The purpose of this study was to determine whether the wives' perceptions of personal control over the process of childbirth were related to couples' choices and utilization of three birthing alternatives (home birth, unmedicated hospital birth, and medicated hospital birth). The wives' perceived control over the childbirth process was expected to vary inversely with the level of medical intervention in the birthing alternative chosen. The home birth mothers were expected to perceive themselves as having more control over childbirth than were the unmedicated hospital group mothers, and the unmedicated hospital group mothers more than the medicated hospital group mothers. The husbands' perception of their wives' perceived control in childbirth and their participation was also measured.

One hundred women aged 20 to 50 were asked to compare their sexual experience before diagnosis and following treatment for benign and malignant cervical disease. The subjects were divided into five groups: three groups had definite cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN), (Class II or III). Two groups were treated with cryotherapy, and one with hysterectomy. One group had a provisional diagnosis of CIN I, but received no treatment. Subjects in the last group had microinvasive cervical carcinoma and were also treated with hysterectomy. All subjects had ovarian function; all were sexually active at the time of treatment. They were interviewed at least six months post-cryotherapy and 15 months post-hysterectomy. All subjects completed a variant version of the Derogatis Sexual Function Inventory (DSFI).

The present study was designed to investigate the hypothesis that female clients who tend to terminate therapy prematurely will have been assigned to a male therapist. The study also tested the hypothesis that female clients who defect from therapy will have reported a history of low self-disclosure to individuals of the same sex as their therapist. Neither hypothesis was supported by the results of this study, but findings suggest a possible bias in the manner by which male and female therapists select their clients for therapy. It also appears that female defectors may be over-identifying with their family of origin or that they may be overly dependent on it as a resource system. This may be the reason for their apparent difficulty in developing a prototype that will accommodate their therapist.