Brazilian adolescents' knowledge and beliefs about abortion methods: A school-based internet inquiry

Background: Internet surveys that draw from traditionally generated samples provide the unique conditions to engage adolescents in exploration of sensitive health topics.Methods: We examined awareness of unwanted pregnancy, abortion behaviour, methods, and attitudes toward specific legal indications for abortion via a school-based internet survey among 378 adolescents aged 12-21 years in three Rio de Janeiro public schools.Results: Forty-five percent knew peers who had undergone an abortion. Most students (66.0%) did not disclose abortion method knowledge. However, girls (aOR 4.2, 95% CI 2.4-7.2), those who had experienced their sexual debut (aOR1.76, 95% CI 1.1-3.0), and those attending a prestigious magnet school (aOR 2.7 95% CI 1.4-6.3) were more likely to report methods. Most abortion methods (79.3%) reported were ineffective, obsolete, and/or unsafe. Herbs (e.g. marijuana tea), over-the-counter medications, surgical procedures, foreign objects and blunt trauma were reported. Most techniques (85.2%) were perceived to be dangerous, including methods recommended by the World Health Organization. A majority (61.4%) supported Brazil's existing law permitting abortion in the case of rape. There was no association between gender, age, sexual debut, parental education or socioeconomic status and attitudes toward legal abortion. However, students at the magnet school supported twice as many legal indications (2.7, SE.27) suggesting a likely role of peers and/or educators in shaping abortion views.Conclusions: Abortion knowledge and attitudes are not driven simply by age, religion or class, but rather a complex interplay that includes both social spaces and gender. Prevention of abortion morbidity and mortality among adolescents requires comprehensive sexuality and reproductive health education that includes factual distinctions between safe and unsafe abortion methods

Opinion and experience of Brazilian women regarding menstrual bleeding and use of combined oral contraceptives

Objective: To describe the opinion and experience of Brazilian women regarding menstruation and the use of combined oral contraceptives (COCs) to control monthly bleeding and induce amenorrhea. Methods: Women attending regional public healthcare clinics for non-gynecologic conditions, and female members of staff from university schools unrelated to the field of medicine completed a questionnaire. Results: Of the 1111 women interviewed, 64.3% reported disliking menstruation. The desired frequency of bleeding was never (65.3%), less than monthly (18.2%), and every month or more often (16.5%). More than 60% of the women reported that they would use COCs to control menstrual bleeding, 82.0% would use COCs to reduce the amount of bleeding experienced, and 86.1% would use COCs to induce amenorrhea. When compared with women who disliked menstruation, those who reported that they liked to experience monthly bleeding had fewer years of schooling (OR1.98; 95% CI, 1.30-2.97), low socioeconomic status (OR 1.66; 95%Cl, 1.12-2.46), fewer days of menstruation each month (OR 1.62; 95%Cl, 1.11-2.36), and 1 or more child (OR 1.13; 95%Cl, 1.01-1.26). Conclusion: Many of the women surveyed disliked monthly menstruation and were interested in the use of COCs to control menstrual bleeding and induce amenorrhea. (C) 2012 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.117159Bayer, Brazi

Sexuality in Brazilian women aged 40 to 65 years with 11 years or more of formal education: associated factors

Objective: To evaluate factors associated with the sexuality of middle-aged women. Design: Cross-sectional, population-based survey using an anonymous self-response questionnaire. A total of 276 Brazilian-born women, 40 to 65 years old with at least 11 years of formal education, participated in the study. The evaluation instrument was based on the Short Personal Experiences Questionnaire. Seven components were analyzed: satisfaction in sexual activities, orgasm, intensity of desire, self-classification of sexual life, frequency of arousal, sexual activity, and sexual fantasies. Sociodemograpbic, clinical, behavioral, and reproductive factors were evaluated. Data were analyzed using the chi(2) and Fisher exact tests and Poisson multiple regression analysis. Prevalence ratios (PRs) and their 95% CIs were calculated. Results: The median sexuality score was 9 (range, 2.45-13.77). Bivariate analysis indicated that being 50 years of age or older; in the menopausal transition or postmenopause; not having a sexual partner; reporting hot flushes, insomnia, depression, nervousness, sedentary lifestyle, arterial hypertension, or urinary incontinence; and poor self-perception of health were significantly associated with a below median sexuality score. Multiple regression analysis showed that the prevalence of below median scores was higher in older women (prevalence ratio [PR] = 1.03, 95% CI: 1.01-1.05) and in those with insomnia (PR = 1.46, 95% CI: 1.08-1.96). Having a sexual partner (PR = 0.68, 95% Cl: 0.50-0.92) and feeling well (PR = 0.73, 95% Cl: 0.57-0.94) was associated with a protective effect against a below median sexuality score. Conclusions: Older women and those with insomnia were more likely to have a low sexuality score, whereas those with a sexual partner and who felt well were less likely to have a low sexuality score.15226426

Aging, obesity, and multimorbidity in women 50 years or older: a population-based study

Objective: This study aims to evaluate multimorbidity and its associated factors in Brazilian women aged 50 years or older. Methods: This is a cross-sectional, population-based study using self-reports. A total of 622 women aged 50 years or older were included. Multimorbidity was defined as two or more of the following morbidities: hypertension, osteoarthritis, cataracts, diabetes mellitus, osteoporosis, glaucoma, chronic bronchitis or asthma, urinary incontinence, cancer, myocardial infarction, stroke, and pulmonary emphysema. Sociodemographic, clinical, and behavioral factors were evaluated. Data were analyzed using chi(2) test and Fisher's exact test, and Poisson multiple regression analysis was performed. Prevalence ratios and their 95% CIs were calculated. Results: In this sample, 15.8% of participants reported no morbidities, whereas 26% reported having one morbid condition and 58.2% reported multimorbidity. With respect to morbidities, 55.9% of women reported having hypertension, 33.8% reported having osteoarthritis, 24.5% reported having cataracts, 22.7% reported having diabetes, 21.3% reported having osteoporosis, 9.9% reported having glaucoma, 9.2% reported having bronchitis, 8.9% reported having urinary incontinence, and 6.8% reported having cancer, whereas 4.8% reported having had a myocardial infarction, 2.7% reported having had a stroke, and 1.8% reported having pulmonary emphysema. Multiple regression analysis showed that for each additional year of life, women increased their likelihood of multimorbidity by 3% (95% CI, 1.02-1.04). Furthermore, for each point increase (kg/m(2)) in their body mass index, women also increased their likelihood of multimorbidity by 3% (95% CI, 1.02-1.04). Conclusions: Multimorbidity is principally associated with aging and obesity.208818824Sao Paulo Foundation for the Support of Research [2010/15867-1]Sao Paulo Foundation for the Support of Research [2010/15867-1