Gynaecological infections in paediatric and adolescent gynaecology: a review of recommendations.

Inflammation within the genital organs in women is an important problem in gynaecology and venereology. Understanding the factors contributing to the inflammatory process and the role of defence mechanisms against their occurrence is important in terms of prevention and treatment. It is especially visible in paediatric gynaecology, where inflammatory diseases of the vulva, dermatoses, injuries and the effects of possible sexual harassment may overlap.

Dysmenorrhea in Polish Adolescent Girls: Impact on Physical, Mental, and Social Well-Being-Results from POLKA 18 Study.

Background: Dysmenorrhea, characterised by painful menstrual cramps, is a pressing issue among adolescent girls globally. It significantly impacts their quality of life and has been associated with increased mental health issues and engagement in risky behaviours like smoking. In Poland, there is limited research on menstrual health, emphasising the need for a study to understand dysmenorrhea experiences and their impact on young menstruating individuals. Methods: This research project investigated the effects of dysmenorrhea on quality of life and school attendance, as well as its associations with non-communicable diseases, including mental health among adolescent girls in Poland. Additionally, the study examined risk factors for non-communicable disease development, including high-risk health behaviours and exposure to violence. The study utilised a cross-sectional design, administering self-reported questionnaires in high schools and vocational schools in six voivodeships (regions) in Poland. The analysis was performed using the R language in the Rstudio environment. p-value < 0.05 was considered significant. Results: A significant percentage of respondents experienced heavy menstruation, irregularity, and pain. Adolescents with dysmenorrhea reported higher rates of school absenteeism, mental health issues (such as anxiety and panic attacks), and a higher likelihood of engagement in risk behaviours like smoking and illicit drug use. The study also identified associations between dysmenorrhea and experiences of violence, including sexual abuse and intimate partner violence, as well as links to self-harm and suicidal ideation. Conclusions: These findings contribute to understanding dysmenorrhea among Polish adolescent girls, emphasising the need for tailored interventions and support services. The study underscores the necessity of addressing menstrual health comprehensively, considering its impact on various aspects of young women's lives and promoting their overall well-being.

FIGIJ and NASPAG Advocacy Statement-Eliminating the Persistent Misconception of the "Virgin Hymen".

This advocacy statement endeavors to clarify the concept of the hymen as a symbol of "virginity". The anatomic variants of this structure precludes any correlation to prior sexual activity and the value of physical assessment of this structure is thus questioned. Moreover, physical examination of the hymen is painful, traumatic and humiliating and is a form of gender-based violence. This statement exhorts various sectors-governments, educators, the medical community and the general public-to discard the concept of the "virgin hymen", avoid its use when documenting sexual abuse, and provide progressive education to affirm female sexuality.

Associations between Diet and Changes in Pain Levels among Young Women with Premenstrual Syndrome-A Preliminary Study during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The aim of this study was to investigate the association between PMS (premenstrual syndrome)-related pain among young women following a particular type of diet during the COVID-19 pandemic. This was compared to the period before the pandemic. Furthermore, we aimed to determine whether the increase in the intensification of pain was correlated to their age, body weight, height and BMI, and whether there are differences in PMS-related pain between women who differ in their diet. A total of 181 young female Caucasian patients who met the criteria for PMS were involved in the study. Patients were divided according to the kind of diet they had followed during the last 12 months before the first medical evaluation. The rise in pain score was evaluated according to the Visual Analog Scale before and during the pandemic. Women following a non-vegetarian ("basic") diet had a significantly higher body weight in comparison to those on a vegetarian diet. Furthermore, a significant difference was noted between the level of intensification of pain before and during the pandemic in women applying a basic diet, a vegetarian and an elimination diet. Before the pandemic, women from all groups felt weaker pain than during the pandemic. No significant difference in the intensification of pain during the pandemic was shown between women with various diets, nor was there a correlation between intensification of pain and the girl's age, BMI, their body weight and also height for any of the diets applied.

Academic global surgical competencies: A modified Delphi consensus study.

Academic global surgery is a rapidly growing field that aims to improve access to safe surgical care worldwide. However, no universally accepted competencies exist to inform this developing field. A consensus-based approach, with input from a diverse group of experts, is needed to identify essential competencies that will lead to standardization in this field. A task force was set up using snowball sampling to recruit a broad group of content and context experts in global surgical and perioperative care. A draft set of competencies was revised through the modified Delphi process with two rounds of anonymous input. A threshold of 80% consensus was used to determine whether a competency or sub-competency learning objective was relevant to the skillset needed within academic global surgery and perioperative care. A diverse task force recruited experts from 22 countries to participate in both rounds of the Delphi process. Of the n = 59 respondents completing both rounds of iterative polling, 63% were from low- or middle-income countries. After two rounds of anonymous feedback, participants reached consensus on nine core competencies and 31 sub-competency objectives. The greatest consensus pertained to competency in ethics and professionalism in global surgery (100%) with emphasis on justice, equity, and decolonization across multiple competencies. This Delphi process, with input from experts worldwide, identified nine competencies which can be used to develop standardized academic global surgery and perioperative care curricula worldwide. Further work needs to be done to validate these competencies and establish assessments to ensure that they are taught effectively.

Correction: Academic global surgical competencies: A modified Delphi consensus study.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgph.0002102.].

Markers of Oxidative Stress in Obstetrics and Gynaecology-A Systematic Literature Review.

Oxidative stress has been implicated in many diseases, including reproductive and pregnancy disorders, from subfertility to maternal vascular disease or preterm labour. There is, however, discrepancy within the standardized markers of oxidative stress in obstetrics and gynaecology in clinical studies. This review aims to present the scope of markers used between 2012 and 2022 to describe oxidative stress with regard to reproduction, pregnancy, and pregnancy-related issues. Despite the abundance of evidence, there is no consensus on the set of standardised markers of oxidative stress which poses a challenge to achieve universal consensus in order to appropriately triangulate the results.

HPV Vaccination among Polish Adolescents-Results from POLKA 18 Study.

Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is the main cause of cervical cancer and genital warts and constitutes one of the most common sexually transmitted infections. Cervical cancer is the only reproductive cancer that has a primary prevention programme through the introduction of HPV vaccinations. Even though the majority of European countries have nationally funded HPV vaccination programmes, in Poland these are exclusively local and scarcely funded. Moreover, the majority of local programmes are directed to females only. Meanwhile, Poland has one of the highest cervical cancer incidence rates among high income countries. The aim of this study was to measure HPV vaccination levels among final-year students in Poland and to establish the association between vaccination status and gender, region and level of sexual education received. This study is a part of the POLKA 18 Study, which used original self-reported paper-based questionnaires distributed in schools in six Polish regions. The study was conducted between April and December 2019. The obtained data were analysed in STATA 17. In total, 2701 fully completed questionnaires were collected. Over half of the respondents (58.2%) did not know their HPV vaccination status. Only 16.0% of the respondents replied that they have been vaccinated against HPV (18.2% of females and 14.5% of males). There was no direct association between vaccination status and access to 'family life education' classes. The vaccination level significantly differed among the different regions of Poland (p < 0.0001), with the Slaskie and Wielkopolskie regions achieving the highest rates. At least a quarter of adolescents after their sexual debut have not been vaccinated against HPV. Regions with immunization programmes introduced to their provincial capitals had higher vaccination rates. Our findings indicate the need for the introduction of state-funded vaccination programmes at the national level for the vaccination rate to increase, which will have the potential to decrease cervical cancer incidence in the country.