Cervical cancer is highly incident in poor regions of developing countries. It is related to lifestyle factors that lead to human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. The aim of the study was to assess which factors are important in the development of HPV infection and consequent cervical cancer in the community of Propriá, Sergipe, Brazil. To analyze the risk factors related to cervical cancer, a case-control study was performed, matching cases and controls for age, place of residence, and socioeconomic status. Twenty cases of carcinoma of the uterine cervix and 80 controls were identified. Cases had more pregnancies and a higher proportion of women who had not done Pap smears. Women in the two groups lived with promiscuous partners, had deficient knowledge about cervical cancer and its risk factors, and were predominantly illiterate. We concluded that in the community of Propriá, multiple pregnancies and failure to have Pap smears were associated with the occurrence of cervical cancer.

Realizou-se estudo de corte transversal, com o objetivo de identificar, em escolares do ensino médio, informações relativas aos métodos anticoncepcionais. A amostra compreendeu 816 adolescentes de ambos os sexos de escolas públicas de Aracaju, Sergipe. Em relação a essas informações, foram investigados também aspectos demográficos, pedagógicos, comportamentais e reprodutivos. Verificou-se que 59% dos adolescentes possuíam vida sexual ativa e 57,7% afirmaram não receber informações sobre métodos anticoncepcionais nas escolas. As fontes de informações, revistas, livros e jornais, alcançaram o percentual de 28% e o condon masculino (84,5%) foi o método mais conhecido. A análise possibilitou identificar a necessidade de maior discussão na escola e a inserção dos pais nesse processo.

SUMMARY:Lead is one of the heavy metals most used in industry. Poisoning due to long-term lead exposure is known as saturnism, and is an occupational illness that has been known for many years. Lead is highly toxic and can compromise the structural and functional patterns of organs and systems. The aim of this study was to examine the lungs and kidneys of fetuses from female Wistar rats exposed to lead acetate. In this study, the lungs and kidneys of 20 fetuses from female rats that had previously been treated with lead acetate were dissected, fixed, embedded in paraffin and stained with hematoxylin and eosin. Macroscopic changes to the shape, color and consistency of organs from fetuses treated with this heavy metal were observed, in comparison with organs from control fetuses. Microscopic lesions characterized by vascular sclerosis, cell atrophy or hyperplasia, progressive interstitial fibrosis, inclusion bodies containing lead acetate and glomerular sclerosis were found in the kidneys. The lesions found in the lungs consisted of destructuring of the parenchyma, impregnation with lead acetate, formation of fibrosis, extravasation of vascular fluids, reduction of the alveolar spaces and formation of alveolar edema. These changes were correlated with the level of lead acetate absorption, as determined using atomic spectrophotometry.