ABSTRACT
Background: The benefits of Pain relief to parturientsin labour cannot be over-emphasized. However, in low middle income countries accessibility, availability and affordability these services are not optimum. This has made it near impossible for women in labour to benefit from epidural analgesia.Aim: This study was aimed to assess the knowledge of availability and level of acceptance of labour analgesia amongst antenatal clinic attendees at the department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Rivers State University Teaching Hospital (RSUTH).Methods: The present observational study was conducted after informed consent was given by antenatal clinic attendees. Data was collected using a pretested questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS Version 25.Results: Response from 200 women with mean ± SD age and gestational age of 31.49 ± 4.89 years and 34.25 ± 4.75 weeks respectively. The modal Parity was 1. 56; while 106/200 (53%) were aware of pain relief in labour, 94/200 (47%) had no knowledge of pain relief in labour. Twenty eight (28/106) constituting 26.42% had knowledge of the pharmacological methods while 78 (73.59%) had non-specific ideas about pain relief in labour. Twenty six (26/28) (92.86%) of the respondents will accept epidural analgesia in labour.Conclusion: Knowledge of availability and acceptance of labour analgesia was poor. Lack of information is a major contributor for non-acceptance of labour analgesia. The inclusion and dissemination of information about labour analgesia by anaesthetists and obstetricians during antenatal classes would increase the knowledge about its availability and wide acceptance to these parturients
ABSTRACT
Background:Breast cancer is the leading cause of death globally in women between 44 –50 years. As a result of poor awareness, late presentation is often times common amongst women with breast cancer in developing countries of the world as such outcome is poor. Aim:To determine the awareness and early detection of ante natal clinic attendees towards breast cancer at the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital (RSUTH), Port Harcourt, Nigeria.Methods:This was a cross-sectional study of ANC attendees at the RSUTH. Simple randomized sampling method was used. A structured pre-test survey questionnaire The information was analyzed using SPSS version 25.Results:A total of 180 questionnaires were distributed and 176 questionnaires retrieved. The mean gestational age was 32.4 years. The modal parity was 1. With respect to the educational level, tertiary were 129 (73.3%), secondary 43 (24.4%) and primary 4 (2.3%). Those aware of breast cancer were 159 (90.3%). Means of information by the subjects for breast cancer prevention were media 96 (54.6%), hospital 39 (22.0%), religious house 3 (3.8%) and others 38 (19.6%) Antenatal mothers who carried out self breast examination for detection of breast lumps were 95 (54%). Subjects who were aware of mammogram were 42 (23.9%) whilethose who had mammogram in the past were 2 (1.1%). ANC attendees who had family history of breast cancer were 7 (4%). The relationship between breast cancer awareness and educational status were as follows, tertiary 123 (69.9%), secondary 34 (19.3%), primary 2 (1.1%).Conclusion:Though the level of breast cancer awareness was high 90.3%. Self breast examination for early detection of breast cancer was above average (54%), while the use of mammogram for early detection of breast cancer was still not encouraging represented by 1.1% of the respondents. The media was the commonest medium of awareness for the prevention of breast cancer represented by 54.6% of the ante natal clinic attendees