ABSTRACT
This study aimed to determine the sociodemographic predictors of willingness of pregnant women in Sudan to accept HIV testing. A random sample of 500 pregnant women attending antenatal care clinics in Omdurman maternity hospital in 2010 were interviewed. Significant predictors of women's tendency to accept HIV testing were: age < 30 years [OR 3.5, 95% CI: 2.2-5.8], primigravida [OR 1.5, 95% CI: 1.0-2.3], better education level [OR 3.4, 95% CI: 1.7-6.7], owning a radio [OR 2.1, 95% CI: 1.3-3.4], in employment [OR 2.5, 95% CI: 1.2-5.0] and >/= 2 antenatal care visits [OR 1.9, 95% CI: 1.2-2.9]. Husband's age >/= 35 years [OR 3.2, 95% CI: 2.0-5.2] and Christian faith [OR 3.8, 95% CI: 1.4-10.7] were significant variables, although with a wide margin of confidence. These predictors should be considered in strategies to increase the acceptance and use of HIV testing and counselling services
Subject(s)
Humans , Female , Pregnant Women , DemographyABSTRACT
Pharmaceutical representatives are an important promotional tool for pharmaceutical companies. This cross-sectional, exploratory study aimed to determine pharmaceutical representatives' beliefs and practices about their professional practice in Sudan. A random sample of 160 pharmaceutical representatives were interviewed using a pretested questionnaire. The majority were male [84.4%] and had received training in professional sales skills [86.3%] and about the products being promoted [82.5%]. Only 65.6% agreed that they provided full and balanced information about products. Not providing balanced information was attributed by 23.1% to doctors' lack of time. However, 28.1% confessed they sometimes felt like hiding unfavourable information, 21.9% were sometimes or always inclined to give untrue information to make sales and 66.9% considered free gifts as ethically acceptable. More attention is needed to dissemination of ethical codes of conduct and training about the ethics of drug promotion for pharmaceutical representatives in Sudan