Intentional abortion and its associated factors among female sex workers in Iran: Results from national bio-behavioral surveillance-2020.

PURPOSE: In addition to estimating the prevalence of intentional abortion in Iranian female sex workers (FSWs), this study identified related factors using the data of a national study. METHODS: This cross-sectional study utilizes the third round of integrated bio-behavioral surveillance-III data in Iranian FSWs in December 2019 and August 2020, and 1515 Participants were selected in 8 geographically diverse cities in Iran. Logistic regression was performed using unweighted analysis to identify factors associated with intentional abortion. Stata software (version 14), respondent-driven sampling analyses, and R (version 4.1.2) was used for data analysis. RESULTS: From 1390 participants with valid responses to the abortion question, 598 (37.3%; 95% CI: 32.43, 42.11%) reported intentional abortion during their life. According to the age groups, the highest prevalence of abortion was in the age group of 31 to 40 years (42.60%). In the multivariate logistic regression model, the marital status (divorced women (AOR = 2.05, 95% CI: 1.29, 3.27), concubines (AOR = 1.78, 95% CI: 1.02, 3.11)), work experience in brothels (AOR = 1.39, 95% CI: 1.04, 1.84), the type of sex (AOR = 2.75, 95% CI: 1.35, 5.58), the history of sexual violence (AOR = 1.54, 95% CI: 1.19, 2.01), and alcohol consumption (AOR = 1.53, 95% CI: 1.18, 2.01) were significantly associated with a history of intentional abortion. CONCLUSION: Intentional abortion's prevalence among Iranian FSWs has been much higher than that of the general female population in Iran, which is an alarming issue in the public health of this group and needs more effective interventions. In addition, alcohol consumption, working in a brothel, and being divorced are essential factors in increasing abortions among sex workers.

Facilitating factors of self-care among HIV-positive young women in Iran: a qualitative study.

Background Providing care for chronic disease such as HIV is a growing challenge in the world. In order to address the challenges of linkage and care in chronic disease management, we need to identify factors that can influence people to get more involved in self-care. This study was part of an extensive qualitative study conducted in Tehran, Iran in 2016. Methods The data were collected through semi-structured interviews conducted on 25 women with HIV, and were analyzed using grounded theory. Four main themes were identified as facilitating self-care among participants: health system support, clinicians' support, family support and improved life expectancy. Sub-themes that emerged were free HIV tests; free medication; free membership in positive clubs; free psychological consultation; positive attitudes and friendly behavior from clinic staff; telephone follow up; support from husbands, mothers and peers; hope for recovery; hope for the future; and love for own children. Results Our results showed that, providing appropriate support and services, as well as a positive attitude of society towards HIV positive women, can contribute to adherence to self-care in young women with HIV. Conclusion Understanding the facilitating factors based on the patients' experiences can contribute to the development of new policies and procedures to improve the care of these patients.

Qualitative study of HIV related stigma and discrimination: What women say in Iran.

INTRODUCTION: HIV-related stigma is a major social problem of people living with HIV. Stigma against these people, especially women, interferes with the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of HIV. This study examined the experiences of HIV infected women who were stigmatized, as well as the strategies used to tackle the issue. METHODS: Twenty-five women living with HIV were examined using in-depth, semi-structured interviews. The data obtained was analyzed using content analysis method in MAXQDA10. RESULTS: The finding of this study was classified into four themes: fear, shame, rejection by family or friends and feelings of frustration. The participant strategies adopted to the perceived stigma and discrimination included isolation, nondisclosure, and loss of follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: HIV in women has different social interposition. It is necessary to intervene, so as to alleviate the effect of stigma on HIV infected women, in order that they gain the ability to accomplish wellness, increase life span and improve quality of life. Nurses, midwives and other professionals need to be involved to ensure public policy in providing supportive environments, and decrease stigma.

Barriers to self-care in women of reproductive age with HIV/AIDS in Iran: a qualitative study.

INTRODUCTION: Although increasing attention is paid to HIV/AIDS, patients with HIV still experience several barriers to self-care. These barriers have been previously identified in small quantitative studies on women with HIV, but qualitative studies are required to clarify barriers to self-care. METHODS: We conducted our study using the grounded theory methodological approach. A total of 28 women with HIV and their family members, were interviewed. The data were analyzed with the Corbin and Strauss method (1998). RESULTS: The key barriers to self-care in women with HIV/AIDS included social stigma, addiction, psychological problems, medication side-effects and financial problems. CONCLUSION: Women with HIV/AIDS face several barriers to self-care. Therefore, when designing self-care models for these women, social and financial barriers should be identified. Mental health treatment should also be incorporated into such models and patients' access to health care services should be facilitated.

Effect of ginger (Zingiber officinale) on heavy menstrual bleeding: a placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial.

OBJECTIVE: A wide range of herbal plants have been reported to treat various gynecological problems of women. This study was set out to investigate the effect of ginger (Zingiber officinale) on heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB) in high school girls. METHODS: Ninety-two young women who experienced HMB and met the inclusion criteria were recruited in this study. Participants were evaluated for six consecutive menstrual cycles. During 3 assessment cycles, their HMB was confirmed by Pictorial Blood Assessment Chart. They were then randomly allocated to two study groups to receive either ginger or placebo capsules. The participants filled in the same chart during three intervention cycles. RESULTS: The level of menstrual blood loss dramatically declined during the three intervention cycles in ginger-receiving group. The decrease of blood loss in ginger-receiving group was significantly more remarkable than that of participants receiving placebo (p<0.001). Minimum number of participants reported adverse effects. CONCLUSION: HMB is highly prevalent among young women. Considering the significance of appropriate and timely treatment and also the importance of prevention of unwanted consequences, ginger may be considered as an effective therapeutic option for HMB.

Comparison of the effect of ginger and zinc sulfate on primary dysmenorrhea: a placebo-controlled randomized trial.

Primary dysmenorrhea is common among young women and results in their incapacitation; it can be accompanied by various symptoms that can disrupt their lives. The aim of this randomized trial was to compare the effect of ginger, zinc sulfate, and placebo on the severity of primary dysmenorrhea in young women. One hundred and fifty high school students were recruited. The participants were divided into three groups. The first group received ginger capsules, the second group received zinc sulfate capsules, and the third group received placebo capsules. All participants took the medications for four days, from the day before the commencement of menstruation to the third day of their menstrual bleeding. The severity of dysmenorrhea was assessed every 24 hours by the pain visual analog scale. The severity of pain was significantly different between, before, and after the intervention in both the ginger and the zinc sulfate groups (p < .001). Compared with the placebo receiving group, participants receiving ginger and zinc sulfate reported more alleviation of pain during the intervention (p < .05). Ginger and zinc sulfate had similar positive effects on the improvement of primary dysmenorrheal pain in young women.

The efficacy of acupressure at the Sanyinjiao point in the improvement of women's general health.

OBJECTIVES: This study's objective was to examine the effectiveness of Sanyinjiao point (SP6) acupressure on women's general health. DESIGN: This was a randomized, single-blind clinical trial. SETTING: The setting for this trial was at Medical University, Bojnoord University of Medical Science, Bojnoord, Iran. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eighty-six (86) university students were recruited for this study. Their demographic characteristics were gathered before the intervention commenced. Participants completed General Health Questionnaires (GHQ) prior to participation. Next, they were randomly assigned to either the acupressure-receiving group or the sham-pressure-receiving group. The study group received acupressure at the Sanyinjiao point, while the control group received sham pressure. OUTCOME MEASURES: Both groups completed GHQ after both the first and second months of intervention. Data analysis was carried out using SPSS version 13.5 for Windows. RESULTS: The mean age of those who completed the study was 20.84±1.64 years. Mean scores of GHQs were similar between groups before intervention (p>0.05). The general health of participants in both groups improved after intervention, and the amelioration in four domains was significant in the groups (p<0.05 within group). It was found that acupressure was more effective than sham pressure. In addition, there was a statistically significant difference between the two groups in the four domains of their general heath after the first month of the intervention (p<0.0001). Furthermore, the general health status of the participants changed much more after the second month in both the acupressure intervention and the sham pressure groups; nevertheless, acupressure was more effective than sham pressure (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Both acupressure and sham pressure were effective in promoting women's general health; nevertheless, the efficacy of acupressure was more than that of sham pressure. SP6 acupressure could be regarded as a self-manageable approach to improve women's general health.

Effect of acupressure at the Sanyinjiao point on primary dysmenorrhea: a randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: We conducted this study to assess the effect of acupressure at the Sanyinjiao point on primary dysmenorrhea. METHODS: Eighty-six students participated in the study. All participants met the inclusion criteria. The study group received acupressure at Sanyinjiao point, while the control received sham acupressure. The severity of dysmenorrhea was assessed at the following time periods: prior to the intervention, 30 min, 1, 2 and 3h following the intervention. Data were analyzed using SPSS. RESULTS: The acupressure caused decline in the severity of dysmenorrhea immediately after intervention in both groups during their first menstrual cycle, although, there difference was not significant (p>0.05). In addition, during the same cycle, the severity of the dysmenorrhea decreased more in study group rather than control group at 30 min, 1, 2 and 3h after intervention (p<0.05). During the second menstrual cycle, acupressure made dysmenorrhea reduced in both study and control groups; however, the decline was more salient among participants of the study group at all stages after the intervention (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Acupressure at Sanyinjiao point can be an effective, feasible, cost-effective intervention for improving primary dysmenorrhea.