In view of the high incidence of rickets in infants of women practising purdah (the use of veils) in northern Nigeria we conducted a study on plasma calcium, phosphate, and serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25 OHD) concentrations in pregnant Nigerian women and in cord blood obtained from the newborns. Plasma calcium, phosphate, and serum 25 OHD concentrations were lower in practising women and their n...

Research on women’s social media practices in Muslim societies has primarily focused middle-class or elite women, such as influencers, activists, and members of online communities. However, we know little about working-class use contexts. Using ethnography interviews, I analyze TikTok’s early popularity with women Pakistan report three main findings. First, initial reception was fractured acros...

Between 1977 and 1981, 3089 patients attended the sexually transmitted diseases (STD) clinic in Zaria, northern Nigeria. The male-to-female ratio of attenders was 6:1. Postpubertal gonorrhoea accounted for 28.1% of cases, non-specific genital infections for 22.4%, and syphilis for 1.2%. Illiteracy, polygamy, the purdah system, widespread prostitution, and inadequate facilities are factors aidin...

The patient with vitamin D deficiency may manifest with osteomalacic myopathy which has been reported in females with poor nutrition and inadequate sun exposure, especially in community with Purdah practice in India. Clinical features of osteomalacic myopathy are painful symmetric proximal muscle weakness, waddling gait and brisk tendon jerks. We report a case of osteomalacic myopathy in a 25 y...