The use of nurse practitioners for the provision of family planning services in Egypt.

PIP: This study was done to assess the performance of specially prepared professional nurses in the provision of family planning services at Shatby Maternity Hospital in Egypt. A special family planning record was designed for their use and implemented for 6 months. The data accumulated were then analyzed. The results of the study were encouraging. During the 6 months, these nurses provided services for 425 clients, 86.4% of whom received some kind of contraceptive on their 1st visit. The nurses inserted IUDs for 60.9% of clients, prescribed oral contraceptives for 11.3%, fitted diaphragms for 8%, and dispensed spermicidals and condoms for 4.5%. Also 7 clients were referred for tubal ligation. Papanicolaou smears for 357 women and wet smears for 309 women were analyzed. Nurses also contributed to decreasing the workload on doctors because they were able to care for 69.7% of the clients with no need for medical consultation. The study also showed that nurses were successful in motivating women to use contraceptives, to shift some to a more suitable method, and to make follow-up visits. When different contraceptives were prescribed by nurses, the incidence of complications or complaints was found to be within reasonable limits for all.^ieng

Study of knowledge and attitudes of nurses in Alexandria towards female circumcision.

PIP: A study of 135 nurses' attitudes toward female circumcison was conducted at the Shatby maternity hospital, Dar el Welada, and other hospitals. Only 6.7% of all nurses could identify the 3 types of female circumcison: 20% knew the sunna type; 5.2% knew the pharaonic type; and 25.1% knew clidorectomy. 43% were unable to identify any type. The disadvantages of female circumcision mentioned by the nurses were decrease of libido (21.5%), hemorrhage (20.7%), and disfigurement (1.5%). 76.4% did not know whether female circumcision was legal in Egypt. 28.1% believed the operation to be advantageous either for cleanliness (10.3%), to decrease libido and protect the girl against extramarital sex (8.9%), and for both reasons (8.9%). One third of the nurses said they would circumcise their own daughters. 20% felt that they would do so for esthetic reasons; 10.4% to decrease sexual desire; and 2.2% had religious reasons. 64.4% stated that female circumcison had no religious basis; 13.3% said that it had a religious basis but did not know the source. Younger nurses (under age 25) were less inclined to circumcise their daughters (19.5%), compared to those over age 30 (49.6%). Nurses with less than 5 years experience in maternity practice were more reluctant to circumcise their daughters (22.7%) than those with 10 years or more in the field (45.7%).^ieng