FAQ

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Disease can occur more commonly or rarely in different populations. This can be due to multiple reasons such as inherited (genetic) factors that are passed on to us from our parents as well as various environmental exposures or life style factors. In Northern Cyprus, we do not know the rates of women’s health conditions therefore; we cannot define the most burdensome and common health problems of women living in this community. In this study, we aim to determine the frequency and the distribution of women’s health conditions and related symptomatology, such as pelvic pain, to define the health profiles of women living in Northern Cyprus. Moreover, we aim to investigate how various life-style factors and inherited factors (genetics) affect women’s health in the population. In addition, we will quantify women’s access to health care and estimate economic burden of women’s health conditions in Northern Cyprus.

Women between the ages of 18 and 55 and citizens of Northern Cyprus or residents of Northern Cyprus for more than five years can take part in the study.

You will be asked to recall medical problems, which may cause some discomfort. There are no medical risks in taking part in the study. The pelvic ultrasound scan is risk-free and it is a daily routine conducted in the gynaecological clinics. All the research data will be stored anonymously and therefore, there is no risk for a confidentiality bridge.

The questionnaire data, the physical body measurements and ultrasound scan results will be stored in a secure cloud-based server space and transfer to high-compliance server space at University of Oxford. The paper-records will be stored in locked secure cabinets in Eastern Mediterranean University (EMU) until the end of the data collection phase, then transferred to Oxford University, and stored there in locked secure cabinets until the end of the study. The saliva samples will be shipped to the University of Oxford and used to extract genetic data that will be used in defining the ancestral background of this population and investigation of inherited factors for disease.

This research has been reviewed and given favourable opinion by the OxTREC Research Ethics Committee (37-17), Eastern Mediterranean Ethics Committee (ETK00-2017-0240) and Dr. Burhan Nalbantoglu Hospital Ethics Committee (EK008/18).

You can reach the study principal investigator Dr. Nilufer Rahmioglu via phone at 0548 860 1483 or 0542 888 5020 or email cohere.kisaa@gmail.com or nilufer@well.ox.ac.uk.