The entire span of a woman's reproductive years and beyond is the scope of this volume, which presents research covering events from first menstruation through the post-menopausal years. Special care has been taken to balance basic research and clinical information. The volume comprises chapters on first menstruation, hypothalamic amenorrhea, implantation and recurrent abortion, XX metabolic syndrome, endometriosis, menopause, osteoporosis, minimally invasive surgery, assisted reproduction, ultrasound imaging in obstetrics, estrogen receptor modulators, and urogynecology. Papers on fertility drugs and gynecologic cancer, contraception today, prenatal genetic diagnosis, cloning and stem cells, transdermal hormone therapy, and estrogen and brain function will also be included. Authors from the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics will address issues such as, Is there an optimal rate for cesarean section? and fistulas in Africa, as well as perinatal mortality in Europe. This volume is the latest proceedings of a series of meetings that has been held in Athens for over a decade, and the participants are internationally known authorities in their fields. NOTE: Annals volumes are available for sale as individual books or as a journal. For information on institutional journal subscriptions, please visit www.blackwellpublishing.com/nyas. ACADEMY MEMBERS: Please contact the New York Academy of Sciences directly to place your order (www.nyas.org). Members of the New York Academy of Science receive full-text access to the Annals online and discounts on print volumes. Please visit http://www.nyas.org/MemberCenter/Join.aspx for more information about becoming a member