Early sexual debut: prevalence and risk factors among secondary school students in Ido-ekiti, Ekiti state, South-West Nigeria

Barriers to contraceptive uptake among women of reproductive age in a semi-urban community of Ekiti State, Southwest Nigeria

Inappropriate self-medication results in wastage of resources, resistance to pathogen and generally entails serious health hazard. This study was undertaken to determine the knowledge, practice and reasons for practice of self-medication among health workers in a Nigerian tertiary institution. This was a cross-sectional descriptive study conducted among staff of Federal Medical Center Ido-Ekiti, Nigeria. Simple random sampling technique was used to select 305 respondents that were interviewed via a pretested semi-structured questionnaire. Analysis was done using SPSS version 15 and while chi-square test was used to test significance between variables, significant (p value set<0.05). Among the 305 respondents interviewed, the age range was 18-52yrs with greater proportion being males (51.8%). Majority of respondents were aware of self-medication (94.8%), but only 47.2% had good knowledge of it. Reasons for practicing self-medication were financial problem (10.8%), mild sickness (10.8%), lack of time (13.4%), knowledge of diagnosis (5.6%), convenience (2.3%) and non-availability of doctors (3.0%). The drugs used by respondents without prescription included analgesics (38.2%), antibiotics (19.0%) anti-malaria drugs (13.3%), and others (29.4%). Conditions for which respondents self-medicated were body pains (14.9%), catarrh (14.9%), headache (14.3%), sore throat (11.5%), diarrhea (11.2%), fever (9.0%) and toothache (5.6%). The study demonstrates that the prevalence of self-medication is relatively high. There is need for health education on the implication and danger of self-medication. There is also need for government to pass and enforce law to restrict free access to drugs.

INTRODUCTION: This study aims to assess the treatment adherence rate among People Living With HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) receiving treatment in a Nigerian tertiary Hospital. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study that assessed self-reported treatment adherence among adults aged 18 years and above who were accessing drugs for the treatment of HIV. Systematic random sampling method was used to select 550 participants and data were collected by structured interviewer administered questionnaire. RESULTS: The mean age of respondents was 39.9?10 years. Adherence rate for HIV patients was 92.6%. Factors affecting adherence include lack of money for transportation to the hospital (75%), traveling (68.8%), forgetting (66.7%), avoiding side effects (66.7%) and avoiding being seen (63.6%). CONCLUSION: The adherence rate was less than optimal despite advancements in treatment programmes. Adherence monitoring plans such as home visit and care should be sustained.

Knowledge and prevalence of risk factors for arterial hypertension and blood pressure pattern among bankers and traffic wardens in Ilorin, Nigeria

Background: Condom programming is an integral component in a range of HIV/AIDS prevention strategies and with repeated sexual contact among HIV-discordant couples, 98-100% of those who used latex condoms correctly and consistently did not become infected. The objective of this study is to determine condom use among people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). Methods: This is a cross-sectional survey carried out among 231 PLWHA and receiving care and treatment at General Hospital Abejukolo in Kogi State, Nigeria. The research instrument was interviewer-administered questionnaire. The data obtained were analysed using EPI-INFO version 3.4.1 software and P-value of < 0.05 was significant for the study. Results: About three-quarters (70.6%) of the respondents had ever used condom. Reasons given by respondents who did not use condom were: Desire for children (39.7%), and reduction of sexual pleasure (17.7%) and partner preference. More than half (56.0%) of the respondents with multiple partners did not use condom. About half 119 (51.5%) have used condom in the last sexual encounter. Gender, literacy level and disclosure of HIV status to partners significantly influence condom use during sexual intercourse. Conclusion: The poor uptake of condom among PLWHA underscores the need for government and other stakeholders in the management of HIV/AIDS to provide more enlightenment opportunities to address the gaps in condom use and disclosure of HIV status to partners. Fond: Programmation condom est une partie intégrante dans une gamme de VIH/sida, des stratégies de prévention et avec répété contact sexuel entre les couples VIH-discordants, 98-100 % de ceux qui utilisaient des préservatifs en latex correctement et ne toujours pas s'infecter. L'objectif de cette étude est de déterminer l'utilisation du préservatif chez les personnes vivant avec le VIH/sida (PVVIH). Méthodes: Il s'agit d'une enquête transversale menée auprès des PVVIH 231 et de récepteur de soins et de traitement à Abejukolo hôpital général dans l'état de Kogi, Nigeria. L'instrument de recherche a été l'intervieweur questionnaire. Les données obtenues ont été analysées à l'aide du logiciel EPI-INFO en version 3.4.1 et valeur p de 0,05 <était importante pour l'étude de. Résultats: Environ les trois quarts (70,6 %) des personnes interrogées avaient déjà utilisé le préservatif. Raisons invoquées par les répondants qui n'utilisaient pas de préservatifs ont été : le désir pour les enfants (39,7 %) et diminution du plaisir sexuel (17,7 %) et de préférence de la partenaire. Plus de la moitié (56,0 %) des répondants ayant plusieurs partenaires n'utilisait pas de préservatif. 119 environ la moitié (51,5 %) ont utilisé des préservatifs dans la dernière relation sexuelle. Sexe, niveau d'alphabétisme et divulgation de la séropositivité aux partenaires influence significative sur l'utilisation du préservatif lors des rapports sexuels. Conclusion: La mauvaise absorption du préservatif chez les PVVIH souligne la nécessité pour le gouvernement et d'autres intervenants dans la gestion du VIH/sida à offrir plus de possibilités pour combler les lacunes dans l'utilisation du préservatif et de divulgation de la séropositivité aux partenaires illumination. Mots clés: L'utilisation du préservatif, VIH/sida, Nigeria, VIH/sida