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The Pop Reporter®

Volume 2, Number 44
4 November 2002

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FAMILY PLANNING / REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH LAW AND POLICY

US Seeks Population Accord Shift (news article)
The Bush Administration, in what looms as a tough fight with other nations, is trying to revise a worldwide family planning agreement to eliminate language that could promote abortion. With White House approval, American negotiators intend to change or remove the support for reproductive health services and reproductive rights that were contained in the final declaration of a UN population conference in 1994.

Argentina: New Law to Provide for Free Birth Control (news article)
The Argentine Congress passed a new law on reproductive health that provides for free birth control methods and advice to women nationwide, and will help prevent teen pregnancy, back-alley abortions, cancer of the reproductive system and breasts, and the spread of sexually transmitted diseases. The bill was opposed by the Catholic Church and a group of senators, who held up the vote in the upper house for a year and a half.

South Africa: Legality of Workplace HIV Testing Questioned (news article)
In a bid to resolve widespread confusion within the legal fraternity about the legality of conducting workplace HIV testing, the AIDS Law Clinic is considering approaching the Labour Court for a declaratory ruling on the matter.

The Impact of Government Policies and Neighborhood Characteristics on Teenage Sexual Activity and Contraceptive Use (research abstract)
Researchers concluded that policymakers seem to have little leverage with regard to influencing the decision to become sexually active, although increased access to family planning services may encourage responsible contraceptive behavior. Neighborhood context is an important determinant of adolescent female sexual behavior.

South Africa: Sex Workers Call on Mbeki to Intervene (news article)
About 50 sex workers braved the rainy weather to march to the Union Buildings in Pretoria to hand over a memorandum to President Thabo Mbeki's office. The sex workers want their trade de-criminalised and they're calling on the president to intervene. They are also demanding that police stop harassing them.

Swazi King's Seizure of Girls Puts Women in Spotlight (news article)
Zena Mahlangu has been gone from her Swaziland home for just over two weeks and her mother Lindiwe Dlamini is already talking about her in the past tense: "As far as I know my daughter wanted to have a career...She wanted to be a psychologist." But Zena is not dead. She is being kept in a royal house after aides snatched the 18-year-old from school to become the king's wife. And Dlamini is suing the palace in a landmark case which observers say is not only a test of the monarch's absolute power over the tiny kingdom but of the position of all Swazi women.

FAMILY PLANNING / REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH RESEARCH

Investigation of Hormonal Male Contraception in African Men: Suppression of Spermatogenesis by Oral Desogestrel with Depot Testosterone (research abstract)
This is the first study of hormonal suppression of spermatogenesis in two African centres using a regimen of oral progestogen with depot testosterone. The data demonstrate that the combination of oral desogestrel with depot testosterone is an effective regimen for suppression of spermatogenesis in African as in Caucasian and Chinese men, with azoospermia achieved in a total of 83/98 (85%) men.

A Randomized Controlled Educational Intervention on Emergency Contraception Among Drugstore Personnel in Southern Thailand (research abstract)
This study documented the effectiveness of an educational intervention in improving knowledge of and practice in dispensing emergency contraception (EC) among drugstore personnel in Thailand. Dispensing practices at baseline were poor to fair and knowledge was fair in both groups. Sellers in the intervention group improved significantly in choice of drug, advice provided, and knowledge of the time limit for initiating EC, but those in the control group did not.

Primary and Secondary Syphilis, United States, 2000-2001 (report)
Related news article: Syphilis Rates in U.S. Men Up in 2001, Reversing Trend
Reversing a longstanding downward trend, syphilis rates in the US appear to be increasing again. Syphilis cases in the US rose by 2% between 2000-2001 from 5,979 cases to 6,103 cases.

Pregnancies Diagnosed During Depo-Provera Use (research abstract)
Related news article: Depo-Provera Users Can Miss Unplanned Pregnancies
Just a tiny fraction of the women who use the injected hormonal birth-control method called Depo-Provera become pregnant, but many of those who do don't realize they are pregnant until after the first trimester. Almost one fifth of the women who became pregnant while receiving Depo-Provera received additional injections after they conceived.

The Local Progestational Effect of the Levonorgestrel-Releasing Intrauterine System: A Sonographic and Doppler Flow Study (research abstract)
This prospective controlled study evaluated the effect of the levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system (LNG-IUS) on the uterine vasculature and the endometrium.

Long-term Effects of Oral Contraceptives on Ovarian Cancer Risk (research abstract)
Several epidemiologic studies have reported a protective effect of oral contraceptives (OCs) on ovarian cancer. However, there remain open issues, including better quantification of time-related factors such as time since last use, age at first use and time since first use. The present analysis indicates that, after taking into account duration of OC use, the OC protection from ovarian cancer persists for a long time after stopping use.

FAMILY PLANNING / REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH NEWS

Researcher to Refine Contraceptive Implant (news article)
Australia is leading a world first project aimed at finding a treatment for women who experience irregular bleeding by the use of contraceptives.

Oral Sex Isn't Safe Sex, Especially for Women, Montreal Conference Told (news article)
Engaging in oral sex doesn't mean practising safe sex - and that's especially true for women, a Montreal public-health physician warned Thursday at a national conference. Dr. Marc Steben, an expert on infectious diseases, said that women are at heightened risk of contracting the human papilloma virus through oral sex.

Discussing Sexuality Fosters Sexual Health (feature article)
Every woman seeking reproductive health services brings her entire life's story with her. It is a story that providers should be prepared to listen to with respect because it may contain information vital to the woman's health and well-being.

Gender Stereotypes Compromise Sexual Health (feature article)
Expectations about what it means to be a man or a woman, which are a basic part of most children's socialization, can also greatly affect sexual health. This article describes how such gender stereotypes can increase vulnerability to violence, sexual exploitation, unplanned pregnancy, unsafe abortion, and STIs, including HIV.

When Partners Talk, Behavior May Change (feature article)
Many men and women fail to protect themselves against unplanned pregnancy and STIs, or to optimize their sexual health, in part because they find it difficult, if not impossible, to discuss with their partners subjects related to sexuality. Research described in this article suggests that facilitating communication between husbands and wives helps these couples agree upon and meet their reproductive goals.

Relisting Postinor (letter to the editor)
The writer argues that the Philippines' Department of Health's delay in making Postinor available denies all women in the Philippines their right to prevent pregnancy.

Unsafe Abortions Cause 20,000 Deaths a Year in Nigeria (research abstract)
The Society of Gynaecologists and Obstetricians of Nigeria estimates that about 20 000 Nigerian women die from unsafe abortions each year. The figure comes from studies carried out by the society and Nigeria's Ministry of Health. The estimate also tallies with the result of a nationwide survey conducted by Friday Okonofua, dean of the School of Medicine at the University of Benin and executive director of the Women's Health and Action Research Centre in Nigeria. This survey showed that an estimated 610,000 unsafe abortions a year are carried out in Nigeria, and that about half of the 20,000 women who die from the complications of unsafe abortion are adolescents. The death rate from unsafe abortions is thought to be one of the highest in Africa.

Malawi: UNFPA Stresses Reproductive Health Care Needs Amid Food Crisis (news article)
Slowing the spread of HIV/AIDS in Malawi and preventing the nation's already high maternal mortality rate from climbing must be addressed as an integral part of the humanitarian response to Southern Africa's famine.

Syphilis Patients on the Rise in East (news article)
A Slovak doctor believes that an increased number of patients infected with syphilis in his area is a regional phenomenon resulting from social and political changes after the fall of communism.

HIV / AIDS RESEARCH

Salivary Secretory Leukocyte Protease Inhibitor Is Associated with Reduced Transmission of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 through Breast Milk (research abstract)
Related news article: Substance in Saliva Protects Babies from Mom's HIV
Babies with relatively high levels of a particular compound in their saliva appear to be less likely than others to acquire HIV from their infected mothers at one month of age.

HIV Infection and Pregnancy Status Among Adults Attending Voluntary Counseling and Testing in 2 Developing Countries (research abstract)
This study investigated the impact of HIV voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) on reproduction planning among 1,634 adults in Kenya and Tanzania. At 6 months post-VCT, the women more likely to be pregnant were younger, not using contraceptives, and HIV infected. An interaction emerged linking pregnancy intention at baseline and HIV serostatus with pregnancy at
follow-up. The authors concluded that HIV diagnosis may influence reproduction planning for women but not for men.

HIV / AIDS NEWS

China calls for global help to fight AIDS (news article)
China's health minister has called for international help in AIDS research and training in a bid to stop the disease spreading through the world's most populous country.

India: As Many as 22,400 Cases Reported in National Capital (news article)
Concerned over the growing number of HIV positive cases, the Delhi Government today launched Mobile Health Clinics and blood collection vehicles to provide medicare services in slum areas more prone to develop sexually transmitted and other communicable diseases.

Can Laos Keep Aids at Bay? (news article)
Why has Laos been so successful at keeping the epidemic at bay? One factor is the isolation of the country. Another is the Lao government's quick action to educate its population. The Lao authorities, supported by international agencies, have used imaginative means to get their message to even the remotest villages, from mobile puppet shows to elephants draped with condom adverts.

AIDS Crisis Looms, But Awareness Levels Low, In India (news article)
AIDS is spreading in India at an alarming rate, fueled -experts say - by an increasingly casual attitude toward sex coupled with a tradition of public silence and reluctance to grasp the issues.

'India Could be Model in AIDS Prevention' (news article)
India can become a model for preventing the spread of HIV and AIDS because of the interest shown by the government and organisations fighting the disease, according to US software mogul Bill Gates. "In India, because the government is interested and partners are interested, we think we can make it into a model for preventing the spread of the disease," said the Microsoft chief, the world's richest person.

MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH RESEARCH

Pre-eclampsia, Antiretroviral Therapy, and Immune Reconstitution (PubMed abstract)
Antiretrovirals are standard treatment for HIV-1-positive women during pregnancy in the UK, but little is known about maternal or fetal safety. In this cohort study of 214 pregnant women with HIV-1 infection, those who received no antiretroviral therapy had a rate of pre-eclampsia significantly lower (none of 61) than those on triple antiretroviral therapy.

Does Fear of Childbirth During Pregnancy Predict Emergency Caesarean Section? (research abstract)
Related news article: Fear of Delivery Does Not Up C-Section Risk
New research finds that women who are anxious about childbirth are not more likely to need an emergency caesarian section, contrasting an earlier Swedish study that suggested anxiety over the trauma of labor increased the chances of an emergency C-section.

Birth Order, Gestational Age, and Risk of Delivery Related Perinatal Death in Twins: Retrospective Cohort Study (research abstract)
Related news article: C-Section May Be Safer Option for Twins
Second twins born vaginally face a greater risk of complications and death than twins delivered first, British researchers report.

MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH NEWS

Afghan Pregnancy Death Rate Soars (news article)
Warnings have been issued about the soaring maternal death rates in Afghanistan after it was revealed that 50 women die each day. The vast majority of these pregnancy-related deaths are preventable, say experts.

Most US Moms Receive Many Interventions in Labor (news article)
Although most women in the United States appear satisfied with their experience when giving birth to a child, the majority also received seven different medical interventions during labor, according to new survey findings.

MEN'S HEALTH RESEARCH

Lifetime Correlates Associated with Amphetamine Use Among Northern Thai Men Attending STD and HIV Anonymous Test Sites (PubMed abstract)
The authors conclude from their research that associations between young age, gonorrhea, other substance use and amphetamines indicate that prevention measures could occur at STD clinics and be incorporated into school programs when individuals are entering adolescence.

MEN'S HEALTH NEWS

'Breast Cancer Gene' Boosts Prostate Risk, Too (news article)
A genetic variation that makes women more susceptible to breast and ovarian cancer also raises a man's risk of developing prostate cancer.

China Highlights Men's Sexual Health (news article)
A hundred communities in 16 Chinese cities promoted sexual health advice services for men last week to mark the country's third Male Health Day.

Australia: More Men Don't Want Children (news article)
It seems the new breed of Australian men are not up to the Darwinian task of spreading their seed. More than a quarter of young men do not expect to have children.

POPULATION RESEARCH

International Migration 2002 (wallchart)
Related news article: World's Migrant Population Hits 175 Million
With some 175 million people currently residing in a country that they were not born in, the number of migrants in the world has more than doubled since 1975. A new wall chart produced by the UN Population Division shows that 56 million migrants live Europe, 50 million in Asia, and 41 million in Northern America. Some 40 percent of all migrants live in the less developed regions.

POPULATION NEWS

Trends: Population, Migration, Food (feature article)
During the 20th century, the world's population quadrupled, and the share in rural areas fell sharply, from 86 percent in 1900 to 53 percent in 2000.

Philippines: Businessmen Join the Population Debate (opinion)
As Miguel Varela, president of Philippines Inc. puts it, the private and corporate sector has a pivotal role to play in population management. The country's uncontrolled population growth, he stresses, which stands at 2.3 percent annually, the highest in Southeast Asia, adversely affects socioeconomic development, particularly the war on poverty.

Bangladesh Makes Impressive Gains in Population, Child Health Sectors (news article)
Bangladesh has made impressive gains in population and child health sectors with support from USAID and other donors over the past twenty-five years.

Scotland: Economy Fears as Birth Rate Falls (news article)
Scotland is facing a population time-bomb with the birth rate falling to its lowest level since records began almost 150 years ago, leading to fears for the economy.

WOMEN'S HEALTH RESEARCH

Functional Ovarian Cysts in Premenopausal and Gynecologically Healthy Women (research abstract)
Related news article: Oral Contraceptives Cut Risk of Ovarian Cysts
Women using oral contraceptives are considerably less likely to develop ovarian cysts than those not taking the pill.

WOMEN'S HEALTH NEWS

Breast-Feeding May Lower Rheumatoid Arthritis Risk (news article)
Women who spend a total of 2 or more years of their lives breast-feeding may be less likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis than those who breast-feed for 3 months or less.

In Sudan, Female Circumcision Resists Abolition Efforts (news article)
Female circumcision practice affects all social classes.

Pakistan's Fiery Shame: Women Die in Stove Deaths (feature article)
Stove death is the bitter expression used to refer to the fiery punishment meted out to wives in Pakistan. In Islamabad alone, 4,000 women are believed to have been set ablaze.

YOUTH HEALTH RESEARCH

Young People's Views on Provision of Sexual Health Services (research abstract)
Several findings in this study challenged existing models of care for young people's sexual health services. Notably, pupils wanted clinics to run more frequently than the usual once a week; the staff attributes that were most important were attitudinal rather than to do with sex, age, or physical appearance; and they did not mind if the waiting room contained older people. Many findings, however, agreed with existing data: young people wanted the clinic to be open after school; girls preferred to attend with a friend; a confidential, walk-in service was preferred.

Youth Reproductive Health Services in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe (PubMed abstract)
his study examines young people's access to reproductive healthcare services via an urban youth advisory centre in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. Analysis suggests that even where clinics are spatially accessible, barriers to access include temporal factors, lack of factual knowledge and stigmatisation. The paper concludes that spatial accessibility is not the only factor necessary to ensure equal access to health services.

YOUTH HEALTH NEWS

Study Warns of Massive Ignorance of HIV/AIDS Among Chinese Youth (news article)
Health officials warn that China's young people are grossly unaware of how HIV/AIDS is spread, saying two-thirds of students in a recent joint UN study think mosquito bites contribute to its spread and half are unaware that condom use can reduce the risk of contracting the disease.

Canada: Young Women have Higher STD Rates than Men (news article)
The Youth in Canada study of 2.1 million young people shows that, while few teenagers between 15 and 19 have AIDS, young women in this age group have the highest rates of gonorrhea and chlamydia of any age group in the country.

Sex Often Part of Casual Teen Relationships (news article)
A new survey of 15- to 17-year-olds has found that, at least in terms of teens' perceptions, oral sex and intercourse are nearly as common in casual relationships as they are in more serious, committed relationships. While 26% of surveyed teens said that oral sex was part of a dating relationship, 23% said that oral sex was typical of a casual relationship, "hooking up." Twenty-seven percent said dating relationships "almost always" or "most of the time" included sexual intercourse, while 24% said intercourse was usually part of a casual relationship.

PROFILES / SPECIAL REPORTS

National Population Policies 2001 (database)
This database from the U.N. Department of Economic and Social Affairs Population contains the "most comprehensive and up-to-date information" on population policy issues for all member and nonmember states, with data going back to the 1970s. The publication contains information on national population policies, including population growth, fertility, mortality, international migration and distribution. The document also contains key demographic indicators. The database is compressed in a .zip format, so you must have software to extract this file.

India: Is Mumbai Ready for a Sex Lesson? (news article)
It's India first and only sex education exhibition and it's bold. Packed with nude mannequins in unabashed poses and pictures that tell it like it is, the exhibition hopes to help Mumbaikars deal with life's tricky issues head-on.

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