Sexual abuse among juvenile female street hawkers in Anambra State, Nigeria.

Street hawking exposes young girls to all forms of hazards, including sexual abuse. This descriptive study examines the size of the problem and the consequences of sexual abuse on juvenile female street hawkers randomly recruited from two urban towns in Anambra State of Nigeria. Data was collected with semi structured, interviewer administered questionnaires. The mean age of the female hawkers was 13.0 +/- 2.2 years. Out of 186 respondents, 130 (69.9%) had been sexually abused with 32 (17.2%) having had penetrative sexual intercourse (28.1% were forced and 56.3% submitted willingly) while hawking. Majority (59.4%) of the sexual partners were adults. Other types of sexual abuse experienced include inappropriate touches (106 cases; 81.5%) and verbal abuses (121 cases; 93.1%). There was low awareness of the twin risks of pregnancy (43.1%) and sexually transmitted infections (54.3%) following sexual abuse among the respondents. Sexual abuse of young female hawkers is an issue of great public health importance. Poverty alleviation, health education and protective child right policies will decrease its prevalence and the associated risks.

Sexual abuse among juvenile female street hawkers in Anambra State, Nigeria

Street hawking exposes young girls to all forms of hazards, including sexual abuse. This descriptive study examines the size of the problem and the consequences of sexual abuse on juvenile female street hawkers randomly recruited from two urban towns in Anambra State of Nigeria. Data was collected with semi structured, interviewer administered questionnaires. The mean age of the female hawkers was 13.0 + 2.2 years. Out of 186 respondents, 130 (69.9%) had been sexually abused with 32 (17.2%) having had penetrative sexual intercourse (28.1% were forced and 56.3% submitted willingly) while hawking. Majority (59.4%) of the sexual partners were adults. Other types of sexual abuse experienced include inappropriate touches (106 cases; 81.5%) and verbal abuses (121 cases; 93.1%).. There was low awareness of the twin risks of pregnancy (43.1%) and sexually transmitted infections (54.3%) following sexual abuse among the respondents. Sexual abuse of young female hawkers is an issue of great public health importance. Poverty alleviation, health education and protective child right policies will decrease its prevalence and the associated risks. (Afr J Reprod Health 2008; 12[2]:111-119)

Pattern of pathogens in ear discharge of HIV-infected children in Nnewi, Southeast Nigeria.

OBJECTIVE: This is a descriptive, prospective, hospital-based study designed to determine the prevalent organisms in ear infections and their antimicrobial susceptibility patterns in HIV-infected children compared to age-and sex-matched HIV sero-negative patients. METHOD: Two hundred and fifty eight HIV-infected children being followed up at the Paediatric HIV clinic had their ears examined for middle ear infection. All those with discharging ears had swabs taken. Culture and antimicrobial sensitivities were ascertained. The same was done for another cohort of 57 age-and sex-matched HIV-negative patients with discharging ears. RESULTS: Twenty eight (10.9%) of 258 HIV-infected children had discharging ears and were made up of 13 females and 15 males aged between 7 and 132 months. Out of this number 85.7% had chronically discharging ears, 96.4% of the 28 children acquired the HIV infection vertically. 78.6% had been on antiretroviral drugs from one to twenty-one months. 67.9% of the patients had associated opportunistic infections. Acute ear infections were predominant among the control group. Klebsiella, Proteus, Staphylococcus and Pseudomonas were major pathogens isolated among the HIV-infected group and Streptococcus, Klebsiella and Pseudomonas for the HIV-negative group. A hundred percent sensitivity was recorded among the quinolones for all bacterial organisms isolated. CONCLUSION: HIV-infected children tend to have more of chronic than acute ear infections and this is reflected in the causative organisms. Similar antimicrobial sensitivity patterns apply to HIV-infected and HIV-negative children. There is a need to revisit the use of quinolones in children.

Breast-feeding, return of menses, sexual activity and contraceptive practices among mothers in the first six months of lactation in Onitsha, South Eastern Nigeria.

The objective of this study was to determine the exclusive breast-feeding practices, return of menstruation, sexual activity and contraceptive practices among breast-feeding mothers in the first six months of lactation. The study was based in Onitsha, South Eastern Nigeria. A structured questionnaire was used to obtain data from breast-feeding mothers on their age, educational attainment, breast-feeding practices, return of menstruation, sexual activity and contraceptive practices within the first six months of lactation at intervals of 6 weeks, 10 weeks 14 weeks and 6 months post delivery. Analysis of the information obtained showed that out of the 178 mothers who participated in the study 81% of the mothers were within the ages of 20 - 34 years. While all the mothers had formal education, the majority (59%) had secondary education. Seventy-three percent initiated breast-feeding within one hour of delivery. On discharge from hospital, all of them had already established breast-feeding which continued up to six weeks and dropped to 97.8% at six months. Exclusive breast-feeding which was practised by 100% on discharge dropped to 3.9% at six months. The feeding regimen was on demand as practised by 98.9% of the mothers. Menstrual flow had returned in 33.8% of the mothers by 6 weeks of lactation, and had risen to 70.2% at six months. There was more prolonged lactational amenorrheoa in exclusively breast-feeding mothers than in those who were not. By 6 weeks post delivery 31.6% of the mothers had resumed sexual activity and this rose to 93.6% at six months. With the resumption of sexual activity only 5% of the mothers resorted to contraceptive practices other than lactational amenorrhea and this increased to 54% at six months. There was no pregnancy in any of these women during the six months period. While appreciating the role of lactational amenorrhea in child spacing and considering the early return of sexual activity among the mothers the practice of introducing contraceptive practices needs to be encouraged especially in women whose menstruation has returned.

Drug treatment of common childhood symptoms in Nnewi: what mothers do?

OBJECTIVES: To determine how mothers treat common childhood symptoms before hospital attendance in Nnewi. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Information was obtained from 211 consecutive mothers on their children's presenting symptoms, drugs administered, source of the drugs, persons who prescribed the drugs, number of drugs administered, prior to hospital attendance through a structured questionnaire administered by the authors. RESULTS: A combination of fever, cough and catarrh topped the list of presenting symptoms in 87 (41%) of the patients while fever and diarrhea had the least frequency of 16 (7.6%). One hundred and five or 52% of the mothers decided on the drugs that were administered followed by patent medicine dealers who accounted for 59 or 29.2%. Trained health professionals whom mothers consulted before bringing their children to hospital were responsible for 28 (13.8%) of the prescriptions. Patent medicine stores were the sources of 90.6% of the drugs while health facilities accounted for 8.4%. The frequency chart of prescribed drugs were analgesics 166 (34.9%), hematinics 88 (18.5%), antibiotics and antimalarials 81 (17.1%) and 74 (15.6%) respectively while antidiarrheoals and ORT were least administered with 7 (1.5%) and 1 (0.2%) respectively. The children received an average of 2.7 drugs per prescription. CONCLUSION: With the high prescription rate of mothers for sick children at home, there is need for effective methods to educate mothers on the use and potential dangers of home medication.

Tuberculin reaction among healthy BCG vaccinated primary school, children in Nnewi, south eastern Nigeria.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the Mantoux test reaction pattern in healthy BCG vaccinated Primary School Children aged 6 -10 years in Nnewi, South -East Nigeria. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Four primary schools were randomly selected out of 43 government owned primary schools in the town. The entire BCG vaccinated pupils in each school were the sample frame. Mantoux test was administered in 662 pupils that met the inclusion criteria and had their results read 72 hours later. RESULTS: Three groups of children were identified: First group of 470 (75.6%) were negative, 76 (12.2%) had intermediate reaction, while 76 (12.2%) had positive Mantoux test. Increasing age, sex, presence of BCG scar and age at vaccination did not affect the pattern of Mantoux test reaction. CONCLUSION: The result indicates that the use of Mantoux test in the diagnosis of Tuberculosis may not be affected by BCG vaccination at birth and therefore, BCG vaccination at birth should be continued.