1,720,983 research outputs found
Assessing risk perceptions, condom use, and sexual behaviour of student at Technical Vocational Education and Training colleges in Gauteng and North West Provinces in South Africa
Get PDFUniversity and college students fall within the age range of 15-24 years, the age group which is categorized as vulnerable to high rates of HIV infection and risky sexual practices. However, few studies on risky sexual behaviour have been conducted with college students in South Africa. The objectives of the study were to assess the risky sexual behaviors, HIV risk perceptions, and consistent condom use of students at Technical Vocational Education and Training colleges (TVET). A cross-sectional survey was conducted among students recruited from twelve TVET colleges using a structured self-administered questionnaire. Bivariate and multivariate analysis were computed using Stata software package version 13. Of the 3,674 students who participated in the survey, 2,947 (80.7%) reported being sexually active, and 2,408 (73.6%) had sex in the last three months. Over a third (n=1,096, 34%) reported multiple partnerships in the last 12 months, and more male students (n=699, 64%) reported multiple sexual partnerships. Over two-thirds (n=1,821, 66.6%) reported condom use during the last sexual intercourse, and only half (n=1,624, 52.7%) reported consistent condom use. A high proportion (n=2,589, 78.8%) can ask a partner to use a condom, and 1,632 (53.7%) would refuse sex without a condom. More male students 416 (52.3%) would not refuse sex when a condom is not used. Three quarters (n=2,709, 74%) had ever tested for HIV and 2,121 (65.2%) know their partner’s HIV status. A high proportion (n=2,909, 83.4%) of the students perceived themselves at risk of HIV infection, and male students were less likely to report high-risk perceptions. The high occurrence of risky sexual behaviours increased the students’ vulnerability to HIV infection. Intervention programs to prevent the spread of HIV in higher education institutions should take into consideration the gender differences in risky sexual behaviour observed among the students
Risky sexual behaviour amidst predicament of acceptable sexually transmitted infection partner notification modalities: A cross-sectional survey amongst minibus taxi drivers in Gauteng Province, South Africa
No full textBackground: Sexually transmitted infection patient-initiated partner notification (PN) approach has been implemented over a decade in South Africa, however, use and update by patients has been limited. This study assessed the perceived use of patient-initiated PN by using referral slips and measured the level of acceptability of provider-initiated PN by using short message service (SMS) to the personal mobile phones of sexual partners.Methods: A formative evaluation approach using a quantitative survey amongst 722 minibus taxi drivers in nine major taxi ranks in Tshwane Municipality, Gauteng Province. STATA IC version 13 was used for data analyses.Results: The mean age of the participants was 37.2 years (59%) were single, 59.5% had multiple sexual partners, 52.2% did not use a condom during the last sexual act, 42.8% reported inconsistent use of condoms and 65% tested for HIV in the past 12 months. The majority (98.2%) understood the importance of PN, but 51% would prefer telling a sexual partner face to face. Perceived easiness of delivering a PN slip was 69.1%, and 93% would use a PN slip received from a partner. Acceptability of provider-initiated PN by using an SMS was 62.7% and about a third (32.5%) were not in favour of provider-initiated PN by SMS. Twenty four point 7 percent (24.7%) preferred patient-initiated PN and 24.3% preferred provider-initiated PN.Conclusion: Preferred patient-initiated and provider-initiated PN was almost equal, hence, the provider-initiated PN should be augmented to support the current patient-initiated PN to increase the overall STI notification
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Get PDFThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Opinions about and acceptability of HIV self-testing amongst students at the Institute of Health Sciences- Lobatse, Botswana
Get PDFBotswana was amongst the first African countries to introduce universal access to HIV testing through voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) and routine HIV testing (RHT). However, despite years of the implementation of VCT and RHT, in 2013, only 70% of Batswana had ever been tested for HIV because of the limitations of the testing options. Alternative HIV testing options such as HIV self-testing (HIVST) have not been adopted, and its feasibility and acceptability have not been determined. We assessed the acceptability of and opinions of tertiary students at the Institute of Health Sciences in Lobatse about HIVST. Five focus group and five in-depth interviews were conducted with 45 students. Thematic data analysis using NVivo 10 were conducted. The findings revealed that the HIVST was acceptable to the students who believed that adopting it as an HIV testing approach would address an unmet need for testing. They would utilize HIVST because it would assure confidentiality and privacy, it is convenient and offers the flexibility of when and where to conduct the self-test. However, there are were also concerns about the cost of self-testing kits, the lack of post-test counseling, and the lack of strategies to link the self-test results to HIV programming. They recommended that the concerns should be addressed to make HIVST effective and that potential users of HIVST should be provided with clear instructions on how to self-test. HIVST is an acceptable testing option that could complement available HIV testing and counseling services provided in public health facilities
Differences in Sexual Behavior and Partner Notification for Sexually Transmitted Infections Between the Out of School Youth and University Students in a Peri-Urban District in South Africa—A Cross-Sectional Survey
Get PDFThe increase in sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in young people is a public health concern. Among those in university and out of school, different contextual factors contribute to their risky sexual behavior and increased susceptibility to STIs and HIV. There are limited comparative studies examining risky sexual behavior and partner notification (PN) between these two groups, particularly in South Africa. We investigated sexual behaviors, self-reported STI diagnosis, health seeking behavior, and preferred PN methods of university students and out of school youth. A descriptive cross-sectional survey was used using convenient sampling to select 917 students across five health sciences universities and through periodic sampling 699 out of school youth were selected from two main local shopping centers in South Africa. Descriptive statistics, bivariate and multivariable logistic analysis were performed using Stata IC version 14. More university students (71.7%) than out of school youth were in casual relationships (28.3%), with half of out of school youth being in steady relations (50.2%). Moreover, university students (65.7%) used a condom in the past 6 months compared to their counterparts (34.3%). Of the 124 youth who were diagnosed with STI in the past 12 months, majority (n = 106, 85%) were out of school youth. The probability of notifying a partner about a STI infection was 82% among university students compared to their counterparts (p = >0.05). The odds of notifying a partner was 1.79 times more for those having multiple sexual partners than those who had only one partner. Both groups preferred a face-to-face STI disclosure with partner; however, more university students (67%) preferred SMS notification than PN referral slips as compared to out of school youth (42%). Both the university students and the out of school youth engaged in risky sexual behaviors. Both groups preferred face-to-face and clinic SMS partner notifications, even though university students were in the majority. There is a need for developing health promotion scripts on disclosing STIs to sexual partners to empower the majority of the youth who prefer face-to-face PN over the prescribed methods
Unplanned pregnancy and motherhood among adolescents- reports by adolescent mothers in a peri-urban area of Tshwane District, Gauteng province, South Africa
Get PDFAdolescent pregnancy and motherhood-related challenges are major social problems affecting teenagers worldwide. It is a concern that affects both developed and developing countries alike. In the past few decades, South Africa has seen a decline in teenage fertility, yet rates of teenage pregnancy remain high at 30% among teenagers aged 15 to 19 years old. This study sought to explore the experiences and challenges of adolescent pregnancy and motherhood among female youth in Tshwane District, Gauteng Province. A qualitative descriptive approach was used to investigate the experiences of teenage pregnancy among 25 teenage mothers aged between 15-19 years old. Participants were selected using a purposive sampling method and were interviewed using face-to-face in-depth interviews. The study sample consisted of Seventeen (N =17) participants were between the ages of 15-19 years and Eight (N= 8) participants were aged between 20-22 years. According to the data, all interviewed participants had one child with the exception of two participants aged 20 and 21 years who had two children and for both of them the children were from different men. The themes that emerged from the data on experiencing unplanned pregnancy and motherhood included assuming new roles and responsibilities, disruption in life plans, being an adolescent mother, schooling, support received during pregnancy and motherhood. Frequent responses on experiences of adolescent pregnancy and motherhood in this study showed that being a young mother had negative consequences. The findings suggest that adolescent mothers tend to experience pregnancy and motherhood as a stressful and challenging life event, which affects their personal lives physically, psychosocially and socially. The study concludes that the experiences of adolescent pregnancy and motherhood by adolescent mothers in the context of this study are unpleasant and unprotective for their wellbeing
Variations on the Author
Get PDF“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Get PDFWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
Treatment outcomes of antiretroviral therapy among pediatric patients in a Zewditu Memorial Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Get PDF There are a few studies in resource-limited settings describing the various treatment outcomes and the factors that are associated with ART outcomes. Studies in the African region have reported tangible clinical benefits for early diagnosis and initiation of ART such as low mortality and high survival time. This article presents the factors influencing the outcome of ART in children in order to find out possible ways of improvement in HIV treatment. This was a quantitative, analytical, and retrospective design of an electronic database of children enrolled on the ART program in Zewditu Memorial Hospital. The median age at initiation of ART was found to be 7.9 years, mortality rate 2.3 per 100 person-years, mean survival time 81 months; 53% died during the first 3 months of treatment initiation. The probability of survival at 24 months was 0.93. On univariate analysis, age, marital status of parents, parental survival, co-trimoxazole prophylaxis, WHO clinical stage, baseline functional status, weight-for-age and height-for-age were found tobesignificantlyassociatedwithdeath.Onadjustmentforconfounding,absenceofcotrimoxazoleprophylaxisandpoorbaselinefunctionalstatusremainedstrongpredictorsofmortality. This studyconfirmstheprophylacticeffectofco-trimoxazoleinreducingmortalityandmorbidity.SincechildrenwhowerebedriddenatinitiationofARTwereverymuchlikelytodieearlierthanthosewhowereactive,itcanbeconcludedthat earlyinitiationofARThasanenormousbenefitinprolonginglifeandimprovingthequalityoflifeoftheaffectedones.
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