Estimating the impact of birth control on fertility rate in sub-Saharan Africa.

Using a cross-country data drawn from 40 countries and a multiple regression analysis, this paper examines the impact of birth control devices on the rate of fertility in sub-Saharan Africa. Our a-priori expectations are that the more women used birth control devices, the less will be the fertility rate in sub-Saharan Africa. The result obtained from the study indicates that except for withdrawal method that fall contrary to our expectation other variables (methods) like the use of pills, injection, intra uterine device (IUD), condom/diaphragm and cervical cap, female sterilization and periodic abstinence/rhythm fulfilled our a-priori expectations. These results notwithstanding, the paper suggests measures, such as the need for massive enlightenment campaign on the benefit of these birth control devices, the frequent checking of the potency of the devices and good governance in the delivery of the devices

Randomised Trial of Oral Misoprostol Versus Manual Vacuum Aspiration for the Treatment of Incomplete Abortion at a Nigerian Tertiary Hospital.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to compare the efficacy of oral misoprostol with manual vacuum aspiration (MVA) in first trimester incomplete abortions. METHODS: This randomised controlled trial study was conducted at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Ilorin, Nigeria between April 2014 and November 2015. Pregnant women who presented with clinical features of incomplete abortion at a gestational age of 13 weeks or less were included. Patients who had profuse vaginal bleeding, an intrauterine device in situ, signs of pelvic infections or who were younger than 18 years old and had no accompanying adults to give informed consent were excluded. A total of 200 participants were randomly and equally allocated to either the MVA or misoprostol treatment group. The treatment group were given 600 µg of misoprostol orally. The primary outcome measure was complete uterine evacuation, while secondary outcome measures included the need for additional surgical evacuation for failed treatment, adverse effects/complications, acceptability of and satisfaction with the treatment. RESULTS: Both misoprostol and MVA had high complete evacuation rates, yet MVA was significantly higher (99% versus 83%, relative risk [RR]: 0.84, confidence interval [CI]: 0.766-0.918; P <0.001). Significantly more women in the misoprostol group required additional MVA for failed treatment than in the MVA treatment group (17% versus 1%, RR: 16.67, CI: 2.260-12.279; P <0.001). No significant difference was found between the misoprostol and MVA treatment groups in terms of satisfaction (92.7% versus 89.8%, RR: 1.04, CI: 0.946-1.127; P = 0.473). CONCLUSION: Treatments with misoprostol and MVA had high complete uterine evacuation rates, as well as high rates of acceptability and satisfaction. However, MVA had a significantly higher complete evacuation rate than misoprostol.

Acceptability of measures aimed at preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV among pregnant women.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the acceptability of measures aimed at preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV among counseled and yet-to-be-counseled antenatal women in a federal medical center in Nigeria. METHODS: A valid and reliable questionnaire was interviewer administered to newly booking antenatal women who were yet to be counseled about HIV/AIDS and women on an antenatal follow-up visit who had already been counseled about HIV/AIDS. RESULTS: A total of 108 newly booked women and 116 women on follow-up visit responded to the questionnaire. The proportion of the counseled women who accepted HIV screening (98%) was significantly higher than the proportion of the yet-to-be-counseled women who would want to be screened (88%). Also, the proportions of the counseled women who accepted HIV screening so as to benefit from interventions like prevention of mother-to-child transmission, antiretroviral therapy and prevention of transmission to partner were significantly higher than the proportions among the yet-to-be-counseled women. The majority of the women in the study would accept antiretroviral drugs and avoidance of breastfeeding to prevent mother-to-child transmission, while only 29 (14%) respondents would accept cesarean section to prevent mother-to-child transmission. There was no statistically significant difference in the proportion of the counseled women (15%) who would accept cesarean section to prevent mother to child transmission when compared to the proportion among the yet-to-be-counseled women (11%). CONCLUSION: Antenatal HIV screening is acceptable to most pregnant women attending our hospital, and while many would accept antiretroviral drugs and avoidance of breastfeeding to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV, there is low acceptability of elective cesarean section.

Awareness and knowledge of mother-to-child transmission of HIV among pregnant women.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the awareness and knowledge of mother-to-child transmission of HIV and its prevention among pregnant women attending the antenatal clinic of a federal medical center in Nigeria. METHODOLOGY: Valid and reliable questionnaires were interviewer administered to pregnant women at antenatal booking during the study period, prior to being counseled on HIV/AIDS. RESULTS: All respondents were aware of HIV/AIDS. The main sources of information included posters/billboards (37%), radio (36%), television (28%) and health workers (34%). The majority (90%) of the respondents were aware that HIV/AIDS can coexist with pregnancy, but only 68% were aware of mother-to-child transmission. Transplacental route, vaginal delivery and breastfeeding were identified as routes of transmission from mother to child by 65%, 38% and 52% of respondents, respectively. Caesarean section was believed to be a route of transmission by 43% of respondents, but only 3% identified caesarean section as a method of prevention of mother-to-child transmission. CONCLUSION: Though the level of awareness of HIV/AIDS among women attending our antenatal clinic is high, the level of knowledge about mother-to-child transmission is inadequate. There is a need for adequate counseling and education about HIV/AIDS and mother-to-child transmission in antenatal clinics and also through public campaign media.

Double-blind randomized controlled trial comparing misoprostol and oxytocin for management of the third stage of labor in a Nigerian hospital.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficacy of oral misoprostol with that of oxytocin for active management of the third stage of labor (AMTSL). METHODS: A double-blind randomized control trial was undertaken at a center in Ilorin, Nigeria, between January and June 2013. Every other eligible patient (in the first stage of labor at term, to have a spontaneous vaginal delivery, and no/low risk of postpartum hemorrhage [PPH]) were randomly assigned with computer-generated random numbers to receive oral misoprostol (600µg) plus placebo injection or oral placebo plus oxytocin injection (1mL of 10IU) in the third stage of labor. The primary outcome was amount of blood loss during delivery. RESULTS: Mean postpartum blood loss was 325.85±164.72mL in the 100 patients given misoprostol and 303.95±163.33mL in the 100 patients given oxytocin (P=0.391). PPH (≥500mL blood loss) was recorded in 15 (15.0%) patients given misoprostol and 14 (14.0%) given oxytocin (P=0.841). Shivering, pyrexia, and diarrhea were all significantly more common in the misoprostol group (P<0.01 for all). CONCLUSION: The efficacy of oral misoprostol was similar to that of intramuscular oxytocin. Adverse effects associated with misoprostol were transient and self-limiting. Thus, oral misoprostol is efficacious and a good alternative to oxytocin for AMTSL. Pan African Clinical Trials Registry:PACTR201407000825227.

Non-fistulous urinary leakage among women attending a Nigerian family planning clinic.

Urinary leakage is an important gynecological challenge, which has a substantial impact on quality of life. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and types of non-fistulous urinary leakage among women attending the family planning clinic of the University of Ilorin teaching hospital, Ilorin, Nigeria. The study was a cross-sectional study carried out between January 3 and April 25 2009. One hundred and two women experienced urinary leakage out of 333 women interviewed, giving a prevalence rate of 30.6%. Stress incontinence was the most common urinary leakage (prevalence rate 12.0%). This is followed by urge incontinence (10.8%), urinary incontinence (4.8%), and overflow incontinence (3.0%). None of the women afflicted sought medical help. Conclusively, this study has demonstrated that non-fistulous urinary leakage is a common problem among women of reproductive age in this environment.

Duration of labor with spontaneous onset at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Ilorin, Nigeria.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: Duration of labor varies from one pregnancy to another and a period of less than 12 hours is regarded as normal. Modern obstetric practice involves active management of labor with the aim of preventing prolonged labor and its sequelae. The main objective of this study was to determine and compare the average duration of labor of spontaneous onset between nulliparas (Po) and multiparas (P ≥ 1) and to determine factors affecting duration of labor. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was a prospective study carried out between 15 May and 14 June 2004 at the Labor Ward of the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Ilorin, Nigeria. Two hundred and thirty-eight women who satisfied the inclusion criteria were studied. The inclusion criteria were term pregnancy with vertex presentation, labor with spontaneous onset, live fetus at presentation and spontaneous vertex delivery. RESULTS: The mean ± SD admission-delivery interval in labor ward was shorter (3.77 ± 2.88 hours) among multiparas than that of nulliparas (5.00 ± 3.17 hours) (P = 0.235). The mean ± SD duration of labor (from the onset of labor to delivery) was shorter among multiparas (8.73 ± 4.17 hours) than that of nulliparas (11.23 ± 4.29 hours) (P = 0.426). The differences were not significant (t-test, P > 0.05). Maternal age and individual parity had significant correlation with the duration of labor in this study (Pearson correlation = -0.019, -0.027, respectively, P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Interestingly, duration of labor was not significantly different among multiparas and nulliparas although it was shorter. Correlation existed between duration of labor and maternal age and individual parity.

Pattern of cervical dilatation among parturients in Ilorin, Nigeria.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the pattern of cervical dilatation in live singleton pregnancies with spontaneous onset of labor and to compare any differences among nulliparas (P ara 0) and multiparas (Para >or=1). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Descriptive statistics are presented for 238 consecutive labor patients with spontaneous onset, >or=37 weeks gestation, live singleton pregnancy and who had spontaneous vertex delivery at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Nigeria, from May 2004 to June 2004. Pre-labor rupture of membrane and referred cases were excluded. RESULTS: The mean cervical dilatation on presentation and duration of labor before presentation in labor ward among nulliparas were 5.40 cm and 6.66 hours; and among multiparas, 6.45 cm and 5.15 hours, respectively, the overall mean being 6.12 cm and 5.63 hours, respectively. The average time spent to achieve full cervical dilatation from time of arrival in labor ward was longer in nulliparas (4.80 hours) than in multiparas (3.60 hours) (t test not significant; P> 0.05). Overall mean total length of first stage of labor was 9.36 hours, while the total length of first stage of labor was 11.03 hours and 8.53 hours for nulliparas and multiparas, respectively (difference is significant; t test P< 0.05). Significant negative correlation existed between parity and total length of first stage of labor. Mean cervical dilatation rate in labor ward (active phase) was higher in multiparas (1.83 cm/h) than in nulliparas (1.76 cm/h), but the difference was not significant (t test P> 0.05). No significant correlation existed between rate of cervical dilatation and maternal age, gestational age and fetal size. CONCLUSION: It is evident from this study that higher the parity the shorter the length of first stage of labor; however, significant difference existed only in the first half of first stage of labor between nulliparas and multiparas. Mean rate of cervical dilatation was greater than the WHO-specified and Philpott's lower limit of 1 cm/h in active phase of labor.

Posterior cervical lip for juxtacervical vesicovaginal fistula closure (M. Ijaiya's technique).

The use of the posterior lip of the cervix to close juxtacervical fistulae (M. Ijaiya's technique) may be particularly useful when the anterior lip of the cervix is involved in the pressure necrosis and it is difficult to achieve a tension-free repair. This technique is recommended for postmenopausal patients with a normal cervical smear and endometrial biopsy. It is easier, less time-consuming and less bloody than abdominal route repair. Vaginal capacity is preserved.