Background: Tuberculosis (TB) remains a serious public health concern because it continues devastating communities. This survey was conducted in the sub-district 2 of the Tshwane health district, South Africa. It aimed at determining the influence of patients’ living conditions on TB treatment outcomes. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) status, food security and exposure to cigarette smoke were considered as living conditions; and cure, death, default, failure and relapse were considered TB treatment outcomes.Methods: Record review using the Aitahealth database, clinic registers as well as a piloted, structured and administered questionnaire.Results: Convenience sampling applied; 180 respondents were obtained. Tuberculosis respondents with negative HIV status had a cure rate of 67.3% whilst those with positive HIV status had 37%. Tuberculosis respondents with good food security had 45.9% of cure rate. Tuberculosis respondents exposed to cigarette smoke had a death rate of 65.2%, while respondents not exposed to cigarette smoke showed 75% of cure rate.Conclusion: HIV status, food security and exposure to cigarette smoke, as components of living conditions, showed an association with TB treatment outcomes in the selected sample; in the sense HIV infection reduced the cure rate, increased the death and default rates of TB patients in the same sample. Good food security increased the cure rate of TB patients, but exposure to cigarette smoke decreased the cure rate and increased the death rate amongst respondents having TB treatment in the current survey.

<div class="column"><p><strong>Background. </strong><span>Globally, it is estimated that depressive features occur in 15 - 36% of people suffering from chronic diseases and 60% of people with HIV/AIDS. A high prevalence of mental disorders among HIV-infected individuals has been shown in South Africa and other parts of sub-Saharan Africa. Untreated depression leads to poor adherence to treatment and poor quality of life for patients with chronic diseases. </span></p><p><strong>Methods. </strong><span>Using the Zung self-rating scale, we screened for depressive features among adult patients receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) who attended primary healthcare facilities in the Rustenburg district of North West Province in South Africa during December 2009. </span></p><p><strong>Results. </strong><span>Among 117 participants, 81 (69.2 %) had mild depressive features, 2 (1.7%) had moderate depressive features, 1 (0.9 %) had severe depressive features and 33 (28.2%) did not have depressive features. Depressive features were more common in males (77.1%) than in females (69.5%), and were most common in patients taking the combination of efavirenz, lamivudine and stavudine.<br /> </span></p><p><strong>Conclusion. </strong><span>Depressive features seem to be common among adult patients receiving HAART and attending primary healthcare facilities in the Rustenburg district. </span></p></div>

Erectile dysfunction is common among men with diabetic mellitus and has a negative effect on their quality of life. The proportion of male diabetics who disclosed their problematic sexual performance was increasing at Temba Community Health Centre (CHC), which motivated a survey that was conducted from April 2015 till April 2016. Aim: Assessment of erectile dysfunction among male diabetics attending Temba Community Health Centre.

Introduction. There is an alarmingly high rate of women in South Africa, who are of childbearing age, who still opt for abortions or Voluntary Termination of Pregnancy (VTOP). Despite the availability of free contraceptive methods and health education in all health facilities across the country, to reduce and prevent unwanted pregnancies and VTOP there is still an alarming increase in the rate of VTOP. This study sought to determine the knowledge, attitudes and practices of contraceptive methods among women seeking voluntary termination of pregnancy at Jubilee Hospital, Pretoria, South Africa.Methods. A across-sectional survey using a piloted, structured and self- administered questionnaire. Convenience sampling was applied and the sample size was 126.Result.  The mean age of the 126 participants was 26.1 years. Findings obtained after analysis of participants’ data were grouped following the university categorisation. Below 50% referred as “poor” outcome, from 50 to 74% was referred as “satisfactory” outcome and beyond 74% was considered as “excellent” outcome. Knowledge was poor for 28 (22.2%) of women. It was satisfactory for 91 (72.2%) women and excellent for 7 (5.5%) women. Looking at the attitude: 124 (98.4%) approved the use of contraception, 1 (0.79%) disapproved and 1 (0,79%) abstained due to religious beliefs. Regarding the practice of contraception: 92 (73.0%) have already used contraceptive methods while 34 (27.0%) have not.Conclusion: In summary, the study showed a satisfactory knowledge of contraceptive methods, a positive attitude towards contraception and a huge number of participants who have already used contraceptive methods, among women seeking voluntary termination of pregnancy at Jubilee Hospital, Pretoria, South Africa.

Background: It was noted that family medicine (FM) was not used properly by doctors at Letaba Hospital. Anecdotally, misconceptions and misunderstandings about FM were reported. An exploration was recommended to understand the perceptions and attitudes of doctors at Letaba Hospital with regard to FM. Identifying doctors’ misconceptions and the possible reasons for mistaken beliefs about FM by other specialists could offer possible solutions.Methods: A qualitative study was conducted that attempted to identify the perceptions of doctors about FM and to explore their attitudes towards this specialty.Results: The primary findings indicate more positive than negative perceptions of other disciplines towards FM. The participants viewed FM as the centre of the healthcare system, with prevention being its core business. This includes a holistic approach, the continuity of care, being community-based, and receiving recognition as a specialty. Family medicine was described by various medical personnel as making a positive contribution to the healthcare system. They note the role of FM discipline in district hospitals, its support of primary health- care and its ability to fill the gaps in the healthcare system, including surgical skills. The few negative perceptions that were identified mostly related to the status of FM as a specialty and doctors’ level of surgical ability. Based on individual interviews, 11 themes were extracted and a ‘wheel’ model was created, depicting the core values of the FM discipline.Conclusion: The study concluded that most participants have a positive perception of the role of FM, similar to the views of the senior staff in the discipline itself. The concerns from most participants are in the area of preventative medicine, which has not been given enough priority in South Africa and where doctors are expected to rapidly attend to long queues and manage casualties. There was also concern of a perceived lack of surgical skills.

Abdominal pain is a common presenting problem with multiple aetiologies that often pose diagnostic and therapeutic dilemmas for primary care practitioners. The vague symptomatology and difficult correlation to specific organ pathology obscures clinical findings leading to incorrect diagnoses. Although most presentations of abdominal pain are benign, a significant number of patients have life-threatening conditions that require a meticulous approach to management in order to prevent morbidity and mortality.The skill in assessing patients presenting with abdominal pain is fundamental for all primary care doctors. This review will discuss an approach to the assessment and diagnosis of abdominal pain in the primary care setting.

Background: Various reasons have been cited in studies conducted in South Africa on why women legally terminate their pregnancies. We sought to determine the reasons for women to terminate their pregnancies legally and their contraceptive practices. This study was conducted at Soshanguve 3 Community Health Centre (CHC), located in a semi-rural zone in the north-west of Pretoria, Gauteng province of South Africa.Method: A cross-sectional study design was adopted in this study.Results: Of the 250 respondents, high participation (23.2%) was noted amongst women aged 18–20 years. Eighty-three (33.2%) respondents did not have children, 108 (43.2%) had completed their secondary school education and 226 (90.4%) were Christian. Of the participants, 80% were single and 62.8% were unemployed. About 85.6% (214) of respondents had not had a previous abortion. A total of 24% of respondents requested abortion because they wanted to focus on their education, while 23.1% were not ready to be parents and 21.7% experienced financial difficulties. With regard to practice, all respondents had already used contraception and the most used contraceptive was the male condom (43.5%), followed by an injectable contraceptive (7.1%).Conclusion: While academic reasons, not being ready to be a parent and financial difficulties were named as the main reasons for terminating a pregnancy legally, the selected pregnant women at Soshanguve 3 CHC demonstrated an unsatisfactory practice of contraceptive measures.

Background Parasuicide is referred to as an apparent attempt at suicide without the actual intention of killing oneself. Its prevalence continues to increase in the Brits/Madibeng community. The current study aimed to determine the profile of parasuicide cases attending Brits Hospital, North West Province of South Africa, from 2013 to 2018. Methods The basis of this article is a 5-year retrospective chart review of parasuicide cases attending Brits Hospital from 01 January 2013 to 01 January 2018. Brits Hospital is a 200-bed hospital serving people in the Brits/Madibeng community. Results Of the 477 parasuicide cases, the mean age was 26.6, the median 24 years with minimum and maximum ages respectively of 12 and 64 years. The majority (257; 53.88%) were between 16 and 25 years of age and comprised females (297; 62.26%), African (391; 82.84%), single people (352; 73.79%), unemployed (304; 63.7%) and those who had completed the secondary level of education, 300 (62.9%). The highest number of cases (85, 86 and 87) were registered during the odd years (2013, 2015 and 2017), while the lowest number (68, 75 and 76) during even years, i.e. 2014, 2016 and 2017. The summer months of January and February registered more cases, respectively 65 (13.63%) and 64 (13.42%). The majority of cases (430; 90.15%) represented a first attempt at suicide. Overdose of medication (300; 62.82%) was the most common method used and a relationship problem the main reason that led to the attempt. Most cases (409; 85.74%) did not have any medical or psychiatric symptoms prior to the parasuicide crisis. Conclusion This study painted a clear picture of parasuicidal cases attended at Brits Hospital, being younger between 16-25, mainly female, single, unemployed, the method used for parasuicide mostly overdose of medication and done mainly in Januaries and Februaries. Furthermore, reason for the parasuicidal attempt were relationship problem as well as unemployment. In most of the cases, it was the first attempt.