Perception of gender norms and its association with bullying behavior among adolescent students.

BACKGROUND: Inequitable gender norms are increasingly seen as a risk to health and well-being. Although adolescence represents a critical phase of development before adulthood, there is limited understanding about adolescents' perception of gender norms in Egypt. Adolescents' nonconformity with stereotypical gender norms is suspected to increase their exposure to bullying behavior. This study aimed to explore the adolescents' perception of gender norms - especially towards romantic relations and stereotypical gender traits and roles - and its association with bullying behavior among school children. METHODS: A cross-sectional study of a sample of 400 students 11-17 years from 10 public schools in Aswan city, Egypt was conducted. Data were collected via interviewer-administered questionnaires using the Gender Norms Scales and School Life Survey tool for bullying. RESULTS: School adolescents of both sexes showed no significant difference with respect to their attitudes towards romantic relationships engagement, but boys were slightly more permissive about romantic relationships than girls (54.4%, 46.1%, respectively). On the other hand, girls were significantly more likely to indicate agreement with a sexual double standard regarding boy/girl relationships than boys (75% vs. 46.4%, P < 0.001). Regarding gender stereotypical traits, girls' and boys' perception showed no significant difference, but boys had more endorsement, and 64.3% of boys perceived more agreement with gender stereotypical traits compared to 57.4% of girls. Also, boys were more likely to express more agreement with stereotypical gender roles than girls (74% vs. 52.9%, P < 0.001). However, 51% of students agreed that it was okay to tease a boy who acted like a girl, and 27.5% agreed that it was okay to tease a girl who acted like a boy. Students' status of bullying and victimization was not significantly associated with any studied gender norms concept. CONCLUSIONS: Perception of unequal gender norms starts early in adolescence. Boys are more accepting of heteronormative relations among adolescents and more likely to endorse stereotypical gender roles than girls, while girls are more conservative and more likely to perceive a sexual double standard regarding boy/girl relationships. Moreover, adolescents of both genders perceived more agreement with deserving sanctions for atypical gender behaviors in boys with higher perception in boys compared to girls. However, both boys' and girls' perception of gender is not related to their status of bullying and victimization. This has important implications for understanding the development of gender norms and their impact on adolescent behavior and social interactions.

Frequency of rifampicin-resistant mycobacterium tuberculosis by GeneXpert MTB/RIF assay and its correlates among 2605 probable tuberculosis patients in upper Egypt.

RATIONALE: GeneXpert MTB/RIF (Mycobacterium tuberculosis/rifampicin) assay is a method for detecting rifampicin resistance (RR-MTB) in suspected samples in less than 2 hours with high sensitivity and specificity yield. This study aimed to use the GeneXpert MTB/RIF assay to determine the frequency of RR-MTB and to study the possible influencing correlates associated with positive results. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: This is a retrospective cross-sectional study of patients who visited TB clinic in 5 years (2016-2021). According to the data sheet of the patients, all the collected specimens were divided into 2 parts one for diagnosis by Ziehl-Neelsen stain and the other part for GeneXpert analysis. GeneXpert was also used to look for evidence of RR. RESULTS: Out of the 2605 total samples screened, 718 (27.6%) tested positive for MTB on GeneXpert assay; of them 633 (88.4%) were sensitive to Rifampicin, 83 (11.6%) were resistant to Rifampicin and 2 cases were undetermined. Factors contributing to RR-MTB were: smoker/ex-smoker, with 2.5 times more risk (p = 0.013.0, p = 0.001); recurrence cases had a 4-fold increased risk (p < 0.001); patients with very low M. tuberculosis detected on the GeneXpert MTB/RIF test were 8 times more likely to have RR-TB (P = 0.004). CONCLUSION: This study disclosed a high-rate MTB in Egyptian probable TB cases. Smoking, recurrence and cases with a very low M. tuberculosis burden noticed on the GeneXpert MTB/RIF test had augmented risk of RR-TB.

Stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV by health care providers in Egypt.

OBJECTIVE: HIV/AIDS has been recently increasingly observed in developing countries including Egypt. This study aimed to explore stigma and discrimination attitudes of health care providers (HCPs) in Egypt, as elimination of stigma in healthcare settings is a priority to improve case detection and management. METHODS: A Google form questionnaire using the validated Arabic version of Health Care Provider HIV/AIDS Stigma Scale (HPASS) was sent to physicians and nurses of Ministry of health (MOH) hospitals and University hospitals in 10 randomly selected Governorates in Egypt. Data was collected from July to August, 2022 from 1577 physicians and 787 nurses. Bivariate and multivariable linear regression analyses were used to identify the predictors of the stigmatizing attitude of HCPs towards People living with HIV (PLHIV). RESULTS: The majority of HCPs had worries about contracting HIV infection from their patients (75.8% of physicians and 77% of nurses). They believed that protective measures are not good enough to protect them from getting infected (73.9% of physicians and 74.7% of nurses). About half of the participants had worries about the safety of performing blood investigations to PLHIV (54% of physicians and 59.9% of nurses). Less than half of HCPs believed they have the right to refuse providing care to patients to protect themselves (44.6% of physicians and 50.1% of nurses). Only 10.5% of physicians and 11.9% of nurses have previously refused to provide health care to PLHIV. There was a significantly higher mean score of prejudice and stereotype among nurses compared to physicians (prejudice; 27.34 ± 7.88 vs 26.17 ± 7.5, stereotype; 18.54 ± 4.61 vs 16.43 ± 5.21, for nurses and physicians, respectively). Less years of physicians' experience (B = -0.10, p < 0.01) and rural residence (B = 1.48, p < 0.05) were significantly associated with higher prejudice score while having lower qualification (B = -1.47, p < 0.001) was significantly associated with higher stereotype score. CONCLUSION: Standards of practice should be developed to adjust the services and prepare HCPs to provide medical care free from stigma and discrimination against PLHIV. Improving knowledge of HCPs regarding the methods of transmission of HIV, the use of infection control measures and the emotional factors shaping lives of PLHIV should be targeted through updated training programs. More concern should be directed to young providers in the training programs.

Infecciones del tracto urinario en neonatos sin explicación. Hiperbilirrubinemia: Prevalencia y predictivo factores de riesgo / Urinary tract infections in unexplained neonatal hyperbilirubinemia: Prevalence and predictive risk factors

Introduction: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are widespread clinical disorder among early neonates. Neonates with UTIs were susceptible to higher rates of morbidity and mortality, particularly when presented with hyperbilirubinemia. Early diagnosis may help in complete recoveryrather than being threatened in terms of complications. The study aimed at determining the prevalence and predictive risk factors of UTIs in neonates with an unexplained hyperbilirubinemia. Method: A cross-sectional study was carried out in the NICU of Aswan University Hospital, Egypt from August 2018 to February 2019. The study was conducted on 140 newborns who were diagnosed with indirect hyperbilirubinemia in the first 4 weeks of life after exclusion of unrelated criteria. Demographic and clinical data were collected by an interview questionnaire. Biochemical markers including bilirubin level, CBC, urine analysis and urine cultures and sensitivity were determined. Results: The prevalence rate of UTIs in the studied newborns was 25%. Escherichia -coli was the dominant organism isolated. Amikacin was the most common antibiotic sensitive to the isolates. There was a significant difference between the UTI positive and negative neonates in the univariate analysis regarding some studied variables. While, an increase in the number of WBCs in the blood (OR = 6.90, P = 0.001), small for gestational age (OR = 4.07, P = 0.021), prolonged phototherapy (OR = 3.50, P = 0.034), and presence of maternal complications (OR = 2.92, P = 0.001) were statistically associated with a positive urine culture in multivariate analysis. Conclusions and recommendations: The prevalence rate of UTIs was 25%. The study indicated the importance of routine screening of UTI (urine culture) as part of the clinical assessment of unexplained hyperbilirubinemia in neonates with an increase in the number of WBCs in their blood, small for gestational age, prolonged duration of phototherapy, and neonates born from mothers who had a history of obstetric complications

Higher clinical pregnancy rate with in-vitro fertilization versus intracytoplasmic sperm injection in treatment of non-male factor infertility: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the evidence about in-vitro fertilization (IVF) versus intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) for the treatment of non-male factor infertility. DATA SOURCES: Electronic databases searched using the following MeSH terms (Sperm Injection, Intracytoplasmic) AND (in Vitro Fertilisation) AND (Infertility). METHODS OF STUDY SELECTION: All RCTs included infertile patients due to non-male factors underwent IVF or ICSI were considered for this meta-analysis. One-thousand twenty-two studies were identified of which 20 studies deemed eligible for this review. DATA EXTRACTION: Three independent authors extracted the relevant data from included studies. The study outcomes were pooled in the form of relative risk (RR) and 95 % confidence interval (CI) using Mantel-Hansel method. The main outcome measures are the fertilization rate, the implantation rate, the clinical pregnancy rate (CPR), the total fertilization failure and the live birth rate. RESULTS: Regarding the fertilization rate, the pooled estimate did not favour either IVF or ICSI group (RR = 0.94; 95 %CI [0.82, 1.07]; p = 0.34). However, IVF significantly increased the CPR than ICSI (RR = 1.28, 95 %CI [1.11, 1.49]; p = 0.001). The overall effect estimate did not favor either of two groups regarding the implantation rate (RR = 1.25, 95 % CI [0.92, 1.68], p = 0.15). Similarly, no difference between both groups regarding the live birth rate (RR = 1.08, 95 % CI [0.79, 1.49]; p = 0.62). CONCLUSIONS: No difference between ICSI and IVF regarding fertilization rate per oocytes, implantation rate and live birth rate in the treatment of non-male factor infertility, while IVF has significantly higher clinical pregnancy rate and higher risk of total fertilization failure.