Knowledge and misconceptions about sexually transmitted infections in married women--perspective from Islamabad.

OBJECTIVE: To study the knowledge of married women regarding existence of sexually transmitted infection (STI) their complications, treatment seeking, ways of preventing STI acquisition and opinion about sex education in schools/colleges and media. SETTING: The Mother and Child Health Center, a tertiary care hospital in Islamabad. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey based on sample of convenience was conducted, using a structured questionnaire with both close and open-ended questions. Trained women physician interviewers conducted the interviews after obtaining verbal consent. RESULTS: Out of 218 women approached for interviewing, only two refused to participate in the study. The mean age of the respondents was 28.5 years (range 18-53 years). One hundred and sixty-eight (77.8%) respondents had heard/knew about sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Two hundred and ten (97.2%) respondents had heard/ knew about AIDS and out of these 162 (77.1%) knew that it is also transmitted through sexual contact. One hundred and eighty two (84.2%) felt a need for sex education in the media, both print and electronic and 204 (94.4%) respondents said that they would like to learn more about sexually transmitted infections. One hundred ninety four (98.8%) respondents had heard the Latin term Leukorrhoea. Of these 158 (81.5%) thought it was a gynecological disease. Majority thought it caused weakness. CONCLUSION: Widespread misperceptions were found to exist, which does not augur well for the effective prevention of STIs in the country. Population based studies are required to study the knowledge and epidemiology of STIs, as well as a need for a health education campaign in the country (JPMA 51:389; 2001).

Immunohistochemical study of proliferating mesenchymal spindle cells in heterogenous soft tissue lesions.

Proliferation of mesenchymal spindle cells is a main event in a variety of lesions with similar morphological features but widely divergent biological behaviour. In order to identify criteria for precise histological diagnosis, 60 human soft tissue lesions, divided into 40 cases of fibroblastic cell proliferation, 10 smooth muscle cell tumours and 10 nerve sheath cell tumours, were examined for the immunohistochemical profile of the main lesional cell in addition to other histological features. The three groups could be differentiated by determining the lineage of the constituent spindle cell on the pattern of expression of vimentin, alpha-smooth muscle actin (ASMA) and macrophage antigen CD68 (MA-CD68). Smooth muscle cells expressed ASMA and vimentin but not MA-CD68, while nerve sheath cells were negative for ASMA but positive for vimentin and MA-CD68. The fibroblastic cell lesions as a group were easily differentiated on the basis of positive reactivity for all three markers but individual lesions could only be distinguished by additional assessment of histological features. Because of consistent co-expression of ASMA, vimentin and MA-CD68 in the spindle mesenchymal cell present in all varieties of lesions in this heterogeneous group, we suggest that this proliferating "fibroblastic" cell is phenotypically a fibromyohistiocyte.

Knowledge and misconceptions about sexually transmitted infections in married women--perspective from Islamabad.

OBJECTIVE: To study the knowledge of married women regarding existence of sexually transmitted infection (STI) their complications, treatment seeking, ways of preventing STI acquisition and opinion about sex education in schools/colleges and media. SETTING: The Mother and Child Health Center, a tertiary care hospital in Islamabad. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey based on sample of convenience was conducted, using a structured questionnaire with both close and open-ended questions. Trained women physician interviewers conducted the interviews after obtaining verbal consent. RESULTS: Out of 218 women approached for interviewing, only two refused to participate in the study. The mean age of the respondents was 28.5 years (range 18-53 years). One hundred and sixty-eight (77.8%) respondents had heard/knew about sexually transmitted infections STIs. Two hundred and ten (97.2%) respondents had heard/knew about AIDS and out of these 162 (77.1%) knew that it is also transmitted through sexual contact. One hundred and eight two (84.2%) felt a need for sex education in the media, both print and electronic and 204 (94.4%) respondents said that they would like to learn more about sexually transmitted infections. One hundred ninety four (98.8%) respondents had heard the Latin term Luekorrhoea. Of these 158 (81.5%) thought it was a gynecological disease. Majority thought it caused weakness. CONCLUSION: Widespread misperceptions were found to exist, which does not augur well for the effective prevention of STIs in the country. Population based studies are required to study the knowledge and epidemiology of STIs, as well as a need for a health education campaign in the country.