Surveillance of COVID-19 vaccines: A comprehensive analysis of the first immunization drive in Ecuador.

The initial phase of the COVID-19 vaccination in Ecuador occurred between April and November 2021. Initially, it focused on priority populations, including health professionals and other front-line workers. During this period, there was limited knowledge about the vaccine's adverse effects. A non-probability, observational study was conducted among university staff in Guayaquil, Ecuador, who received the AstraZeneca vaccine (n = 423) between April and November 2021. This study aimed to compare the acute adverse reactions by doses and to report the incidence of long-term adverse reactions within the AstraZeneca group. As a result, comparing acute adverse reactions between doses, the odds ratio for local pain, headache, muscle pain, fever, and chills are statistically higher after the first dose than the second dose. Survival curves indicated these symptoms appeared mainly within the first 6 h post-vaccination. This is the first pharmacovigilance study from Ecuador that analyzes survival probabilities for the AstraZeneca vaccine's adverse effects.

A report on SARS-CoV-2 first wave in Ecuador: drug consumption dynamics.

Introduction: The first COVID-19 wave in Ecuador started in March 2020 and extended until November. Several types of drugs have been proposed as a potential treatment during this period, and some affected people have self-medicated. Method: A retrospective study was conducted with 10,175 individuals who underwent RT-PCR tests for SARS-CoV-2 from July to November 2020. We compared the number of positive and negative cases in Ecuador with symptoms and drug consumption. The Chi-square test of independence compared clinical and demographic data and PCR test results. Odds ratios analyzed drug consumption dynamics. Results: Of 10,175 cases, 570 were positive for COVID-19, while 9,605 were negative. In positive cases, there was no association between the RT-PCR result and sex, age, or comorbidities. When considering demographic data, Cotopaxi and Napo had the highest rates of positive cases (25.7% and 18.8%, respectively). Manabí, Santa Elena, and Guayas regions had fewer than 10% positive cases. The Drug consumption dynamic analysis showed that negative COVID-19 cases presented higher drug consumption than positive cases. In both groups, the most consumed medication was acetaminophen. Acetaminophen and Antihistamines had higher odds of consumption in positive PCR cases than in negative. Symptoms like fever and cough were more related to positive RT-PCR results. Conclusion: The first COVID-19 wave in Ecuador has affected the provinces differently. At a national level, the consumption of drugs has been highly associated with self-medication.

Familias homoparentales, más visibles y mejor aceptadas: efectos del matrimonio en España / No disponible

En este artículo se pretende conocer el efecto en las familias homoparentales españolas de la aprobación del matrimonio entre personas del mismo sexo en 2005. Se entrevistó a 66 familias, encabezadas por parejas de lesbianas (48) o de gays (18), que llevaban juntas al menos desde 2004 y tenían hijos o hijas menores de edad en común. Se buscaba evaluar su grado de apertura (coming out) y la aceptación que percibían en distintos contextos antes y después de la legalización del matrimonio, con el objetivo de saber si se vieron influidos por ello. Los resultados obtenidos indican que, tras aprobarse la ley, aumentó tanto el grado de apertura como la aceptación percibida en todos los contextos estudiados (amistades, familia y ámbito laboral). Los datos se relacionan con la literatura científica y se discuten a la luz de sus implicaciones para el desarrollo de políticas de integración de las familias homoparentales

This article intends to know the effect on Spanish homoparental families of the approval of same sex marriage in 2005. We interviewed 66 same-sex families either made of gay fathers (18) or lesbian mothers (48) that were together at least since 2004 and had children under 18. The aim was to evaluate each context in relation with the degree of coming out before and after the marriage approval with the purpose of understanding whether there were any differences. The obtained results indicate that both coming out and acceptance increased after the law was approved in those three areas in which it was analyzed: among their friendships, at workplace and with their families. The data are related to scientific literature and are discussed in the light of their implications for the development of homoparental family integration policies

Enhancement of underused cervical cancer prevention services in rural Oaxaca, Mexico

En este trabajo se analizan los resultados de la aplicación del programa educacional Porque me quiero, me cuido, denominado actualmente Yo quiero, yo puedo. . . prevenir el cáncer, en poblaciones rurales e indígenas de Valles Centrales, estado de Oaxaca, una de las regiones más pobres de México. Este programa está dirigido a promover el uso de servicios de tamizaje y la prevención del cáncer cervicouterino mediante el cambio de conducta de las personas y la comunidad. Para ello se realizaron talleres interactivos enfocados al desarrollo de habilidades y conocimientos en las mujeres de 15 a 64 años de edad. Estos talleres se complementaron con campañas en la comunidad y talleres para hombres con el fin de conseguir su apoyo. Se cuantificaron las pruebas de Papanicolau realizadas en las 10 poblaciones intervenidas y en 6 poblaciones con características similares empleadas como control. Además se evaluó mediante un cuestionario los cambios en la conducta, los conocimientos y las actitudes. Se observó un numero significativamente mayor de pruebas de Papanicolau realizadas en las poblaciones intervenidas con respecto a las de control (P = 0,02). Se comprobaron cambios positivos en el nivel de conocimientos de las mujeres respecto a las causas del cáncer cervical y las medidas para prevenirlo.