Search

Background: In sub-Saharan Africa, women are bearing a heavier burden than men in terms of rate of infection and socio-economic impact of HIV/AIDS. This study was aimed at assessing gender disparities in the socio-economic burden of HIV/AIDS., Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 422 HIV-positive adult patients attending an HIV clinic in Lagos, Nigeria, selected by multi-stage sampling and interviewed using a pretested, semi-structured questionnaire. Bivariate analysis was used to assess how the socioeconomic constructs differed by gender., Results: This study revealed that females suffered more of the socio-economic consequences of having HIV/AIDS than males; cruelty and isolation were significantly higher among the females (p<0.0001), more females (50.0%) were discriminated against at the workplace compared to males (32.1%) (p=0.005), physical abuse (p=0.002) and extortion (p=0.029) were experienced by more of the females than the males. Also, the cost of care outside of antiretroviral therapy was significantly higher among the females (p= 0.002)., Conclusion: Quantifying the social and economic disparities between HIV-infected men and women has shown that the burden is by far higher among women than men. Focused interventions are therefore needed to control the spread of the disease and improve the quality of life of HIV-infected women., (© 2022 Charles-Eromosele TO et al.)

Background: Globally, postpartum depression is one of the most common but often unrecognized complications of childbirth, yearly affecting about 10-15% of postnatal women. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of postpartum depression and its predictors among postnatal women in Lagos., Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 250 mothers in Eti-Osa Local Government Area of Lagos State, Nigeria, attending six Primary Health Care centers for infant immunization at six weeks post-delivery. Data was collected using a pretested semi-structured interviewer administered questionnaire which included the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. Analysis was carried out using SPSS version 23TM. Chi-square and logistic regression analyses were used to determine associations and predictive relationships between various factors and the presence of postpartum depression. The level of significance was set at <0.05., Results: The prevalence of postpartum depression was 35.6%. Multiparity, delivery by cesarean section, mother being unwell after delivery, and not exclusively breastfeeding the baby were the factors linked with postpartum depression. Following multiple logistic regression, having postpartum blues (p=0.000; OR=32.77; 95%CI=7.23-148.58)., not getting help with caring for the baby (p=0.008; OR=2.64; 95%CI=1.29-5.42), experiencing intimate partner violence (p=0.000; OR=5.2; 95%CI=2.23-11.91) and having an unsupportive partner (p=0.018; OR=2.6; 95%CI=1.17-5.78) were identified as predictors of postpartum depression., Conclusion: This study revealed a high prevalence of postpartum depression, identifying both the obstetric and psychosocial predictors. Social support for women both in the pre- and postnatal periods and routine screening of women for postpartum depression should be encouraged for early detection and immediate intervention., (© 2020 Adeyemo EO et al.)