Knowledge, attitudes and practices towards family planning among women in the rural southern region of Jordan.

Data about family planning among women in rural and remote areas of Jordan are lacking. This study explored the prevalence of use and knowledge and attitudes towards family planning among rural Jordanian women. A descriptive study was conducted with 807 ever-married women aged 15-49 years in a household survey of 29 villages in the southern region of Jordan. The most common contraceptive methods ever used were oral contraceptive pills (31.1%); intrauterine device (24.8%) and withdrawal (19.5%). Of the women interviewed, 37% were currently using contraception. Being pregnant (11%) and breastfeeding (10%) were the most reported reasons for not using contraceptives. None of the women reported obtaining supplies or the cost of them as barriers, while opposition from husband or family members or religious reasons were reported by less than 1% of the women. About 95% of the women agreed that using family planning had positive advantages for health. The results highlight some educational needs among these women.

Physicochemical changes in human high-density lipoproteins (HDL) oxidized by gamma radiolysis-generated oxyradicals. Effect on their cholesterol effluxing capacity.

This paper describes an oxidative process of human high-density lipoproteins (HDL) based upon the action of oxygenated free radicals produced by water radiolysis (OH. and OH./O2.- free radicals at pH 7), monitored by both biochemical and physical markers. Classical biochemical markers (vitamin E, thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS), conjugated dienes and differential fluorescence) were studied as a function of the radiation dose (from 0 to 800 Gy; dose rate = 2.7 x 10(-2) Gy.s(-1)). The fluorescence polarization anisotropy (r) was measured with 1,6-diphenylhexatriene (DPH). Vitamin E decrease and formation of lipid peroxidation products (thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances and conjugated dienes) were concomitant in the case of OH. free radicals alone, whereas these products appeared after a small threshold dose when OH. and O2.- free radicals were simultaneously produced in solution. At high radiation doses, TBARS concentrations have reached plateau values (approx. 2 or 7 nmol/mg lipid with OH. or OH./O2.- free radicals, respectively) which were much lower than those obtained after copper oxidation (approx. 15 or 29 nmol/mg lipid after 12 and 24 h incubation, respectively). The free radical-induced oxidative process has led to a rigidification of the HDL and was associated with low values of cholesterol effluxing capacities when these oxidized HDL were incubated with cholesterol-loaded human fibroblasts. Similar results were obtained with copper-oxidized HDL, under our experimental conditions. Consequently, these two kinds of oxidative modification of HDL resulted both in a loss of their capacity to remove cellular cholesterol, which could be explained by the fact that this ability was under the dependence of a HDL optimum fluidity.