used as markers for cancer progression as well as to understand the mechanisms underlying metastasis and treatment resistance.Thus,these circulating markers serve as tools for cancer assessing and monitoring through a simple,non-invasive blood draw.However,despite several study results currently noting a potential clinical impact of ctDNA mutation tracking,the method is not used clinically in cancer diagnosis among patients and more studies are required to confirm it.This review focuses on understanding circulating tumor biomarkers,especially in breast cancer.