Physical and Mental Health Status of Women whose Spouses Inject Drugs – A Cross-Sectional, Multisite Study

Substance use disorder impacts the lives of significant others, more especially the wives of individuals using substances. However, the physical and mental health issues among wives of people who inject drugs(PWID) are less studied. The current cross?sectional, multisite study assessed the physical and mental health of wives of 433 PWID across six sites in Delhi. The mean age of the participants was 32.7 years (standard deviation: 9.7). More than 50% of the participants reported menstrual problems, most commonly dysmenorrhea. Around 55.9% had adverse pregnancy outcomes(abortion, miscarriage, or stillbirth). Around one out of four participants reported at least one specific sexually transmitted infection symptom. Around 11% were diagnosed with tuberculosis and 35% with a major medical illness in their lifetime. More than 90% of the participants had depressive and anxiety symptoms. The study showed that there is a huge burden of physical and mental health issues among the wives of PWID.

Attitude and knowledge of women between 45 and 65 years on menopause syndrome at the university college hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria

This research was designed to find out the attitude and knowledge of women between 45 and 65 years on menopause syndrome and its management. The study was conducted in University College Hospital located in Ibadan North Local Government of Oyo state. A self-designed forced-choice questionnaire was distributed to 100 women using random sampling technique. Furthermore, our study showed that most women view the onset of menopause positively and that few seek treatment. They report relatively low prevalence of menopausal symptoms, with the most significant being irregular menstrual cycles and increased blood pressure and urinary tract infections. Furthermore, our study revealed that 41% of the participants had no idea why their menstrual period stopped, while why 60% of the women had no idea what could be done to reduce menopausal symptoms. This study reveals a low level of awareness about menopausal syndrome and more should be done. (Afr J Reprod Health 2022; 26[5]: 57-62).

An assessment of knowledge and practices relating to the usage of sanitary pads

Background: The knowledge of the proper use, disposal of sanitary pads, and its related side effects during menstruation is a vital aspect of a woman’s well-being. Use of sanitary pads appropriately and replacing them on time are essential practices needed to maintain menstrual hygiene. Failure to do so may lead to detrimental consequences that could affect the health of women and make them susceptible to reproductive tract infections. Objectives were to assess a range of factors considered by female about the usage of sanitary pads and the various methods employed regarding its disposal.Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted from March to June 2018, in the city of Karachi, by students of Jinnah Sindh Medical University. A sampling technique was used to select 391 females. Data collection was carried out using a structured questionnaire, by convenience sampling. Response of the participants was acquired using a 5-point Likert scale.Results: In total, 391 females from the city took part in this study; their ages ranging between 15-45 years. 95.7% of these females preferred sanitary pads over cloth, tampons, menstrual cups and toilet paper. Many women using sanitary pads believed, pads should be replaced often while menstruating and failure to do so may increase the risk of contracting infections (p≤0.01).Conclusions: The findings showed that a significant number of women are aware of the risks associated with sanitary napkins and have adequate knowledge related to its proper usage. The study also presented no significant risk of adverse effects associated with the use of sanitary pads.