Both TAH and SAH significantly reduce dyspareunia without having a negative effect on sexual function. The shift toward SAH seems unwarranted.

Summary. In a double‐blind randomized controlled trial we assessed the effect of metronidazole treatment of the male partner on the recurrence rate of bacterial vaginosis. Women who fulfilled the diagnostic criteria for bacterial vaginosis were treated with metronidazole given in single doses of 2 g on days 1 and 3. The sexual partners were randomized to receive either the same dosage of metronidazole or a placebo. A total of 107 pairs completed the study. One week after the start of treatment 89% of the women considered themselves improved or cured and 93% no longer had the diagnostic criteria for bacterial vaginosis. At assessment 5 weeks after the treatment, 75% reported that they were cured or improved and the diagnostic criteria were not present in 73%. Treatment of the male partner did not affect subjective symptoms, clinical signs and isolation rates of Gardnerella vaginalis at 1 and 5 weeks after treatment.

An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for IgG antibodies against the flagellum (axial filament) of the Reiter treponeme (flagellum-ELISA) was developed and compared with the fluorescent treponemal antibody absorption (FTA-ABS) test and the Treponema pallidum immobilization (TPI) test with regard to diagnostic sensitivity and specificity. One serum from each of 827 individuals with and without syphilis was studied. In all diagnostic groups of syphilis there was no significant difference between the sensitivity of the FTA-ABS and the flagellum-ELISA, except in treated syphilis, where the FTA-ABS was more sensitive (P less than 0.01). In primary syphilis and in treated syphilis the sensitivity of the flagellum-ELISA was higher than the sensitivity of TPI (P less than 0.01 and P less than or equal to 0.05), respectively); in all other groups there was no significant difference between the sensitivity of TPI and flagellum-ELISA. The specificity of the flagellum-ELISA (99.0%) in 200 sera from blood donors without syphilis was not statistically different from the specificity of FTA-ABS (98.0%) and TPI (99.5%). The flagellum-ELISA seems to be well suited for routine serodiagnosis of syphilis and may replace other treponemal tests.

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Oral contraceptives taken continuously or in long cycles seem to offer benefits with regard to menstrual symptoms and the recurrence of symptoms related to endometriosis. Long-term studies, comprising large groups of women, are lacking.

The aim of this Danish multicenter trial was to compare the proportion of women with lower urinary tract symptoms after total abdominal hysterectomy (TAH) and subtotal abdominal hysterectomy (SAH) for benign uterine disorders. A total of 319 women were randomized to TAH (n = 158) or SAH (n = 161). Women were followed up for 1 year by strict data collection procedures, including postal questionnaires. Results were analyzed by intention-to-treat analyses. Urinary incontinence was found less often among TAH women than among SAH women. This was due to a larger reduction of the number of women with stress and urinary incontinence in the TAH group. No other differences were found between the two operation methods. The number of women with urinary incontinence and frequency was reduced from study entry for follow-up, while double/triple voiding was increased. Incontinent women had significantly lower quality of life scores than continent women