Contraceptive patterns among sub-Saharan African migrant women in France

Pour les femmes immigrées d’Afrique sub-Saharienne l’arrivée en France peut constituer une rupture dans leur trajectoire sexuelle, affective et reproductive. Si beaucoup ont déjà fait l’expérience d’une grossesse avant leur arrivée, un certain nombre n’aura pas encore débuté sa vie reproductive. Toutefois et pour les femmes qui le souhaitent, l’arrivée en France, et le changement du paysage contraceptif peut être l’occasion d’accéder à une contraception efficace ou bien de changer de méthode. En 2010, en France, sur l’ensemble de la population des femmes âgées entre 15-49 ans et en besoin de contraception, 78.5% déclarait utiliser une contraception médicale contre 22.9% en Afrique subsaharienne (tous pays confondus) pour les femmes de la même tranche d’âge. Par ailleurs, la population originaire d’Afrique subsaharienne est particulièrement touchée par le VIH/sida en Afrique mais aussi en France, où ils représentent le deuxième groupe le plus affecté.A partir de deux enquêtes, Parcours et Vespa 2, notre étude a visé à mettre en lumière les pratiques contraceptives et les éventuelles inégalités en matière de contraception dont les immigrées originaires d’Afrique subsaharienne feraient l’objet, afin de repérer les leviers d’une meilleure prise en charge de leur santé sexuelle et reproductive.Les résultats de cette thèse mettent en évidence que les femmes africaines immigrées se saisissent d'un système qui articule la promotion de la contraception, un dispositif d'accès facilitant et des pratiques médicales aboutissant à une forte adhésion à la contraception médicale efficace puisque la majorité des femmes déclare utiliser la pilule, l’implant et parfois le DIU. Ces résultats sont toutefois à moduler pour deux raisons. D’une part, lorsque les femmes vivent avec le VIH, (les femmes immigrées ou nées en France) utilisent très majoritairement le préservatif. D’autre part, le recours à l’implant est nettement plus marqué qu’en population générale ce qui doit nous inciter à poursuivre les études pour savoir jusqu'à quel point les méthodes en usage correspondent à un choix et conviennent aux besoins des femmes .For immigrant women from sub-Saharan Africa, arriving in France may be a break in their sexual, emotional and reproductive trajectory. If many have already experienced pregnancy before arriving, a number will not have started their reproductive life. However, for women who wish so, the arrival in France and the change in the contraceptive landscape may be an opportunity to access effective contraception or to change the method. In 2010, in France, of the entire population of women between the ages of 15-49 and in need of contraception, 78.5% reported using medical contraception compared to 22.9% in sub-Saharan Africa (all countries combined) for women in the same age group. Moreover, the population from sub-Saharan Africa is particularly affected by HIV/AIDS in Africa but also in France, where they represent the second most affected group.Based on two surveys, Parcours and Vespa 2, our study aimed to highlight the contraceptive practices and possible inequalities in contraception that immigrant women from sub-Saharan Africa face, in order to identify improvements in their sexual and reproductive health care.The results of this thesis highlight that African immigrant women seize a system that articulates the sponsoring of contraception, easier access and medical practices resulting in a strong adherence to effective medical contraception since the majority of women report using the pill, the implant and sometimes the IUD. These results must however be adjusted for two reasons. On one hand, women living with HIV (immigrant women or women born in France) use condoms for the most part. On the other hand, the use of an implant is much more pervasive than in the general population which should encourage us to continue studying to what extent the methods in use correspond to a choice and are adapted to the needs of women

Pratiques contraceptives des femmes immigrées d’Afrique subsaharienne en France

For immigrant women from sub-Saharan Africa, arriving in France may be a break in their sexual, emotional and reproductive trajectory. If many have already experienced pregnancy before arriving, a number will not have started their reproductive life. However, for women who wish so, the arrival in France and the change in the contraceptive landscape may be an opportunity to access effective contraception or to change the method. In 2010, in France, of the entire population of women between the ages of 15-49 and in need of contraception, 78.5% reported using medical contraception compared to 22.9% in sub-Saharan Africa (all countries combined) for women in the same age group. Moreover, the population from sub-Saharan Africa is particularly affected by HIV/AIDS in Africa but also in France, where they represent the second most affected group.Based on two surveys, Parcours and Vespa 2, our study aimed to highlight the contraceptive practices and possible inequalities in contraception that immigrant women from sub-Saharan Africa face, in order to identify improvements in their sexual and reproductive health care.The results of this thesis highlight that African immigrant women seize a system that articulates the sponsoring of contraception, easier access and medical practices resulting in a strong adherence to effective medical contraception since the majority of women report using the pill, the implant and sometimes the IUD. These results must however be adjusted for two reasons. On one hand, women living with HIV (immigrant women or women born in France) use condoms for the most part. On the other hand, the use of an implant is much more pervasive than in the general population which should encourage us to continue studying to what extent the methods in use correspond to a choice and are adapted to the needs of women.Pour les femmes immigrées d’Afrique sub-Saharienne l’arrivée en France peut constituer une rupture dans leur trajectoire sexuelle, affective et reproductive. Si beaucoup ont déjà fait l’expérience d’une grossesse avant leur arrivée, un certain nombre n’aura pas encore débuté sa vie reproductive. Toutefois et pour les femmes qui le souhaitent, l’arrivée en France, et le changement du paysage contraceptif peut être l’occasion d’accéder à une contraception efficace ou bien de changer de méthode. En 2010, en France, sur l’ensemble de la population des femmes âgées entre 15-49 ans et en besoin de contraception, 78.5% déclarait utiliser une contraception médicale contre 22.9% en Afrique subsaharienne (tous pays confondus) pour les femmes de la même tranche d’âge. Par ailleurs, la population originaire d’Afrique subsaharienne est particulièrement touchée par le VIH/sida en Afrique mais aussi en France, où ils représentent le deuxième groupe le plus affecté.A partir de deux enquêtes, Parcours et Vespa 2, notre étude a visé à mettre en lumière les pratiques contraceptives et les éventuelles inégalités en matière de contraception dont les immigrées originaires d’Afrique subsaharienne feraient l’objet, afin de repérer les leviers d’une meilleure prise en charge de leur santé sexuelle et reproductive.Les résultats de cette thèse mettent en évidence que les femmes africaines immigrées se saisissent d'un système qui articule la promotion de la contraception, un dispositif d'accès facilitant et des pratiques médicales aboutissant à une forte adhésion à la contraception médicale efficace puisque la majorité des femmes déclare utiliser la pilule, l’implant et parfois le DIU. Ces résultats sont toutefois à moduler pour deux raisons. D’une part, lorsque les femmes vivent avec le VIH, (les femmes immigrées ou nées en France) utilisent très majoritairement le préservatif. D’autre part, le recours à l’implant est nettement plus marqué qu’en population générale ce qui doit nous inciter à poursuivre les études pour savoir jusqu'à quel point les méthodes en usage correspondent à un choix et conviennent aux besoins des femmes

Threatened preterm birth: Validation of a nomogram to predict the individual risk of very preterm delivery in a secondary care center

International audienceIntroduction: Very preterm delivery (22–32 weeks of gestation) remains a major cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality. The objective of this study was to validate a statistical model allowing to predict the risk of preterm delivery to use as a clinical decision-making tool for in utero transfer from a secondary to a tertiary care center. Methods: Retrospective observational study in a secondary care center (approximately 2500 births) in Paris, France. 137 women were admitted for threatened preterm delivery between 22 and 32 weeks. Women were retrospectively allocated to the following groups based on medical decision: “transfer group” (in utero transfer to a tertiary care unit) and “no transfer group” (no in utero transfer). The risk of preterm delivery within 48 h and before 32 weeks gestation was assessed for each group using a nomogram previously validated in a tertiary care center. The primary objective of the study was to determine the accuracy of the prediction model. Results: The discrimination and calibration of the nomogram were excellent (preterm delivery risk within 48 h, ROC AUC: 0.98, 95% CI: 0.95–1.00; probability of preterm delivery before 32 weeks gestation, ROC AUC: 0.94, 95% CI: 0.89-0.99). A threshold set at 0.16 helped minimize the risk of unnecessary in utero transfers with an excellent negative predictive value of 0.99. Conclusions: We validated nomograms to predict the individual probability of preterm birth after admission in a secondary care center. Those nomograms could be helpful when making decisions regarding an in utero transfer to a tertiary care unit

Postoperative pain after clitoral reconstruction in women with female genital mutilation: An evaluation of practices

Introduction: More than 200 million women and girls have undergone genital mutilation. Clitoral reconstruction (CR) can improve the quality of life of some of them, but is accompanied by significant postoperative pain. Objective: Assess and describe the management of postoperative pain after CR, and the practices amongst specialists in different countries. Methods: Between March and June 2020, 32 surgeons in 14 countries (Germany, Austria, Belgium, Burkina Faso, Canada, Ivory Coast, Egypt, Spain, United States of America, France, the Netherlands, Senegal, Switzerland, Sweden) responded to an online questionnaire on care and analgesic protocols for CR surgery. Results: At day 7 post CR, 97% of the surgeons observed pain amongst their patients, which persisted up to 1 month for half of them. 22% of the participants reported feeling powerless in the management of such pain. The analgesic treatments offered are mainly step II and anti-inflammatory drugs (61%). Screening for neuropathic pain is rare (3%), as is the use of pudendal nerve block, used by 8% of the care providers and only for a small percentage of women. Conclusion: Pain after CR is frequent, long-lasting, and potentially an obstacle for the women who are willing to undergo clitoral surgery and also their surgeons. Most surgeons from different countries follow analgesic protocols that do not use the full available therapeutic possibilities. Early treatment of neuropathic pain, optimisation of dosing of standard analgesics, addition of opioids, use of acupuncture, and routine intraoperative use of pudendal nerve block might improve the management of pain after CR.</p

Women’s knowledge and perception of male circumcision before and after its roll-out in the South African township of Orange Farm from community-based cross-sectional surveys

<div><p>The roll-out of medical male circumcision (MC) is progressing in Southern and Eastern Africa. Little is known about the effect of this roll-out on women. The objective of this study was to assess the knowledge and perceptions of women regarding MC in a setting before and after the roll-out. This study was conducted in the South African township of Orange Farm where MC prevalence among men increased from 17% to 53% in the period 2008–2010. Data from three community-based cross sectional surveys conducted in 2007, 2010 and 2012 among 1258, 1197 and 2583 adult women, respectively were studied. In 2012, among 2583 women, 73.7% reported a preference for circumcised partners, and 87.9% knew that circumcised men could become infected with HIV. A total of 95.8% preferred to have their male children circumcised. These three proportions increased significantly during the roll-out. In 2007, the corresponding values were 64.4%, 82.9% and 80.4%, respectively. Among 2581 women having had sexual intercourse with circumcised and uncircumcised men, a majority (55.8%, 1440/2581) agreed that it was easier for a circumcised man to use a condom, 20.5% (530/2581) disagreed; and 23.07 (611/2581) did not know. However, some women incorrectly stated that they were fully (32/2579; 1.2%; 95%CI: 0.9% to 1.7%) or partially (233/2579; 9.0%; 95%CI: 8.0% to 10.2%) protected when having unprotected sex with a circumcised HIV-positive partner. This study shows that the favorable perception of women and relatively correct knowledge regarding VMMC had increased during the roll-out of VMMC. When possible, women should participate in the promotion of VMMC although further effort should be made to improve their knowledge.</p></div

Background characteristics of women from samples obtained in 2007, 2010 and 2012 in the South African township of Orange Farm.

<p>Background characteristics of women from samples obtained in 2007, 2010 and 2012 in the South African township of Orange Farm.</p

Maintenance darunavir/ritonavir monotherapy to prevent perinatal HIV transmission, ANRS-MIE 168 MONOGEST study

International audienceObjectives: Because NRTIs can have fetal toxicities, we evaluated a perinatal NRTI-sparing strategy to prevent perinatal HIV transmission. Our primary objective was to determine the proportion maintaining a viral load (VL) of 50 copies/mL. Neonates received nevirapine prophylaxis for 14 days.Results: Of 89 patients switching to darunavir/ritonavir monotherapy, 4 miscarried before 22 weeks' gestation, 2 changed treatment for elevated liver enzymes without virological failure, and 83 were evaluable for the main outcome. Six had virological failure confirmed on a repeat sample (median VL=193 copies/mL; range 78-644), including two before switching to monotherapy. In these six cases, ART was intensified with tenofovir disoproxil fumarate/emtricitabine. The success rate was 75/83, 90.4% (95% CI, 81.9%-95.7%) considering two patients with VL missing at delivery as failures, and 77/83, 92.8% (95% CI, 84.9%-97.3%) when considering them as successes since both had undetectable VL on darunavir/ritonavir throughout pregnancy. In ITT, the last available VL before delivery was <50 copies/mL in all of the patients. There was no case of perinatal HIV transmission.Conclusions: Darunavir/ritonavir maintenance monotherapy required intensification in nearly 10% of cases. This limits its widespread use, thus other regimens should be evaluated in order to limit exposure to antiretrovirals, particularly NRTIs, during pregnancy

Rilpivirine in HIV-1-positive women initiating pregnancy: to switch or not to switch?

International audienceBackgroundSafety data about rilpivirine use during pregnancy remain scarce, and rilpivirine plasma concentrations are reduced during second/third trimesters, with a potential risk of viral breakthroughs. Thus, French guidelines recommend switching to rilpivirine-free combinations (RFCs) during pregnancy.ObjectivesTo describe the characteristics of women initiating pregnancy while on rilpivirine and to compare the outcomes for virologically suppressed subjects continuing rilpivirine until delivery versus switching to an RFC.MethodsIn the ANRS-EPF French Perinatal cohort, we included women on rilpivirine at conception in 2010–18. Pregnancy outcomes were compared between patients continuing versus interrupting rilpivirine. In women with documented viral suppression (<50 copies/mL) before 14 weeks of gestation (WG) while on rilpivirine, we compared the probability of viral rebound (≥50 copies/mL) during pregnancy between subjects continuing rilpivirine versus those switching to RFC.ResultsAmong 247 women included, 88.7% had viral suppression at the beginning of pregnancy. Overall, 184 women (74.5%) switched to an RFC (mostly PI/ritonavir-based regimens) at a median gestational age of 8.0 WG. Plasma HIV-1 RNA nearest delivery was <50 copies/mL in 95.6% of women. Among 69 women with documented viral suppression before 14 WG, the risk of viral rebound was higher when switching to RFCs than when continuing rilpivirine (20.0% versus 0.0%, P = 0.046). Delivery outcomes were similar between groups (overall birth defects, 3.8/100 live births; pregnancy losses, 2.0%; preterm deliveries, 10.6%). No HIV transmission occurred.ConclusionsIn virologically suppressed women initiating pregnancy, continuing rilpivirine was associated with better virological outcome than changing regimen. We did not observe a higher risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes