With regard to childbirth, the role of every health-care system is to improve maternity care as well as the birth experience of women and their family members. Despite many efforts to improve maternity care in the Islamic Republic of Iran, the nation's childbirth care still faces a tremendous amount of unnecessary intervention and, consequently, a high rate of cesarean births. This article describes the strengths and weaknesses of Iran's maternity-care system and childbirth education in light of evidence-based practice.

BackgroundCervical cancer is the main cause of malignancy-related death among women living in developing countriesObjectiveThe aim of this study is to evaluate the quality of life (QOL) among Iranian cervical cancer survivors and its relationships with demographic and disease related factors.Patients and MethodsA descriptive correlational study was carried out on 65 consecutive cervical cancer survivors in three different oncology centers related to Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran. The QOL was evaluated using three different standard questionnaires: 1) EORTC QLQ-C30 for patients with malignant tumors; 2) EORTC QLQ-CX24 for cervical cancer patients; and 3) SSQ for assessing the social support. The data was obtained by telephone interviews. The test-retest reliability and internal consistency of the scales were examined. Cronbach's alpha was calculated to assess internal consistency among items. Content validity was assessed to review the scales.ResultsCervical cancer survivors stated a good QOL. However, its score was negatively associated with symptoms including short breathing, lack of appetite, nausea and vomiting, sleep disorders, peripheral neuropathy, and menopausal symptoms. Also, there was a positive association between QOL and economic conditions as well as QOL and social functioning.ConclusionsAlthough, the QOL in cervical cancer survivors was good, treatment of related symptoms can influence the QOL and improve the care of these patients.

BackgroundDysmenorrhea constitutes one of the most frequent disorders in women of a fertile age. The objective of this research was to determine the effects of acupressure at Sanyinjiao (SP6) point and DiJi (SP8) point on pain severity of primary dysmenorrhea and the associated systemic symptoms.Materials and methodsIn this crossover clinical trial, 50 females aged 18–30 years old who met the study criteria and were under the care of Sarpolezahab Health Center were selected. Subjects were randomly assigned to one of two groups and evaluated during three menstrual cycles. We evaluated pain severity using the McGill pain scale and associated systemic symptoms using a verbal multidimensional scoring system. Data acquired from 42 cases were analyzed using SPSS software, with a P value of <0.05 considered significant.ResultsThe findings of our study indicate that the severity of dysmenorrhea pain diminishes significantly for up to 2 hours following treatment with acupressure at the SP6 and SP8 points (P < 0.001). Furthermore, the severity of associated systemic symptoms reduced significantly after acupressure at the SP6 and SP8 points, except for nausea and vomiting. Comparison of the severity of systemic symptoms with acupressure at the SP6 and SP8 points revealed no significant difference except for severity of fatigue, which was reduced significantly further with SP6 point compared to SP8 point (P = 0.004).ConclusionAcupressure at the SP6 and SP8 points can reduce pain severity of dysmenorrhea for up to 2 hours after application, and these points may be used to alleviate the severity of systemic symptoms accompanying dysmenorrhea.

Introduction:Pregnancy and childbirth are important periods of women’s life that cause hormonal and bodily changes, and these changes could have significant effects on sexual function.Aim:The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of PLISSIT-based counselling model on the sexual function of women during the first six months after childbirth.Material and Methods:This was a randomized controlled clinical trial study from June to November, 2015. Ninety lactating women,with at least one sexual problem, were included in this study. Samples were recruited and randomized into two groups (intervention group and control group). Demographic and obstetric information, Edinberg postpartum depression, Larson’s sexual satisfaction and female sexual function index questionnaire were used. Data were collected from participants at two points: before consultation and 4weeks after consultation. The statistical analyses were performed using SPSS software and Data were analyzed using the Paired t-test,dependent t-test with parametric data and Chi-square tests.Results:Ninety women who were the nulliparous and lactating criteria subjects were randomly divided into two groups and all recruited women completed the questionnaires. Mean score of sexual function was 19.35 before consultation and 27.90 after consultation in experimental group. In the control group, mean score of sexual function was 20.55 before consultation and 22.41 after consultation. These differences were statistically significant in pre-counseling stage and 4 weeks after counseling in the two groups (P<0.001 and P=0.002). Four weeks after consultation, there was significant difference in the mean score of sexual function between the control and experimental groups (P<0.001).Conclusion:Based on the result of this study, sexual problems in lactating women decreased by using the PLISSIT model. The use of the PLISSIT model is recommended in health care setting.

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