The need for and acceptability of a curriculum to train nursing and medical students in the sexual healthcare of clients with female genital mutilation/cutting in Tanzania.

BACKGROUND: Female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) is tied to one of the most conservative cultures in the Mediterranean and Sub-Saharan Africa. More than 200 million girls and women in 30 African, Asian and the middle Eastern countries have undergone FGM/C. However, healthcare professionals are not adequately trained to prevent and manage FGM/C-related complications including sexual health problems. This study aimed to assess the need and acceptability of a curriculum to train nursing and medical students in the sexual healthcare of clients with FGM/C in Tanzania. METHODS: We used a descriptive and cross sectional study design to collect and analyse information from 271 medical and 137 nursing students in Tanzania. A Qualtrics online survey was used to obtain quantitative data on training interest, previous training received, and the curriculum delivery method. Open-ended questions were used to explore their insights on significance to obtain the necessary competencies to treat and prevent FGM/C. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze quantitative data while qualitative data were analyzed using a thematic approach. RESULTS: Almost half of the participants reported they had little to no training in sexual healthcare for women with FGM/C (47%). In all, 82.4% reported the training to be acceptable. Following thematic analysis of open-ended questions, participants expressed a desire to improve their competencies to meet the current and future sexual and psychological health needs of women and girls who have undergone FGM/C. CONCLUSION: It is a necessary and acceptable to develop a curriculum to train healthcare students to diagnose, treat and prevent sexual health complications related to FGM/C. In our study, designing a culturally sensitive curriculum and its delivery method, that includes practical sessions with simulated patients, was considered the most beneficial and favorable.

Addressing sexual health concerns in Tanzania: perceived barriers among healthcare professionals and students in the "training for health professionals" study.

Little is known about the factors that may prevent healthcare professionals as key stakeholders from exploring sexual health issues in Tanzania. This study examined healthcare professionals' perspectives on the barriers to addressing sexual health concerns in practice. In June 2019, we conducted an exploratory qualitative study involving 18 focus group discussions among healthcare professionals (n = 60) and students (n = 61) in the health professions (midwifery, nursing, medicine) in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Study participants and design were purposively selected and stratified. We used a focus group discussion guide in Kiswahili. Data were transcribed in Kiswahili and translated into English. A thematic analysis approach was used for data analysis. Two themes were developed: (1) differences between health care professional and patient socio-demographic characteristics; (2) health care system and patients' backgrounds, such as communication barriers, lack of confidentiality and privacy within health facilities, type of clinical presentation and complaint, patient behaviours, and their clinical background. Several key barriers prevented sexual health communication between healthcare professionals and patients, affecting the quality of sexual health service delivery. Additional sexual health clinical training is warranted for health professions students and professionals to optimise sexual health care delivery in a culturally conservative country like Tanzania.

Healthcare professional students' skills in sexual health communication and history taking: inter-rater reliability of standardized patients and faculty ratings in dar es Salaam, tanzania- a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Low- and middle-income countries face a disproportionate impact of sexual health problems compared to high-income countries. To address this situation proper interpersonal communication skills are essential for clinician to gather necessary information during medical history-taking related to sexual health. This study aimed to evaluate the interrater reliability of ratings on sexual health-related interpersonal communication and medical history-taking between SPs and trained HCP faculty for health care professional students. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional comparative study to evaluate the interrater reliability of ratings for sexual health-related interpersonal communication and medical history-taking. The data were collected from medical and nursing students at Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, who interviewed 12 Standardized Patients (SPs) presenting with sexual health issues. The video-recorded interviews rated by SPs, were compared to the one rated by 5 trained Health Care Professional (HCP) faculty members. Inter-rater reliability was evaluated using percent agreement (PA) and kappa statistics (κ). RESULTS: A total of 412 students (mean age 24) were enrolled in the study to conduct interviews with two SPs presenting with sexual health concerns. For interpersonal communication (IC), the overall median agreement between raters was slight (κ2 0.0095; PA 48.9%) while the overall median agreement for medical sexual history-taking was deemed fair (κ2 0.139; PA 75.02%). CONCLUSION: The use of SPs for training and evaluating medical and nursing students in Tanzania is feasible only if they undergo proper training and have sufficient time for practice sessions, along with providing feedback to the students.

The need for and acceptability of a cancer training course for medical and nursing students in Tanzania: a convergent mixed methods study.

BACKGROUND: The cancer burden in Africa is on the rise. A Cancer Training Course on screening, prevention, care, and community education is crucial for addressing a wide range of cancer health issues. When appropriately educated healthcare providers on cancer provide care, patient care improves, and healthcare costs decrease. However, in Tanzania, doctors and nurses receive little or no training in primary cancer care in their bachelor's program. AIM: This study assessed the need and acceptability of a cancer training course for nursing and medical doctor students at the Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS) in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. METHODS: This study was a cross-sectional parallel mixed method study during the 3-month follow-up within the larger study on sexual health training for health professionals. The study was a randomized controlled (RCT), single-blind, parallel trial of sexual health training versus a waitlist control among health students at MUHAS in Tanzania. Descriptive analysis was performed to analyze the participants' demographic information, need, and acceptability of the cancer training courseto determine the frequencies and percentages of their distribution between disciplines. In addition, inductive thematic analysis was performed for the qualitative data. The RCT study was registered at Clinical Trial.gov (NCT03923582; 01/05/2021). RESULTS: Data were collected from 408 students (272 medical doctors and 136 nursing students). The median age of the participants was 23 years. Most (86.0%) medical and 78.1% of nursing students reported receiving little to no cancer training. On the other hand, most (92.3%) medical and nursing (92.0%) students were interested in receiving cancer training. Furthermore, 94.1% of medical and 92.0% of nursing students needed a cancer training course in their undergraduate program. In addition, participants said a cancer training course would be important because it would help them improve the quality of cancer care and enhance the quality of life for patients by ensuring early diagnosis and treatment. CONCLUSION: A cancer training course is both highly needed and acceptable to medical and nursing students. Implementation of this cancer training course will improve students' knowledge and skills and eventually improve the quality of cancer care and patients' quality of life by ensuring early diagnosis and management.

The Management of Masturbation as a Sexual Health Issue in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania: A Qualitative Study of Health Professionals' and Medical Students' Perspectives.

BACKGROUND: Across Africa, there are strong cultural taboos against masturbation. AIM: As part of a broader study investigating sexual health training needs of the health providers, researchers conducted a study to investigate how masturbation is addressed as a clinical issue in clinics in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. METHODS: An exploratory qualitative study design conducted in June 2019 involving 18 focus groups among health care providers and students in the health professions (midwives, nurses, medical doctors). A total of 61 health care students and 58 health providers were interviewed. The study participants were purposively selected and the design was purposively stratified to examine findings across the 3 main health care providers and by experience (clinicians vs students). A semistructured interview guide in Kiswahili language was used. The study participants were presented a case scenario of a 14-year-old boy who was found masturbating in his room by his father, and asked how this case would be handled in a clinical setting. Data were transcribed in Kiswahili and Translated to English. OUTCOMES: Inductive-deductive thematic analysis was performed. Major themes and subthemes were identified. RESULTS: Two main themes emerged: (i) knowledge about the management of masturbation and (ii) views about the effects of masturbation. Clinical interventions providers would try to include normalization of masturbation as a pubescent behavior combined with advice to stop the adolescent from masturbating, a recommendation to watch for negative effects immediately postmasturbation, and referral to a psychologist for treatment. Across providers and students, masturbation in adolescence was seen as clinically problematic, potentially leading to multiple issues in adulthood including sexual dissatisfaction with a spouse, psychological dependency, and erectile dysfunction, loss of sexual sensitivity in intercourse, premature ejaculation, and penis size reduction. Several participants mentioned they received no training about masturbation to guide their clinical practice. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: These findings affirm the need for comprehensive sexual health training in Tanzanian universities. STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS: Use of stratified design by profession and experience allowed to explore if there appear to be differences between students and experienced providers. The findings cannot be generalizable to all health professional students and providers across Tanzania. CONCLUSION: When designing sexual health curricula for Tanzania, it is important to include accurate information about masturbation as a normal and healthy sexual practice to address widely held myths about its effects on health, and to train providers in how to counsel when concerns and inaccurate information are brought to the clinical encounter. Mushy SE, Rosser BRS, Ross MW, et al. The Management of Masturbation as a Sexual Health Issue in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania: A Qualitative Study of Health Professionals' and Medical Students' Perspectives. J Sex Med 2021;18:1690-1697.

Burden and correlates of cognitive impairment among hypertensive patients in Tanzania: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: The evolution of cognitive impairment of vascular origin is increasingly becoming a prominent health threat particularly in this era where hypertension is the leading contributor of global disease burden and overall health loss. Hypertension is associated with the alteration of the cerebral microcirculation coupled by unfavorable vascular remodeling with consequential slowing of mental processing speed, reduced abstract reasoning, loss of linguistic abilities, and attention and memory deficits. Owing to the rapidly rising burden of hypertension in Tanzania, we sought to assess the prevalence and correlates of cognitive impairment among hypertensive patients attending a tertiary cardiovascular hospital in Tanzania. METHODOLOGY: A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted at Jakaya Kikwete Cardiac Institute, a tertiary care public teaching hospital in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania between March 2020 and February 2021. A consecutive sampling method was utilized to recruit consented hypertensive outpatients during their scheduled clinic visit. General Practitioner Assessment of Cognition (GPCOG) Score was utilized in the assessment of cognitive functions. All statistical analyses utilized STATA v11.0 software. Pearson Chi square and Student's T-test were used to compare categorical and continuous variables respectively. Logistic regression analyses were used to assess for factors associated with cognitive impairment. Odd ratios with 95% confidence intervals and p-values are reported. All tests were 2-sided and p < 0.05 was used to denote a statistical significance. RESULTS: A total of 1201 hypertensive patients were enrolled in this study. The mean age was 58.1 years and females constituted nearly two-thirds of the study population. About three quarters had excess body weight, 16.6% had diabetes, 7.7% had history of stroke, 5.7% had heart failure, 16.7% had renal dysfunction, 53.7% had anemia, 27.7% had hypertriglyceridemia, 38.5% had elevated LDL, and 2.4% were HIV-infected. Nearly two-thirds of participants had uncontrolled blood pressure and 8.7% had orthostatic hypotension. Overall, 524 (43.6%) of participants had cognitive impairment. During bivariate analysis in a logistic regression model of 16 characteristics, 14 parameters showed association with cognitive functions. However, after controlling for confounders, multivariate analysis revealed ≤primary education (OR 3.5, 95%CI 2.4-5.2, p < 0.001), unemployed state (OR 1.7, 95%CI 1.2-2.6, p < 0.01), rural habitation (OR 1.8, 95%CI 1.1-2.9, p = 0.01) and renal dysfunction (OR 1.7, 95%CI 1.0-2.7, p = 0.04) to have independent association with cognitive impairment. CONCLUSION: This present study underscore that cognitive decline is considerably prevalent among individuals with systemic hypertension. In view of this, it is pivotal to incorporate cognitive assessment in routine evaluation of hypertensive patients.

Cultural and clinical challenges in sexual health care provision to men who have sex with men in Tanzania: a qualitative study of health professionals' experiences and health students' perspectives.

BACKGROUND: Health care providers across sub-Saharan Africa continue to face challenges while delivering sexual health care services. We explored the experiences, views and challenges of health care professionals and health students across different disciplines in Tanzania, towards delivery of sexual health services to men who have sex with men. METHODS: Utilizing a qualitative approach, we recruited 121 health care professionals (providers) and students from the fields of midwifery, nursing and medicine in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. We conducted 18 focus groups discussions, stratified by profession and experience, to investigate clinical management and challenges while addressing a case of an adult male presenting with rectal gonorrhea. RESULTS: Findings indicated this case as extremely sensitive, clinical management involved establishing rapport and consent, medical care from history taking to treatment, and referral to other specialties. However, the illegal status of homosexuality in Tanzania was a primary concern to participants, this triggered the clinical care of this case scenario as challenging. There were uncertainties whether or not that such a case should be reported to the authorities. CONCLUSION: Findings from this study revealed a need for training health students in Tanzania to address sexual health issues including accurate information on homosexuality, reporting requirements and clinical management in the legal and socio-cultural context of the African continent.

Would you offer contraception to a 14-year-old girl? Perspectives of health students and professionals in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

BACKGROUND: Rates of unplanned adolescent pregnancy and unsafe induced abortions are very high in Sub-Saharan African countries including Tanzania. Despite their availability and accessibility, modern family planning methods are reported to be critically underutilized by adolescents. This study is part of a broader study that aims to develop a curriculum that will be used in training health professionals by investigating the sexual health training needs of health providers and students in Tanzania. AIM: This study describes the perceptions of health professionals and students on the provision of contraceptives to adolescents. METHODS: Qualitative formative assessment type of research was conducted using 18 focus groups stratified among health professionals and students (midwives, nurses, and medical doctors). Study participants were presented with the theoretical scenario of a 14-year-old girl who sought contraceptive services at a family planning clinic. This theoretical scenario was used to determine how health professionals and students would handle the case. Thematic analysis guided the examination and determination of data results. RESULTS: Three main themes emerged from the data, including (1) knowledge about the provision of contraceptives to adolescents, (2) perception of the adolescents' right to contraceptive use, and (3) barriers to the provision of contraceptives to adolescents. Participants stated that having a baseline knowledge of contraceptive services for adolescents and their rights to contraceptives would trigger their decision on offering the contraceptive. On the other hand, being unaware of the reproductive health rights for adolescents, judgmental behavior of providers, as well as religious and cultural dynamics were all found to be major barriers for providers to offer contraceptive services to the 14-year-old adolescent girl in the theoretical scenario. CONCLUSION: These findings support the need for comprehensive sexual health education in Tanzanian health professional training programs.

In Tanzania, adolescent pregnancies are culturally unwanted, abortion remains illegal and yet the utilization of family planning services among adolescents is still low. The community myths and misconceptions about the side effects of contraceptives, healthcare providers' attitudes, and barriers within the healthcare system hinder adolescents' utilization of family planning services. The effective use of family planning methods will prevent the use of unsafe induced abortions and hence reduce morbidity and mortality among young women. This will be possible only if healthcare providers are equipped with the knowledge and skills to address these sexual and reproductive health challenges among adolescents in Tanzania. Therefore, in this study, we decided to explore the perceptions of health professionals and students on the provision of contraception to adolescents. We conducted 18 focus groups stratified among health professionals and students (midwives, nurses, medical doctors). Participants were supplied with a theoretical scenario wherein a 14-year-old girl presented to a family planning clinic seeking contraceptive services to determine how health professionals and students would handle the case. We found that the decision of providers with regards to offering contraception is highly dependent on having a baseline knowledge of the rights and contraceptive services available to adolescents. Some barriers identified as reasons for providers not to offer contraceptive services include a lack of awareness of the reproductive health rights for adolescents, judgmental behavior (implicit and explicit biases among providers), as well as religious and cultural dynamics. Participants also acknowledged that the presence of guidelines and proper training among providers might avoid the infringement of adolescents' rights to sexual and reproductive health services. In conclusion, these findings support the need for comprehensive sexual health education in Tanzanian health professional training programs.

Violence and depression among men who have sex with men in Tanzania.

BACKGROUND: Men who have sex with men (MSM) continue to be at an increased risk of Violence, HIV transmission and Mental Disorders such as depression on top of many other bio-psycho-socio challenges they face as a result of their sexual orientation. METHODS: We recruited 345 MSM using a respondent driven sampling technique. Revised Conflict Tactic Scale, PHQ-9 and questions adapted from the TDHS 2010 were used to assess for violence, depression and HIV-risk behaviors respectively. Continuous and categorical variables were analyzed with student's t-test and chi-square test respectively. Logistic regression analyses were performed to assess for predictors of depression and HIV-risk behaviors. All tests were two sided and p < 0.05 was taken as significance level. RESULTS: Overall, 325 (94.2%) of participants experienced any form of violence, with emotional violence constituting the majority (90.1%), while physical and sexual violence were reported by 254 (73.6%) and 250 (72.5%) of participants respectively. Depressive symptoms were present in 245 (70.0%) and participants who experienced violence had a 3 times increased risk of depressive symptoms compared to their violence-free counterparts, p < 0.001. On the other hand, participants who experienced any form of violence displayed an over 11 times increased rate of depressive symptoms compared to their counterparts who were violence free, p < 0.001. Violence experience was found to be the strongest associated factor for depressive symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: The rates of violence, depressive symptoms and HIV risk behaviors amongst MSM are astoundingly high thus necessitating extensive interventions. In view of this, deliberate measures to deal with the reported high rates necessitate joint intervention efforts from the policy makers, health providers and community at large.

Factors associated with decreased anal sphincter tone and the accuracy of forced anal examinations to detect individuals having receptive anal intercourse: An observational study.

Objective and Design: Forced anal examinations are used to prosecute sexual and gender minorities (SGM) in at least seven countries under the presumption that decreased sphincter tone, estimated by a finger inserted into the anal canal, can detect persons practicing receptive anal intercourse. In a cross-sectional analysis of the baseline data from a longitudinal study, we aimed to determine factors associated with sphincter tone and the accuracy of sphincter tonality to detect persons engaging in receptive anal intercourse. Setting: Clinicians in Chicago, Houston, and Milwaukee, USA conducted digital anal rectal examinations (DARE) on 838 participants, 94.0% of whom were cisgendered males. Clinicians used the Digital Rectal Examination Scoring System to score sphincter resting tone (RT) and squeeze tone (ST). On a separate survey, individuals reported their preferred position for anal intercourse: i.e., either always/mostly insertive anal intercourse, always/mostly receptive anal intercourse, or both receptive and insertive anal intercourse. Multivariable regression assessed factors associated with decreased sphincter tone while area under the Receiver Operating Characteristic curves (AUC) estimated the accuracy of sphincter tonality to detect receptive anal intercourse. Results: 11.3% had decreased RT (95/838) and 6.3% had decreased ST (53/838). The accuracy of DARE to detect any receptive anal intercourse was little better than random guessing (AUC 0.53, 95% CI 0.51 to 0.55, and AUC 0.51, 95% CI 0.49 to 0.53, respectively. RT and ST decreased with age regardless of sexual behavior (p trend <0.01 for both). Compared to individuals having always/mostly insertive anal intercourse, individuals having always/mostly receptive anal intercourse was associated with decreased RT, but not ST, while those equally preferring both insertive and receptive anal intercourse were not associated with decreased RT or ST. Conclusions: Decreased sphincter tone is uncommon among SGM who prefer receptive anal intercourse. Given virtually no accuracy, a finger inserted into the anus has no utility to detect individuals practicing receptive anal intercourse and thus should not be used as such. Trial registration: NCT04090060. Summary Box: What is already known on this topic: To gather evidence for prosecution of sexual and gender minorities, forced anal exams are used in multiple countries. The examination includes inserting the index finger into the anal canal to detect decreased sphincter tone which is considered evidence of receptive anal intercourse. We found only two small studies (n= 58 and n=24) assessing factors associated with decreased sphincter tone and none assessing the accuracy of sphincter tone to detect sexual and gender minorities having receptive anal intercourse.What this study adds: Our study suggests that a finger inserted into the anal canal is not useful to detect a history of receptive anal intercourse. As such, the sexual practices of individuals cannot be known using a forced anal examination.

Psychopathology associated with cardiac pacing in Tanzania: A case series.

Emotional disarray linked to interventional procedures may potentially aggravate previous psychiatric conditions or even precipitate new psychopathologies. Despite of the well-known deleterious impact of mental health disorders on cardiac outcomes, psychological disturbances are relatively understudied yet of vital importance to the overall health of post-pacing patients. In this case series we present a spectrum of mental illnesses observed in a cohort of patients who underwent permanent pacemaker implantation in Tanzania's national referral cardiac centre. Five individuals of African origin aged between 58 and 81 years presented to Jakaya Kikwete Cardiac Institute with clinical conditions warranting permanent pacemaker implantation. All five denied prior history of mental illness, however, after thorough psychiatric reviews; organic brain syndrome, panic disorder, brief psychotic disorder, adjustment disorder and major depressive disorder diagnoses were reached. All five were successfully channeled for medical psychotherapy. To conclude, this case series illustrates variable consequences of poor psychological adaptation to implantable cardiac devices, and it underscores the importance of continued psychological evaluation to such patients.

Community myths and misconceptions about sexual health in Tanzania: Stakeholders' views from a qualitative study in Dar es Salaam Tanzania.

INTRODUCTION: Sexual and reproductive health problems are one of the top five risk factors for disability in the developing world. The rates of sexual health problems in most African countries are overwhelming, which is why HIV and other STIs are still such a challenge in sub-Saharan Africa. Talking about sex in most African countries is a taboo, leading to common myths and misconceptions that ultimately impact community sexual health. METHODS: In this study, we conducted 11 key stakeholder individual interviews with community, religious, political, and health leaders (sexual health stakeholders) in Tanzania. Qualitative content analysis was used to analyze all the materials. RESULTS: Two main categories merged from the analysis. The first category, "Ambiguities about sexual health" focused on societal and political misconceptions and identified ten myths or misconceptions common in Tanzania. Stakeholders highlighted the confusion that happens when different information about sexual health is presented from two different sources (e.g., community leaders/peers and political leaders), which leaves the community and community leaders unsure which one is reliable. The second category, "Practical dilemmas in serving clients", addressed a range of professional and religious dilemmas in addressing sexual health concerns. This included the inability of religious leaders and health care providers to provide appropriate sexual health care because of internal or external influences. CONCLUSION: Myths and misconceptions surrounding sexual health can prevent communities from adequately addressing sexual health concerns, and make it more difficult for healthcare providers to comfortably provide sexual health care to patients and communities. Stakeholders affirmed a need to develop a sexual health curriculum for medical, nursing and midwifery students because of the lack of education in this area. Such a curriculum needs to address nine common myths which were identified through the interviews.

Perceptions of Sexual Healthcare Provision in Tanzania: a Key Informant Qualitative Study.

Introduction: Sexual health care services must be standard and unbiased, guided by a structured health care system. There is a scarcity of data on how sexual health care is delivered in Tanzania. Methods: To address this gap, in July 2019 we interviewed eleven key informants: cultural and public health experts, and political, religious, and community leaders, selected from different organizations in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Participants were asked for their opinions about clinical practices of health care professionals when providing care to patients, with an emphasis on sexual health. Results: Participants' responses were classified into three subcategories: strengths, barriers, and gaps in sexual health care. Availability of services, service delivery to adults, and code of conduct were among the strengths observed in clinical care services. Barriers included the health care provider's attitudes, moral values, and inadequacy in health policies and treatment guidelines. Vulnerable populations including youth were frequently reported to face most challenges when seeking sexual health care services. In terms of gaps, informants emphasized gender equity in sexual health services provision within care settings. Conclusion and Implication: Data indicate that lack of training in sexual health and guidelines for dealing with sexual issues are a barrier to comprehensive health care. These findings can inform the main areas for curriculum developers to focus on, when developing an Afro-centric sexual health curriculum suitable for students in health care professional courses. Moreover, these findings can be useful when developing treatment guidelines and policies that are beneficial to the sexual health wellbeing of individuals.

Tailoring a sexual health curriculum to the sexual health challenges seen by midwifery, nursing and medical providers and students in Tanzania.

BACKGROUND:  Tanzania is a country experiencing multiple sexual health challenges, but providers receive no formal training in sexual health. AIM:  This study aimed to assess (1) what sexual health challenges are commonly seen in clinics in Tanzania, (2) which are raised by patients, (3) which are not addressed and (4) which topics to prioritise for a sexual health curriculum. SETTING:  Healthcare settings in Tanzania. METHODS:  Participants were 60 experienced and 61 student doctors, nurses and midwives working in Dar es Salaam. The authors conducted 18 focus groups stratified by profession (midwifery, nursing or medicine) and experience (practitioners vs. students). RESULTS:  Providers identified six common sexual health concerns: (1) Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and sexually transmissible infection (STI) (especially syphilis and gonorrhoea), (2) sexual violence (including intimate partner violence and female genital mutilation), (3) early and unwanted pregnancy (including early sexual debut and complications from abortion), (4) sexual dysfunctions, (5) key population concerns (e.g. lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT); sex work) and (6) non-procreative sexual behaviour (including pornography and masturbation in males and oral and anal sex practices in heterosexual couples). Across professions, few differences were observed. Homosexuality, sex work, masturbation and pornography were identified as taboo topics rarely discussed. Most participants (81%) wanted one comprehensive sexual health curriculum delivered across disciplines. CONCLUSION:  A sexual health curriculum for health students in Tanzania needs to address the most common sexual health concerns of patients. In addition to teaching sexual science and clinical care, skills training in how to address taboo topics is recommended. Students endorsed almost all sexual health topics, which suggests that a comprehensive curriculum is appropriate.

The management of childhood sexual abuse by midwifery, nursing and medical providers in Tanzania.

BACKGROUND: Child sexual abuse (CSA) is a significant public health problem affecting one billion children aged 2 to 17 globally. The prevalence of CSA in Tanzania is one of the highest; however, how health care providers manage CSA cases has not been studied. OBJECTIVES: This study investigated how medical, nursing, and midwifery professionals in Tanzania handle cases of CSA and identified the factors that facilitate or impede the provision of quality care to CSA victims. METHODS: Participants were 60 experienced healthcare professionals and 61 health students working in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. We conducted 18 focus groups stratified by profession (midwifery, nursing, or medicine) and experience (practitioners versus students). RESULTS: Three main themes emerged. First, child abuse management involved using a multi-disciplinary approach, including proper history taking, physical assessment, treatment, and referral. Second, factors that enhanced disclosure of CSA included building rapport, privacy, and confidentiality. Third, factors that impeded care included fear of harm to the child if the abuse was reported, abuse reporting being perceived as a "waste of time" for providers, loss of evidence from the victim, family resistance, poverty, corruption and cultural dynamics. CONCLUSIONS: Midwives, nurses and doctors were all experienced in and reported similar challenges in addressing CSA. At a structural level, the ratio of providers to patients in health facilities inhibits quality care. These findings have implications for strengthening CSA policy/guidelines and clinical practice in Tanzania. Mandated CSA training is necessary for midwifery, nursing, and medical students as well as in continuing education courses for more experienced providers.

Clinical Care of Victims of Interpersonal Violence and Rape in Tanzania: A Qualitative Investigation.

INTRODUCTION: Africa has high rates of interpersonal violence and rape, although little is known about how these cases are handled in the clinical setting. METHODS: We enrolled 121 health care professionals and students in Tanzania from the fields of midwifery, nursing and medicine, and conducted 18 focus group discussions stratified by both professional and clinical experience. Two clinical scenarios were presented across all groups and participants were asked to give their opinions on how the hospital they worked in would manage the cases. Case 1 focused on how to address a case of an injured woman beaten by her husband (and whether the perpetrator would be reported to the police). Case 2 focused on how to handle a rape victim who is brought to the hospital by the police. RESULTS: Participants considered both cases as emergencies. There was a similarity in the clinical care procedures across both scenarios. This included building rapport with the patient, prioritization of the medical care, history taking, and referring to other specialties for follow-up. Participants differed in how they would handle the legal aspects of both cases, including whether and how to best follow mandated reporting policies. Providers wondered if they should report the husband in case study 1, the criteria for reporting, and where to report. Providers displayed a lack of knowledge about resources needed for sexual violence victim and the availability of resources. CONCLUSION: These findings indicate that cases of intimate partner violence and rape are likely to be under-reported within hospitals and clinics in Tanzania. Health care providers lack training in their required obligations and procedures that need to be followed to ensure victim's safety. The findings confirm that there is a need for health care students in Tanzania (and possibly Africa) to receive comprehensive training in how to handle such cases.

Stigmatization of men who have sex with men in health care settings in East Africa is based more on perceived gender role-inappropriate mannerisms than having sex with men.

Background: Healthcare Workers may stigmatize and discriminate against Men who have Sex with Men in East Africa. Objective: To understand the predictors of abuse and discrimination of sexual minority men in healthcare settings by Healthcare workers in seven cities in Tanzania. Method: In total, 300 sexual minority men over the age of 18 were interviewed in 7 Tanzanian cities by trained local interviewers. Abuse from others (physical, verbal, sexual, discrimination/humiliation), and abuse from Healthcare workers, was ascertained. Gender role mannerisms were self-rated by the respondent, and at the end of the interview, by the interviewer, on a Likert scale from very feminine to very masculine. Respondents also indicated whether they had revealed their homosexual behavior or had it exposed in the health consultation. Results: Median age was 27. Verbal abuse and community discrimination were the most commonly reported forms of abuse. Eighty-four percent had visited a healthcare center with a sexually related complaint (usually a sexually transmitted infection); of these, 24% reported abuse or discrimination from from a healthcare worker. Correlation between self-rated gender role mannerisms and interviewer-rated was r = 0.84. Regression analysis indicated that the degree of perceived gender role nonconformity was the major and significant predictor from Healthcare worker abuse: confirmation of homosexual behavior was non-significant. Gender role nonconformity predicted 21% of the variance in health worker abuse. Conclusion: There is speculation that abuse of sexual minority men by Healthcare workers in public clinics is due to factors in addition to their sexual behavior as gay/bisexual, and that it is due to violating perceived gender roles. Data confirm that perceived feminine gender role is a significant predictor, of abuse in healthcare and other settings. Common confusion between homosexual behavior and gender role norms may trigger discrimination, which may be as much due to violation of perceived gender roles as having sex with other men.