Faculty Bibliography

The growth of managed care is changing the practice of medicine; it has a direct impact on the quality of care offered to women and may erode gains made in the field of women's health. Graduate medical education must be transformed if women's health is to be effectively represented in the evolving health care system. An interdisciplinary primary care specialty in women's health is the best strategy for preparing physicians to deliver cost-effective comprehensive care to women in a changing health care marketplace

In the medical evaluation of older female patients with sexual problems, you need to assess the woman's psychological state, as well as her physical condition. An important question to ask is whether her level of sexual activity is satisfactory to her. Women's early sexual experiences, in some cases including childhood sexual abuse, impact greatly on their sexuality in later life. When sexual problems are related to the menopause, customized hormone replacement therapy is the treatment of choice. Other clinical factors that impact on older women's sexuality include urinary incontinence, breast surgery, and hysterectomy

In the medical evaluation of older men with erectile dysfunction, obtain a detailed history to determine whether the dysfunction is organic or psychogenic. Determine if there are underlying pathologic processes--most notably vascular diseases--or other factors responsible for the dysfunction, such as medications or nerve or arterial damage from surgery. Lifestyle changes in mid-life (regular exercise, a low-fat diet, and smoking cessation) increase a man's chances of remaining potent as he grows older. Treatments for impotence include injection therapy, vacuum devices, and implants. Each therapy has advantages and disadvantages, and the informed patient plays an important role in choosing the therapy that is right for him