Intervención educativa dirigida al uso de métodos anticonceptivos en adolescentes / An educational intervention focused on the use of contraceptive methods in adolescents

El inicio de las relaciones sexuales en la adolescencia puede generar problemas de salud biopsi-cosociales, los que pueden ser más complejos sin el adecuado conocimiento acerca del uso opor-tuno de métodos anticonceptivos. La investigación tuvo el objetivo de valorar la efectividad de una intervención educativa dirigida a las conductas sexuales y reproductivas de riesgo en la adolescencia, en dos Consejos Populares del municipio de Quemado de Güines durante el perio-do 2017-2021. Se desarrolló un estudio preexperimental con una población constituida por 1501 adolescentes, de la que se seleccionó una muestra 102 individuos mediante un procedimiento no probabilístico atendiendo a criterios. En el estudio predominó: el sexo femenino (51%), aquellos con edades entre 13 y 15 años (67,7%) y los que no habían comenzado una vida sexual activa (54,9%). La intervención educativa produjo cambios estadísticamente significativos en el contexto de investigación en relación con la información sobre métodos anticonceptivos y la percepción del riesgo sobre su uso inadecuado.

The beginning of sexual relations in adolescence can generate biopsychosocial health problems, which can be more complex without adequate knowledge about the timely use of contraceptive methods. The research aimed to assess the effectiveness of an educational intervention aimed at sexual and reproductive risk behaviors in adolescents in two Popular Councils of the Quemado de Güines Hall during 2017-2021. A pre-experimental study was developed with a population of 1501 adolescents, from which a sample of 102 individuals was selected through a non-probabi-listic procedure according to criteria. The study predominated: the female gender (51%), the ages between 13 and 15 (67.7%), and those ones who had not started an active sexual life (54.9%). The educational intervention produced statistically significant changes in the research context concerning the information on contraceptive methods and the perception of risk regar-ding its inappropriate use

Detection of Drug Resistant Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Strains Using Kit SIRE Nitratase®: a Multicenter Study

Abstract (1) Background: The Commercial Kit SIRE Nitratase® PlastLabor, is a drug susceptibility test kit used to detect Mycobacterium tuberculosis resistance to first-line TB treatment drugs. The present study aimed at evaluating its performance in a multicenter study. (2) Methods: To determine its accuracy, the proportion methods in Lowenstein Jensen medium or the BACTECTMMGITTM960 system was used as a gold standard. (3) Results: The study revealed that the respective accuracies of the kit with 190 M. tuberculosis clinical isolates, using the proportion methods in Lowenstein Jensen medium or BACTECTMMGITTM960 system as a gold standard, were 93.9% and 94.6%, 96.9% and 94.6%, 98.0% and 97.8%, and 98.0% and 98.9%, for streptomycin, isoniazid, rifampicin, and ethambutol, respectively. (4) Conclusion: Thus, the kit can rapidly screen resistance to streptomycin, isoniazid, rifampicin, and ethambutol. Additionally, it does not require sophisticated equipment; hence, it can be easily used in the laboratories of low and middle income countries.

Clonal expansion across the seas as seen through CPLP-TB database: A joint effort in cataloguing Mycobacterium tuberculosis genetic diversity in Portuguese-speaking countries

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a major health problem within the Community of Portuguese Language Speaking Countries (CPLP). Despite the marked variation in TB incidence across its member-states and continued human migratory flux between countries, a considerable gap in the knowledge on the Mycobacterium tuberculosis population structure and strain circulation between the countries still exists. To address this, we have assembled and analysed the largest CPLP M. tuberculosis molecular and drug susceptibility dataset, comprised by a total of 1447 clinical isolates, including 423 multidrug-resistant isolates, from five CPLP countries. The data herein presented reinforces Latin American and Mediterranean (LAM) strains as the hallmark of M. tuberculosis populational structure in the CPLP coupled with country-specific differential prevalence of minor clades. Moreover, using high-resolution typing by 24-loci MIRU-VNTR, six cross-border genetic clusters were detected, thus supporting recent clonal expansion across the Lusophone space.

Assessment of the BD MGIT TBc identification test for the detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex in a network of mycobacteriology laboratories

We evaluate the performance of the TBcID assay in a panel of 100 acid-fast bacilli cultures. Sixty-four isolates were TBcID positive for Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC), whereas 36 gave negative results. These included 28 nontuberculous mycobacteria, one nonmycobacterial isolate, one M. tuberculosis, and six M. bovis BCG strains. This corresponds to a sensitivity of 90.14%, specificity of 100%, and positive and negative predictive values of 100% and 80.55%, respectively. The test is rapid, easy to perform and interpret, and does not require sample preparation or instrumentation. However, a negative result does not exclude the presence of a strain belonging to MTBC, especially when mutations in mpb64 gene are present or some M. bovis BCG strains are isolated. The TBcID showed potential to assist in the identification of MTBC when the implementation and usage of molecular methods are often not possible, principally in resource-limited countries.