Sexual practices of women who have sex with women and condom use

Objective: to analyze the sexual practice of women who have sex with women and its association with condom use. Methods: correlational study involving 231 women who have sex with women, recruited through electronic application (Instagram and WhatsApp). A questionnaire was applied through Google Forms, containing sociodemographic data, sexual history, and the types of sexual practices. Results: most women performed oral sex (86.4%) and manual sex (86.9%) without using condoms. A large proportion (84.8%) reported the use of fomites in sexual practices without condoms. The inexistence of a fixed partnership (p=0.000) and the performance of sex with vaginal contact (p=0.013) were associated with sexual intercourse without condoms. Conclusion: the sexual practice of women who have sex with women points to greater vulnerability to sexually transmitted infections, by practicing oral and vaginal sex with manual practices without the use of barrier methods.

Assessment of The Incidence of Insomnia In The Group of Poles Aged 18-25 Years During The Covid-19 Pandemic

Background: Insomnia is the most recognized sleep disorder. The time of the COVID-19 pandemic brings with it new challenges. During the COVID-19 pandemic, maintaining sleep hygiene is highly recommended as it helps to strengthen the immune system, and people infected with COVID-19 may be more prone to sleep problems.The aim of this study was to determine the incidence of insomnia among people aged 18-25 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: The study involved 302 individuals. It was conducted using Google Forms. The mean age of the respondents was 23 ± 1.84 years. The research instruments used in the study were the Athenian Insomnia Scale (AIS), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and the author’s questionnaire concerning sociodemographic data. Results: Insomnia was found in 29.5% (n = 89) of the respondents. Higher mean values (8 ± 4.19) in the AIS were noted in the group of people with higher education and those currently studying. Moderate depression was demonstrated in 12.6% (n = 38) of the subjects. One third (30.1%; n = 91) of the respondents indicated greater sleep problems during the COVID-19 pandemic than before. Conclusions: Insomnia and depression are significant problems in the study group of 18-25 year olds. Therefore, psychological and psychiatric care should be extended to this group of young people.

THE PREVALENCE OF VULVOVAGINAL CANDIDIASIS (VVC) AMONG WOMEN SUFFERING VAGINITIS ATTENDED A PRIVATE GYNECOLOGICAL CLINIC, ADEN-YEMEN

The study was carried out to determine the prevalence of vulvovaginal candidiasis among women suffering vaginitis. This prospective cross-sectional study was conducted among 120 women between the age of 15 to 45 years (mean age 39 years), attended a private gynecological clinic in Aden with symptoms of vaginitis between January and June 2019. A questionnaire was used to obtain information on the participants’ sociodemographic data and medical history. Direct microscopic examination (10% KOH), culture on SDA, germ tube test and gram staining were used to determine the prevalence of vulvovaginal candidiasis and to differentiate between C.albicans and non-albicans species. Out of 120 women, 25 (20.8%) were diagnosed with vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) and 95 (79.2%) with non-candidal vaginitis. C.albicans was the most prevalent with a prevalence rate of 17.5%. Although not statistically significant, vulvovaginal candidiasis tended to be more prevalent among women with 25-34 years. No statistically significant association between the prevalence of vulvovaginal candidiasis and educational level and marital status. Vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) was slightly high in Aden and Candida albicans was the most common causative agent of VVC. In the clinical diagnosis of VVC, both clinical criteria and microbiological tests must be used. Further study is needed to find out the prevalence of RVVC among women in the Aden governorate.

Privacy concerns with using public data for suicide risk prediction algorithms: a public opinion survey of contextual appropriateness

Purpose Existing algorithms for predicting suicide risk rely solely on data from electronic health records, but such models could be improved through the incorporation of publicly available socioeconomic data – such as financial, legal, life event and sociodemographic data. The purpose of this study is to understand the complex ethical and privacy implications of incorporating sociodemographic data within the health context. This paper presents results from a survey exploring what the general public’s knowledge and concerns are about such publicly available data and the appropriateness of using it in suicide risk prediction algorithms. Design/methodology/approach A survey was developed to measure public opinion about privacy concerns with using socioeconomic data across different contexts. This paper presented respondents with multiple vignettes that described scenarios situated in medical, private business and social media contexts, and asked participants to rate their level of concern over the context and what factor contributed most to their level of concern. Specific to suicide prediction, this paper presented respondents with various data attributes that could potentially be used in the context of a suicide risk algorithm and asked participants to rate how concerned they would be if each attribute was used for this purpose. Findings The authors found considerable concern across the various contexts represented in their vignettes, with greatest concern in vignettes that focused on the use of personal information within the medical context. Specific to the question of incorporating socioeconomic data within suicide risk prediction models, the results of this study show a clear concern from all participants in data attributes related to income, crime and court records, and assets. Data about one’s household were also particularly concerns for the respondents, suggesting that even if one might be comfortable with their own being used for risk modeling, data about other household members is more problematic. Originality/value Previous studies on the privacy concerns that arise when integrating data pertaining to various contexts of people’s lives into algorithmic and related computational models have approached these questions from individual contexts. This study differs in that it captured the variation in privacy concerns across multiple contexts. Also, this study specifically assessed the ethical concerns related to a suicide prediction model and determining people’s awareness of the publicness of select data attributes, as well as which of these data attributes generated the most concern in such a context. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to pursue this question.

ANXIETY IN PREGNANT WOMEN DURING THE COVID – 19 PANDEMIC WHO GO TO A HOSPITAL IN LIMA

Anxiety is one of the factors that affects the mental health of pregnant women during the coronavirus pandemic, due to the physiological and vital changes in their pregnancy. The objective is to determine anxiety in pregnant women during the pandemic of coronavirus who go to a hospital in Lima. It is a quantitative, non-experimental, descriptive cross-sectional study, with a total population of 660 participants, who answered a survey with sociodemographic data and the state-trait anxiety scale. In the results, we observed that during the coronavirus pandemic, 16 (2.4%) of pregnant women presented low anxiety, 555 (84.1%) presented medium anxiety and 89 (13.5%) presented high anxiety. It is concluded psychological interventions are necessary for pregnant women and thus be able to help them during this stage in a safer and more trouble-free way during the coronavirus pandemic.

A Multilayer Perceptron Neural Network Model to Classify Hypertension in Adolescents Using Anthropometric Measurements: A Cross-Sectional Study in Sarawak, Malaysia

This study outlines and developed a multilayer perceptron (MLP) neural network model for adolescent hypertension classification focusing on the use of simple anthropometric and sociodemographic data collected from a cross-sectional research study in Sarawak, Malaysia. Among the 2,461 data collected, 741 were hypertensive (30.1%) and 1720 were normal (69.9%). During the data gathering process, eleven anthropometric measurements and sociodemographic data were collected. The variable selection procedure in the methodology proposed selected five parameters: weight, weight-to-height ratio (WHtR), age, sex, and ethnicity, as the input of the network model. The developed MLP model with a single hidden layer of 50 hidden neurons managed to achieve a sensitivity of 0.41, specificity of 0.91, precision of 0.65, F -score of 0.50, accuracy of 0.76, and Area Under the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) Curve (AUC) of 0.75 using the imbalanced data set. Analyzing the performance metrics obtained from the training, validation and testing data sets show that the developed network model is well-generalized. Using Bayes’ Theorem, an adolescent classified as hypertensive using this created model has a 66.2% likelihood of having hypertension in the Sarawak adolescent population, which has a hypertension prevalence of 30.1%. When the prevalence of hypertension in the Sarawak population was increased to 50%, the developed model could predict an adolescent having hypertension with an 82.0% chance, whereas when the prevalence of hypertension was reduced to 10%, the developed model could only predict true positive hypertension with a 33.6% chance. With the sensitivity of the model increasing to 65% and 90% while retaining a specificity of 91%, the true positivity of an adolescent being hypertension would be 75.7% and 81.2%, respectively, according to Bayes’ Theorem. The findings show that simple anthropometric measurements paired with sociodemographic data are feasible to be used to classify hypertension in adolescents using the developed MLP model in Sarawak adolescent population with modest hypertension prevalence. However, a model with higher sensitivity and specificity is required for better positive hypertension predictive value when the prevalence is low. We conclude that the developed classification model could serve as a quick and easy preliminary warning tool for screening high-risk adolescents of developing hypertension.

Religious celibacy brings kin-selected benefits

The influence of inclusive fitness interests on the evolution of human institutions remains unclear. Religious celibacy constitutes an especially puzzling institution, often deemed maladaptive. Here, we present sociodemographic data from an agropastoralist Buddhist population in western China, where parents sometimes sent a son to the monastery. We find that men with a monk brother father more children, and grandparents with a monk son have more grandchildren, suggesting that the practice is adaptive. We develop a model of celibacy to elucidate the inclusive fitness costs and benefits associated with this behaviour. We show that a minority of sons can be favoured to be celibate if this increases their brothers’ reproductive success, but only if the decision is under parental, rather than individual, control. These conditions apply to monks in our study site. Inclusive fitness considerations appear to play a key role in shaping parental preferences to adopt this cultural practice.

Yetişkinlerde Erken Dönem Uyum Bozucu Şemalar Bilişsel Esneklik ve Bilişsel Duygu Düzenleme Arasındaki İlişkiler

This work; It was conducted to examine the relationships between early maladaptive schemas, cognitive flexibility and cognitive emotion regulation. A total of 343 people over the age of 18, 252 women and 91 men, living in Istanbul participated in the study. Sociodemographic data form, Young Schema Scale Short Form-3 (YSS-SF3), Cognitive Flexibility Scale (CFS) and Cognitive Emotion Regulation Scale (CERS) were used in the study. In order to apply the data collection tools, the sociodemographic data form, Young Schema Scale Short Form-3, Cognitive Flexibility Scale and Cognitive Emotion Regulation Scale were printed on paper and distributed to 343 participants over the age of 18 selected by simple random method. Pearson Correlation analysis was used for the relationship between two or more variables. As a result of the research, a negative relationship was found between the Cognitive Flexibility Scale and emotional deprivation, social isolation, insecurity, imperfection, suppression of emotions, intertwining, addiction, abandonment, endurance, failure, and pessimism. The sub-dimension of cognitive emotion regulation with the Cognitive Flexibility Scale; A positive correlation was found between the scores of focusing on the plan, positive reviewing, and placing in perspective. A negative correlation was found between the scores of self-blame, destruction, and blaming others. When we look at the relationships between the sub-dimensions of cognitive emotion regulation and the schemas, in most of the findings; While there was a positive correlation between the maladaptive sub-dimensions of cognitive emotion regulation and the schemas, a negative relationship was found between the congruent sub-dimensions and the schemas. Keywords: Schema, cognitive emotion regulation, cognitive flexibility

Combatting Substandard and Falsified Medicines: Public Awareness and Identification of Counterfeit Medications

Objectives: The objective of this study was to determine the identification rate of substandard and falsified medications and its association with knowledge among public.Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in different geographic areas among a convenient sample of people aged 18 or older. A validated web-based electronic questionnaire was used for data collection tool. The questionnaire contained three sections assessing the following: (1) Sociodemographic data; (2) Knowledge regarding counterfeit medicines; and (3) Ability to identify counterfeit medicines, according to 12 questions rated on a five-point Likert scale. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to assess the association between sociodemographic factors and counterfeit medication identification rate.Results: A total of 320 people participated in the study. Only 98 participants (30.6%, 95% CI 25.6–35.7%) identified the counterfeit medications. Ability to correctly identify counterfeit medications was significantly higher in participants who were older (p = 0.016), single (p = 0.001), Asian (p = 0.001), or American (p = 0.019), as well as those who indicated that they would check the certification of the medications (p = 0.015) and report counterfeit medications to the authorities (p < 0.0001).Conclusions: These results underscore the need for greater public awareness of the hazards associated with counterfeit medicines.