Background: Effective contraception plays a major role in the economic advancement of women. New hormonal products offer more effective solutions with fewer side effects. This study aimed to assess the use, knowledge and attitudes regarding hormonal contraception of female first-year students across various health profession courses.Methods: A descriptive study was conducted during August to October 2017 targeting all female first-year students of the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of the Free State.Results: Self-administered anonymous questionnaires were completed by 261 students (response rate 81.6%). At the time of the study, 29.6% of the study population reported using hormonal contraceptive products; 51.7% of users cited acne as the indication. Among users of hormonal contraceptives, combined oral contraception was the most commonly used (86.0%), and was regarded as the most effective (33.2%). A third of the students (36.2%) were aware that some medication could influence the effectiveness of combined oral contraception. Half (52.3%) had no knowledge of the subdermal implant and 34.8% did not know what an intrauterine system was. According to 28.2%, post-coital use of hormonal products is not an acceptable method of contraception. Almost 90% (87.3%) indicated that an education intervention regarding hormonal contraception is needed at the university.Conclusion: The study population lacks detailed and sufficient knowledge of critical aspects of contraception, such as relative effectiveness, and factors that affect these; long-acting reversible contraceptives; and emergency contraception. A formal education intervention is proposed.

<p><strong>Introduction.</strong> Current data regarding treatment needs in South Africa for substance dependence are based on admissions to specialised treatment centres. The data therefore do not include patients presenting to independent healthcare workers and state hospitals.</p><p><strong>Aim. </strong>The aim of this study was to investigate help-seeking behaviour for substance dependence disorders from the perspective of healthcare professionals at various levels of the referral chain in Free State Province. Design. A descriptive study was performed.</p><p><strong>Setting.</strong> Treatment environments in Free State Province accessible to substance-dependent persons. Participants. General practitioners, private psychiatrists, prescribing healthcare professionals at state hospitals and treatment centres, and non-prescribing therapists responsible for management of substance-dependent persons. <strong></strong></p><p><strong>Measurements</strong>. A questionnaire was used to determine the level of help-seeking experienced by the participants regarding various classes of psycho-active substances.</p><p><strong>Findings.</strong> The presentation of alcohol, cannabis, opioid, benzodiazepine, ecstasy, cocaine and inhalant dependency at general practitioners, private psychiatrists, treatment centres and non-prescribing therapists was compared. Different patterns of help-seeking for substance dependence from the various professional groups were detected. Regarding alcohol dependence, 40.3% of private general medical practitioners reported being confronted with alcohol dependence at least once per month, compared with 100% of treatment centre representatives and private psychiatrists, 70.6% of state hospitals and 53.8% of non-prescribers. State hospitals reported the highest frequency for contact with cases of cannabis dependence, compared with the other professional groups, while psychiatrists reported the highest contact with cases involving benzodiazepine, cocaine and ecstasy. Therapists reported a higher level of contact with inhalant dependence, while this group virtually never presented at general practitioners and private psychiatrists.</p><p><strong>Conclusion.</strong> Help-seeking data can be used in conjunction with other data, such as treatment demand data, to inform and adapt policies and practice. Variations in the manifestation of help-seeking behaviour at various groups may be important pointers to conditions that influence help-seeking, and therefore should be investigated further.</p>

Background: The use of methylphenidate as cognitive enhancer is a growing trend among students at tertiary institutions globally. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of methylphenidate use and co-use with alcohol among on-campus residence students of the University of the Free State (UFS). Methods: For this cross-sectional study, 10 junior residences were randomly selected and 1 761 anonymous questionnaires handed out for all students living in these residences during 2015. Data were collected on demographics, use of methylphenidate and co-use of methylphenidate with alcohol. Results: In total, 585 questionnaires (response rate 33.2%) were received and analysed. Sixty-six (11.3%) participants reported past-year use of methylphenidate. While only 18 (27.3%) of past-year users were diagnosed with ADHD, 44 (66.7%) obtained their supply through doctors’ prescriptions, 21 (31.8%) from friends without payment, and 4 (6.1%) bought it from illegal sources. Of the past-year users, 24.2% had used methylphenidate before consuming alcohol. Conclusion: Off-label prescribing, diversion of prescriptions and illegal trade in methylphenidate occur among students at the UFS. The frequent co-use of methylphenidate and alcohol may indicate a lack of information on the effects of the medication, rather than deliberate misuse. (Full text of the research articles are available online at www.medpharm.tandfonline.com/ojfp) S Afr Fam Pract 2017; DOI: 10.1080/20786190.2017.1292695

BackgroundDisulfiram is the oldest and best known drug to prevent relapse after detoxification from alcohol. Effective use of the drug is dependent on stringent monitoring and high levels of external motivation. Doctors’ perceptions about the drug have not been investigated extensively.AimWe investigated the perceptions and practices of doctors involved in relapse prevention in alcoholics with regard to disulfiram and their response to relapse.SettingThe study population consisted of 60 doctors from the Free State Province, involved in the follow-up of alcoholics across various work settings.MethodsA cross-sectional descriptive study design was used, and data collection involved the use of a questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. Quantitative results are presented in figures and percentages to provide a background for the qualitative findings that are clustered in themes.ResultsA quarter of participants did not prescribe disulfiram, another quarter prescribed disulfiram routinely after detoxification, and half of them prescribed it for selected cases only. Subject to affordability, selection of disulfiram was mainly determined by the perceived level of the patient’s motivation. External motivation sometimes took the form of threats of bodily harm or death caused by drinking. Some participants regarded relapse as confirmation of poor motivation and even a valid reason for terminating the doctor-patient relationship.ConclusionDoctors perceive disulfiram as a psychological tool to induce motivation through creating fear of drinking. Failure and success are perceived as related to the level of motivation. These perceptions could be unfair as biological factors in inter-patient variability in response are ignored.

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