Knowledge and use of emergency contraception among women in the Western Cape province of South Africa: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: Emergency contraception (EC) is widely available free of charge at public sector clinics in South Africa. At the same time, rates of teenage and unintended pregnancy in South Africa remain high, and there are few data on knowledge of EC in the general population in South Africa, as in other resource-limited settings. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional, interviewer-administered survey among 831 sexually active women at 26 randomly selected public sector clinics in the Western Cape province. RESULTS: Overall, 30% of the women had ever heard of EC when asked directly, after the method was described to them. Only 15% mentioned EC by name or description spontaneously. Knowledge of EC was independently associated with higher education, being married, and living in an urban setting. Four percent of women had ever used EC. DISCUSSION: These data suggest that knowledge of EC in this setting is more common among women of higher socioeconomic status living in urban areas. For EC to play a role in decreasing unintended pregnancy in South Africa, specific interventions are necessary to increase knowledge of the method, where to get it, and the appropriate time interval for its use before the need for EC arises. Future health promotion campaigns should target rural and low socioeconomic status communities

Does administration of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug determine morphological changes in adrenal cortex: ultrastructural studies

Rofecoxib (Vioxx© made by Merck Sharp & Dohme, the USA) is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug which belongs to the group of selective inhibitors of cyclooxygenasis-2, i.e., coxibs. Rofecoxib was first registered in the USA, in May 1999. Since then the drug was received by millions of patients. Drugs of this group were expected to exhibit increased therapeutic action. Additionally, there were expectations concerning possibilities of their application, at least as auxiliary drugs, in neoplastic therpy due to intensifying of apoptosis. In connection with the withdrawal of Vioxx© (rofecoxib) from pharmaceutical market, attempts were made to conduct electron-microscopic evaluation of cortical part of the adrenal gland in preparations obtained from animals under influence of the drug. Every morning animals from the experimental group (15 rats) received rofecoxib (suspension in physiological saline)—non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (Vioxx©, Merck Sharp and Dohme, the USA), through an intragastric tube in the dose of 1.25 mg during 8 weeks. In the evaluated material, there was found a greater number of secretory vacuoles and large, containing cholesterol and other lipids as well as generated glucocorticoids, lipid drops in cytoplasm containing prominent endoplasmic reticulum. There were also found cells with cytoplasm of smaller density—especially in apical and basal parts of cells. Mitochondria occasionally demonstrated features of delicate swelling. The observed changes, which occurred on cellular level with application of large doses of the drug, result from mobilization of adaptation mechanisms of the organism