Prostitution and the risk of STDs and AIDS in Nigeria and Thailand

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Men's sexual behaviour in urban and rural Southwest Nigeria: its cultural, social and attitudinal context

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The cultural, social and attitudinal context of male sexual behaviour in urban south-west Nigeria

From 1989 onward a research program based at Ondo State University, Nigeria, investigated the social and behavioural context of the sexually transmitted disease and AIDS epidemics (Orubuloye et al. 1994). Between 1989 and 1993 the researchers reached the conclusion that premarital and extramarital sexual activities were on a sufficient scale in Ondo State to maintain an STD epidemic and possibly to maintain an AIDS epidemic. The reason for caution with regard to AIDS arose from an awareness of the current relatively low seroprevalence levels in Nigeria and the demonstration by the program that much of the premarital and extramarital sexual activity was not with prostitutes but diffused more widely. The researchers also concluded that the economic returns to young women from commercial sex were so substantial and the current and later social sanctions so weak that no government intervention was likely to reduce the inflow of recruits to the occupation sufficiently to stem the STD epidemic or reduce the risk of a major AIDS epidemic. Clearly something would be achieved by a program aimed at increasing the practice of safe sex, especially the use of condoms, by everyone participating in sexual networking, particularly prostitution. There was little evidence that specific planned intervention was already achieving much, although some evidence that government and media AIDS publicity was raising the level of condom use in prostitution. There also seemed to be a need for STD education and curative interventions on a much greater scale. Nevertheless, until the achievement of decisive biomedical breakthroughs to halt the AIDS epidemic, the research increasingly suggested that the best chance of halting the AIDS epidemic and mitigating the impact of STDs was a change in male sexual behaviour

Intervention strategies suggested by the Nigerian segment of the SAREC program on sexual networking, STDs and AIDS

The primary purpose of this paper is to survey the behavioural findings of the Nigerian program and to draw conclusions about the most needed interventions, and those most likely to be successful, in combating sexually transmitted diseases and HIV/AIDS. The emphasis is on the reduction of transmission of these diseases, partly because the number of Nigerian AIDS cases is as yet much smaller than was feared when the research program began. The Nigerian program began in 1989. It has always had two components. The first is a field research program, largely but not entirely focused on Ondo State; it was originally based in the Faculty of Social Science, Ondo State University, Ado-Ekiti, and has since been transferred to the University's Centre for Population and Health Research. Parallel to this work, there had been developed a research program initiated by the West African Research Group on Sexual Networking (WARGSN). This Group has comprised 20 researchers based in 15 institutions, mostly in Nigeria and Ghana. Finally, the paper refers briefly to experience reported by the SAREC programs in Ghana and Uganda which have as yet no parallel in Nigeria, but which are important for a comprehensive examination of the situation

A note on suspect practices during the AIDS epidemic: vaginal drying and scarification in southwest Nigeria

Vaginal drying and scarification have been reported as possible risk factors. Published research on the former has been confined to East and Middle Africa. This paper reports on research in West Africa employing a survey of 1,976 females in southwest Nigeria, where they reported on their own vaginal drying, the scarification of their sons, and their participation in blood oaths. It was concluded that vaginal drying is not a risk-factor for AIDS in southwest Nigeria, and probably more broadly in West Africa, that scarification may be in the few cases when group scarification is practised, and that the practice of blood oaths probably puts those involved in danger

African families and AIDS : context, reactions and potential interventions

This paper reviews publications and research reports on how sub-Saharan African families have been affected by, and reacted to, the AIDS epidemic. The nature of the African family and its variation across the regions is shown to be basic to both an understanding of how the epidemic spread and of its impact. The volume of good social science research undertaken until now on the disease in Africa is shown to be extremely small relative to the need

African families and AIDS : context, reactions and potential interventions

This paper reviews publications and research reports on how sub-Saharan African families have been affected by, and reacted to, the AIDS epidemic. The nature of the African family and its variation across the regions is shown to be basic to both an understanding of how the epidemic spread and of its impact. The volume of good social science research undertaken until now on the disease in Africa is shown to be extremely small relative to the need

The impact of family and budget structure onhealth treatment in Nigeria

Health-treatment decisions, in much of the world, are affected by the family’s ability to meet thecost. In West Africa the situation is more complex because husbands and wives typically haveseparate budgets. This article reports an exploration of the impact on treatment of divided familybudgets in Nigeria where health services now charge for prescribed drugs. It was found that mostchild treatment is paid for by one person only, usually a parent, and that the treatment chosen isdecided by the person meeting the cost. Mothers are most likely to pay for minor illnesses but thefather’s role becomes more important as the cost rises. Because the type, and even fact, oftreatment depends on the ability to pay, and because the family is not a unity in these decisions,the health system may have to devise charging procedures that make both parents responsible,possibly with community involvement in securing paymen

Species of Cercospora associated with grey leaf spot of maize

Grey leaf spot is a serious yield-reducing disease of maize (Zea mays) in many parts of the world where this crop is cultivated. The causal organism associated with the disease is Cercospora zeae-maydis. Two potential sibling species have been recognized as Groups I and II. The DNA sequences for the internal transcribed spacers (ITS1 & ITS2), the 5.8S rRNA gene, elongation factor 1-α, histone H3, actin and calmodulin gene regions suggest that Groups I and II are two distinct species. Furthermore, Cercospora zeae-maydis (Group I) can be distinguished from C. zeina sp. nov. (Group II) by its faster growth rate on artificial media, the ability to produce cercosporin, longer conidiophores, and broadly fusiform conidia. A PCR-based test that distinguishes the two species was developed using species-specific primers designed from the histone H3 gene