Exploring the Perceptions and Experiences of Women with Gestational Diabetes Regarding Their Sexual Function: A Qualitative Study

Background & aim: Gestational diabetes is is associated with some degree of sexual dysfunction in women. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the perceptions and experiences of women with gestational diabetes regarding their sexual function.Methods: This study was a qualitative research using the conventional content analysis approach and was conducted from April to December 2020 in Mazandaran Province, Iran. The participants included 15 women with gestational diabetes, six key individuals, and two husbands of women with gestational diabetes who were selected using a purposive sampling. The data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews. The content analysis approach was used based on the Graneheim and Lundman (2004) method. Guba and Lincoln's criteria including credibility, transferability, confirmability, and dependability were applied to achieve trustworthiness. MAXQDA10 software was used for data management.Results: Data analysis illustrated four themes: "sexual problems in women with gestational diabetes", "worries and problems caused by gestational diabetes", "non-comprehensive services", and " need to empower the individuals and significant others ". Conclusion: Worries and problems caused by gestational diabetes that develop in women who receive inappropriate and non-comprehensive services can affect their sexual function. Therefore the supportive role of health care providers and significant others are necessary to empower the patients to overcome their sexual problems

Ultrasonography in distinguishing optic neuritis from nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy

Background and Objectives: Optic neuritis (ON) and nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION) have some overlapping clinical profiles. We evaluated the usefulness of B-scan ultrasonography in distinguishing ON from NAION by measuring diameter of the optic nerve. Materials and Methods: Consecutive patients with an acute noncompressive unilateral optic neuropathy with relative afferent pupillary defect and onset of visual loss during the last 2 weeks were included. Diagnosis of ON was based on age ≤ 35 years, orbital pain associated with eye movement, and no disk edema, and diagnosis of NAION was based on age ≥ 60 years, no orbital pain associated with eye movement, and presence of disk edema. Age- and gender-matched subjects without ocular disease were selected for comparison. The diameter of the optic nerve was measured by a single radiologist with B-scan ultrasonography. Results: In ON patients, the mean diameter of the affected nerve was significantly larger than that of the unaffected nerve and also larger than that of the right nerve of young controls; P < 0.05. In NAION patients, however, there was no significant difference between the mean diameter of the affected nerve and of the unaffected nerve or the right nerve of elderly controls; P > 0.05. Also, the diameter of the affected nerve was significantly larger in ON than in AION patients; P < 0.05. Conclusion: B-scan ultrasonography is helpful in the early stages of optic neuropathy to distinguish ON from NAION in those cases for which the diagnosis is still uncertain after clinical evaluation