Validity is critical for meaningful assessment of surgical competency. According to the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing, validation involves the integration of data from well-defined classifications of evidence. In the authoritative framework, data from all classifications support construct validity claims. The two aims of this…

Background: In England and Wales, if a person is thought to lack capacity to make a decision to undergo a sterilisation operation, a specific process occurs. A Judge sitting in the Family Division of the High Court receives evidence from relevant parties including psychiatric and gynaecological experts and subsequently decides on the lawfulness of…

Using data from a random sample of 580 midwestern women, the authors explore the association between lifetime infertility and life satisfaction. Past research shows lower life satisfaction among those seeking help for infertility. The authors find no direct effects of lifetime infertility, regardless of perception of a problem, on life…

Information is presented on the current status of research and treatment of athletic amenorrhea, including discussion of etiology, difficulties in research, study design, definition of amenorrhea, and future trends in research and treatment. (CB)

A review of research studies suggesting that girls who exercise vigorously may experience disruptions in maturational processes suggests that carefully-monitored sports participation and training have no effect on growth and maturation. (Author/CB)

Every year one million teenage girls become pregnant. Eight out of 10 are unintended pregnancies. Primarily targeting pregnant teenagers, this book address many of the different issues and decisions that a pregnant teenager must face. Letters supplement text to highlight feelings of pregnant teens and provide advice from friends, counselors, and…

School health professionals can help reduce the incidence of Toxic Shock Syndrome by suggesting that women not use tampons continuously during menses and that tampons should not be left in place for long periods of time. Tampons should be changed every few hours and used intermittently with pads. (JN)

This article describes the medical model of menopause as it exists in contemporary gynecological textbooks and some popular books written by gynecologists for the general public. The feminist position on menopause is then compared and contrasted with the medical model. (Author/EB)

The American Cancer Society's guidelines, recommending that having Pap tests at three-year intervals is safe for many women, are questioned. Dangers to women with a high risk of cervical cancer, problems with faulty test results, and other gynecological problems that may be detected during pelvic examinations are discussed. (PP)

The effects of the menstrual cycle on the performance, heart rate, and body temperature of female athletes are discussed. Biological causes of menstrual problems such as dysmenorrhea and amenorrhea are explained. Research indicates that the higher the level of training achieved, the less effect each cycle phase has on physical performance. (PP)

The first of eight articles discusses the current state of the sensitive but unclassified information controversy. A series of six articles then explores the use of integrated information systems in the area of health services. Current trends in document management are provided in the last article. (CLB)