BackgroundUnsafe abortion is a major public health problem in low-and-middle income countries. Young and unmarried women constitute a high risk group for unsafe abortions. It has been estimated that widespread use of emergency contraception may significantly reduce the number of abortion-related morbidity and mortality. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes and experiences on emergency contraceptive pills by the university students in Cameroon in order to develop and refine a national health programme for reducing unwanted pregnancies and their associated morbidity and mortality.MethodsA convenient sample of 700 students of the University of Buea (Cameroon) was selected for the study. Data was collected by a self-administered, anonymous and pre-tested questionnaire.ResultsThe response rate was 94.9% (664/700). General level of awareness of emergency contraceptive pills was 63.0% (418/664). However, knowledge of the general features of emergency contraceptive pills was low and misinformation was high among these students. Knowledge differed according to the source of information: informal source was associated with misinformation, while medical and informational sources were associated with better knowledge. Although the students generally had positive attitudes regarding emergency contraceptive pills, up to 65.0% (465/664) believed that emergency contraceptive pills were unsafe. Those with adequate knowledge generally showed favourable attitudes with regards to emergency contraceptive pills (Mann-Whitney U = 2592.5, p = 0.000). Forty-nine students (7.4%) had used emergency contraceptive pills themselves or had a partner who had used them.ConclusionAwareness of emergency contraception pills by Cameroonian students is low and the method is still underused. Strategies to promote use of emergency contraception should be focused on spreading accurate information through medical and informational sources, which have been found to be reliable and associated with good knowledge on emergency contraceptive pills.

The United Nations recommends a population-based cesarean delivery rate of between 5% and 15% of the estimated number of expected live births [1]. Several studies in lowresource countries have found a positive correlation between country-specific cesarean delivery rates and a reduction in maternal mortality, stillbirth, and neonatal mortality rates. The national cesarean delivery rates for most countries in sub-Saharan Africa are around 2%, and this figure was reported for Cameroon in 2004 [2]. Stillbirth rates of between 7% and 12% have been reported at the University Hospital in Yaoundé, Cameroon, and the facility-based cesarean delivery rate ranges between 9% and 18% [3]. However, little is known about the neonatal outcomes of cesarean deliveries performed in the Far North Province of Cameroon, where the cesarean delivery rate of 0.4% is reportedly the lowest in the country.The aim of the study was to evaluate the neonatal outcomes of cesarean deliveries performed in the Provincial Hospital in Maroua, the capital of the Far North Province. Data were collected retrospectively from delivery and operating room registers between January 1 2003 and December 31 2004. A total of 144 cesarean deliveries were performed during the study period, and 125 were eligible for inclusion. After identification of each eligible cesarean delivery, data from the following 2 consecutive vaginal deliveries were collected to give a comparison group of 244 vaginal deliveries.Data were analyzed using SPSS (SPSS, Chicago, IL, USA), and v 2 tests, risk ratios, and 95% confidence intervals were used to compare neonatal outcomes. The significance level was set at 0.05.Of the 3263 deliveries over the study period, 144 (4.4%) were by cesarean and the indications are shown in Table 1. Compared with women who delivered vaginally, women who had a cesarean delivery were more likely to have had fewer than 4 prenatal visits (23.2% vs 31.6%), and more likely to be younger than 17 years (6% vs 12%) and grand multiparous (13% vs 25%). There were more cases of low APGAR score (defined as equal to or less than 6) in the neonates delivered by cesarean compared with vaginal delivery (17.6% vs 4.1%; hazard ratio [HR] 8.2, 95% CI, 3.6-18.4; P b 0.001). After ⁎ Corresponding author.

We conclude that the rate of HIV-1 MTCT with NVP is about 11 % in CHU Yaounde.

Routine screening and treatment of pregnant women with Chlamydia trachomatis (along with their partners) may be beneficial in reducing the incidence of preterm labor and delivery and hence the perinatal mortality rate.

Objective To evaluate nulliparous breech delivery so as to determine prognostic factors for an unsafe vaginal delivery (VD). Methods This retrospective and descriptive study was carried out in the University Teaching Hospital Yaoundé-Cameroon, from January 1, 2005 to December 31, 2009. Files of 126 women with singletons in breech presentation and normal fetal heart beats at a gestational age C32 weeks were reviewed with a trial of VD ordered in 104. The parameters recorded were mother's age, gestational age, mode of delivery, birth weight, 5th minute Apgar scores, neonatal outcome, and use of episiotomy. Results The results showed that 84 (66.7 %) had a successful VD. Failure of VD or poor Apgar score after VD were observed if fetal weight C3,500 or \1,800 g, footling breech, maternal age [28 or \19 years, post term, and rigid cervix. Conclusions Elective cesarean section should be systematic if the unsafe circumstances above mentioned are present.

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JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org.. Women's Health and Action Research Centre (WHARC) is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to African Journal of Reproductive Health / La Revue Africaine de la Santé Reproductive. ABSTRACTThe evidence suggesting that malaria increases the risk of preterm labour has been based on descriptive studies with conflicting conclusions. This case-control assessment consists of 420 pregnant women in Yaounde (Cameroon) between 28 and 34 completed weeks of gestation. The cases were experiencing preterm labour; the controls were not. The results show that malaria parasitaemia increases the risk of preterm labour (OR = 6.36, 95% CI = 3.83-10.55, p< 0.001). The risk is further increased by the severity of such parasitaemia and the number of malarial attacks. In addition, compliance with weekly antimalarial chemoprophylaxis is highly protective against parasitaemia and, therefore, preterm labour. (AfrJ Reprod Health 2000; 4[2]:53-61) RESUME La parasitemie mal6rique et le risque de l'accouchement pr6terme: Une r6evaluation de l'dvidence. L'evidence qui suggere que la malaria augmente le risque de l'accouchement pr6terme a ete fondee sur les etudes descriptives aboutissant a des conclusions conflictuelles. Cette evaluation des sujets temoins comprend 420 femmes enceintes a Yaounde (Cameroun) qui ont eu entre 28 et 34 semaines de gestation. Ces femmes avaient l'habitude d'accoucher preterme alors que les cas temoins ne l'avaient pas. Les resultats ont montre que la parasitimie malerique augmente le risque de l'accouchement preterme (OR = 6,36, 95% CI = 3,83 -10, 55, p < 0,001). Le risque augmente davantage selon la rigueur d'une telle parasitemie et le nombre de crises maleriques. De plus, pour se prot6ger contre la parasitemie et ainsi contre l'accouchement preterme, il faut conformer ia la chimioprophylaxie antimalerique hebdomadaire.(Rev Afr Santl Reprod 2000; 4[2]:53-61) IKEY WORDS: Malaria parasitaemia, preterm labour, evidence, re-evaluation

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