A Study of Knowledge; Attitude; practice towards HIV/AIDS and Prevalence of HIV/AIDS among Tea Sellers women in Khartoum State (April 2004 - May 2005)

This was a descriptive community based study conducted to determine Tea seller's women risk behavior and factors towards AIDS in order to assist national planner to develop behavior change interventions. The study was carried out in Khartoum state during the period April 2004 - May 2005; 648 tea sellers women of age 15-49 were participated. It was found that they spend most of the day out of home; had high-risk sexual behavior. The majority of them are married; knowledge and behavior related to sexually transmitted disease and AIDS was generally satisfactory. Condom use was found to be not adequate; the tea sellers refer to pharmacies as a main source of obtaining condoms. The study showed a high level of misbelieves about mode of transmission of HIV / AIDS. Only little proportion of tea sellers has under gone voluntary testing for AIDS virus. The tea seller women are listening to radio and watching television; which make them potential sources for dissemination of information in the future. The tea sellers women when getting infected with ;sexually transmitted disease; used to seek treatment in governmental clinics and private pharmacies. The tea sellers women; like general population; are stigmatizing people living with AIDS. Although tea sellers women constitute a large proportion of the high risk population for HIV infection; no specific program to raise their awareness such as peer education; was designed for them

Protective effect of natural honey against acetic acid-induced colitis in rats.

AIMS: The protective effects of natural honey against acetic acid-induced colitis were investigated in rats. METHODS: Honey and glucose, fructose, sucrose, maltose mixture were administered, orally and rectally, daily for a period of 4 days. Induction of colitis was done on the third day using 3% acetic acid. Animals were killed on day 4 two hours after administration of the dose and colonic biopsies were taken for macroscopic scoring, histopathological and biochemical studies. RESULTS: Honey dose-dependently afforded protection against acetic acid-induced colonic damage. There was almost 100% protection with the highest dose (5 g/kg) used while glucose, fructose, sucrose, maltose mixture produced no significant protective effect. Also, honey prevented the depletion of the antioxidant enzymes reduced glutathione and catalase and restored the lipid peroxide malondialdehyde towards normal levels. CONCLUSIONS: Further studies are required to explore the active ingredients responsible for the antioxidant effect of honey and its therapeutic potential in humans.