Predictors of Paan, Nass and Gutka (Oral Tobacco) Use among University Students

Background: Prevalence of cancers associated with the use of oral tobacco (OT) is rising very rapidly and prevention of use is the best option to tackle this scenario. This cross-sectional study estimated the proportion of OT use and predictors associated with its initiation and determined the knowledge, attitude. Method: A total of 354 students (15-30 years age) in five colleges were interviewed by medical students and completed a peer reviewed, pre-tested, self-administered questionnaire. Chi square test and logistic regression analyses were applied to the results. Results: Thirty nine (11.0%) students were lifetime users of smokeless tobacco among which nineteen (5.4%) were occasional users, seven (2.0%) were current users and thirteen (3.6%) fulfilled the criterion for established users. Paan was the most commonly used form of smokeless tobacco followed by Nass. On univariate analysis, lifetime use of smokeless tobacco showed significant associations with the use of cigarettes, student gender (M > F), individual condition (native > guest) and kind of the College (Engineering > Psychology). Conclusion: We suggest socially and culturally acceptable educational and behavioral interventions for control of OT usage and hence to prevent its associated cancers. Copyright©2012 Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology. All rights reserved

Can Psychopathic Traits Predict Homicidal Behavior in Male Murderers?

Background: The Increase in homicide has made criminologists think about basis of this crime. It seems the most successful, prolific killers are extraordinarily ordinary. Method: This research was carried out as cross-sectional study among 136 male criminal inmates in Tehran prisons. These individuals are evaluated by using SCL-90-R. Results: Most of these individuals were within 30-37 age range with an average age of 33.6. About 87% of them had psychological traits, among which aggression, anxiety, and somatization were the most abundant (P<0.01). Conclusion: This investigation clearly shows that majority of the cases in our study suffer from some of psychological traits such as aggression, depression, paranoia etc. Although according to Islamic Criminal Law, these psychological traits do not result in a reduction in penalty responsibility, but supposing in the presence of mild psychological disorders or traits, tendency to commit more severe crimes such as homicide may increase. Copyright©2012 Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology. All rights reserved

A Study of Domestic Violence against Women: A Qualitative Meta-Synthesis

Background: Domestic violence is the most popular form of violence against women. Phenomenon of In the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women-1993 (DEVAW), was introduced as a barrier for reaching equality, development and peace. The objective of this research was to study individuals’ lived experiences, especially the experiences of women exposed to violence in Iran.Methods: This research is a descriptive research which employs a systemic review. The statistical population consists of all the qualitative studies conducted in Iran to consider the physical violence against women. To collect the data, Persian keywords for violence against women, domestic violence, wife abuse, violence against spouse and spouses who were beaten were searched in the Iranian online databases including SID, Irandocs, Iranmedex, Iranpsych, and Magiran. As the result of this search, 27 qualitative studies were selected which were exactly dedicated to the domestic violence from the viewpoints of men, women and experts. Then, the repetitions and the studies which were conducted before 2001 were excluded. After close reading of all the researches 10 of them were eventually selected.Results: The most reported items after studying the individuals’ lived experiences of physical violence against women in Iran included patriarchy, drug abuse, inappropriate sociability, lack of men’s mental stability, deficiency in communicative skills between the couples and ignorance of each other’s mental and sexual needs. The most reported strategies also encompass inactive and inefficient approaches such as keeping quiet but preoccupied with the problem, filing complaints, not being on speaking terms for a long while, revenge and deprivation of intercourse.Conclusion: This social issue should be also studied like all other social issues as a multi-dimensional phenomenon in the social context

Gender Identity Disorders in Iran; Request for Sex Reassignment Surgery

Background: Based on reports of the Tehran Legal Medicine Organization (LMO), requests for sex change operation by persons with Gender identity disorder (GID) have increased in the past few years in Iran. Due to the social and legal ramification of transsexualism, we decided to perform a study to assess the demographic status and legal aspects of Iranian Transsexuals who were applicants for sex reassignment surgery (SRS). Method: The total number of 69 cases with GID who requested sex change by surgery was assessed during a period of four years (2005-2009) in Tehran. Descriptive statistical methods and Chi square were used to analyze the data. Results: There were 44 male-to-female and 25 female-to-male Transsexuals with a mean age of 25 years. Out of 69 requests for sex change, transsexualism was confirmed in 61 cases and the remaining 8 cases had other Psychiatric disorders manifested by identity confusion. The onset of symptoms had developed in childhood (<10 y) in nearly 70% of patients. Depression was found in about 26% of cases. Eighteen cases (26%) had a history of suicide attempts. Among individuals with final diagnosis of Transsexualism, request of 93% was accepted for SRS. Conclusion: This study showed dominancy in Male to Female Transsexuals (1.7/1). Depression was the most common psychiatric disorder associated with Transsexualism. The article also showed that recently transsexualism accepted by community and country low more than before

Explode Metacarpal Bone by Gunshot: A Case Report

Background: The incidence of firearm related non-fatal and fatal accidents has been increased worldwide. Most of the unintentional or intentional nonfatal gunshot injuries involve an extremity.Case Report: A 33-year-old man was admitted to emergency department with a complaint of injury related to 5th metacarpal area of right hand. The patient reported that he is a police officer who suffered gunshot injury during crashes with smugglers in himself right hand. At arriving time into hospital, hand was neurologically intact and no vascular injury was noted. There was a distractive entrance wound in the 5th metacarpal hypothenar palmar area and a distractive exit wound on the dorsal side. The wound was irrigated and debrided. All lose bone fragments were removed. The lose area covered by distant flap of skin from the abdomen. All of the wounds were healed on postoperative 15th day.Conclusion: This report is an attempt to present the problem of firearm injury and appeal to a wide range of disciplines working to expand their knowledge and redirect new energy to address the urgent problem of firearm injury

Postpartum Sexual Function; Conflict in Marriage Stability: A Systematic Review

Background: One of the most important issues affecting the stability of marriage is sexual function, so its problem can lead to divorce or separation of the couple. Pregnancy and delivery as one the most important periods of women's life can have significant effects on sexual function. This study reviews the postpartum sexual function and its related factors in Iran.Methods: This study is a systematic review of the sexual function after childbirth in Iran. By using of valid keywords and searching in databases such as Google scholar, SID, Magiran, Medlib, Irandoc, Iranmedex, the total number of 15 articles between 2005 and 2012 years have been evaluated. Results were reported quantitatively and qualitatively.Results: Total Sample was 4109 women, with an average of 274 samples per study. Plenty of studies in Tehran was 46% and other cities was 54%. The majority of studies showed no relation between mode of delivery and sexual function (P=0.14), but there were significant relation between lactation and postpartum sexual function (P<0.05) as, breastfeeding decreased sexual function. Also sexual function score has decreased with increasing parity.Conclusion: According to the effects of lactation and parity on women sexual function, therefore high risk for divorce, sex education after childbirth, especially in the first six months after delivery, maybe helpful in prevention of sexual dysfunction after delivery

Anxiety Level of Pregnant Women from Ahwaz Exposed to Domestic Violence

Background: Domestic violence is a concern in the communities and need a wide attention. Violence against women can cause all kinds of physical and mental illness. This is a threat to woman’s and family member’s health. Stress, anxiety and depression during pregnancy are risk factors for adverse consequences. Little is known about the level of the mental illnesses in women who exposed to domestic violence during pregnancy. This study reported the level of anxiety in women who were victims of domestic violence in health centers in Ahwaz.Methods: This was a cross-sectional study in which a sample of 110 pregnant women with domestic violence and pregnant women without violence were recruited.  The data were collected using the demographic questionnaire, World Health Organization standardized domestic violence questionnaire, and the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI). The data entered in SPSS 21 and were analyzed using Chi-Square, Independent-t and Multiple Logistic Regression.Results: The pregnant women in the domestic violence group had a higher mean score of anxiety (P<0.05). Women exposed to violence experienced psychological violence (57.75%), physical violence (37.73%) and sexual violence (33.88%). The psychological violence was the greatest influence on the level of anxiety in pregnant women.Conclusion: This study demonstrated the impact of domestic violence on the level of anxiety in pregnant women and confirmed its treat to women's mental health

Virginity and Virginity Testing: Then and Now

Background: Despite the increasing progresses in medicine and health in the 21st century especially in the area of reproductive health, myths related to “virginity” and “virginity testing” still figure out life and death in some communities after centuries. Overall, aim of this study was to investigate the myths and objective facts associated with virginity and virginity testing.Methods: This review conducted by SID, Ovid, Science Direct, Pub Med, Pro Quest, Iran Medex, Google Scholar, Cochrane library, EBSCO, and United Nations Population Fund, WHO from 1980 to 2015. Keywords for search included virginity, virginity testing, hymen, sexual abstinence.Results: The undeniable value of virginity, female virginity worth versus the shame of virginity for male, the idea to preserve virginity despite oral and anal sex and indicators to assess the intact hymen and wedding night bleeding to prove virginity are misconceptions that besides perceived premarital sex as signs of civilization and conflicts of gender inequality and violence against women lead to fail most of approaches against increasing of premarital sex.Conclusion: Although programs such as "virginity pledge", "Silver Ring" and "Sexual abstinence education" are running in some countries, in order to expand virginity as a practical approach in controlling sexual transmitted diseases and teen pregnancy, the role of undeniable myths in advance to such approaches, the use of cultural, social and religious potentials of different societies to cope with the misconceptions and teaching of related objective facts seems necessary

Electrocardiographic manifestations in acute methanol poisoning cannot predict mortality

The aim of this retrospective observational case series was to determine electrocardiographic (ECG) manifestations in patients poisoned with methanol and see whether they could predict mortality. We also wanted to see whether there was an association between ECG changes and time elapsed between ingestion and treatment, age, sex, seizure, coma (Glasgow Coma Scale �8), arterial blood gas (ABG) parameters, and serum potassium levels on hospital admission. The study included 42 patients aged 31.14±12.5 years. Twenty-five survived and 17 died. Almost all patients had one or more abnormal ECG findings, including heart rate, rhythm, and conduction abnormalities. However, we found no significant difference between survivors and non-survivors. QTc interval did not correlate with time elapsed between ingestion and treatment, age, sex, seizure and coma, HCO3 -, or serum potassium level. Similarly, T waves showed no correlation with serum potassium. ECG abnormalities did not correlate with coma or seizure. Even though cardiotoxicity in methanol poisoning is high, none of the ECG abnormalities found in our study predicted mortality. This however does not rule out the need to routinely run ECG for cardiotoxicity in every single patient poisoned by methanol