Health care for women international
-
Health Care Women Int · May 2006
The self-care strategies of girls with primary dysmenorrhea: a focus group study in Taiwan.
Dysmenorrhea is the most common gynaecological complaint and the leading cause of recurrent short-term school absenteeism among adolescent girls. To explore adolescent girls' self-care strategies for dysmenorrhea, we conducted four focus groups in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, with 23 female adolescents with primary dysmenorrhea. Thematic content analysis was used to explore and organize the data. ⋯ This is the first study to describe the self-care strategies adopted by adolescent girls with dysmenorrhea in Asia. Data were analyzed in cultural contexts. Knowledge of beneficial food-related or herbal health practices can enable professionals to counsel this population more effectively.
-
Health Care Women Int · May 2006
Knowledge of contraceptives and sexually transmitted diseases and contraceptive practices amongst young people in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
In this article, we examine knowledge of contraceptives and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and contraceptive practices amongst young Vietnamese people. We conducted a qualitative study on sexuality and abortion with young people in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Twelve female and 4 male young people were individually interviewed using an in-depth interview technique. ⋯ For the young people who did not use any contraceptives, sexual relations occurred unexpectedly. We conclude that creating a climate in which sexual issues can be discussed openly is an important step for the improvement of sexual health for young people. This will inevitably improve knowledge and understanding of contraceptives and STDs and may lead to a safer sexual life among this group of young people.