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Volume 2, Number 50
16 December 2002
FAMILY PLANNING / REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH LAW AND POLICY
US
Defends Family Planning Policies at Bangkok Conference (news
article)
The United States has been defending its aid policy on family planning
at an international conference in Bangkok.
Chinese Debate Expulsion of Student Pair (news article)
The expulsions of a pregnant student and her boyfriend from a Chinese
university have touched off a rare public debate about sexual morality.
The pair was expelled in October after a school doctor found the
19-year-old woman was pregnant. The doctor reported the pregnancy
to school officials, who forced the woman, a student of law and
economics, to write a confession naming her 21-year-old lover, where
and when they met and how many times they had sex.
Donor
Dealings: The Impact of International Donor Aid On Sexual and Reproductive
Health Services (commentary)
Since the Cairo International Conference on Population and Development
(ICPD) in 1994, international donors to population and AIDS programs
have been called on to respond to the ICPD goals for expanded and
holistic reproductive health services. How have they met the call?
To explore this and other related questions, the author looks first
at the changing face of donors to sexual and reproductive health,
the nature of their support and the inherent problems associated
with their support. She then considers whether and how donors support
the Cairo agenda, and discusses the opportunities presented by recent
health systems changes.
Traditional
Medicine and Reproductive Health in Africa (editorial)
There has been Intense public health debate in many parts of Africa
to determine the most appropriate official policy towards traditional
medicines for reproductive health care. The author argues that because
traditional practitioners work more closely with the grassroots
(as compared to orthodox practitioners), traditional practitioners
would be more able to advocate for changing behaviours that impact
negatively on reproductive health in Africa.
India
Announces Plan to Inform HIV Infected Blood Donors (news article)
India's health ministry last week announced that blood donors found
to be HIV positive would be told of their infection and asked to
seek confirmatory tests and counselling.
FAMILY PLANNING / REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH RESEARCH
10th
Report on Carcinogens (report)
Related press release:
Estrogens Top New Carcinogens List
The US government today published its biennial Report on Carcinogens,
adding steroidal estrogens used in estrogen replacement therapy
and oral contraceptives to its official list of "known"
human carcinogens. This and 15 other new listings bring the total
of substances in the report, "known" or "reasonably
anticipated" to pose a cancer risk, to 228.
Reversible
Infertility in Male Mice After Oral Administration of Alkylated
Imino Sugars: A Nonhormonal Approach to Male Contraception (research
abstract)
Related news article: Drug
Shows Promise As Male Birth Control Pill
Researchers found that a drug called NB-DNJ, which is used to treat
a genetic disorder called Gaucher's disease, made mice temporarily
infertile. Mice became infertile after taking the pill for 3 weeks,
and they regained their fertility within a month of stopping the
drug.
Accessibility
and Use of Contraceptives in Vietnam (research article)
The authors of this study examine the Vietnam Demographic and Health
Survey and find that nearly 84% of currently married Vietnamese
women (100% of those in urban areas and 80% of those in rural areas)
lived within one kilometer of at least one source of family planning
services in 1997. Community health centers and drugstores were the
most readily accessible services for Vietnamese women.
Reconciling
Cost Recovery with Health Equity Concerns in a Context of Gender
Inequality and Poverty: Findings From a New Family Health Initiative
in Bangladesh (research article)
The authors examine client and community reactions to changes in
the reproductive health services offered by non-governmental organizations
in Bangladesh. The new model offers family planning and basic health
services at clinics, and provides contraceptive supplies through
village depots rather than doorstep delivery. Caught between an
increasing emphasis on cost recovery and a mandate to continue providing
basic services to clients who cannot afford to pay, providers need
a transparent system for providing credit and fee exemption.
In
Search of Seamless Transition to Post-Lactational Amenorrhea Method
Contraception (commentary)
Despite the compelling evidence showing that the lactational amenorrhea
method works, many family planning providers in the field remain
unconvinced. Guidelines for use of the method implicitly assume
that once a woman is informed about the lactational amenorrhea method,
she will be protected against pregnancy as long as she meets its
simple criteria, and that the health care system will operate to
allow a smooth transition from lactational amenorrhea to another
contraceptive method. Unfortunately, it is overly optimistic to
assume that women who wish to continue practicing contraception
will make a smooth transition from lactational amenorrhea to another
method. To improve the transition from lactational amenorrhea to
other contraceptive methods, providers must learn to trust the basic
assumption behind the lactational amenorrhea method--if a woman
meets all three criteria for lactational amenorrhea, the likelihood
of pregnancy is very small.
FAMILY PLANNING / REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH NEWS
UK
Campaigners Demand Baby Sex Selection Ban (news article)
A campaign to ban sex selection was launched in Britain on Friday
amid claims that clinics are exploiting the traditional preference
for boys among the Indian population. The campaigners said sex selection
was outlawed in 1994 in India because it was dramatically changing
the ratio of girls to boys but the practice remained legal in Britain
where clinics were advertising in Punjabi newspapers.
Researchers
Examine Protection Potential of Diaphragm (news article)
Activists are calling for more research into the use of diaphragms
in developing countries as a woman-controlled means of preventing
the spread of HIV/AIDS.
'Harmless
Procedure' Used to Sterilize Kurdish Women (news article)
Human rights organizations accuse the Turkish government of forcing
Kurdish women to undergo sterilization.
Namibia
Starts Condom Factory (news article)
With HIV/AIDS infection rates rising faster in Namibia, the government
has set up a condom factory to ensure that there is enough supply
of condoms in the country.
Uganda
to Build Condom Factory (news article)
Uganda will soon start manufacturing condoms. The decision to manufacture
condoms locally is as a result of the proven high consumption in
the country. The condoms would be supplied to other countries in
the region.
WHO,
China Testing Male Birth Control Pill (news article)
The World Health Organization and the government of China are funding
a study to test a new contraceptive for men that scientists hope
could become the male version of the birth control pill. In the
current WHO-Chinese study, 1,000 men from 10 locations are receiving
monthly testosterone shots and, once their sperm count drops low
enough, having unprotected sex with their partners.
HIV / AIDS RESEARCH
Visualization
of the Intracellular Behavior of HIV in Living Cells (research
abstract)
Related news article: UIC
Scientists Provide First Images Of HIV In Living Cells
In stunning color images using time-lapse microscopy, researchers
at the University of Illinois at Chicago have for the first time
captured the very earliest stages of HIV infection in living cells.
Differences
in Histoplasmosis in Patients with Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
in the United States and Brazil (research abstract)
Demographic and clinical parameters among patients with acquired
immunodeficiency syndrome and histoplasmosis in Brazil and United
States were compared. Of 21 treated case patients, 4 (19%) died,
a rate similar to that of the US case patients (5%-13%). By nuclear
gene, the Brazilian isolates were equally divided between South
American classes 5 and 6, and RAPD-PCR showed 18 distinct genetic
fingerprints in 20 isolates. Skin lesions are more common in infection
with class 5 or 6 organisms than with class 2 Histoplasma capsulatum.
The role of genetic differences in the organism as a cause for the
clinical differences requires investigation.
HIV / AIDS NEWS
New
International Coalition Aims to Expand Global Access to HIV/AIDS
Treatment (press release)
A group of some 50 non-governmental bodies, international agencies
and national governments announced the creation of a new alliance
to help poor countries gain access to costly treatments to halt
the spread of AIDS.
HIV
Trick Helps Explain Failed Vaccine Attempts (news article)
Scientists have discovered a new way HIV evades the body's immune
response, helping to explain why it has been so hard to develop
a broadly effective AIDS vaccine.
China
Urges Safer Sex in Rural Areas and Among Migrant Workers (news
article)
Family planning associations throughout China will be asked to do
a better job of teaching the rural and migrant population about
safe sex to prevent HIV/AIDS.
South
Africa: State Softens Stance on AIDS Drugs (news article)
The government's stance on the use of anti-retroviral drugs is increasingly
softening, with Deputy President Jacob Zuma saying their use could
improve the condition of people living with AIDS. This represents
a major shift in the government's position, which had been that
anti-retroviral drugs were toxic.
Kenya:
Check HIV Spread in Children, Urges Unicef (news article)
United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef) has asked the Government
to take urgent action to protect children against increasing HIV/Aids
infection. And Unicef has expressed concern that over 50 per cent
of orphans in Kenya are out of school. Unicef Kenya Officer in charge
of Hiv/Aids Unit said four out of every ten children born to HIV
positive mothers are infected.
MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH RESEARCH
Self
Help Smoking Cessation in Pregnancy: Cluster Randomised Controlled
Trial (research article)
A low cost, self help intervention to stop smoking in pregnancy
was acceptable to midwives and pregnant women, but was ineffective
when implemented during routine antenatal care. A trial randomized
midwives either to continue to provide pregnant smokers with normal
care or additionally to introduce a series of self help booklets
to encourage smoking cessation and prevent relapse. Cessation rates
were similar in both trial arms, but substantially lower than the
self reported rates on which current smoking policy is based.
National
Vital Statistics Reports: Mean Age of Mother, 1970-2000 
(report)
Related news article: American
Women Waiting to Begin Families (press release)
The average American woman was almost 25 years old when she had
her first child in the year 2000. That's compared to an average
age of 21.4 years for a first birth in 1970, according to a new
report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The
report also shows that the average age of mothers for all births
rose from 24.6 years to 27.2 over the past three decades.
Inverse
Correlation between Memory Gag-Specific Cytotoxic T Lymphocytes
and Viral Replication in Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Infected Children
(research abstract)
A previous study showed that, during the first year of life, the
presence of cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) in human immunodeficiency
virus (HIV)-infected children is associated with a lack of rapid
progression to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. The goal of the
study was to address the role of CTLs in children who survived after
age 5 years. Results of this study showed the beneficial role of
HIV-specific CTLs in children who survived after age 5 years.
Domestic
Violence During Pregnancy in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (PubMed
abstract)
To estimate the prevalence and risk groups of domestic violence
during pregnancy among public health care users in Rio de Janeiro,
Brazil. The study focuses on violence perpetrated by both women
and partners. Physical violence mainly occurred among adolescent
women with less schooling, who did not work outside the home, with
fewer prenatal appointments, and with little social support. Families
with more under-five children, alcohol and drug abuse, and low socio-economic
status were also involved more frequently. High prevalence rates
for various forms of domestic violence in Brazil suggest that the
issue should be viewed as a major public health problem.
Infant
Feeding and Lactational Amenorrhea in Sagamu, Nigeria (research
abstract)
This paper describes the infant feeding practices of women in Sagamu,
Nigeria. Compared with similarly selected women in other countries,
they regularly fed their infants with supplements from a very early
age, yet breastfeeding frequency and duration did not decline dramatically.
Childcare
Practices of Commercial Sex Workers (research abstract)
Researchers studied commercial sex workers (CSWs) in Kibera slum,
Nairobi, Kenya, to determine their childcare practices. They found
that there was more emphasis on the physical rather than psychological
aspect of childcare. Health seeking behaviour for the children was
hampered by lack of funds and to some extent alcohol consumption
by the mothers
MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH NEWS
Western
Africa: Truck Drivers Help Pregnant Women (news article)
There are few transport links in many parts of Africa. Villagers
in parts of Western Africa have come up with an ingenious way of
helping pregnant women get to hospital. They place yellow flags
on the side of major roads to literally flag down passing truck
drivers.
Stressed
Parents Have Smaller Babies (news article)
Babies tend to weigh less and be shorter at birth if their fathers
are unemployed or their mothers are stressed out and do not take
enough maternity leave, a study by the Chinese University has found.
MEN'S HEALTH RESEARCH
The
Relationship Between Environmental Exposures to Phthalates and DNA
Damage in Human Sperm Using the Neutral Comet Assay (research abstract)
Related news article: Study
Links Chemical to Sperm Damage
A chemical used to preserve cosmetics and fragrances may cause damage
to sperm in adult men. However, scientists are unsure as to whether
this damage could leave men infertile, or cause birth defects.
Air
Pollution Induces Heritable DNA Mutations (research abstract)
Related news article: Study
Looks at Pollution, Gene Mutations
Exposure to air pollution from steel mills may cause genetic mutations
that are passed by fathers to their offspring, according to a study
in mice.
MEN'S HEALTH NEWS
Men's
Contraceptive Options Slowly Improve (news article)
Endocrinologist William J. Bremner says men might be more likely
to take responsibility for birth control if they had more methods
from which to choose. Bremner is director of a new male contraception
research center at the University of Washington in Seattle, created
with $9.5 million in funding from the National Institutes of Health.
While women sometimes wonder aloud why there isn't a version of
the birth-control pill for men, Bremner thinks the ultimate goal
should be to create an array of new male methods to match different
needs and preferences.
POPULATION RESEARCH
Revisiting
Aspects of Nigeria's Population Policy (research abstract)
This article reviews the current demographic and contraceptive profile
of Nigeria and recommends a review of the national population policy.
A
Preliminary Assessment of the Quality of the 1998 Malawi Population
and Housing Census Data (research abstract)
The preliminary results of the 1998 Malawi Population and Housing
Census (MPHC) indicated that the population of Malawi was 9.8 million.
But this figure is less than estimates prepared by most national
and international institutions, which estimated the population of
Malawi in 1998 at around 11 million. This paper argues that the
population figure obtained from the 1998 census, like most other
censuses in developing countries, were underreported. Consequences
of this overestimate include a false sense of success for the national
family planning program and a distorted Gross Domestic Product per
capita, suggesting a general improvement in the quality of life
contrary to the situation.
POPULATION NEWS
150-year low for births and weddings (news article)
Birth and marriage rates in South Australia have fallen to the lowest
level in 150 years, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
Nigeria:
Nwosu Advocates Increased Campaign Against Population Growth
(news article)
Nigeria's Minister of Health has called for increased campaign aimed
at creating enough awareness on the problems associated with population
explosion in the country.
Ukraine's
Population on the Decrease (news article)
During ten months of the current year, Ukraine's population decreased
293,850.
Uganda:
Control Population Growth - Sendaula (news article)
Hardly a fortnight after two East African Presidents advocated for
bigger populations, finance minister Gerald Sendaula has emphatically
called on Ugandans to have as few children as possible.
UK:
Birth rate at all-time low (news article)
The birth rate in England and Wales has fallen to an all-time low.
The average number of children per woman is just 1.64 - the lowest
since records began in 1924.
Population
Loss in South Africa, Botswana (news article)
South Africa and Botswana are among the seven countries facing the
largest population losses between now and 2050, according to the
2002 World Population Data Sheet.
WOMEN'S HEALTH RESEARCH
Use
of Alternative and Complementary Medicine in Menopause (PubMed
abstract)
The purpose of this study was to review the clinical evidence available
for the treatment of menopausal symptoms with alternative and complementary
medicine. The Medline, PreMedline and Cochrane electronic databases
for the years 1980-2002 were searched for articles concerning soy
products, black cohosh, dong quai, acupuncture, ginseng and evening
primrose oil. Results showed that soy isoflavones slightly decrease
total cholesterol and LDL levels. The clinical significance of this
small change is yet to be determined. The synthetic isoflavone derivative
ipriflavone increases bone mineral density in healthy peri- and
postmenopausal women with moderate bone mineral densities. Alternative
and complementary medicine may play a role in the management of
menopause, however, well-designed large studies are still needed.
WOMEN'S HEALTH NEWS
New
3-D Mammography System May Improve Breast Imaging (news article)
A new approach to mammography, developed by researchers at Massachusetts
General Hospital, holds the potential for greatly improving the
detection of breast lesions and the ability to predict whether they
are benign or malignant. Among the new technique's advantages, called
digital tomosynthesis, is a significant reduction in false positive
test results.
Women
Confused About HRT (news article)
A new national poll reveals that women are confused about hormone
replacement therapy, perhaps not surprising in the wake of several
recent studies on the subject.
Family
Breast Cancer History Won't Up Uterine Risk (news article)
Breast cancer and endometrial cancer share several risk factors,
but women with a family history of breast cancer do not have an
increased risk of endometrial cancer.
Kenya:
FGM Continues Despite Seminars (news article)
Female genital mutilation (FGM) in Nyamira District continues despite
seminars organised against it.
YOUTH RESEARCH
Young
Women's Accounts of Factors Influencing Their Use and Non-use of
Emergency Contraception: In-depth Interview Study (research
article)
Several factors influence whether young women choose to use emergency
contraception. In-depth interviews of 30 women aged 16-25 were carried
out. Those women who expressed the strongest desire to avoid pregnancy
used emergency contraception if necessary. Women who did not use
emergency contraception felt less vulnerable to pregnancy, had negative
associations with emergency contraception and the people who used
it, or found it difficult to seek or ask for emergency contraception.
Effect
of a Clinical Practice Improvement Intervention on Chlamydial Screening
Among Adolescent Girls (research abstract)
Although annual C. trachomatis screening of sexually active adolescent
girls is recommended by health professional organizations the goal
is not being met. The authors therefore set out to test the effectiveness
of a system-level, clinical practice improvement intervention designed
to increase C. trachomatis screening by using urine-based tests
for sexually active adolescent girls identified during their routine
checkups at a pediatric clinic. Results indicated that implementation
of this clinical practice intervention in a large health maintenance
organization system was feasible, and it significantly increased
the C. trachomatis screening rates for sexually active adolescent
girls during routine checkups.
Reproductive
Choices for Asian Adolescents: A Focus on Contraceptive Behavior
(research article)
Societal pressures and a lack of access to appropriate information
and services discourage contraceptive use among married adolescents
in South and Southeast Asia, according to this new study. Because
early, frequent childbearing can endanger the health of young women
and their children, the authors argue that more attention must be
paid to adolescents' needs for accurate information about contraceptives
and for user-friendly services. The analysis uses national survey
data from Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines,
Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam to examine adolescents' contraceptive
behavior.
Prevalence
of Gonococcal and Chlamydial Infections and Sexual Risk Behavior
Among Youth in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (PubMed abstract)
No community-based study on the magnitude of sexually transmitted
diseases (STDs) has ever been conducted among young people in Ethiopia.
The goal of this study was to assess the magnitude of and infections
and status of sexual risk behavior among youths (15-24 years old)
in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Report of sexual activity was significantly
associated with being male, an age of >/=20 years, out-of-school
status, and report of alcohol/khat (amphetamine-like substance)
consumption. Females reported less condom use, whether they were
in or out of school and independent of age. Authors concluded that
out-of-school youths, especially females, took more sexual risk
and were exceedingly susceptible to STDs. This calls for alternative
group-targeted strategies for sex education, disease prevention,
and STD screening and management.
Adolescent
Fertility and Reproductive Health in Four sub-Saharan African Countries
(research abstract)
The authors of this paper used Demographic and Health Survey (DHS)
data for Ghana (1998), Kenya (1998), Tanzania (1996) and Zambia
(1996) to examine adolescent fertility and reproductive health.
They found adolescent fertility highest in Zambia and lowest in
Ghana. At age 19 years, the percentages of adolescent females who
have started childbearing were 61 in Tanzania, 59 in Zambia, 45
in Kenya and 32 in Ghana. The proportions of adolescent females
who correctly mentioned that a woman is most likely to conceive
in the middle of the ovulatory cycle were 6.9% in Tanzania, 7.4%
in Zambia and 13.4% in Kenya. The authors recommend that the knowledge
base in reproductive physiology of in and out-of-school adolescents
should be strengthened.
YOUTH NEWS
Zambia:
Youth Empowered to Prevent HIV/AIDS (news article)
With about half of all new adult HIV/AIDS infections taking place
among young people, a recently launched UNICEF project is empowering
the youth to become a part of the solution to reverse this trend.
Singapore
to Use Shock Tactics to Steer Teens Away from Sex (news article)
Singpaore teens are to be bombarded with horror pictures showing
body parts disfigured by sexually-transmitted diseases in a government
attempt to quell a growing cavalier attitude to casual sex.
Violence
in Youth Ups Risk of Violence in Dating (news article)
Children who experience sibling violence--either physical or psychological--are
more likely to enter into dating relationships filled with violence,
as well, new study findings report.
Britain
Making Progress in Tackling Teen Pregnancy (news article)
Britain's efforts to reduce its teen pregnancy rate are paying off,
but the goal of halving numbers by the end of the decade is still
a long way from being realized. With nearly 39,000 girls under 18
conceiving each year, Britain has the highest teenage pregnancy
rate in Western Europe. In recent years the government established
a program that aims to reduce 1998 levels 50% by 2010.
Kenya:
Check HIV Spread in Children, Urges UNICEF (news article)
UNICEF has asked the government to take urgent action to protect
children against increasing HIV/AIDS infection. The organization
has also expressed concern that more than 50 per cent of orphans
in Kenya are out of school.
PROFILES / SPECIAL REPORTS
See
No Evil: How Internet Filters Affect the Search for Online Health
Information
(executive summary)
Related news article: Study:
Web Filters Block Health Information
Software meant to protect young people from the seamier side of
the Internet may also be blocking important health information on
issues ranging from diabetes and sexually transmitted diseases to
depression and suicide, according to a Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation
study.
The State
of the World's Children 2003 (report)
Related press release: Why
Children Must Be Heard
Asserting that tens of millions of children around the world feel
disconnected from political institutions and lack trust in their
governments, UNICEF said that children must be given more of a voice
and more ways to participate in decisions affecting their lives.
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