Status of reproductive health knowledge amongst High School girls in selected secondary schools, Limpopo Province, South Africa.

Among all age groups, knowledge of reproductive health can prevent unplanned pregnancy and STIs. The study assessed the status of reproductive health knowledge among secondary school girls in Limpopo Province, South Africa. A cross-sectional descriptive study design was conducted among secondary school girls between the ages of 14 and 19. A total of three hundred and forty (N=340) eligible learners were selected using stratified random sampling method. A self-administered questionnaire was used for data collection and data was analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25. All ethical considerations were ensured throughout the study. About 184(56%) of the respondents were aged between 14 and 16 years, and 59% were grade nine and ten. The majority (72%; n=239) of the respondents stayed in rural areas and attended public schools (83%;n=274). Half (51%) of the study respondents had no idea about menstruation. Nine percent (24) of the respondents mentioned ICUD as a method of contraception. HIV/AIDS was the most common STI infection known by respondents at 52%. Oral and injectable contraceptives 72(35%) were cited as the most known methods to prevent unplanned pregnancies. The study found that respondents exposed little or lack of knowledge about reproductive health. Therefore, the Department of Education must carry out reproductive education among girls to promote reproductive health. Parents should be encouraged to explain reproductive health issues to their girl child.

Dans tous les groupes d'âge, la connaissance de la santé reproductive peut prévenir les grossesses non planifiées et les IST. L'étude a évalué l'état des connaissances en matière de santé reproductive chez les filles du secondaire de la province du Limpopo, en Afrique du Sud. Un plan d'étude descriptif transversal a été mené auprès de filles du secondaire âgées de 14 à 19 ans. Un total de trois cent quarante ( N = 340) les apprenants éligibles ont été sélectionnés à l'aide d'une méthode d'échantillonnage aléatoire stratifié. Un questionnaire auto-administré a été utilisé pour la collecte de données et les données ont été analysées à l'aide du progiciel statistique pour les sciences sociales (SPSS) version 25. Toutes les considérations éthiques ont été respectées tout au long de l'étude. Environ 184 (56 %) des répondants étaient âgés de 14 à 16 ans, et 59 % étaient en neuvième et dixième années. La majorité (72 % ; n = 239) des personnes interrogées sont restées dans les zones rurales et ont fréquenté les écoles publiques (83 % ; n = 274). La moitié (51 %) des personnes interrogées n'avaient aucune idée de la menstruation. Neuf pour cent (24) des personnes interrogées ont mentionné l'ICUD comme méthode de contraception. Le VIH/SIDA était l'infection IST la plus courante connue par les répondants (52 %). Les contraceptifs oraux et injectables 72 (35 %) ont été cités comme les méthodes les plus connues pour prévenir les grossesses non planifiées. L'étude a révélé que les personnes interrogées ont montré peu ou pas de connaissances sur la santé reproductive. Par conséquent, le ministère de l'Éducation doit mener une éducation reproductive auprès des filles pour promouvoir la santé reproductive. Les parents devraient être encouragés à expliquer les problèmes de santé reproductive à leurs petites filles.

Protocol to develop a framework addressing barriers to utilization of elimination of mother- to -child transmission of HIV services among pregnant women and lactating mothers in Gauteng province.

Mother-to-child transmission of HIV remains the primary contributor to HIV infections in children, globally. Despite the progress made to reduce new HIV infections in children, barriers to utilization of the Elimination of Mother-to-Child Transmission service remain the bottleneck that affects the program's effectiveness. This study aims to develop a framework to address barriers to the utilization of the Elimination of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV services among pregnant women and lactating mothers in Gauteng province. A convergent parallel mixed methods design will be employed in phases. Phase 1(a) quantitative will be collected from pregnant women and lactating mothers to describe barriers associated with poor utilization of elimination of mother-to-child transmission services and a potential strategy to facilitate EMTCT utilization; phase 1(b) qualitative data will be collected to explore reasons for poor utilization of EMTCT services and perceived strategy to enhance women's utilization of elimination of mother-to-child transmission services. Quantitative data will be analyzed using Stata software version 14.0 and qualitative data will be analyzed thematically and then results will be integrated. Phase 2: will focus on the development of a framework; Phase 3: will validate the developed framework. The conclusion and recommendations will be based on the findings of the study.

Occupational health and safety hazards among solid waste handlers at a selected municipality South Africa.

Background: Solid waste management is one of the most dangerous occupations in the world because of its potential harm from the waste to the environment and the public. Therefore, the protection of human health and the environment is a challenge that all countries are facing. Aim: The study explored occupational health and safety hazards among waste handlers at a selected municipality in Limpopo Province. Setting: The study was conducted in one municipality in the Vhembe District. Methods: The study used a qualitative, explorative and contextual design to explore occupational health and safety hazards among participants. Participants were sampled using purposive sampling. Data were collected through in-depth individual interviews that lasted between 40 min and 45 min. The sampled size comprised 18 participants and was determined by data saturation. Tesch's open coding was used to analyse data, where the main theme, categories and sub-categories emerged. Results: The findings revealed the main theme, namely municipal waste handlers experience occupational health and safety hazards. Four categories emerged from the main theme, namely physical, psychosocial, biological and chemical hazards. The categories were further divided into sub-categories such as exposure to extreme weather conditions and musculoskeletal injuries. Conclusion: Solid waste handlers experienced preventable physical and chemical occupational health and safety hazards that are inherent to their job. It is recommended that workers be provided with adequate suitable protective equipment to reduce the level of occupational health hazards. Contribution: The findings in this study will help in closing the gaps by the municipality for failing to prioritise working conditions for municipality waste handlers.

Achieving effectiveness of antenatal outcomes: A qualitative study in Mutasa district, Zimbabwe.

Achieving the effectiveness of antenatal outcomes depends on the utilization of antenatal care services. The purpose of the study was to explore the utilization of antenatal care in Mutasa District, Zimbabwe. A qualitative research approach using explorative and descriptive design was utilized. Purposive and snowball sampling techniques were used to sample pregnant women and women whose children were under the age of one year. In-depth interviews were conducted using the Shona language. Data were analyzed using thematic content analysis where themes and sub-themes emerged; namely; factors influencing the perceptions of women on antenatal care services uptake. We certify that all applicable institutional and governmental regulations concerning the ethical use of human volunteers were followed during this research. Multiple obstacles to adherence were identified, including a low level of education, low socio-demographic factors such as age, low income, distance traveled to the clinic, high parity, and acceptability of antenatal care by rural women. Awareness should be made by the Zimbabwean Ministry of Health and Child Care through better education of the target groups such as young mothers, people from low socio-economic groups, and childbearing women for better utilization.