ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Female condoms protect against unplanned pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) including HIV; however, their uptake is very low in South Africa. Nurses are frontline healthcare workers and are uniquely positioned to promote their use to their clients. This study assesses nurses' knowledge of, attitudes to, and practices regarding the promotion of female condoms at selected primary healthcare facilities in the King Sabata Dalindyebo sub-district of the Eastern Cape, South Africa. METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted from April to May 2021 at five community health centres in the King Sabata Dalindyebo sub-district, South Africa. A total of 139 nurses completed a self-administered questionnaire. Data were analysed using simple descriptive statistics. RESULTS: The majority of the participants (82.7%) were knowledgeable about the female condom. Some participants did not have a good attitude and willingness to promote female condom use to their clients. Junior nurses (enrolled nursing assistants and newly qualified professional nurses) were less knowledgeable about the female condom than more qualified and older nurses. There was no significant association between level of knowledge and attitude or willingness to promote the use of the female condom. CONCLUSION: This study found good knowledge of the female condom among the nurses; however, the knowledge did not translate into a willingness to promote the device at their health facilities. Capacity building of the junior nurses will fill the knowledge gaps identified. Studies exploring the sociocultural issues around the female condom are needed in the region.
Subject(s)
Condoms, Female , Pregnancy , Humans , Female , South Africa , Clinical Competence , Cross-Sectional Studies , Primary Health CareABSTRACT
Training young doctors in family medicine is challenging in any setting and many variables can influence the success or failure of a residency program. This article is the end result of a collaborative work that started in June 2019 at the WONCA Africa Regional Conference in Kampala, during a workshop lead by the Besrour Centre for Global Family Medicine at the College of Family Physicians of Canada. We present here the perspective of a small group of young African family physicians on the experience of being a resident in family medicine in Africa in 2019, hoping that the picture we depict here helps to promote the necessary improvements in the training programs in Africa for the near future.
Formar novos médicos de família é um desafio em qualquer cenário e muitas variáveis podem influenciar o sucesso ou o fracasso de um programa de residência. Este artigo é o resultado final de um trabalho colaborativo iniciado em junho de 2019, na Conferência Regional WONCA África em Kampala, Uganda, durante um workshop liderado pelo Centro Besrour do Colégio Canadense de Medicina de Família. Apresentamos aqui a perspectiva de um pequeno grupo de jovens médicos de família africanos sobre a experiência de ser residente em medicina de família na África em 2019, esperando que a imagem que representamos aqui ajude a promover as melhorias necessárias nos programas de residência na África em um futuro próximo.
La formación de nuevos médicos de familia es un desafío en cualquier lugar y muchas variables pueden influir en el éxito o el fracaso de un programa de residencia. Este artículo es el resultado final del trabajo colaborativo iniciado en junio de 2019 en la Conferencia Regional de África WONCA en Kampala, Uganda, durante un taller dirigido por el Centro Besrour del Colegio Canadiense de Medicina Familiar. Presentamos aquí la perspectiva de un pequeño grupo de jóvenes médicos de familia africanos sobre la experiencia de ser residente en medicina familiar en África en 2019, con la esperanza de que la imagen que representamos aquí ayude a promover mejoras en los programas de residencia en África en un futuro próximo.
