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Volume 2, Number 45
11 November 2002
FAMILY PLANNING / REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH LAW AND POLICY
US May Withhold Some WHO Research Funds (news article)
The Bush administration may withhold funds from a World Health
Organization program because it is doing research on the abortion
pill mifepristone, also known as RU-486.
Related press release: Is
Bush Administration "Turning Back the Clock" on Women's
Health and Rights?
The heads of leading organizations in the reproductive health
and population fields asserted that the Bush Administration would
be "turning back the clock" on women's health and rights
if recently reported US actions and statements at a regional meeting
on population held in Bangkok last week (29-31 October) now represent
official US policy. If, as appears to be the case, the Bush Administration
is withdrawing support for this agreement, it would mark a fundamental
shift in longstanding US foreign assistance policy and conflict
sharply with the Administration's oft-repeated support for women's
rights, family planning and related health programs.
Vatican Prefers Chastity to Condoms (news article)
The Vatican yesterday repeated its opposition to using condoms
as a way to fight AIDS, saying that chastity was the best way
to prevent the spread of the deadly virus.
Access
to Antiretroviral Drugs in Brazil 
(policy brief)
Since 1996, the Brazilian Ministry of Health has guaranteed free
and universal access to antiretroviral treatment for people living
with HIV/AIDS. The author notes that the Brazilian policy of antiretroviral
distribution has had notable success, but remains threatened by
the high cost of acquisition of drugs. Whether or not the Brazilian
model of guaranteeing access to antiretroviral treatment for people
living with HIV/AIDS can be applied in other countries or regions,
much can be learned from the country's experience.
FAMILY PLANNING / REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH RESEARCH
A
study on the knowledge and practice of contraception among men
in the United Arab Emirates (research abstract)
A total of 348 monogamously married men with children from the
United Arab Emirates (UAE) participated in this study. The authors
found that the level of awareness of contraception among men attending
primary care in UAE is moderate. Two-thirds of the study subjects
objected to the use of contraception by their wives and less than
20% practise contraception. This is partly due to sociocultural
traditions, religious beliefs, and poor knowledge.
Jordanian
Men's Attitudes and Views of Birth-spacing and Contraceptive Use
(a Qualitative Approach) (research abstract)
Six focus group discussions were conducted over a 3-month period,
with each group containing 6-10 men. The sample consisted of Jordanian
men residing in Amman. The researchers found that there was a
consensus among all men about the link between the concept of
birth-spacing/family planning and the concept of better health
for the mother and the child. The demand for an increasing number
of male children and the resistance of males to use condoms were
among the most prevalent unexpected phenomena noticed in this
study.
Where
is the Condom? Contraceptive Practice in a Rural District of South
Africa (research abstract)
Interviews were conducted with 848 African women aged 15-49 years
in a rural area of South Africa to determine the extent to which
condoms are used, reasons for contraceptive method choice and
unmet contraceptive need. Eleven women said they were using the
male condom. Many (70.3%) women were not using any form of contraception.
Differences
Between Emergency Contraception Users in the United States and
the United Kingdom (research abstract)
In this multi-center study, more US (16%) than UK (4%) women reported
additional acts (other than in the last 5 days) of unprotected
sex during the cycle in which they sought EC. Fifty-eight percent
of UK trial participants had used EC previously compared to 18%
in the United States. Most participants in both groups used contraception
regularly and reported needing EC because of condom breaks (67%
and 56%). More UK than US participants used an ongoing method
of contraception (38% v 28%). US women reported more side effects
at follow-up than UK women (76% v 59%).
FAMILY PLANNING / REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH NEWS
FDA
Approves New Female Sterilization Device (press release)
The Food and Drug Administration today approved a small metallic
implant that is placed into the fallopian tubes of women who wish
to be permanently sterilized. Unlike other currently available
surgical sterilization procedures for women, placement of the
device does not require an incision or general anesthesia. The
product is the Essure System manufactured by Conceptus, Inc.,
of San Carlos, Calif. FDA expedited review of the product because
of its potential benefit to couples seeking alternative means
of sterilization.
German Condom Maker Makes Big Gains (news article)
Asking people about their use of condoms is Oliver Gothe's business,
and he's turned it into a global success. Condomi AG, the company
he founded in 1988 with two college buddies, has grown from a
one-store boutique into Europe's biggest condom maker. Gothe says
he did it by sticking with the marketing technique he first honed
behind the counter as a college dropout: Listen to customers talk
about what they want.
Skeptics
Sour Over Lemon Juice as Aid in Birth Control (news article)
A group of Australian researchers is investigating the use of
lemon juice to act as a contraceptive and as a possible protectant
against HIV. Critics counter that many chemicals that can kill
HIV and other viruses in a laboratory setting are not as effective
when tested in humans.
South
Africa: Condom Companies Deflated Over Tender Loss (news article)
Hundreds of South Africans in the condom manufacturing business
have lost their jobs after contracts for the multi-million rand
industry were awarded to overseas companies.
When
It Comes to Sperm Competition, Size Can Matter: It's the Female
Who Holds the Aces (news article)
When it comes to mating and determining whose sperm reaches the
elusive egg, females control both the playing field and the rules
of the game, according to a new study on male sperm competition
vs. female choice.
Philippines:
Unions Want Condoms (news article)
Hard times nowadays have been prompting workers to seek better
coverage in collective bargaining agreements (CBAs): salary increases,
clothing allowance, rice subsidy - and a weekly supply of condoms.
Several labor unions have, in fact, successfully forged CBAs with
a specific stipulation on free condoms for workers, the Trade
Union Congress of the Philippines said.
HIV / AIDS RESEARCH
Perception
of Voluntary Screening for Paediatric HIV and Response to Post-test
Counselling by Nigerian Parents (Pubmed abstract)
The voluntary testing of young children and their parents may
provide an important entry point for the institution of control
measures. However, there is a paucity of knowledge about how individuals
perceive voluntary testing. Perceptions of good health and lack
of exposure, and despair owing to lack of a specific treatment,
were the common reasons for refusing consent. The fear of a break
up of families with sero-positive mothers but sero-negative fathers
was a major concern expressed during post-test counselling.
Changes
in HIV Testing After Implementation of Name-Based HIV Case Surveillance
in New Mexico (research abstract)
Related news article: Name-based
HIV Surveillance Not a Deterrent: Study
Name-based HIV case surveillance was implemented in New Mexico
on January 15, 1998. The objective of the present study was to
assess changes in HIV testing patterns after implementation of
HIV case surveillance. Overall, reporting policies seemed to be
a minor factor in the HIV testing decisions of individuals at
risk. The present results help to allay concerns about whether
implementing name-based HIV case surveillance serves as a deterrent
to HIV testing. Findings also support the recommendation that
states offer anonymous testing to encourage people to learn their
HIV serostatus. Ongoing assessment of the effect of surveillance
policies on HIV testing is needed as more states implement HIV
case surveillance.
Assessment
of Awareness on HIV/AIDS among Selected Target Groups in and around
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (research abstract)
More than 2,200 people were interviewed to determine attitudes
toward HIV/AIDS patients, information sources, and educational
status. Most survey respondents (93%) were aware of AIDS. 30%
believed HIV/AIDS patients can be identified through symptoms
rather than clinical diagnosis, and 10% never heard of ways to
prolong the life of AIDS patients.
HIV / AIDS NEWS
FDA
Approves New Rapid HIV Test Kit (press release)
HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson announced that the US Food and
Drug Administration has approved a new rapid HIV diagnostic test
kit that provides results with 99.6 percent accuracy in as little
as 20 minutes.
Slowing
the Spread of AIDS in India (editorial)
Bill Gates, chairman and chief software architect of Microsoft
and co-founder of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, writes
of the spread of AIDS in India and how to best confront the epidemic
there.
Gates Vows $100M to Fight India AIDS (news article)
The richest man in the world met with some of its poorest and
pledged $100 million to fight the spread of AIDS in India.
Russia
Fights Increase of AIDS Victims (feature article)
UNICEF recently released a report saying that the spread of AIDS
is growing faster in the former Soviet Union than anywhere else
in the world. The report warns that the victims are becoming younger
and more of those infected with the virus that causes AIDS are
female. To learn more about this growing problem, Voice of America's
Betty Van Etten went to the Saratov region of Russia, and spoke
with former prostitutes and intravenous drug users.
South
Africa: A Holistic Approach to Aids Care (news article)
With the help of big business, a centre has been set up to help
patients and their families. It sounds crass to call it a one-stop
AIDS shop, but that is exactly what it is. Amangwe village, about
30 km north of Richard's Bay in KwaZulu-Natal, will become an
integrated AIDS care centre that looks after both the people afflicted
with the syndrome and the social structure that is affected by
their illness.
Uganda:
HIV-Infected Kids Now Adults (news article)
The Ministry of Health warned that babies who got mother-to-child
HIV/AIDS infection in the mid-1980s were now adolescents and could
be innocently passing on the virus to their sexual partners. The
programme co-ordinator for the Sexually Transmitted Diseases and
the AIDS Control Programme in the Ministry of Health, said some
surviving parents of such children have had no courage or skill
to reveal their status, leaving the children in the dark. She
said there was an urgent need to address the sero-status of these
adolescents lest they caused a fresh round of the epidemic.
New
UN Project to Help Arab Countries Break Silence on HIV/AIDS
(news article)
With HIV/AIDS infections on the rise in Arab countries, the United
Nations Development Programme (UNDP) announced plans to work with
17 governments in the region to break the silence surrounding
the epidemic.
MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH RESEARCH
Vaginal
Birth After Cesarean Birth - California, 1996-2000 (report)
Related news article: Fewer
Women Giving Birth Vaginally After C-section
The rate of vaginal births among women who've had a previous cesarean
section dropped during the late 1990s in California, a decline
that mirrors national trends, US health officials report.
Pre-eclampsia
and Expression of Heparin-binding EGF-like Growth Factor (Pubmed
abstract)
Pre-eclampsia is a disorder of pregnancy associated with poorextravillous
cytotrophoblast invasion and above-normal rates of apoptosis in
trophoblast. Heparin-binding epidermal-growth-factor-like growth
factor (HB-EGF) has strong cytoprotective activity and is an important
signalling protein that regulates trophoblast invasion during
early placentation. The authors aimed to establish whether HB-EGF
expression is altered in placentae of pre-eclamptic women. It
was found that HB-EGF expression was reduced about five-fold (p=0.0001)
in pre-eclamptic pregnancies. In pre-eclampsia, deficient HB-EGF
signalling during placental development could impair trophoblast
survival, differentiation, and invasion, leading to poor placental
perfusion and hypertension.
Mothers'
Perspectives on the Quality of Postpartum Care in Central Shanghai,
China (research abstract)
The purpose of the study was to investigate mothers' perspectives
on the quality of postpartum care services in central Shanghai,
China. A majority of the mothers (90%; n = 45) were primiparas
(first time mothers). Half did not consider the postpartum services
to be of high quality. They defined high quality as 'full satisfaction
of the mother and the child'. Their perception of quality was
influenced by their concern about child care, an area in which
they expressed the need for further improvement.
Outcomes
of Pregnancy Among Women Living in the Proximity of Oil Fields
in the Amazon Basin of Ecuador (Pubmed abstract)
Oil companies have released billions of gallons of untreated wastes
and oil directly into the environment of the Ecuadorian Amazon.
This cross-sectional study investigated the environmental conditions
and reproductive health of women living in rural communities surrounded
by oil fields in the Amazon basin and in unexposed communities.
The authors found that after adjustment for potential confounders,
the pregnancies of women in exposed communities were more likely
to end in spontaneous abortion.
Breastmilk
Erythropoietin and Mother-to-child HIV Transmission Through Breastmilk
(Pubmed abstract)
A third to a half of the 1.5 million HIV-positive children in
the world today acquired their infection via breastfeeding. However,
what protects the 85% of breastfed babies of HIV-infected mothers
who do not become infected? The authors postulate that erythropoietin,
a hormone in human milk, has a role in the prevention of HIV transmission
during breastfeeding.
Effect
of Zinc Supplementation Started During Diarrhoea on Morbidity
and Mortality in Bangladeshi Children: Community Randomised Trial
(research article)
A trial in rural Bangladesh found that zinc treatment significantly
reduced the incidence of diarrhoea and acute lower respiratory
infection, admissions to hospital due of diarrhoea, and other
non-injury related causes of death in children. The impact on
mortality was large. Zinc treatment is a simple and inexpensive
intervention that can be used within existing diarrhoeal disease
control efforts.
Cross
Sectional, Community Based Study of Care of Newborn Infants in
Nepal (research article)
A study of 5000 births by Osrin and colleagues (p 1063) also found
a high risk of newborn hypothermia as babies were often not wrapped
until after delivery of the placenta and were usually bathed within
one hour of birth. However, nearly all babies were breast fed.
Improving communication with families about the basics of newborn
care is crucial to reduce high neonatal mortality.
Stress
During Labor and Delivery Is Associated with Delayed Onset of
Lactation among Urban Guatemalan Women (research abstract)
Researchers found that stress during labor and/or delivery is
likely to be a significant risk factor for delayed onset of lactation
in urban Guatemala.
MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH NEWS
Afghanistan:
UNICEF, US Warn of High Maternal Mortality Rates (news article)
UNICEF and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned
that Afghan women suffer from one of the highest rates of maternal
mortality in the world, with almost half of all deaths among women
of reproductive age resulting from pregnancy and childbirth.
Children
in the Gaza Strip Suffer Malnutrition (news article)
The Palestinian Ministry of Health has declared a nutritional
emergency, after a study from a leading aid organization showed
the extent of malnutrition among children living in the West Bank
and Gaza Strip.
Alternative
Therapy Struggles to Bridge East-West Divide (news article)
Moxibustion, a remedy used for centuries in China in which herbs
are burned close to the expectant mother's toe, is a simple and
inexpensive method that was found effective in turning breech
babies in a clinical trial in China four years ago. Seventy-five
percent of the fetuses whose mothers tried moxibustion rotated
into a head-first position, compared with 48 percent in the control
group who turned spontaneously. Despite these findings, hardly
any American obstetricians are using moxibustion today, and no
trials have been launched to test the procedure in the United
States.
MEN'S HEALTH RESEARCH
Allium
Vegetables and Risk of Prostate Cancer: A Population-Based Study
(research abstract)
Related news article:
Garlic May Repel Prostate Cancer
Garlic and onions could help prevent men developing prostate cancer.
In a recent study, men who ate the most vegetables had a 50% lower
risk of having prostate cancer than those who ate the least. The
benefits could be due to allium, a sulphur-based compound, which
is responsible for the characteristic smell.
Activation
of Mitogen-activated Protein Kinase Pathway by the Antiandrogen
Hydroxyflutamide in Androgen Receptor-negative Prostate Cancer
Cells (research abstract)
Related news article: Prostate-Cancer
Find Points to New Drug Target
Scientists have uncovered a cruel twist of fate in men who have
advanced prostate cancer. Doctors have long known that the medications
they use to treat prostate cancer effectively for one to two years
inevitably fail, leaving patients with few treatment options as
the disease progresses, killing more than 30,000 men in the United
States alone every year. Now scientists have discovered that at
least one such medication has a completely unexpected side effect:
The compound actually turns on a molecule known to cause cancerous
cells to grow.
Effects
of the Herbal Extract PC-SPES on Microtubule Dynamics and Paclitaxel-Mediated
Prostate Tumor Growth Inhibition (research abstract)
PC-SPES, a dietary supplement taken by some men as a treatment
for prostate cancer, may compromise the effectiveness of chemotherapeutic
agents, such as paclitaxel, by interfering with microtubule polymerization.
MEN'S HEALTH NEWS
Australia:
Don't Call Me Daddy (feature article)
It's the F word: fatherhood. Young men just don't want to be caught
holding the baby.
Norwegian
Penis Ring 'Can Help Impotent Men' (news article)
The Norwegian inventors of a battery-operated penis ring say it
can help cure impotence.
Testosterone
Replacement Therapy under Scrutiny (news article)
The Institute of Medicine and the National Institute on Aging
will form a multi-disciplinary task force to evaluate the benefits
and risks of testosterone replacement therapy in older men, the
two US agencies announced.
Men
Behaving Sadly (news article)
Australia's angst-ridden, too-often-silent blokes have inundated
the world's first national phone counselling service for men.
Men's Line has registered 60,000 calls in its first year, many
more than it can cope with, from angry, anxious and often suicidal
individuals.
POPULATION NEWS
China:
Birthrate Drops as Urbanites Delay Marriage, Pregnancy (news
article)
Contrary to widespread concerns that the baby boomers born in
the 1960s and 1970s might give birth to another baby boom, the
birthrate in major Chinese cities has continued to fall as most
urbanites choose to get married and have children at a much later
age.
Palestinian
Population Tops 9 Million (news article)
Palestinians at home and in the diaspora have topped the 9-million
figure, according to new statistical figures to be published by
the Palestinian General Bureau of Statistics.
WOMEN'S HEALTH RESEARCH
Herpes
Simplex Virus-2 as a Human Papillomavirus Cofactor in the Etiology
of Invasive Cervical Cancer (research abstract)
Related news article: Genital
Herpes May Increase Cervical Cancer Risk
Researchers have long known that women infected with the human
papillomavirus (HPV) are more likely than others to develop cervical
cancer, and new findings suggest that that risk may increase when
women have both HPV and genital herpes. New study findings suggest
that women with HPV and genital herpes appear to be between 2
and 3 times as likely to develop invasive cervical cancer as women
who had HPV alone.
A
First Look at Variations in Use of Breast Conserving Surgery at
Five Teaching Hospitals in Japan (research abstract)
The authors assessed variations in the use of breast conserving
surgery (BCS) for operable breast cancer patients among hospitals
in Japan, and then compared the length of stay (LOS) and total
charges during hospitalization between patients who received BCS
and those who received mastectomy. Results showed that twenty-six
percent of 614 subjects in the five hospitals received BCS. Proportions
of the use of BCS varied from 9% to 51% across five hospitals
during the 4-year period. This preliminary description of breast
cancer care in five teaching hospitals in Japan revealed variations
in the use of BCS.
Estrogen
Replacement Therapy for Menopausal Women with a History of Breast
Carcinoma (research abstract)
The authors conducted a prospective clinical trial to assess the
safety and efficacy of prolonged ERT in a group of menopausal
women with localized (Stage I or Stage II) breast carcinoma and
a minimum disease free interval of 2 years if estrogen receptor
(ER) was negative or 10 years if ER status was unknown. The authors
concluded that ERT did not compromise disease free survival in
select patients who were treated previously for localized breast
carcinoma.
WOMEN'S HEALTH NEWS
Afghanistan
Among Worst Places for Women's Health, Says UNICEF (news article)
Surveys conducted by UNICEF in four parts of Afghanistan have
found that Afghan women suffer from one of the highest levels
of maternal mortality in the world, with almost half of all deaths
among women aged 15 to 49 coming as a result of pregnancy and
childbirth.
YOUTH HEALTH RESEARCH
Is
Obesity Associated With Early Sexual Maturation? A Comparison
of the Association in American Boys Versus Girl (researchVatican Prefers Chastity to Condoms
abstract)
Related news article:
Overweight Boys Reach Sexual Maturity Later
Overweight boys are likely to finish puberty later than their
leaner peers, the exact opposite of the weight-maturity relationship
seen in girls.
Reaching
Homeless Youths for Chlamydia Trachomatis and Neisseria Gonorrhoeae
Screening in Denver, Colorado (research abstract)
The availability of urine based testing for Chlamydia trachomatis
(CT) and Neisseria gonorrhoeae (GC) provides a unique opportunity
to screen for these pathogens outside traditional clinical settings.
The researchers investigated the feasibility of street based CT/GC
screening in the context of an outreach programme among street/homeless
adolescents in Denver. CT/GC urine testing can be incorporated
into existing outreach programmes without considerable extra effort.
Overall CT rates were high and suggest the need for ongoing screening
in this manner.
YOUTH HEALTH NEWS
US:
More Teens Are Getting Married (news article)
The number of married teenagers surged nearly 50 percent during
the 1990s, reversing a decades-long decline. Marriage remains
fairly uncommon in this age group (only 4.5 percent of 15- to
19-year-olds were hitched in 2000), but researchers were nonetheless
surprised by the increase reported by the Census Bureau.
Brazil
Confronts Adolescent Sexual Health Issues (feature article)
Sérgio de Castro Nascimento does not hesitate when you
ask him what the greatest challenge of being an adolescent in
Brazil is. Nobody knows how to talk to you about sex, he says.
Not the government, not the family, not the teachers. Even health
professionals have trouble communicating clearly.
PROFILES / SPECIAL REPORTS
Maternal
Mortality in Afghanistan: Magnitude, Causes, Risk Factors, and
Preventability 
(executive summary)
Related press release: Afghanistan
is among Worst Places on Globe for Women's Health, Say UNICEF
and CDC
A new UNICEF and CDC report finds Afghan women suffer one of the
highest levels of maternal mortality across the world.
The
Jordan Report 20th Anniversay: Accelerated Development of Vaccines
2002 (report)
This edition of "The Jordan Report" published by National
Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases reviews the last
two decades and highlights important achievements in the field
of vaccinology. These achievements include new vaccines for hepatitis
B and "Haemophilus influenzae" type b as well as an
improved vaccine against whooping cough. The report also includes
expert perspectives on a variety of vaccine research-related topics
such as vaccine regulations, safety evaluations, economic considerations
and vaccine risk communication.
Facts
for Feeding: Birth, Initiation of Breastfeeding, and the First
Seven Days after Birth
(report)
Facts for Feeding is a series of publications on recommended feeding
and dietary practices to improve nutritional status at various
points in the life cycle.
Quantifying the Benefits of Breastfeeding: A Summary of the Evidence
(resource material)
This annotated bibliography summarizes the published literature
on the following six topics related to the benefits of breastfeeding:
infant morbidity because of diarrhea, acute respiratory infections,
otitis media and ear infections and other infectious diseases;
infant mortality because of diarrhea, acute respiratory infection,
and all causes; child development; chronic diseases, particularly
obesity, diabetes, and cancer; maternal health effects, with special
emphasis on breast and ovarian cancers; and economic benefits.
LAM
CD for Program Planners: An interactive multimedia resource on
the Lactational Amenorrhea Method (resource material)
This CD contains technical and programmatic information gathered
from a variety of projects and organizations around the world.
The information is in formats you can use to educate yourself,
advocate with others, and integrate LAM into your reproductive
health and maternal and child health program.
Inside
the Womb (feature article)
TIME magazine focuses on what scientists have learned about those
amazing first nine months, and what it means for mothers.
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