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Volume 2, Number 21
27 May 2002
FAMILY PLANNING / REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH LAW AND POLICY
US
House Leadership Twists Arms on Funding for UNFPA
(news article)
After earmarking funds for UNFPA just last week, House
Appropriations Committee passes conflicting amendment
in the same bill. If the Bush Administration denies
funding altogether, UNFPA estimates that it could
lead to as many as "2 million unwanted pregnancies,
800,000 induced abortions, 4700 maternal deaths and
77000 infant and child deaths."
UK
Parliamentarians Call for Renewed Commitment to ICPD
Programme of Action (news article)
"We have to muster political will and financial
resources to act now so that the [Earth] Summit will
spur renewed commitment to positive action on sustainable
development."
Pressure
Increases on UK Government to Remove Anonymity from
Sperm Donors (news article)
An adult and a child conceived through donor insemination
went to the High Court in London this week to try
to find out more information about the men who fathered
them.
Non-Prescription
Emergency Contraception to Become Available in New
Zealand (news article)
Beginning in late July, women in New Zealand will
be able to obtain emergency contraception without
a prescription.
FAMILY PLANNING / REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH RESEARCH
Changes
in Women's Sexual Interests and Their Partners' Mate-Retention
Tactics Across the Menstrual Cycle: Evidence for Shifting
Conflicts of Interest (research article)
Related news article: Mate Check:
Study: Humans Still Follow Ancient Mating Urges
This study found that women reported greater sexual
interest in, non-primary partners near ovulation;
women did not report significantly greater sexual
interest in primary partners near ovulation; and women
reported that their primary partners were both more
attentive and more proprietary near ovulation.
Prevalence
of Morbidity Associated with Abortion Before and After
Legalization in South Africa (research paper)
Legalization of abortion in South Africa immediately
decreased morbidity but the magnitude was not substantial,
possibly because morbidity was already lower than
in many countries. The lack of change may reflect
additional covert induced abortion activity, perhaps
through the use of misoprostol in unregistered settings.
New Methods of Delivering Hormonal
Contraception (research article)
This article reviews new hormonal contraceptive methods,
including vaginal rings, patches, implants, and IUDs.
Although each is unique, they share some important
characteristics. Besides being effective contraceptives,
they are convenient and discreet: they don't need
to be taken every day or used at the time of coitus.
These advantages may increase acceptability and the
likelihood of good compliance.
Emergency
Contraception: A Vital Component of Reproductive Health
Programs (research article)
Unlike many other health priorities, the need for
emergency contraception (EC) education for both clients
and providers of health services and increasing EC
access are not limited to one particular country or
region of the world. In both developing and developed
countries, EC remains not only an underused but also
misunderstood and often completely unknown method
of contraception. However, the morbidity and mortality
associated with unintended pregnancy in the developing
world are particularly striking.
FAMILY PLANNING / REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH NEWS
UNFPA
Responds to Afghan Crisis: Relief Effort Aims to Save
Women's Lives, Update May 2002 (press release)
In addition to undertaking a rapid assessment of the
existing health facilities and resources, organizations
are working in Afghanistan to improve the health and
well-being of women. Such activities include: safe
delivery, pre and post-natal care, safe motherhood,
prevention and management of sexual violence, prevention
and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases, protection
of mothers' and infants' health, family planning services,
and income-generation skills for women.
Screening by Mail Helps Detect Sexual
Infections (news article)
Enabling people to submit urine samples by mail to
test for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) could
help diagnose infections in people who do not visit
STD clinics.
Putting
the Pap to the Test: New Versions Might Not Be Better
at Preventing Deaths (news article)
Women may find that their long-held notions about
Pap tests and cervical cancer no longer hold up. New
research suggests that annual Pap tests, a deeply
ingrained habit for many women, aren't necessary.
Neither is testing women as young as 18, an age at
which cervical cancer is virtually unheard of. And
women over 65, especially those with a long history
of negative tests, appear to gain little from Pap
tests as well.
Why
UN Meeting Failed to Address Critical Issues On Health
(news article/opinion piece)
The author of this piece feels that the United Nations
Special Session of Children made a grave error in
being elusive on the issue of youth's reproductive
health. Given that 50% of girls in Kenya being childbearing
by age 19, the author argues that the lack of practical
solutions to improving youth reproductive failed to
address critical health issues in the developing world.
HIV / AIDS RESEARCH
Scaling
Up Antiretroviral Therapy in Resource Limited Settings: Guidelines
for a Public Health Approach 
(research report)
This lengthy document provides guidelines intended
to support and facilitate proper management and scale-up
of anti-retroviral therapy in the years to come by
proposing a public health approach to achieve these
goals. A framework attempts to standardize and simplify
providing antiretrovirals.
Aerobic
Exercise Interventions for Adults Living with HIV/AIDS
(Cochrane Review) (research abstract)
An analysis of eight research studies finds that aerobic
exercise appears to be safe and may be beneficial
for adults living with HIV/AIDS.
Expression
of Small Interfering RNAs Targeted Against HIV-1 Rev
Transcripts in Human Cells (research abstract)
Related commentary: Commentary
from the CDC HIV/STD/TB Prevention News Update
HIV can be stopped in its tracks by using gene therapy
to tell infected cells how to prevent the virus from
replicating.
HIV / AIDS NEWS
Brazil
Claims Success in Lowering Number of New AIDS Cases
(news article)
The number of new AIDS cases in Brazil fell by 25
percent between 2000 and 2001, according to new data
released by the government Monday. The results are
being hailed as proof that the country's HIV/AIDS
program is succeeding in slowing infection rates.
Gilead
Announces Initiation of NIH-Sponsored Phase I Trial
to Evaluate Tenofovir Topical Gel as Preventitive
for Vaginal Transmission of HIV (press release)
A Phase I clinical trial will begin to evaluate the
safety and acceptability of the experimental topical
gel formulation of the antiviral tenofovir as a potential
prevention method for vaginal transmission of HIV.
Tanzania:
Condom Shortage Poses Threat to Anti-AIDS Strategy
(news article)
The government of Tanzania has expressed concern that
the country is facing a shortage of condoms, with
only a million now in stock -- sufficient for one
month -- although their wide availability is a central
plank of national strategy to combat the spread of
HIV/AIDS.
Private
Companies And Churches Team Up Against AIDS in Cameroon
(news article)
Twenty-one private corporations and three religious
organizations in Cameroon signed a partnership agreement
last week in the capital, to conduct a series of joint
activities over the next four years to combat the
spread of HIV/AIDS.
Kenya:
Free HIV/AIDS Therapy Starts Next Week (news article)
Select health facilities with specially trained personnel
in Kenya will begin administering Nevirapine in an
effort to prevent mother-to-child transmission of
HIV.
MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH RESEARCH
Risk
of Perinatal Death Associated With Labor After Previous
Cesarean Delivery in Uncomplicated Term Pregnancies
(research abstract)
Related news article: Trial of Labor
Found Riskier Than Repeat C-Section
The absolute risk of perinatal death associated with
trial of labor following previous cesarean delivery
is low. The risk was significantly higher than that
associated with planned repeat cesarean delivery,
and there was a marked excess of deaths due to uterine
rupture compared with other women in labor.
Trends
and Spatial Distribution of Deaths of Children Aged
12-60 Months in São Paulo, Brazil, 1980-98
(research article)
Mortality rates among 12-50 month old children fell
nearly 30% over an 19-year study period in São
Paolo. Most of the decline took place in the early
1980s.
Promoting
Urinary Continence in Women After Delivery: Randomized
Controlled Trial (research article)
The intervention promoting urinary continence reduced
the prevalence of urinary incontinence after giving
birth, particularly its severity, and promoted the
performance of pelvic floor exercises at adequate
levels.
MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH NEWS
Turkmenistan:
Infant mortality remains high (news article)
Despite an earlier infant mortality rate (IMR) in
Turkmenistan of 34 per live 1,000 births, according
to a recent joint government and USAID sponsored demographic
and health survey, the figure now stands at 74.
Preterm Birth Risk Higher if Mom's
Asthma Untreated (news article)
Women with untreated asthma during pregnancy are at
risk of preterm birth. Preterm labor and delivery--defined
as prior to 37 weeks gestation--occurred in 10.6%
of pregnant women with asthma and in 7.4% of women
without the respiratory ailment.
Breastfeeding Could Lower Risk of
Crib Death -Study (news article)
Although doctors are not sure what causes seemingly
healthy babies to die in their sleep, scientists at
the Institute for the Health of Women and Children
in Gothenburg found that babies who are breastfed
for four months or more are less likely to die from
SIDS.
Breast
Milk Substitutes Can Cause Diabetes (news article)
Evidence has shown that early feeding of infants with
cow milk which contains bovine serum albumin which
reacts with protein P69 of the pancreatic beta cells
might be a cause for high incidence of diabetes in
the European countries.
Nigeria:
Massive Training of Midwives Urged to Stem Maternal
Deaths (news article)
Nigeria contributes substantially to global maternal
deaths, but the number can be drastically reduced
with concerted efforts at massive training of midwives.
MEN'S HEALTH RESEARCH
Male
Menopause: Is it for Real? (fact sheet)
In men, there is a stage of life where a gradual decline
in the production of male hormones takes place. An
unanswered question is whether gradually declining
testosterone levels are natural and protective --
or a condition to be considered for treatment.
Circumcision
-- Medical Pros and Cons (fact sheet)
The potential medical advantages and disadvantages
to male circumcision are discussed in this fact sheet.
MEN'S HEALTH NEWS
Some Men Can Skip Yearly Prostate
Cancer Test (news article)
Men with a very low reading on their initial prostate
specific antigen (PSA) blood test can be tested once
every 5 years with little chance that their PSA levels
will "skyrocket" in the meantime.
Married
Men Have Less Testosterone (news article)
Married men who spend time with their wives and kids
have lower testosterone levels than bachelors. The
discovery suggests that having less of the hormone
could play a part in encouraging men to devote their
energies to the family rather than looking for another
partner.
Report: Fewer Cambodian men Paying
for Sex, Condom Use Rising (news article)
Only 20 percent of soldiers surveyed in 2001 said
that they had visited a prostitute in the previous
month, down from 47 percent in 1999. The rate of condom
use during commercial sex had risen among all "risk
groups" to approximately 90 percent.
More
Kisumu Residents Go for 'Cut' (news article)
Male circumcision is gaining popularity among male
adults in the Kisumu District of Kenya, report doctors.
POPULATION RESEARCH
Fertility
Down, but Population Decline Still Not in Sight (research
note)
Population decline is not in sight, despite falling
fertility rates. This is primarily due to the young
age structure of less developed countries and their
persistent high birth rates.
Methods
for Measuring Adult Mortality in Developing Countries:
A Comparative Review
No consensus has emerged on how to estimate adult
mortality in countries lacking complete vital registration
of deaths and accurate periodic censuses. This paper
applies a range of methods to census, registration
and survey data for Guatemala for the period from
1981 to 1994.
POPULATION NEWS
Majority
of World's Couples Are Using Contraception (press
release)
A new wall chart, "World Contraceptive Use 2001,"
estimates that worldwide, 62 per cent or 650 million
of the more than 1 billion married or in-union women
of reproductive age are using contraception.
Sex
Selection in China Sees 117 Boys Born for Every 100
Girls (news article)
Chinese demographers are warning that the nation's
social fabric could unravel under pressure from an
increasingly skewed sex ratio in newborns. According
to figures published this month in state run Chinese
media, 116.86 boys are born for every 100 girls in
China. The numbers mark a worsening of a trend that
began more than 20 years ago but that officials have
only recently begun to face.
Population
Trends Pose Major Risks for Stability in Japan, Elsewhere
(news article)
The need to maintain a stable workforce may require
Japan to import 600,000 foreign workers every year
until 2050, according to the UN. The premier said
ministers should encourage citizens to have children
by improving social welfare services and finding ways
of facilitating child-rearing while working.
Honesty
Plea as Polish Census Starts (news article)
The people of Poland are being counted in the first
census since the collapse of communism - with a plea
from their president for honesty.
Human
Sprawl Covering the Planet (news article)
Unspoiled land totaling an area larger than North
America is likely to be damaged by human activity
in the next 30 years, according to a new UN assessment
of global environmental decline.
WOMEN'S HEALTH RESEARCH
Management
of Genital Prolapse (clinical review article)
This review discusses the prevalence of various types
of genital prolapse, symptoms and signs which women
with genital prolapse may present with, and available
treatment options. References to additional texts
are provided, as are links to websites containing
patient information.
Risk-Reducing
Salpingo-oophorectomy in Women with a BRCA1 or BRCA2
Mutation (research abstract)
Related news article: Ovary Removal
May Prevent Cancer in High-Risk Women
Removing the ovaries of women who have breast
cancer 1 or 2 mutations can decrease the risk of breast
cancer and breast cancer-related gynecologic cancer.
WOMEN'S HEALTH NEWS
Violence:
WHO Says Two in Three Women Abused in Some Countries
(news article)
As many as two-thirds of women in some parts of the
world have experienced domestic violence, according
to preliminary results of a World Health Organization
study.
Hormone Replacement Linked to Gallstone
Risk (news article)
One study finds that women who took hormone replacement
therapy were at three times greater risk to develop
gallstones.
'Women
Should Not Go Out' (news article)
Negative attitudes toward sexual assault survivors,
lack of privacy and proper collection of evidence,
as well as lack of counseling will be the focus of
hearings in South Africa being held to address gender-based
violence and the health sector.
Southern
Africa: Women's Burden When Shortages Bite (news
article)
As millions of Southern Africans face smaller larders
this year, the region's women face the daunting task
of carrying out these duties with dwindling energy
reserves and at the same time trying to keep their
bodies going.
YOUTH RESEARCH
State
of Denial: Adolescent Reproductive Rights in Zimbabwe
(research report)
Related news article: About
3 500 Youths Catch HIV/AIDS Daily
This report documents the human rights violations
that occur in Zimbabwe when legal, policy and social
barriers inhibit adolescents' ability to protect themselves
against unwanted pregnancy and STIs, including HIV/AIDS.
In Zimbabwe, up to 26% of 15-24 year old young women
are infected with HIV/AIDS and 40% of female adolescents
are already mothers by the time they are 19 years
old.
Challenges
Faced by Homeless Sexual Minorities: Comparison of
Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Homeless Adolescents
With Their Heterosexual Counterparts (research
abstract)
Homeless youths who identify themselves as members
of sexual minority groups are at increased risk for
negative outcomes. Programs designed specifically
to address their primary needs -- preventing homelessness
-- as well as health and counseling services that
are sensitive to sexual orientation issues.
YOUTH NEWS
Sexy TV Linked to Sex Behavior in
Some Teens (news article)
Some teens who watch television programs with high
sexual content appear to engage in sexual behaviors
more often than those who watch other types of TV
programs, according to new research. Hispanic-American
youth in particular, are at risk.
Training
for HIV/AIDS Youth Counselors Launched in Ethiopia
(news article)
A team of 30 youth, specializing in voluntary counseling
and testing, will return to their local communities
to teach youth counselors in the fight against the
virus.
Harsh, Lax Parenting Ups Boys' Dating
Violence Risk (news article)
Children who are disciplined by regular slapping or
scolding and those who experience lax parental monitoring
may be more likely to be involved in violent dating
relationships during their later teenage years.
BOOKS / BOOK REVIEWS
Science
of Sex (book review)
Written by an Indian for Indians, the author describes
the process of menstruation and myths surrounding
it, various sex problems and their treatment, different
deviant sex behaviors, and homosexuality. Separate
chapters are devoted to masturbation, sleep emissions,
virginity and circumcision, about which numerous myths,
misconceptions and doubts prevail in India and some
southeast Asian cultures.
PROFILES / SPECIAL REPORTS:
Infertility HTML
| PDF
Infertility affects at least one in every ten couples
in developing countries -- and many of its causes
are preventable. This website makes available summaries
of key information on the prevalence, causes, prevention,
diagnosis, and treatment of infertility in low-resource
settings.
Microbicides to Prevent Heterosexual Transmission
of HIV: Ten Years Down the Road HTML
| PDF
This research report details the development of topical
microbicides for HIV prevention: What products are
under development, at what stage in the testing process
they are in, and the challenges that remain in bringing
microbicides to those that need them most.
Manual
for the Standardization of Colposcopy for the Evaluation
of Vaginal Products: Update 2000
Revised colposcopy procedures are described in this
updated manual. The procedure involves proper patient
positioning; examination of the external genitalia
under magnification; speculum examination of the cervix,
fornices, and vaginal walls with the naked eye followed
by lavage and speculum examination under magnification;
and taking samples for microscopic examination.
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