Variations in Natural Fertility: The Effect of Lactation and Other Determinants

The analysis focuses on average waiting times to a fertile conception, as derived from non-contraceptive exposure in second and higher-order birth intervals. Life-table estimates are derived from exposure in the two-year periods preceding the survey, for 20 surveys in Africa, Asia and Latin America undertaken as part of the WFS programme. Differences in the waiting time to conception are examined as a function of the duration of lactation and post partum abstinence. In addition, the extent to which variations in waiting times are produced by country and regional effects, and effects due to age, duration of marriage and parity are examined. The analysis points out the dangers of deriving estimates of natural fertility from the sub-group of women who never breastfed.     

Lesbian and Gay Elders and Long-Term Care: Identifying the Unique Psychosocial Perspectives and Challenges

This qualitative study of lesbian and gay elders seeks to identify the psychosocial challenges this community faces regarding long-term care. Two focus groups were conducted among 16 gay elders in community and long-term care settings. Participants reported fear of being rejected or neglected by healthcare providers, particularly personal care aides; fear of not being accepted and respected by other residents; fear of having to go back into the closet if placed in long-term care; and a preference for gay-friendly care. Participants suggested staff training to promote acceptance and respect for gay people, and favorably perceived gay-specific and gay-friendly living arrangements.     

Reporting cumulative proportion of subjects with an adverse event based on data from multiple studies

Experience has shown us that when data are pooled from multiple studies to create an integrated summary, an analysis based on naïvely‐pooled data is vulnerable to the mischief of Simpson's Paradox. Using the proportions of patients with a target adverse event (AE) as an example, we demonstrate the Paradox's effect on both the comparison and the estimation of the proportions. While meta analytic approaches have been recommended and increasingly used for comparing safety data between treatments, reporting proportions of subjects experiencing a target AE based on data from multiple studies has received little attention. In this paper, we suggest two possible approaches to report these cumulative proportions. In addition, we urge that regulatory guidelines on reporting such proportions be established so that risks can be communicated in a scientifically defensible and balanced manner. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

How Tautological Are Interspecies Correlations of Carcinogenic Potencies?

Crouch and Wilson demonstrated a strong correlation between carcinogenic potencies in rats and mice, supporting the extrapolation from mouse to man. Bernstein et al. , however, show that the observed correlation is mainly a statistical artifact of bioassay design. Crouch et al. have a comeback. This paper will review the arguments and present some new data. The correlation is largely (but not totally) tautological, confirming results in Bernstein et al.     

Theoretical considerations in psychotherapy with gay men and lesbians

This paper examines certain issues relevant to psychotherapy with gay men and lesbians. The roles of general factors in psychotherapy in relation to homosexuality, including the theoretical orientation of the therapist, the nature of the presenting problem, the mode of therapy, and the personal characteristics of the therapist, are discussed. Special issues of concern to gay men and lesbians, specifically the question of pathology, the amount of information the therapist has about homosexuality, the sexual orientation of the therapist, and the unique problems of gay men and lesbians, are reviewed. Finally, an overview of the role of homophobia in psychotherapy is presented, and the importance of further exploration in this area is discussed.