ABORTION PROCUREMENT AND POST-ABORTION CARE SERVICES: EXPERIENCES OF NIGERIAN ADOLESCENTS

ABSTRACT Introduction: The prevention of abortion-related complications and mortality is dependent on the availability, accessibility and usability of emergency post-abortion care (PAC) throughout the health care system. Unfortunately, Nigerian adolescents are often unable to obtain adequate post-abortion care services due to numerous challenges and barriers. This study attempted to explore experiences with abortion and post-abortion care services from the adolescents’ perspective which is the first step in enhancing optimal utilization of adolescents’ PAC services Methods: A qualitative exploratory research design was used. 20 semi-structured interviews were conducted with adolescent patients during hospitalization. The adolescent patients were duly counselled and informed consent obtained prior to the in-depth interview. The semi-structured interview guide was used for data collection and the data were analyzed using content analysis. Results: Findings from the interviews revealed that adolescents found it difficult to discuss issues of pregnancy and abortion with their parents or guardians due to fear, stigmatization or rejection. The adolescents experienced negligence of care, shame and stigma due to failure of health care providers to ensure privacy, as well as delay in treatment due to hospital protocol and non-availability of prescribed drugs which significantly affected the PAC care services they received Conclusion: The adolescents experienced fear, shame, and stigmatization, negligence of care and lack of access to adequate PAC services. These findings highlight the need to review health actions directed towards adolescents with abortion complications and plan interventions aimed at improving provision of adolescents’ friendly PAC services, in order to meet the reproductive health needs of these adolescents

Impact of NOM character on copper adsorption by trace ferric hydroxide from iron corrosion in water supply system

The fate of trace concentrations of cupric sulfate (<0.4 mg/L) dosed into chloraminated distribution systems to inhibit nitrification has been shown in this study to be controlled by at least two crucial factors: the character of natural organic matter (NOM) and iron hydroxide corrosion products present at low concentrations (<2 mg/L). This research quantified the removal of Cu(II) ions added into waters containing trace Fe(OH)3 flocs and the effect of NOM of different character on this removal. The dominant dissolved copper species in NOM-containing waters were found to be Cu(II)–NOM complexes. Both intramolecular chelation and intermolecular complexation can occur, with the latter occurring preferentially and resulting in the aggregation of smaller organic molecules to form larger molecules. The presence of ferric hydroxide flocs when Cu(II) ions were added into NOM-containing waters was shown to result in removal of Cu(II) ions, presumably as Cu(II)–NOM complexes. This removal was through adsorption processes obeying Freundlich isotherms, although the presence of larger NOM molecules and heterogeneous copper species (e.g. Cu(OH)2(s) and CuO(s)) appeared to shield smaller Cu(II)–NOM complexes from adsorption to some extent. For the strategy of inhibition of nitrification in distribution systems by the addition of Cu(II) ions, complexation of Cu(II) ions by NOM and adsorption of Cu(II)–NOM complexes by ferric hydroxide flocs released from pipe walls pose significant operational challenges to maintaining the concentration of Cu(II) ions through the distribution system

Importance of the order in enhancing EfOM removal by combination of BAC and MIEX®

Biological activated carbon (BAC) is operationally a simple treatment which can be employed to remove effluent organic matter (EfOM) from secondary wastewater effluent (SWWE). Unfortunately, BAC removes only a limited amount of dissolved organic carbon (DOC). Thus, maximizing DOC removal from SWWE using BAC is a major concern in wastewater reuse. This study has investigated a hybrid system of BAC and Magnetic Ion Exchange Resin (MIEX®) for the enhanced removal of DOC. Performance of both BAC prior to MIEX® (BAC/MIEX®) and reverse (MIEX®/BAC) combination was evaluated in terms of DOC removal. The BAC/MIEX® showed much better DOC removal. This is because microbial activity in the BAC bed converted MIEX® non-amenable DOC to MIEX® amenable DOC. As a result, BAC/MIEX® combination synergised DOC removal. In addition, BAC was also found to be highly effective in reducing MIEX® dose for a given DOC removal from SWWE.</jats:p

Intimate partner violence amongst undergraduate nursing students

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is reported to be rife among the student population at tertiary institutions and the general population. Yet the abuse is under diagnosed by nurses in health care settings. Research indicates that nurses’ personal experiences of this type of abuse play a role in the management of survivors. Hence, this study investigated the prevalence and factors associated with IPV among the undergraduate nursing student population at a tertiary institution in the Western Cape, South Africa. A self-administered questionnaire was completed by the stratified random sample. The reported lifetime prevalence of IPV included psychological, physical, financial and sexual abuse. IPV was significantly associated with the educational status of the respondent’s mother, financial support and witnessing of abuse during childhood. A support structure is thus needed to prepare the undergraduate student nurses emotionally before commencing with their training in the management of survivors of IPV.Department of HE and Training approved lis

Role of inorganic phosphorus in controlling regrowth in water distribution system

Conventionally organic carbon is assumed to be the limiting nutrient of regrowth. Inorganic phosphorus in comparison to carbon should be a good candidate for regrowth control because it can be measured and controlled. It may be able to limit regrowth in drinking water distribution systems. In order to clarify whether inorganic phosphorus can really control or limit regrowth, three kinds of bioassays were performed: 1. for different combinations of acetate, phosphorus, and other inorganic nutrients added to different test tubes containing pure water, 2. for different tap water dilutions with pure water, and 3. for different phosphorus addition to test tubes containing all nutrients but phosphorus. The inoculum used was taken from a drinking water distribution system carrying chlorinated groundwater. Results indicated the following: 1. tap water bacteria cannot grow on simple organic carbon source (acetate) alone, 2. not organic carbon but inorganic nutrients limited the growth in tap water, and 3. tap water bacterial growth was suppressed when phosphorus was not present and it was not affected by over-presence of phosphorus when carbon or other nutrients became limiting. This gave a clue that phosphorus might play a major role in controlling regrowth in drinking water distribution system.</jats:p

Multivariate experimental design provides insights for the optimisation of rechloramination conditions and water age to control disinfectant decay and disinfection by-product formation in treated drinking water

The stability of drinking water disinfectant residuals is known to be influenced by multiple variables. To evaluate the effects of various influencing variables on disinfectant stability, a multivariate analysis of chloramine decay and associated disinfection by-products (DBPs) formation was investigated in a series of bench-scale experiments. Of nine water quality variables previously identified, monochloramine dose, pH, and bromide concentration were selected as key water quality variables based on previous investigations and modelling. Co-effects of these key variables on monochloramine decay and formation of 33 halogenated and nitrogen-containing DBPs were investigated using response surface experimental design. Rechloramination conditions, including monochloramine dose, pH and bromide concentration, were optimised via a 3-factorial multivariate analysis of monochloramine stability in post-treatment drinking water. Effects of influencing variables on disinfectant decay and DBP formation were assessed and graphically presented as response surfaces with minimal experiments using Doehlert matrix experimental design compared to other multivariate experimental designs. Concentrations of trihalomethanes (THMs), haloacetic acids (HAAs), and N-nitrosamines were found to increase with water age, whereas opposite phenomenon was observed in the net production of haloacetonitriles (HANs). Increasing pH was found to stabilise monochloramine but it could cause DBP speciation to shift. Furthermore, increasing bromide concentration elevated Br-DBP formation. In bromide-containing water, pH = 7.8–8.0 should be considered as higher pH increases Br-THMs formations and lower pH increases formations of Br-HAAs and Br-HANs. However, water age or pH has insignificant impacts on DBP formation after significant monochloramine decay or at low initial monochloramine dose. These findings indicate that effective combined control measures to maintain monochloramine stability should include the application of high monochloramine dose (>1.5 mg-Cl2.L−1) under conditions of moderate to high pH (pH = 7.8–8.0) and minimal bromide concentration. This study provides relevant insights to water utilities aiming to design effective disinfectant residual management strategies for controlling monochloramine decay and DBP formation