Cervical cancer - causes and prevention of hpv infections in the opinions of young polish women: a cross-sectional survey.

OBJECTIVE: Introduction: Cervical cancer is an important issue of gynecologic oncology. The awareness of this disease, the attitude towards HPV vaccination and cytological screening play an important role in decreasing morbidity and mortality due to cervical cancer. The aim: To assess the various aspects of knowledge regarding cervical cancer, risk factors for this disease, the role of HPV infection and the attitude to primary (vaccination) and secondary (cytological screening) prevention among young women. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Materials and methods: The study was performed using CAWI method based on original questionnaire in electronic form. Online completing of the survey was voluntary and anonymous. RESULTS: Results: The study was conducted in a group of 2058 women aged 19-33. In total 98.4% of respondents came across the term "cervical cancer", 84.1% knew that cervical cancer could be prevented and the following were identified as the main risk factors: cervical cancer in closest relatives (85.3%) and HPV infection (81.9%). Although according to 82.0% of women HPV infection can be prevented by vaccination, only 18.4% of respondents were vaccinated. The main reason for non-vaccination was lack of knowledge about the availability of the vaccine (41.2%) and high price (32.0%). Of the unvaccinated people, 63.5% declare their will to be vaccinated in the future. Concerning secondary prevention, 98.6% of the respondents admitted that they knew the term "cytological examination", 89.0% indicated that this examination detected the presence of pre-cancerous lesions, and according to 58.4% of respondents, this test should be performed after sexual initiation. Despite the fact that 80.5% of respondents confirmed the fact of beginning sexual activity (44.4% of them had more than 1 partner), 17.1% of the respondents admitted that they didn't go to gynecologist yet. Approximately 84% of respondents believe that the amount of information on cervical cancer prophylaxis and HPV infections currently providing is insufficient. CONCLUSION: Conclusions: The basic terms regarding primary (vaccination) and secondary (prophylactic tests) prevention of cervical cancer have been widely known. However, the knowledge about specific risk factors, sexual behaviors contributing to HPV infection and, consequently, the ability to self-identify as belonging to higher risk group is insufficient. It is justified to conduct educational activities regarding the assessment of risks related to cervical cancer addressed to young women. Together with education, HPV vaccination and secondary prevention programs require financial support.

Bovine Lactoferrin in the Prevention of Antibiotic-Associated Diarrhea in Children: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Introduction: Antibiotic-associated diarrhea (AAD) is a common adverse reaction to antibiotic treatment affecting up to 21% of children. The aim of the study is to evaluate whether bovine lactoferrin (bLf) might be used for AAD prevention. Materials and Methods: In this prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, single-center study, we enrolled 156 children aged between 1 and 18 years, treated with antibiotic due to acute respiratory or urinary tract infection. We randomly allocated children 1:1 to receive 100 mg of bLf or a placebo twice a day orally for the whole period of antibiotic therapy. The primary outcome was the occurrence of antibiotic-associated diarrhea during and up to 2 weeks after antibiotic therapy. The secondary endpoint was intravenous rehydration or antibiotic withdrawal due to diarrhea. We performed intention-to-treat analysis. Results: We included 150 patients in intention-to-treat analysis. AAD occurred in 16 of 75 (21.3%) patients in bLf group and in 7 of 75 (9.3%) individuals in placebo group [OR = 2.6, (95% CI: 1.01-6.84), p = 0.04]. Relative risk was 2.29 (95% CI: 0.89-5.88). The need for intravenous rehydration occurred in one patient in the placebo group (p = 0.3). We observed no adverse effects in neither of the groups. Discussion: The trial indicated that bLf is not effective in AAD prevention. The risk for AAD was higher in bovine lactoferrin group as compared with placebo. We registered the study protocol on ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02626104).