Natural and synthetic drugs and formulations for intravaginal HPV clearance

Background: Except for a few preventative Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines, there is currently no cure for HPV infection. There are a number of cutting-edge strategies and potent medications or herbal formulations that can be applied topically for early clearance of HPV infection before HPV DNA gets integrated into host cell genome. This is facilitated due to cervical cancer having distinct and well-recognized long precancerous stages. Objectives: This review aims to outline every possible medication and formulation, both natural and synthetic, that can be applied topically as intravaginal application to help remove HPV infection at an early precancerous stage. Results: Several anti-HPV/HPV clearance compounds and formulations for high-grade lesions are undergoing clinical trials. However, the majority of compounds are still in the early stages of development and require additional research to become viable HPV clearance candidates. Synthetic drugs may be more promising because they may have a more targeted effect; however, they may also have significant adverse effects. On the other hand, natural medications are safer to use. They are less specific, but have minimal to no adverse effects. Conclusions: This article may serve as a valuable resource of information for managing and preventing precancerous carcinogenic HPV infections. Research could be directed toward developing candidate drugs to make evidence-based decisions about advancing them to clinical trials and, eventually, to the market for potential use in the prevention and control of cervical cancer, which is almost always preventable or even curable if detected early

Attitudes and practices of physicians toward law enforcement on dispensing antibiotics without prescription antibiotics: Findings from a cross-sectional survey

Background: The government of Saudi Arabia implemented a law to enforce the law and regulations prohibiting the dispensing of antibiotics without a prescription, and studies have been conducted to assess the impact of such a law in Saudi Arabia. However, the extent to which law enforcement has changed the perceptions and attitudes of health care professionals, mainly physicians, toward antibiotic resistance is unknown in Saudi Arabia. Material and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Riyad, Saudi Arabia, on 378 physicians. These physicians were mainly working in primary care centers. An online questionnaire was sent to the physicians, and it consisted of 35 items and was divided into four sections: 6 items were on sociodemographic characteristics of participants; 13 items were on the knowledge of physicians about antibiotic resistance; 8 items were on the attitude the physicians toward enforcement law, and the final 8 items were on the attitude the patients toward enforcement law in an outpatient setting. Results: Around 90% of the physicians acknowledged that physicians should stop prescribing antibiotics without indication. About 29.1 % of the physicians agreed, and 56.3% showed strong agreement that law enforcement is for the patient's benefit. Similarly, 33.6% agreed, and 50.8% strongly agreed that law enforcement limits the resistance of bacteria. Around 24.3% of the patients disagreed, and 23% strongly disagreed that law enforcement does not affect anything. Around one-third of the physicians (34.4%) agreed, and 23.5% strongly agreed that the new regulation of law enforcement of antibiotic prescription increases public awareness regarding the misuse of antibiotics. Conclusion: It seems that law enforcement has impacted the knowledge and attitude of physicians as they agree with law enforcement and its associated benefits for patients. They also acknowledged that law enforcement could limit the resistance to bacteria. However, not all physicians agree that law enforcement has an effect on anything, and new regulation of antibiotic prescription law increases public awareness regarding the misuse of antibiotics

Knowledge, Attitudes and Perception toward COVID-19 Vaccines among Adults in Jazan Province, Saudi Arabia

Background: Saudi Arabia is one of the countries that initiated early vaccination programs despite the global challenges concerning the availability of COVID-19 vaccines. Massive vaccination campaigns have been undertaken in the country; however, negative perception and hesitancy toward vaccines may exist which could reduce public response to vaccination. Further, studies evaluating the current perception and attitude toward COVID-19 vaccines are scarce. Thus, this study aims to assess the community attitudes and perceptions toward COVID-19 vaccines in Jazan Province, Saudi Arabia. Methods: A cross-sectional, retrospective study using an online questionnaire was conducted among the public in Jazan, the southern region of Saudi Arabia. General and demographic data were collected, and perception and attitude toward COVID-19 vaccines were evaluated. Results: Most participants in this study were female (67%) with a median age of 23 years. The majority held a bachelor’s degree, and they trusted the Saudi healthcare system. Our survey showed that 67% of the study participants had positive perceptions toward COVID-19 vaccines, a finding that is significantly associated with receiving the influenza vaccine in the past, the existence of trust on the current healthcare system and holding positive beliefs toward the effectiveness of the current COVID-19 vaccines in reducing the risk of infection, complication, and mortality. Conclusions: The proportion of the public in Jazan who believed in the COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness is not inferior from similar international reports. Thus, national awareness programs toward the effectiveness of the vaccine could be enhanced to accelerate vaccination coverage. Further, nationwide surveys are warranted to include larger populations from different communities to assess the overall perception toward COVID-19 vaccines in the whole country