Adolescent sexual and reproductive health needs and utilisation of health services in the Bono East Region, Ghana.

BACKGROUND: Adolescents in Ghana are vulnerable to unequal power relations at the personal, community and structural levels which in turn limits their opportunities in access to critical sexual and reproductive health information and services. There is therefore high unmet need for sexual and reproductive health (SRH) information and services and the Bono East region typifies this situation, recording some of the poorest SRHR outcomes among adolescents. We, therefore, aimed to investigate the SRH needs (unmet), behaviors and utilization of SRH services among adolescents in the Bono East region. METHODS: Using a maximum variation sampling approach, this qualitative study conducted in-depth interviews and focused group discussions with adolescent boys and girls, parents, community leaders, and healthcare providers. RESULTS: Our findings are presented under two broad categories: major SRHR concerns of adolescents, and perspectives about that influences adolescents' utilization of SRHR services. Under the major SRHR need of adolescents, the following themes emerged: information and services on pregnancy prevention, menstrual hygiene management, availability of comprehensive abortion care services, and attitudes towards adolescent pregnancy. The perspectives about the factors that influence adolescent children were discussed at multiple levels: individual/personal. interpersonal and community/societal. At the individual level, limited understanding of adolescence/puberty, desire of adolescents to belong and misperceptions about contraceptives. At the interpersonal level, issues relating to technical capacity needs of service providers, disrespect exhibited by service providers, and parental failure were identified as influential factors. Then at the community/societal level, we identified structural constraints and compromised social safety concerns in accessing contraceptives and services. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, the findings from this study offer valuable insights into the complex landscape of adolescent sexual and reproductive health in the Bono East region. The implications for policy and practice are manifold, ranging from comprehensive education to addressing menstrual hygiene, involving parents, training healthcare providers, and promoting respectful care.

Addressing the Impact of Race and Ethnicity on Musculoskeletal Spine Care in the United States.

➤ Despite being a social construct, race has an impact on outcomes in musculoskeletal spine care.➤ Race is associated with other social determinants of health that may predispose patients to worse outcomes.➤ The musculoskeletal spine literature is limited in its understanding of the causes of race-related outcome trends.➤ Efforts to mitigate race-related disparities in spine care require individual, institutional, and national initiatives.

Protocol for a multi-country implementation research study to assess the feasibility, acceptability, and effectiveness of context-specific actions to train and support facilitators to deliver sexuality education to young people in out-of-school settings.

Comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) is a well-established component of the package of interventions required to improve adolescent sexual and reproductive health and rights. As the international community has increased its emphasis on equity and leaving no-one behind with the Agenda for Sustainable Development, attention has been drawn to the need for complementary CSE programmes to reach young people who are not in school, or whose needs are not met by in-school CSE programmes. CSE in out-of-school contexts presents unique considerations, especially those related to facilitation. In this manuscript, we present the protocol for a multi-country implementation research study in Colombia, Ethiopia, Ghana, and Malawi to assess the feasibility, acceptability, and effectiveness of context-specific actions to prepare and support facilitators to deliver CSE in out-of-school settings to defined groups of young people with varying needs and circumstances. This study will be led by the World Health Organization and the UNDP/UNFPA/WHO/World Bank Special Programme of Research, Development and Research Training in Human Reproduction, in partnership with local research institutions. It will be nested within a multi-country programme led by UNFPA, in partnership with local implementing partners and with financial support from the Government of Norway. This study will shed new insight into what it takes to effectively deliver CSE in out-of-school contexts, to enhance progress towards the achievement of SDG 3 "Ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all at all ages" and SDG 5 "Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls".

Reaching young people living with HIV & AIDS and young people in detention with comprehensive sexuality education (CSE): a preparatory formative study in Ghana.

As an interface between health and education, comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) offers a potent tool among other interventions to accelerate healthy transition of adolescents into adulthood. With increasing interest in in-school CSE provision/delivery, young people in out-of-school contexts may be left behind. This study forms part of implementation research to understand if the activities used to train and support the facilitators are feasible, appropriate, acceptable, and effective in enabling them to engage a defined group of young people, deliver CSE to them in the out-of-school context, and assist them in obtaining relevant services. This paper presents findings of mapping of out-of-school CSE interventions in Ghana, ongoing or completed between 2015 and 2020, and then discusses a needs assessment of two purposively selected groups of vulnerable out-of-school youth: young people living with HIV and AIDS (YPLHIV) and those living in detention (YPiD). We conducted 10 interviews with YPLHIV and three focus group discussions with YPiD in November 2020. Qualitative data were analysed thematically using both deductive and inductive approaches. The mapping yielded 29 interventions (18/62% were ongoing) focused extensively on the delivery of CSE-related knowledge and information; none were aimed at building facilitators' capacity and most targeted the northern regions. Among YPLHIV, living positively after diagnosis, disclosure skills and use of HIV/AIDS health services were critical. YpID sought clarification on personal hygiene, consent in sexual relationships, medium/channel to deliver CSE, and issues around same-sex sexual intercourse. Both groups sought skills in dealing with stigmatisation and discrimination. Implications of the findings for our own and other interventions are highlighted.

Experiences of parents and stakeholders in caring for, and supporting children with special needs in Ghana.

We studied the caring, parenting, and support services for children with special needs in Ghana. Many of the study participants reported re-adjusting their lives in virtually every domain-social, economic, and emotional to deal with and manage the new realities. How parents navigate this space varied considerably from setting to setting. Regardless of individual and interpersonal resources, community, institutional, and policy circumstances seemed to exacerbate notions of disability. In many instances, parents had a low depth of suspicion about the precursors to disabling events in their children. Parents are constantly pursuing health care, including a cure for their children with disabilities. Views about "otherness" were noted, and these tended to undermine medical interpretations/explanations of disability generally, which in turn affected formal education and health-seeking for children. Institutional arrangements exist to encourage parents to invest in their children regardless of their perceived abilities. However, these do not seem to be sufficient, particularly for health and formal education. Programming and policy implications are highlighted.

Spine Fractures of Patients with Ankylosing Spondylitis and Diffuse Idiopathic Skeletal Hyperostosis: Fracture Severity and Injury-Related Mortality at a Level I Trauma Center.

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective review of prospectively collected cohort. PURPOSE: To identify differences in treatment and mortality of spine fractures in patients with ankylosing conditions of the spine. OVERVIEW OF LITERATURE: Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH) are the two most common etiologies of ankylosing spinal disorder (ASD). However, studies on the treatment and outcomes of spine fractures in AS and DISH patients remain few. METHODS: Patients presenting with a spine fracture were diagnosed with AS or DISH at a single tertiary care center between 2010 and 2019. We excluded those who lacked cross-sectional imaging or fractures occurring at spinal segments affected by ankylosis, as well as polytraumatized patients. Patient demographics, injury mechanism, fracture level, neurologic status, treatment, and 1-year mortality were recorded. Computed tomography imaging was reviewed by two independent readers and graded according to the indicated AO Spine Injury Classification System. Differences in fracture severity, treatment method, and mortality were examined using Student t -tests, chi-square tests, and two-proportion Z-tests with significance set to p <0.05. RESULTS: We identified 167 patients with spine fracture diagnosed with AS or DISH. Patients with AS had more severe fractures and more commonly had surgery than patients with DISH (p <0.001). Despite these differences, 1-year mortality did not significantly differ between AS and DISH patients (p =0.14). CONCLUSIONS: Although patients with AS suffered more severe fractures compared to DISH and more frequently underwent surgery for these injuries, outcomes and 1-year mortality did not differ significantly between the two groups. For patients with ASDs and fractures, outcomes appear similar regardless of treatment modality. Consequently, there may be an opportunity for critical reappraisal of operative indications in ASD and a larger role for nonoperative management in these challenging patients.

Strengthening polio vaccine demand in Ghana: Understanding the factors influencing uptake of the vaccine and the effectiveness of different message frames.

BACKGROUND: Ghana has experienced recent polio outbreaks. Behavioral insights can be used to understand behavior and create demand for the polio vaccine. METHODS: This cross-sectional study is based on an interactive mobile phone survey that explored factors influencing the uptake of the polio vaccine among Ghanaian mothers with children younger than five years old. The survey also explores the mothers' intention to vaccinate their children in the future as well as an experiment with short polio vaccine voice message nudges to identify the most effective message frames in encouraging vaccination. The study sample was drawn from volunteers from a mobile service platform. Linear probability model regressions with Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) estimates were used to analyze the data. RESULTS: In total, data from 708 caregivers was assessed. Out of the sample, 35% (n = 250) had not vaccinated their children against polio, around 8% (n = 53) of respondents stated they did not plan to do so, while 28% expressed intent to do so during the next polio vaccination campaign. Higher vaccination of children against polio, i.e. better uptake of the polio vaccine, appeared to be associated with children's caregivers knowing that polio causes paralysis (with a coefficient of 0.13 (95% CI: 0.02, 0.24), i.e. 13% more likely than not to have their child vaccinated). Higher vaccine uptake also appeared to be associated with the perception that the polio vaccine is safe (with a coefficient of 0.11 (95% CI: 0.01, 0.22), i.e. 11% more likely than not to have their child vaccinated). Another factor in increasing vaccine uptake is whether caregivers receive support from healthcare workers with a coefficient of 0.11 (95% CI: 0.02, 0.20), i.e. 11% more likely than not to have their child vaccinated. Crucially, difficulty accessing the polio vaccine appeared to be associate with a negative change in vaccine uptake (with a coefficient of -0.16 (95% CI: -0.23, -0.08), i.e. 16% less likely to have their child vaccinated). Satisfaction with the information provided by vaccinators was also associated with better vaccine uptake (with a coefficient of 0.12 (95% CI: 0.05, 0.20) i.e. 12% more likely than not to have their child vaccinated); and having seen or heard something negative about the polio vaccine with a coefficient of 0.10 (95% CI: 0.03, 0.17), i.e. 10% more likely than not to have their child vaccinated. The social norms message frame was statistically significant with a coefficient of 0.06 (95% CI: -0.004, 012). CONCLUSION: The findings from this study suggest that most women with children under the age of 5 appear to have vaccinated their children against polio. Many more caregivers express an intention to vaccinate their children, never having done so before. The behavior and the intention to vaccinate are both driven by a number of factors that must be addressed to create demand for the polio vaccine. Targeted message frames appeared to be statistically significant drivers of vaccine uptake. However, more research is required to understand how they impact vaccine behavior and future intention for vaccination.

Preceding birth interval, timing and number of antenatal contacts in Africa, 2010-2020.

BACKGROUND: Utilization of adequate and quality prenatal healthcare services confers critical benefits to women and their unborn children. However, utilization rates remain low in many countries in Africa. Several studies have attempted to understand the primary drivers behind these low statistics. This article contributes to this discourse by examining the associations between birth interval and timing and number/frequency of antenatal care visits in Africa. METHODS: We pooled data from the publicly available Demographic and Health Surveys conducted in the last decade (2010-2020) for 32 African countries. Data were analysed using descriptive proportions and mixed effect binary logistic regression. RESULTS: The results illustrate moderate significant associations between spacing on the most recent birth by ≥36 months and early (first trimester) first antenatal care contact in both our bivariate (odds ratio [OR] 1.18, p<0.001) and multivariate (OR 1.106, p<0.001) analyses. The benefits on optimal antenatal contacts predicted on spacing are also noticed with birth intervals of 24-35 months (OR 1.08, p<0.001) and ≥36 months (OR 1.48, p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Optimal birth spacing is beneficial for ANC utilization in terms of timing and total number of contacts. Post-partum family planning/contraceptive use can be an effective pathway to prolonging birth intervals. We argue that maternal and child health programmes strengthen prioritizing contraceptive use between births.

A Vignettes-Based Exploration of Attitudes of Parents Toward Reporting of Child Sexual Abuse in Ghana.

Reporting child sexual abuse (CSA) to law enforcement institutions is the ideal child protection imperative. The role of parents in this process is unquestionably profound. Yet, there is limited evidence on parental perspectives on reporting CSA to law enforcement agencies in developing country contexts. We apply vignettes to describe the views of parents about reporting CSA perpetrated by "family members, schoolteachers, and strangers." Data was collected from 89 parents from four culturally diverse regions of Ghana. A systematic inductive approach was used to determine patterns and similarities in participants' attitudes toward reporting. We note that the attitudes of participants about reporting CSA varied considerably; these are influenced by the nature of social relationships between the victim and perpetrator. In a seeming order of severity, CSA perpetrated by a family member was viewed less seriously compared to victimization by a teacher or a stranger. The desire to preserve familial/kin ties and reputation and keeping to the cultural heritage of resolving "disputes and disagreements" amicably were primary norms against reporting CSA. However, attitudes toward reporting CSA by teachers were influenced by expectation of higher moral standards, which made reporting CSA by a teacher a reasonable cause of action. Positive attitudes toward reporting CSA by "strangers" were prevalent. Child protection programs must recognzse the segmented attitudes toward CSA and tackle the deep-seated cultural and social norms through social and behavioral change communication (SBCC).

Health systems' preparedness to provide post-abortion care: assessment of health facilities in Burkina Faso, Kenya and Nigeria.

BACKGROUND: In many parts of sub-Saharan Africa, access to abortion is legally restricted, which partly contributes to high incidence of unsafe abortion. This may result in unsafe abortion-related complications that demand long hospital stays, treatment and attendance by skilled health providers. There is however, limited knowledge on the capacity of public health facilities to deliver post-abortion care (PAC), and the spread of PAC services in these settings. We describe and discuss the preparedness and capacity of public health facilities to deliver complete and quality PAC services in Burkina Faso, Kenya and Nigeria. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey of primary, secondary and tertiary-level public health facilities was conducted between November 2018 and February 2019 in the three countries. Data on signal functions (including information on essential equipment and supplies, staffing and training among others) for measuring the ability of health facilities to provide post-abortion services were collected and analyzed. RESULTS: Across the three countries, fewer primary health facilities (ranging from 6.3-12.1% in Kenya and Burkina Faso) had the capacity to deliver on all components of basic PAC services. Approximately one-third (26-43%) of referral facilities across Burkina Faso, Kenya and Nigeria could provide comprehensive PAC services. Lack of trained staff, absence of necessary equipment and lack of PAC commodities and supplies were a main reason for inability to deliver specific PAC services (such as surgical procedures for abortion complications, blood transfusion and post-PAC contraceptive counselling). Further, the lack of capacity to refer acute PAC cases to higher-level facilities was identified as a key weakness in provision of post-abortion care services. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings reveal considerable gaps and weaknesses in the delivery of basic and comprehensive PAC within the three countries, linked to both the legal and policy contexts for abortion as well as broad health system challenges in the countries. There is a need for increased investments by governments to strengthen the capacity of primary, secondary and tertiary public health facilities to deliver quality PAC services, in order to increase access to PAC and avert preventable maternal mortalities.

Trust and willingness towards COVID-19 vaccine uptake: a mixed-method study in Ghana, 2021.

BACKGROUND: On the account of limited doses of COVID-19 available to the country, the Government of Ghana created a priority list of persons to target for its vaccination agenda. In this paper, we look at trust and how it informs willingness to take the COVID-19 vaccine among persons targeted for the first phase of COVID-19 vaccination program in Ghana. METHODS: A sequential mixed-method investigation was conducted among the priority population - persons 60 years and above, frontline government functionaries, health workers, persons with underlying health conditions and, religious leaders and teachers. We sampled 415 respondents from the target population for a survey and 15 religious and traditional leaders from three cities; Accra, Cape Coast and Tamale for follow-up in-depth interviews based on the results of the survey data. Quantitative data is presented with descriptive proportions and multinomial logistic regression and thematic approach is applied to the interview data. RESULTS: Trust and willingness to take the vaccine are high in this priority population. Trust in the effectiveness and safety of the vaccine, rather than socioeconomic characteristics of respondents better predicted acceptance. From interview narratives, mistrust in political actors - both local and foreign, believe in superior protection of God and seeming misunderstanding of vaccine development processes countermand acceptance. On the other hand, the professional influence of people in one's social networks, and past triumphs of vaccination programmes against concerning childhood diseases embed trust and acceptance. CONCLUSIONS: Attention ought to be given to trust enhancing triggers while strategic communication approaches are used to remove triggers of mistrust.

Local realities or international imposition? Intersecting sexuality education needs of Ghanaian adolescents with international norms.

The content of comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) programmes is contested in many parts of the world, yet we know less about what primary beneficiaries (learners) consider as (in) appropriate school curriculum. I examined this phenomenon in Ghana. Data generated from focus group discussions suggests that, overall, participants used positive phrases to describe the need for sexuality education. The prevalent and recurrent needs of adolescents centred around personal reproductive health hygiene, pregnancy prevention, healthy relationships, reproductive infections and control, reproductive physiology and maturation, gender differences and sexual orientations, and sexual pleasure and pain. However, these needs varied in some ways between males and females and between early adolescents and older adolescents. The study shows that what adolescents seek to learn fall within international norms/standards on CSE. However, some of these concepts were not covered in the guidelines proposed for Ghana. The prevalent view among many opponents that CSE is not driven by local need may not be consistent with adolescents' own aspirations and realities. The voices of children and adolescents should constitute part of the discussions on the form and content of sexuality education.

Male sex, Gustillo-Anderson type III open fracture and definitive external fixation are risk factors for a return to the or following the surgical management of geriatric low energy open ankle fractures.

INTRODUCTION: Open ankle fractures in geriatric (age > 60 years) patients are a source of significant morbidity and mortality. Surgical management includes plate and screw fixation (ORIF), retrograde hindfoot nail (HFN), definitive external fixation (ex-fix) and below knee amputation. However, each modality poses unique challenges for this population. We sought to identify predictors of unplanned OR and short-term mortality after geriatric open ankle fractures managed by our service. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In an IRB-approved protocol, we evaluated patients over 60 years of age managed for a low energy open ankle/distal tibia pilon fracture by trauma fellowship-trained surgeons from a single academic department that covers two level I trauma centers. Our primary outcome was an unplanned return to the OR. Secondary outcomes were a 90-day "event", defined as an all-cause hospital readmission or mortality, and 1-year mortality. Differences with a p-value < 0.1 measured on univariate analysis were evaluated using a multivariable logistic regression to identify independent outcome predictors. RESULTS: A total of 113 (60 ORIF, 36 HFN, 11 ex-fix, 6 amputations) were performed. Cohort mean age was 75.2 ± 9.8 years, and 31 patients (27.4%) were male. Mean age-adjusted charlson comorbidity index was 5.5 ± 2.0. Significant independent predictors of an unplanned return to the OR were male sex (OR 4.4, 95% CI 1.3 to 15.4), Gustilo Type III open fracture (OR 4.9, 95% CI 1.5 to 17.5) and ex-fix (OR 15.6, 95% CI 2.7 to 126.3). Independent predictors of a 90-day "event" were walker/minimal ambulation (OR 3.5, 95% CI 1.3 to 10.4), surgical site infection (OR 4.8, 95% CI 1.8 to 13.8) and reduced BMI (OR 0.9, 95% CI 0.9 - 0.99), while independent predictors of 1-year mortality were age (OR 1.1, 95% CI 1.003 to 1.2), ACCI (OR 1.4, 95% CI 1.02 to 2.0) and walker/minimal ambulator (OR 7.5, 95% CI 1.7 to 53) CONCLUSIONS: Host factors, particularly pre-operative mobility, were most predictive of 90-day event and 1-year mortality. Only definitive external fixation was found to influence patient morbidity as a significant predictor of unplanned OR. However, no surgical modality had any influence on short-term readmission or survival.

Cost of maternal near miss and potentially life-threatening conditions, Kenya.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the direct costs of treating women with maternal near misses and potentially life-threatening conditions in Kenya and the factors associated with catastrophic health expenditure for these women and their households. METHODS: As part of a prospective, nationally representative study of all women with near misses during pregnancy and childbirth or within 42 days of delivery or termination of pregnancy, we compared the cost of treating maternal near-miss cases admitted to referral facilities with that of women with potentially life-threatening conditions. We used logistic regression analysis to assess clinical, demographic and household factors associated with catastrophic health expenditure. FINDINGS: Of 3025 women, 1180 (39.0%) had maternal near misses and 1845 (61.0%) had potentially life-threatening conditions. The median cost of treating maternal near misses was 7135 Kenyan shillings (71 United States dollars, US$) compared with 2690 Kenyan shillings (US$ 27) for potentially life-threatening conditions. Of the women who made out-of-pocket payments, 26.4% (122/462) experienced catastrophic expenditure. The highest median costs for treatment of near misses were in Nairobi and Central region (22 220 Kenyan shillings; US$ 222). Women with ectopic pregnancy complications and pregnancy-related infections had the highest median costs of treatment, at 7800 Kenyan shillings (US$ 78) and 3000 Kenyan shillings (US$ 30), respectively. Pregnancy-related infections, abortion, ectopic pregnancy, and treatment in secondary and tertiary facilities were significantly associated with catastrophic expenditure. CONCLUSION: The cost of treating maternal near misses is high and leads to catastrophic spending through out-of-pocket payments. Universal health coverage needs to be expanded to guarantee financial protection for vulnerable women.

Women empowerment and minimum daily meal frequency among infants and young children in Ghana: analysis of Ghana demographic and health survey.

BACKGROUND: The nutritional quality of food has an important impact on the health and well-being of families, especially children whose bodies need to grow, develop and reach their full physical and mental potential. Traditionally, women in Ghana provide care and nourishment for their children and families if they have the means to do so or if they are financially, legally and socially empowered. Women's empowerment is not only important for women's human rights, but also improves nutrition and health outcomes of both mothers and their children. Women's empowerment is concerned with increasing ability to make strategic life choices in situations where the ability was hitherto denied. This study sought to investigate the association between women's empowerment and minimum daily meal frequency (minimum number of meals to be consumed in a day) in Ghana. METHODS: The study used data from the 2014 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey (GDHS). A sample of 1640 mother-child dyad was used. Mothers ages ranged from 15 to 49 while children's ages ranged from 6 to 23 months. Univariate and multiple linear regression techniques were applied to identify women empowerment (economic, socio-familial and legal) and sociodemographic factors associated with minimum daily meal frequency scores. Data was analyzed by the STATA statistical package software version 13.0. Statistical significance level was set at P < 0.10. RESULTS: Data from decisions on large household purchases (ß = 0.351, p < 0.01) family visits (ß = 0.743, p < 0.01), home ownership (ß = - 0.245, p < 0.10), age of child (ß = 1.387, p < 0.01), mother's educational attainment (ß = 0.496, p < 0.10) and place of residence (ß = - 0.298, p < 0.10) showed significant positive association with minimum daily meal frequency in Ghana. CONCLUSION: Minimum daily meal frequency was largely influenced by economic and socio-familial factors that contribute to empowerment of women. as decisions on large household purchases and family visits showed significant positive association with minimum daily meal frequency. Interventional programs should target households and mothers with lower socio-demographic characteristics such as lower educational levels and low economic status to improve minimal daily meal frequency in their children thereby ensuring better child health and well-being.

Contraception needs and pregnancy termination in sub-Saharan Africa: a multilevel analysis of demographic and health survey data.

BACKGROUND: Women in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) have a higher risk of unintended pregnancies that are more likely to be terminated, most of which are unsafe with associated complications. Unmet need for contraception is highest in SSA and exceeds the global average. This study investigates the association between unmet/met need for contraception and pregnancy termination SSA. METHODS: We used pooled data from Demographic and Health Surveys conducted from January 2010 to December 2018 in 32 countries in SSA. Our study involved 265,505 women with diverse contraception needs and with complete data on all variables of interest. Multilevel logistic regression at 95% CI was used to investigate the association between individual and community level factors and pregnancy termination. RESULTS: We found an overall pregnancy termination rate of 16.27% ranging from 9.13% in Namibia to 38.68% in Gabon. Intriguingly, women with a met need for contraception were more likely to terminate a pregnancy [aOR = 1.11; 95% CI 1.07-1.96] than women with unmet needs. Women with secondary education were more likely to terminate a pregnancy as compared to those without education [aOR = 1.23; 95% CI 1.19-1.27]. With regards to age, we observed that every additional age increases the likelihood of terminating a pregnancy. At the contextual level, the women with female household heads were less likely to terminate a pregnancy [aOR = 0.95; 95% CI 0.92-0.97]. The least socio-economically disadvantaged women were less likely to terminate a pregnancy compared to the moderately and most socio-economically disadvantaged women. CONCLUSIONS: Our study contributes towards the discussion on unmet/met need for contraception and pregnancy termination across SSA. Women with met need for contraception have higher odds of terminating a pregnancy. The underlying cause of this we argued could be poor adherence to the protocols of contraceptives or the reluctance of women to utilise contraceptives after experiencing a failure. Governments of SSA and non-governmental organisations need to take pragmatic steps to increase met needs for contraception and also utilise mass media to encourage women to adhere to the prescription of contraceptives in order to reduce the incidence of unplanned pregnancies and unsafe abortions.

Women in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) have a higher risk of unintended pregnancies that are more likely to be terminated, most of which are unsafe with associated complications. Unmet need for contraception is highest in SSA and exceeds the global average. This study investigates the association between unmet/met need for contraception and pregnancy termination SSA. We used pooled data from Demographic and Health Surveys conducted from January 2010 to December 2018 in 32 countries in SSA. Our study involved 265,505 women with diverse contraception needs and with complete data on all variables of interest. We found an overall pregnancy termination rate of 16.27% ranging from 9.13% in Namibia to 38.68% in Gabon. Met need of contraception, education, sex of household head, and socio-economic disadvantage of women had a significant association with pregnancy termination. Our study contributes towards the discussion on unmet/met need for contraception and pregnancy termination across SSA. Governments of SSA and non-governmental organisations need to take pragmatic steps to increase met needs for contraception and also utilise mass media to encourage women to adhere to the prescription of contraceptives in order to reduce the incidence of unplanned pregnancies and unsafe abortions.

Multiple realities around sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) among adolescents in Ghana.

The multiple realities around the sexual and reproductive health of Ghanaian adolescents are explored in this paper. Female and male adolescents (aged 10-19 years, N=298) participated in 40 focus group discussions in 20 communities. A comparative inductive approach has been used to present, analyse and document the sexual and reproductive realities of adolescents in their communities. The findings reveal commonalities as well as differences in the realities among participants. Common realities, regardless of age and sex, were teenage pregnancy and abortion, sexual violence (defilement, rape and coercive sex) and parental neglect. These aside, there were divergent realities for older adolescent girls in particular, e.g. lack of access to contraceptives and understanding of the fertility cycle, and the influences and pressures of social media and varied notions about sexual harassment between female and male adolescents. The findings, overall, underscore the complexity and nuanced lives of adolescents in traversing the sexual and reproductive maturation processes. These events unfold in communities where adolescents are 'required' to be silent and 'play' innocent regardless of their daily struggles, compounded by limited opportunities to learn and unlearn embedded norms about sexual and reproductive functioning. Some implications for sexual health promotion programmes are outlined.

Correlation Between the PROMIS Pediatric Mobility Instrument and the Hospital for Special Surgery Pediatric Functional Activity Brief Scale (HSS Pedi-FABS).

BACKGROUND: Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) are an important resource for clinicians wishing to provide high-quality, patient-centered care. Finding PROMs to use in a pediatric clinical practice that are reliable, age appropriate, succinct, and not redundant is challenging. QUESTIONS/PURPOSES: We sought to determine the degree of correlation between two pediatric PROMs, the Hospital for Special Surgery Pediatric Functional Activity Brief Scale (HSS Pedi-FABS) and the PROMIS Pediatric Mobility (PROMIS PM) instrument, when administered at patients' initial visit. We hypothesized that there would be a positive correlation between the two questionnaires because of their focus on physical function. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cross-sectional review of 294 pediatric patients (mean age, 13.7 years) with localized lower-extremity joint pathologies at our high-volume urban pediatric sports practice. The patients had been asked to complete both PROMs on a computerized platform. RESULTS: We found a positive and statistically significant-albeit modest-correlation between the scores obtained on the HSS Pedi-FABS and the PROMIS PM. Neither instrument significantly correlated with patient age, nor were floor and ceiling effects observed. CONCLUSION: The study shows that although both PROM instruments provide valuable information about pediatric physical function, they are not redundant because they measure slightly different constructs. Future studies should further investigate the correlation between these questionnaires in specific subpopulations of pediatric patients with lower-extremity pathology.