Vaginismus is a sexual pain disorder, where spasm of musculature of the outer third of the vagina interferes with intercourse. Vaginismus exists in two forms: total vaginismus, where intercourse is impossible, and the more seldom described partial vaginismus, in which intercourse is possible but painful. The aim of the thesis was to develop a useful definition of partial vaginismus for both clinical and scientific purposes; to describe the prevalence of partial vaginismus among women with superficial coital pain; to report on symptoms and clinical findings in women with partial vaginismus; and to present treatment results for women with vaginismus. In a clinical sample of 224 women with superficial coital pain, we found a great overlap of the clinical diagnoses of partial vaginismus (PaV) and vulvar vestibulitis (VVS) (nowadays called provoked vestibulodynia); 102 women had both PaV and VVS. All women with VVS had vaginismus. Partial vaginismus was more common in all our samples than total vaginismus. sEMG of pelvic floor muscles was found to be of no value in distinguishing women with partial vaginismus with or without vulvar vestibulitis (PaV+/-VVS) (n=47) from each other or from an asymptomatic group (n=27). Women with PaV+/-VVS (n=53) reported not only burning pain but also itch during a standardized penetration situation (sEMG of pelvic floor muscles), while asymptomatic women (n=27) did not. In most cases, the appearance of burning pain preceded the appearance of itch. In a retrospective interview study, 24 women with PaV+/-VVS reported pain after intercourse more often than pain during penetration at the onset of the problem. When the women ceased having intercourse, both symptoms were equally common. Intensity of pain during penetration increased dramatically from very low at onset of the problem to very high when the women ceased having intercourse, while intensity of pain after intercourse was already high at onset of the problem and increased to very high when the women ceased having intercourse. Pain after intercourse in women with PaV+/-VVS was described as burning and/or smarting and lasted in mean for two hours, while pain during penetration was described with words like sharp/incisive/bursting and lasted for one minute. At long-term follow-up (more than three years) of a group of women treated with cognitive behaviour therapy for vaginismus (n=59, response rate 44/59 on a questionnaire), a majority were able to have and enjoy intercourse. The proportion of women with positive treatment outcome was, however, associated to the definition of treatment outcome. An ability to have intercourse at end of therapy was maintained at follow-up. Every tenth women with vaginismus healed spontaneously after thorough assessment. Conclusion: Partial vaginismus was more common in our studies than total vaginismus, and all women with vulvar vestibulitis had partial vaginismus. Women with PaV+/-VVS reported not only burning pain during standardized penetration but also itch. When the problem started in women with PaV+/-VVS, pain after intercourse was more common than pain during penetration. Pain after intercourse was described as longlasting and burning and/or smarting, while pain during penetration was described as short and sharp/incisive/bursting. Long-term follow-up results of a series of women treated with CBT for vaginismus show good treatment outcome.

Background Screening by cytology has been highly effective in reducing the incidence and mortality from squamous invasive cervical cancer (ICC), but the effectiveness is less established regarding non-squamous ICC and regarding women above screening ages and below 30 years of age. Cervical cancer still occurs despite the presence of an organised screening programme. A substantial proportion of screened women with ICC are reported to have had previous abnormal cytology findings. The significance of negative cytology with limited evaluation is not quite determined, the most effective management of women with low-grade abnormalities is controversial, and evaluation of long-term effect of different treatment methods is limited. Aims To identify possible areas of improvements in the prevention of cervical cancer by evaluating the effectiveness of the Swedish cervical screening programme, and by exploring risk factors for ICC in the cytological screening histories and in the management of women with abnormal cytology findings. Methods The screening histories of all ICC cases in Sweden 1999-2001 (n=1230) and of five population-based control women per case were reviewed, using data from the Swedish Cancer Registry, the national population register, the Swedish national cervical screening quality register, histopathological reports and questionnaires to clinicians. The risk of cervical cancer according to screening histories 0.5-6.5 years before cancer diagnosis was estimated as odds ratios (ORs) in logistic regression models with 95% confidence interval (CI) (Paper I). Risk related to different cytological reports was assessed in women below 67 years of age with cytology (n=572, n=3569) in Paper II. The initial follow-up of women with abnormal or unsatisfactory cytology reports (n=159, n=258) was evaluated in Paper III, and further investigation and treatment of abnormalities (n=143 cases, n=176 controls) in Paper IV. Results The cancer cases were above screening ages (31%), had not been screened according to recommendations (33%), had negative cytology (23%), or had previous positive screening tests (13%). No screening within the recommended interval increased the risk of squamous (OR 2.97, 95% CI 2.51-3.50) as well as non-squamous cancer (OR 1.59, 95% CI 1.20-2.11), and increased the risk in all ages. Negative cytology with partially obscuring factors and unsatisfactory cytology increased the risk of subsequent early stage ICC. All cytological abnormalities increased the risk of ICC, and women with glandular atypia or atypia in cells of uncertain origin carried a particularly high risk (OR 11.69, 95% CI 7.02-19.46). After a low-grade squamous abnormal smear finding, further investigation with biopsy was more effective than repeated cytology (OR 0.46, 95% CI 0.24-0.89). Lack of biopsy increased the risk in women with both low-grade and high-grade squamous abnormalities. Neither repeat cytology, nor biopsy, decreased the risk in women with glandular atypia or atypia in cells of uncertain origin. Treatment decreased the risk, even when the biopsy before treatment was negative or showed low-grade atypia only. Ablative therapy was less effective than excision and laser conisation was the most effective therapy. Conclusions Improved adherence to screening recommendations and including older women at increased risk in the programme would have significant cancer preventive gains. Women with negative cytology with limited evaluation and with unsatisfactory cytology may need further evaluation. Assessment with biopsy should be recommended for women with low-grade as well as high-grade squamous abnormalities. The diagnosing of precancer lesions and the identification of women in need of treatment warrant improvements, in particular in cases of glandular or “other” atypia in cytology. Treatment techniques need further evaluation.

Background: Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) is a relatively common condition. In Sweden, the overall estimated prevalence of POP in the female population is 31% and the prevalence of symptomatic prolapse is 8–15%. The prevalence of POP increases with age. The lifetime risk of undergoing pelvic floor surgery is estimated to 11%. The aim of this thesis was to investigate outcomes of vaginal hysterectomy for treatment of prolapse; to study outcomes of cystocele repair surgery and patient satisfaction related to different anaesthesia methods; to explore women’s experiences of vaginal prolapse; and to investigate what is known regarding POP prior to surgery and healthcare-seeking behaviour. Methods: In the Swedish National Quality Register for Gynaecological Surgery (Gynop-register), 941 women were identified who underwent vaginal hysterectomy for prolapse from 1997 to 2005 and 1,364 women were identified who underwent cystocele repair surgery from 2006 to 2009. In-depth interviews were performed with 14 women with vaginal prolapse. Interview data were analyzed with a qualitative content analysis. To investigate women’s knowledge about POP and healthcare-seeking behaviour, a questionnaire was developed, validated and distributed to women with planned surgery for POP. Women undergoing hysterectomy or incontinence surgery were used as reference groups. Results: Severe complications after vaginal hysterectomy occurred in 3% of cases. Sexual activity was improved after vaginal hysterectomy, the number of women reported to have intercourse increased by 20% (p = 0.006). Subjective symptoms of urinary incontinence and overactive bladder were resolved in 50% of the women. De novo stress incontinence was reported by 11% of the women. Use of local anaesthesia (LA) in reconstruction of cystocele showed advantage over other forms of anaesthesia. Length of hospital stay, duration of use of postoperative pain-killing drugs, and time to return to daily activity were shorter among women who underwent surgery with LA compared to other forms of anaesthesia. Patient satisfaction was not related to methods of anaesthesia. In an interview study, the process from recognition the symptoms to seeking healthcare was highlighted. Two categories, “obstacles” and “facilitators” to seeking health care, were identified. One of the obstacles was lack of information on POP in the public domain. The main facilitators were feeling sexually unattractive and impaired physical ability due to POP. Some findings from the interview study were further explored in the questionnaire study. One out of five women with vaginal prolapse did not know that the symptoms were related to prolapse before consulting their physician. Over 30% of the women in the incontinence group were embarrassed to talk about incontinence, and they were unaware that it could be treated. The most frequent description of vaginal prolapse was vaginal bulging. Women in the prolapse group had significantly less access to information through brochures and public media than women in the incontinence group (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Short-term follow-up after vaginal hysterectomy showed that sexual activity and urinary symptoms had improved. Cystocele surgery using LA showed no disadvantage compared to surgery using other anaesthesia methods. POP surgery can therefore be performed safely with LA. Information on prolapse should be easily accessible to improve the possibility for women of gaining knowledge and thereby overcoming obstacles to seeking medical advice. Healthcare professionals have a significant role to play in informing women about symptoms and available treatment options.

Background: In high-income countries, hospital length of stay after a normal birth has gradually decreased correspondingly to length of stay in care of other patients. A short stay provides a greater opportunity for autonomy and an increased sense of participation, but it may involve great challenges satisfying parental guidance as well as on the possibility of preventing, discovering, and treating neonatal medical conditions. Aim: This study evaluates postnatal care based on cost calculations, risk assessments, and parents’ satisfaction with care. Methods: Questionnaires were sent to 1 122 new mothers and her partner during 1998-1999. For the summary of utilization of health care services during the first 28 days postdelivery, the participants were linked with registry data from the hospital administration system for mothers and newborns (n= 773). The answers were also used to describe new parents’ experiences with postnatal care (n = 1 479). The costs for five postnatal care models were estimated, including three care options: Maternity Ward, Family Suite, and Early Discharge. Data about neonatal readmissions and death within 28 days was retrieved from the Swedish Medical Birth Register, the Swedish Hospital Discharge Registry, and the Swedish Cause-of-Death Register between 1999 and 2002 (n = 197 898). This data was related to data about postnatal follow-up practices from all 48 Swedish delivery wards. Results: The readmission rate for the mothers was similar among the various care options, and there was no difference in utilization of health care or breastfeeding outcome due to type of maternity care. As a proxy for morbidity, the readmission rate for the newborns was influenced by postdelivery follow-up routines as routine neonatal examination timing. Depending on the proportion of mothers receiving care at the Maternity Ward, the costs differed significantly between the various care models, while parents’ preferences complied with the cost-minimizing option Family Suite. Most mothers and fathers (70%) were satisfied with the overall impression of the postnatal care, but 72% were dissatisfied with at least one particular topic. A main finding was that the parents experienced a close emotional attachment, an affinity that was not always supported by the staff. The father was not treated as a principal character even though the parents wanted the father’s to be involved and recognized. Conclusions: Since the postnatal care options are not always the most cost minimizing and postnatal routines influence neonatal morbidity and parental satisfaction, the postnatal services need to be improved. Without increasing risks or costs, every postnatal care option ought to meet the families’ need for support, security, autonomy, and attachment with each other.

Premenstrual depressive symptoms and mood swings affect 3-8% of women in fertile age. The female hormones are believed to be the cause. Progesterone is well studied, but estrogen is not, and either are other causes such as intimate partner violence and chronic stress. The aim in this thesis was to investigate the influence of hormones as well as psychological aspects on the most common problems among women seeking care for premenstrual symptoms. In a cross-sectional study, four groups of women were included: ongoing users of oral contraceptives, with or without adverse mood symptoms and previous users, with or without experience of adverse mood. Depression and anxiety were significantly more common in both groups with reported adverse mood, in comparison with their control groups with no adverse mood. Self-reported PMS was significantly more common in those women who reported adverse mood, however, there was no difference in prospectively defined PMS or PMDD between the two groups of previous users. In a RCT with 25 women completing the study, GnRH treatment were tested in combination with two different HRT add-back doses of estradiol, in combination with progesterone and placebo. The higher dose of estrogen 1.5 mg in combination with progesterone induced significantly more pronounced symptoms than in combination with placebo. The lower dose, 0.5 mg gave less symptom recurrence in combination with progesterone. Exposure to violence was investigated among PMDD patients, healthy controls and gynecological patients. Among the participating women, gynecological patients, reported physical and/or emotional abuse significantly more often than did PMDD patients, as well as healthy controls. Chronic stress was investigated with diurnal cortisol, and low-dose dexamethasone test.  There was no difference in diurnal secretion of cortisol between PMDD patients and controls. No difference in the degree of dexamethasone suppression was found between PMDD patients and controls. According to the results from these studies, the main symptom provoking factor in women with PMDD appears to be the estradiol and progesterone fluctuations across the menstrual cycle, whereas chronic stress and intimate partner violence appears to be less relevant.

This study examines the production and the introduction of a fertility treatment which gained great attention both in Sweden and internationally during the 1960s. In the procedure, hormones were extracted from human pituitary glands which had been collected from autopsies. After this, the hormones were purified and injected into the female patients as a treatment for certain kinds of sterility. Carl Gemzell, professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Uppsala University, was a key figure in the development of the treatment. He was described by the media as a medical pioneer and later became one of Sweden’s most famous doctors and scientists. The fertility treatment also gained a lot of attention in the media as ”the miracle drug that made barren women pregnant”, especially since it often resulted in multiple pregnancies. In the 1960s, pregnancies with quadruplets, quintuplets, sextuplets and even septuplets became world sensations. By using the sociology of expectations as theoretical approach, which focuses on the performativity of expectations and visions in science production, this study aims to investigate how expectations of an effective fertility method were articulated in both the scientific sphere and in the media. This of course also relates to how the risks of the multiple pregnancies were dealt with. The analysis is divided into three chapters, where the first chapter examines the politics of science in Sweden during the post-war period and how Gemzell’s work in Uppsala generated expectations of a scientific milieu on the front line of fertility research. The next chapter is focused on the media’s interest in Gemzell and how he became a celebrity. A central argument for the study is that his public status helped to create scientific credibility for the treatment, especially among the public. The final chapter focuses on the media reporting about the multiple pregnancies. They were often treated as sensations, which was somewhat paradoxical as they were hazardous and frequently resulted in the death of the premature children.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a complex clinical condition characterized by hyperandrogenism and chronic oligo/anovulation. Infrequent ovulation and metabolic alterations in women with PCOS are associated with subfertility and probably increased miscarriage rates compared with normal fertile women. The overall risk of developing type 2 diabetes and impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) is three- to sevenfold higher in PCOS women, and the onset of glucose intolerance seems to occur at an earlier age than in healthy controls. Women with PCOS also have several risk factors for cardiovascular disease, although it is unclear whether they actually experience more cardiovascular events than other women. Very few studies assessing the long-term reproductive and metabolic consequences in older women with previously confirmed PCOS have been conducted. In this long-term follow-up of women with PCOS, 84 women with a diagnosis of PCOS between 1987 and 1995 and age at the follow-up > 35 years and an age-matched population-based group of control women participated. Data on reproductive outcome, ovarian reserve, endothelial function, insulin sensitivity and beta-cell function were collected. According to our results most women with PCOS had given birth and the rate of spontaneous pregnancies was relatively high. The rate of miscarriages was not increased in PCOS patients and the ultrasound findings together with increased levels of anti-müllerian hormone suggested that their ovarian reserve is superior to women of similar age. PCOS women displayed signs of endothelial dysfunction, but this was largely due to the increased prevalence of independent risk factors for cardiovascular disease such as increased BMI, triglycerides and blood pressures. IGT and type 2 diabetes occurred more often in PCOS women. Free androgen levels and beta-cell function decreased over time whereas insulin sensitivity remained unchanged. Obesity at young age and progressive weight-gain rendered them more prone to be insulin resistant at the follow-up. Beta-cell function was increased in PCOS women in comparison with control subjects but declined over time. Independent of PCOS phenotype at the index assessment and persistence of PCOS symptoms at the follow-up investigation, premenopausal women with PCOS had lower insulin sensitivity and increased beta cell function in comparison with control subjects. Conclusion: The long-term reproductive outcomes of PCOS are similar compared to women with normal ovaries. Although symptoms and androgen levels are normalized over time, women with PCOS continue to display reduced insulin sensitivity and increased beta-cell function and they also have an increased risk of IGT and type 2 diabetes.

The aims were to investigate the accuracy of ultrasound in diagnosis of structural fetal anomalies with special focus on false positive findings (I), to evaluate the additional value of second trimester fetal MRI on pregnancy management (II-III) and to estimate the ascertainment in the Swedish Birth Defects Registry and incidence of spina bifida and cleft lip/palate (IV). Retrospectively, 328 fetal autopsies were identified where pregnancies were terminated due to ultrasonographically diagnosed fetal anomalies. In 175 (53.4 %) cases ultrasound and fetal autopsy were identical, in 124 (37.8 %) ultrasound was almost correct, in 23 (7.0 %)  ultrasound diagnoses could not be verified, but fetal autopsy showed other anomalies with at least the same prognostic value and in six (1.8 %)  ultrasound diagnosis could not be verified and autopsy showed no or less severe anomalies (I). Prospectively, 29 pregnancies with CNS- (II) and 63 with non-CNS-anomalies (III) were included. In the CNS study MRI provided no additional information in 18 fetuses (62 %), additional information without changing the management in 8 (28 %) and additional information altering the pregnancy management in 3 (10%). In the non-CNS study the corresponding figures were 43 (68 %), 17 (27 %) and three (5 %), respectively. MRI in the second trimester might be a clinically valuable adjunct to ultrasound for the evaluation of CNS anomalies, especially when the ultrasound is inconclusive due to maternal obesity (II) and in non-CNS anomalies in cases of diaphragmatic hernia or oligohydramnios (III). In newborns, the ascertainments of birth defects are relatively high and assessable, but in pregnancy terminations they are lower or unknown. The incidence of newborns with spina bifida has decreased because of an increased rate of pregnancy terminations (>60%). There is room for improvement concerning the reporting of anomalies from terminated pregnancies (IV).

Teenage pregnancies are often not intended, and there is a high risk that unintended pregnancies will lead to abortion. The wide-spread availability of Youth Clinics, the subsidizing of contraceptives and the introduction of new and effective contraceptives have failed to lower the abortion rates. The aim of this thesis was to study possible risk groups and to highlight underlying reasons for contraceptive failure. Methods: Study I and II were quantitative studies with the aims of investigating whether teenagers who sought emergency contraception (Paper I) and teenage mothers (Paper II) were at risk for new unintended pregnancies during a 12-month follow-up period. Study III and IV were qualitative studies. The aim in study III was to see how contraceptive use was documented in medical records (MRs) concerning teenagers who had attended for induced abortion. In study IV the aim was to find out reasons for non- use or inconsistent use of contraceptives among teenagers attending for abortion. Results: In study I and II data were collected from medical and antenatal records. The results showed that both groups, despite contraceptive counselling, were at high risk for new unintended pregnancies leading to abortion. Attendance at the postpartum visit was low and 24% of the teenage mothers did not receive any recommendation about using a particular contraceptive method. Within 12 months 25% had a new pregnancy and of these one third led to legal abortion. In Study III two themes were generated from the analysis of the MRs; ‘Contraceptive methods previously used’ and ‘Plan for future contraceptive use’. All MRs did not contain information about contraceptive use. In study IV one theme was generated from the analysis of the interview text: ‘Struggling with feelings of uncertainty and patterns of behaviour’. Conclusion: Teenagers using emergency contraceptive pills and teenage mothers were at high risk for unintended pregnancies. Contraceptive failure in teenagers who have had an abortion may be due to in part to the absence of contraceptive counselling at abortion visits and in part to problems with contraceptive use due to insufficient knowledge and not knowing what do when side-effects occurs.