This longitudinal study aimed at evaluating the effectiveness, acceptability and safety of the thermal ablation procedure (TA) in the treatment of cervical neoplasia. Women referred to the Gynaecology ward for symptoms or for opportunistic screening were assessed by visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA) and colposcopy. Those with lesions eligible to ablation were counselled and treated by TA. They were inquired about the level of pain during the procedure, and their level of satisfaction. Patients were followed up at 6 weeks for any complication and reassessed by VIA and colposcopy at 12 months for any persistent or recurrent lesion and for any adverse event.A total of 86 women with a positive VIA test were included in the study. The mean age was 46 years (28-61 years). Most of the women did not complain about any adverse event during treatment; one-third presented mild pain or cramp. At the 6-week visit, watery discharge was the main adverse event reported. All women were highly satisfied with TA and most of them would recommend it. At the 12-month visit, 82 women were examined (95% follow-up rate), and the overall cure rate was 96% (low-grade lesions: 98%; high-grade lesions: 94%). Three women presented lowand high-grade lesions that were treated by TA. No major adverse event or hospitalisation after the treatment was reported. In conclusion, TA was an effective procedure with a high cure rate at the 1-year follow-up visit. It was acceptable and safe, with only minor short-term side-effects reported and with a high satisfaction rate among the patients.

Background: The fertility rate in Burundi has remained consistently high since the 1980s, while the prevalence of contraceptive use in the country (22%) has been among the lowest in Africa. Reasons for low contraception uptake in Burundi have not been adequately clarified. This study aimed to identify factors associated with contraceptive use among pregnant women who had at least 3 healthy children and sought antenatal care services at an urban tertiary hospital in Burundi. Methods: Data were collected from antenatal clients with 3 or more children at Kamenge University Hospital. Data analysis included univariate and multivariate methods as well as multiple logistic regression analysis using SPSS, version 16.0. Results: We enrolled 255 women with a mean age of 3264.5 years. The majority (n=232, 91.0%) of participants were urban residents with low incomes, and most (n=227, 89.0%) were educated to the primary school level or lower. The mean parity was 4.261.4, and most women had either 3 (n=120, 47.1%), 4 (n=66, 25.9%), or 5 (n=43, 16.9%) children; 26 (10%) participants had at least 6 children. Most (n=166, 65.1%) participants were part of couples who desired to have a final number of 4 to 6 children. About half (n=129, 50.6%) of the participants were able to name 1 or 2 benefits of contraception, and 105 (41.2%) participants mentioned 3 or 4 benefits of contraception. The most commonly reported benefit of contraceptive use was that it allows for improved maternal and child health. Low rates of contraceptive use were reported by participants with partners who worked as farmers, those citing fewer benefits of contraception, and those who relied on neighbours as their main source of information about contraception. Conclusion: Knowledge of the benefits of contraception was among the strongest determinants of contraceptive use in this population. Farmers and traders were less likely to use contraceptives than participants who were engaged in other types of work. Medical personnel were the most relied upon source of information about contraception, and the strongest predictor of contraceptive use was the personal opinion that contraception is acceptable.