South Africa has adopted pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) as a preventive strategy for populations at-risk for HIV, though uptake is low among adolescents and young adults. We examined the awareness and use of PrEP among adolescents and young adults in the Eastern Cape, South Africa.This cross-sectional study was conducted between June and November 2018 among 772 adolescents and young adults (aged 16–24 years) selected using stratified random sampling in a South African university. An electronic self-administered questionnaire was used to elicit demographic information, behavioral, family-related characteristics, awareness and use of PrEP. Adjusted and unadjusted logistic regression models were used to examine the predictors of PrEP awareness.The overall level of PrEP awareness was 18.8%; however, only 1.7% of participants had used PrEP, 7.5% of had seen it, 4.8% knew how much it cost, and 14.8% knew where and how to get it. In the adjusted regression analysis, only adequate family support (AOR: 2.11; CI: 1.47–3.04) and discussions of HIV and sexually transmitted infections with sexual partners (AOR: 1.78; CI: 1.19–2.67) were associated with a higher likelihood of being aware of PrEP.The level of awareness and use of PrEP is still very low among adolescents and young adults who may need it to prevent HIV infection. Poor awareness of PrEP among adolescents and young adults in high HIV risk settings may limit its use. Thus, concerted efforts are needed to promote awareness and access to PrEP among young South African adults.

Background Worldwide, only 41 % of infants are exclusively breastfed for the first six months while South Africa has an alarming figure of only 12 %. First-time mothers are inexperienced in the initiation and maintenance of exclusive breastfeeding, hence a need for support. Data on forms and quality of exclusive breastfeeding support as experienced by first-time mothers is minimal. The study explored the exclusive breastfeeding support available to first-time mothers in the Buffalo City Metro, South Africa. Methods A qualitative explorative, descriptive and contextual study, and a non-probability, purposive sampling was used with 10 first-time mothers within the first six months postpartum. The in-depth face-to-face semi-structured individual interviews for data collection and Creswell’s steps of thematic analysis were used. Results Two themes emerged; challenges, empowerment, support and resilience during initiation of exclusive breastfeeding, and diverse support and resilience during maintenance of exclusive breastfeeding. First-time mothers received practical support majorly from nurses and other mothers during the initiation; social support was from family members, friends, and community members for the maintenance of exclusive breastfeeding. Sometimes there was a disjuncture between practical support from nurses and that from family members and the community. There were instances where the support was needed but not given or not supportive of exclusive breastfeeding. Conclusions These findings illustrate that professional, practical and social support for first-time mothers is crucial in the initiation and maintenance of exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months. Timing and the kind of support given to these mothers is crucial for successful exclusive breastfeeding.

Background: South Africa is hugely overburdened with the cases of Tuberculosis (TB); individual’s lack of knowledge, attitude towards the disease and delays in health-seeking behaviour, are indirectly associated with death. This study assessed the knowledge, attitude and treatment of TB, and further examined the health-seeking behaviour of TB patients. Methods: This cross-sectional study involved 327 conveniently selected participants with TB from three community health centres in Nelson Mandela Bay Health District, Eastern Cape, South Africa. A close-ended questionnaire was used to collect demographic details, knowledge, attitude and health-seeking behaviour variables. Descriptive and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed. Statistical significance was considered at alpha <0.05 and a confidence interval of 95%. Results: The majority of these TB patients indicated that cold air (76.5%), a dusty environment (85.9%), TB bacteria in the air (88.4%), and smoking (84.7%) had caused the disease. About 87.2% of the respondents indicated that TB treatment duration took six months or longer. Participants thought that follow-up sputum tests are an important part of TB treatment (70.6%); non-adherence to TB treatment might lead to drug-resistant TB or death (80%); TB disease could turn into HIV if not properly treated (77.4%) and that individuals with TB disease have HIV (59.9%). About 56.9% participants felt that TB treatment is difficult, takes a long time, is unpleasant, interferes with work or marriage, and people who drink and smoke are to blame for its spread (60.6%). The majority of the participants (74.0%) disagreed with TB being an African disease and 53.5% did not associate TB with poverty. The majority of the participants (92%) indicated that follow-ups at clinics were avoided because of stigmatisation. In the multivariate logistic regression analysis, the informal housing scheme was a statistically significant (p<0.05) factor determining the correct knowledge of TB (AOR=0.556; 95% CI: 0.316-0.977). There was a statistically significant association among TB knowledge, attitude and health-seeking behaviour. Conclusion: The participants generally had good knowledge about TB; however, there were misconceptions regarding its spread by cold air and dusty environments. The majority of participants did not attend follow-up TB treatment because of fear of stigmatisation. Formal settlements are associated with the correct knowledge of TB. Measures aimed at addressing the misconceptions about TB and its treatment are needed.

BackgroundTeamwork during obstetric emergency ensures good outcomes for both the woman and her baby. Effective teams are characterised by mutual respect, support, and cooperation among team members.MethodsThis qualitative, interpretive, phenomenological analysis study was conducted on a purposive sample of five, fourth-year Bachelor of Nursing Science student midwives at the University of Fort Hare (UFH). In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted. Data analysis applied the interpretative phenomenological analysis method.ResultsSuperordinate theme demonstrated teamwork elicited four clustered themes namely delegation of duties, the importance of teamwork, team support, and confident team leader. The participants recognised that there should be a team leader who is capable of delegating duties to other team members in the management of an obstetric emergency, Participants were confident not only to assign duties but to be kept updated of the intervention. They expressed the need to work collaboratively as a team to achieve the desired goal of providing quality care to the woman. The participants maintained that the team must be supportive and be able to help in decision making during simulation of an obstetric emergency. A sense of mutual respect is echoed by some participants in the process of caring for the woman. Some participants were confident at being team leaders and could see themselves as leaders in the real-life clinical situation.ConclusionThe participants acknowledge the importance of teamwork in resolving obstetric emergencies. The importance of delegating duties to other team members, providing updated progress report ensures better outcomes for the woman.

Companionship, which is having the support of a companion during labour and birth, is an important part of the management of women in labour. A quantitative, exploratory and descriptive design was used to explore the opinions of women on having support during labour. A semi-structured interview guide was used to gather data from a convenience sample of 62 women. Data were analysed using Epi Info software. Twenty-seven women in the study knew of companionship and its benefits before their birth but only 15 had companions during labour and some misinterpreted companionship to apply to lawful partners only. The women who had companions attributed the following to companionship, namely, comfort and support, reduced pain and shortened labour. Of the 47 women who had no companions, 35 had no knowledge of companionship. These women viewed labour differently, as some attributed the following to absence of companionship, namely, long and painful labour, loneliness, panic and feeling as though they were dying. These women felt that labour could have been better with the support of a companion and even recommended that companionship was a necessity during labour. It is recommended that the psychosocial benefits of companionship should be emphasised during antenatal care as a means to a less stressful labour process for both the women and the midwives.