scholarly journals Reproductive awareness and recognition of unintended pregnancy: young women, key informants and health care providers perspectives in South Africa

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Oluwaseyi Dolapo Somefun ◽  
Jane Harries ◽  
Deborah Constant
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Unintended Pregnancy ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Signs And Symptoms ◽  
Second Trimester ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Abortion Care ◽  
Pregnancy Status

Abstract Background South Africa has a liberal abortion law, yet denial of care is not uncommon, usually due to a woman being beyond the legal gestational age limit for abortion care at that facility. For women successfully obtaining care, time from last menstrual period to confirmation of pregnancy is significantly longer among those having an abortion later in the second trimester compared to earlier gestations. This study explores women’s experiences with recognition and confirmation of unintended pregnancy, their understanding of fertile periods within the menstrual cycle as well as healthcare providers’ and policy makers’ ideas for public sector strategies to facilitate prompt confirmation of pregnancy. Methods We recruited participants from July through September 2017, at an urban non-governmental organization (NGO) sexual and reproductive health (SRH) facility and two public sector hospitals, all providing abortion care into the second trimester. We conducted in-depth interviews and group discussions with 40 women to elicit information regarding pregnancy recognition and confirmation as well as fertility awareness. In addition, 5 providers at these same facilities and 2 provincial policy makers were interviewed. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Results Uncertainties regarding pregnancy signs and symptoms greatly impacted on recognition of pregnancy status. Women often mentioned that others, including family, friends, partners or colleagues noticed pregnancy signs and prompted them to take action. Several women were unaware of the fertility window and earliest timing for accurate pregnancy testing. Health care providers and policy makers called for strategies to raise awareness regarding risk and signs of pregnancy and for pregnancy tests to be made more readily accessible. Conclusion Early recognition of unintended pregnancy in this setting is frustrated by poor understanding and awareness of fertility and pregnancy signs and symptoms, compounded by a distrust of commercially available pregnancy tests. Improving community awareness around risk and early signs of pregnancy and having free tests readily available may help women confirm their pregnancy status promptly.

scholarly journals Perspectives on Awareness of Unintended Pregnancy Among Young South African Women, Healthcare Providers and Policy Makers

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oluwaseyi Dolapo Somefun ◽  
Jane Harries ◽  
Deborah Constant
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Unintended Pregnancy ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Early Recognition ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Second Trimester ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Abortion Care ◽  
Pregnancy Status

Abstract BackgroundSouth Africa has a liberal abortion law, yet denial of care is not uncommon, usually due to a woman being beyond the legal gestational age limit for abortion care at that facility. For women successfully obtaining care, time from last menstrual period to confirmation of pregnancy is significantly longer among those having an abortion later in the second trimester compared to earlier gestations. This study explores women’s experiences with recognition and confirmation of unintended pregnancy, their understanding of fertile periods within the menstrual cycle as well as healthcare providers’ and policy makers’ ideas for public sector strategies to facilitate prompt confirmation of unintended pregnancy.Methods We recruited participants from July through September 2017, at an urban non-governmental organization (NGO) sexual and reproductive health (SRH) facility and two public sector hospitals, all providing abortion care into the second trimester. We conducted in-depth interviews and focus group discussions with 40 women to elicit information regarding pregnancy recognition and confirmation as well as fertility awareness. In addition, 5 providers at these same facilities and 2 provincial policy makers were interviewed. Data were analysed using thematic analysis.ResultsUncertainties around being pregnant greatly impacted on recognition of pregnancy status. Women often mentioned that others, including family, friends, partners or colleagues noticed pregnancy signs and prompted them to take action. Several women were unaware of the fertility window and earliest timing for accurate pregnancy testing. Health care providers and policy makers called for strategies to raise awareness regarding risk and signs of unintended pregnancy and for pregnancy tests to be made more readily accessible.ConclusionEarly recognition of unintended pregnancy in this setting is frustrated by poor understanding and awareness of fertility and pregnancy signs and symptoms, compounded by a distrust of commercially available pregnancy tests. Improving community awareness around risk and early signs of pregnancy and having free tests readily available may help women with unintended pregnancy confirm their pregnancy status promptly.

scholarly journals Are antiretrovirals prescribed according to the recommended prescribed daily doses in the private healthcare sector in South Africa

2011 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Norah L. Katende-Kyenda ◽  
Martie Lubbe ◽  
Juan H.P. Serfontein ◽  
Ilse Truter
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Health Care Sector ◽  
Hiv And Aids ◽  
Healthcare Sector ◽  
Private Health Care ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Increased Risk

Current antiretroviral treatment (ART) guidelines recommend different combinations that have led to major improvements in the management of HIV and AIDS in the developed and developing world. With the rapid approval of many agents, health care providers may not be able to familiarise themselves with them all. This lack of knowledge leads to increased risk of dose- prescribing errors, especially by non-HIV and AIDS specialists. The purpose of this retrospective non-experimental, quantitative drug utilisation study was to evaluate if antiretrovirals (ARVs) are prescribed according to the recommended prescribed daily doses (PDDs) in a section of the private health care sector in South Africa (SA). Analysed ARV prescriptions (49995, 81096 and 88988) for HIV and AIDS patients were claimed from a national medicine claims database for the period 1 January 2005 through to 31 December 2007. ARV prescriptions prescribed by general practitioners (GPs) with PDDs not according to the recommended ARV dosing increased dramatically, from 12.33% in 2005 to 24.26% in 2007. Those prescribed by specialists (SPs) increased from 15.46% in 2005 to 35.20% in 2006 and decreased to 33.16% in 2007. The highest percentage of ARV prescriptions with PDDs not according to recommended ARV dosing guidelines was identified in ARV regimens with lopinavir−ritonavir at a PDD of 1066.4/264 mg and efavirenz at a PDD of 600 mg prescribed to patients in the age group of Group 3 (19 years > age ≤ 45 years). These regimens were mostly prescribed by GPs rather than SPs. There is a need for more education for all health care professionals and/or providers in the private health care sector in SA on recommended ARV doses, to avoid treatment failures, development of resistance, drug-related adverse effects and drug interactions.OpsommingHuidige riglyne vir behandeling met antiretrovirale middels beveel verskillende kombinasies aan wat tot groot verbetering in die beheer van MIV en VIGS in die ontwikkelde en ontwikkelende wêreld gelei het. Met die vinnige goedkeuring van talle nuwe middels kan dit gebeur dat verskaffers van gesondheidsorg nie kan bybly om hulle hiermee op hoogte te hou nie. Hierdie gebrek aan kennis lei tot ‘n hoër risiko vir foute in die voorgeskrewe dosis en veral deur persone wat nie spesialiste in MIV en VIGS is nie. Die doel van hierdie nie-eksperimentele, retrospektiewe, kwantitatiewe studie van die gebruik van geneesmiddels was om te bepaal of antiretrovirale middels in ‘n deel van die privaat gesondheidsorgsektor in Suid-Afrika (SA) volgens die aanbevole voorgeskrewe daaglikse dosisse (VDD) voorgeskryf word. Voorskrifte van antiretrovirale middels (49995, 81096 en 88988) aan pasiënte met MIV en VIGS wat in die periode van 1 Januarie 2005 tot 31 Desember 2007 van ‘n nasionale medisyne databasis geëis is, is ontleed. Voorskrifte van antiretrovirale middels deur algemene praktisyns (APs) met VDDs wat nie volgens die aanbevole dosisse vir antiretrovirale middels was nie, het dramaties van 12.33% in 2005 tot 24.26% in 2007 toegeneem. Die wat deur spesialiste (SPs) voorgeskryf is, het van 15.46% in 2005 tot 35.20% in 2006 toegeneem en in 2007 tot 33.16% gedaal. Die hoogste persentasie van voorskrifte vir antiretrovirale middels met VDDs wat nie volgens die riglyne was nie, was in die regimens met lopinavir−ritonavir met ‘n VDD van 1066.4/264 mg en efavirens met ‘n VDD van 600 mg wat aan pasiënte in die ouderdomsgroep van ouer as 19 tot en met 45 jaar voorgeskryf is. Hierdie regimens is meer deur APs as deur SPs voorgeskryf. Daar is ‘n behoefte aan nog opleiding van alle gesondheidsprofessies en/of voersieners in die privaat gesondheidsorgsektor in SA oor die aanbevole antiretrovirale middel-dosisse om mislukking van behandeling, ontwikkeling van weerstand, nadelige effekte vanweë geneesmiddels en geneesmiddel interaksies te voorkom.

scholarly journals Seven year overview (2007—2013) of ethical transgressions by registered healthcare professionals in South Africa

2016 ◽  
Vol 21 ◽  
pp. 46-53
Author(s):  
Nico Nortje ◽  
Willem Hoffmann
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Primary Objective ◽  
Regulatory Body ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Business Practices ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Dental Practitioners

A move has taken place internationally in the delivery and “consumption” of health care where if clients and patients (health care consumers) hold the opinion that the health care professionals/providers' behaviour has had a negative effect, impact or outcome on them, they may lodge a complaint with the relevant health professional regulatory body. Ethical transgressions of health care providers can generally be clustered into the following three categories: a) Competence and conduct with clients (e.g. abandonment, sexual intimacies, dishonesty, disclosure of information); b) Business practices (e.g. billing, reports, documentation); and c) Professional practice (e.g. referral upon termination, obtaining appropriate potential employment opportunities, nonprofessional relationships).The primary objective of this study was to analyse the ethical transgressions of registered members of the twelve professional boards in the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) in the period 2007 to 2013. A mixed methods approach was followed in this study which specifically focused on a historical research approach. The results indicate that the boards with the highest number of transgressions per the registered practitioners were firstly the Medical and Dental practitioners, closely followed by the Optometry and Dispensing Opticians Board. The predominantly complaint made against members of both these boards was for fraudulent conduct (collectively totalling to 85% of all fraudulent cases during the period) and included actions such as charging for non-rendered services, issuing false statements and submitting fraudulent medical aid claims. Cognisance needs to be taken that the South African public will increasingly demand better services and that since they are being better informed via the media of their rights and have access to a broader database of knowledge (rightly or wrongly so the internet) practitioners' opinions will not necessarily be accepted outright and that they (the public) will challenge it accordingly. This raises the concern that practitioners need to take on the responsibility to communicate with their patients/clients in order to educate them and keep them informed. 

The fentanyls: pharmacological and clinical aspects relevant to Australia

2020 ◽  
Vol 28 (5) ◽  
pp. 542-544
Author(s):  
Shaun L Greene ◽  
Anton Scamvougeras ◽  
Amanda Norman ◽  
Yvonne Bonomo ◽  
David J Castle
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
North American ◽  
Clinical Aspects ◽  
Clinical Effects ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Drug And Alcohol ◽  
Overdose Deaths

Objective: North American and other jurisdictions have seen an alarming rise in the abuse of the fentanyls, with related overdose deaths. We sought to review this group of drugs to alert Australian psychiatrists and drug and alcohol clinicians to their clinical effects and potential harms. Conclusions: The extreme potency of the fentanyls underlie their lethality. Vigilance and investment from both policy makers and health care providers are required to mitigate harm from a possible future Australian fentanyl epidemic.

scholarly journals Beyond health care providers’ recommendations: understanding influences on infant feeding choices of women with HIV in the Eastern Cape, South Africa

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Oladele Vincent Adeniyi ◽  
Anthony Idowu Ajayi ◽  
Moshood Issah ◽  
Eyitayo Omolara Owolabi ◽  
Daniel Ter Goon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Infant Feeding ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Eastern Cape ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Women With Hiv ◽  
Feeding Choices
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