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Volume 2, Number 25
24 June 2002
FAMILY PLANNING / REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH LAW AND POLICY
Bush Proposes AIDS Funding Boost
(news article)
President Bush pledged $500 million to help fight
the spread of AIDS in Africa and the Caribbean, a
pandemic he said "staggers the imagination and
shocks the conscience." The Initiative is aimed
at fighting mother-to-infant transmission.
MP
Launches Bill in Scottish Parliament to Make Breastfeeding
a Legal Right (news article)
A bid to give mothers a legal right to breastfeed
their baby in public has been launched in the Scottish
Parliament. One legislator wants to change the law
so pubs, cafes and restaurants could be fined if they
tell women not to breastfeed on their premises. She
says she is confident of securing the necessary support
for her proposal.
Islamic
Bloc, Christian Right Team Up to Lobby UN (news
article)
Conservative US Christian organizations have joined
forces with Islamic governments to halt the expansion
of sexual and political protections and rights for
gays, women, and children at UN conferences.
Africa:
Ensure Access to Health Supplies, Governments Urged
(news article)
Governments in developing countries should ensure
access to reproductive health supplies and strengthen
policies to facilitate access to such supplies, said
a statement from UNFPA.
Service
Integration: An Overview of Policy Developments
(research article) PDF
This article reviews the advantages, disadvantages,
and feasibility of integrating STI treatment into
FP/RH programs, including costs, benefits, and cost-effectiveness.
Regulating
Circumcision Schools is Nonsense, Says CONTRALESA
(news article)
"Utter nonsense" is how the Congress of
Traditional Leaders of South Africa (Contralesa) has
described Limpopo government's proposed circumcision
school regulations. The proposed regulations stipulate
that circumcision school operators adhere to government
prerequisites before being granted a license.
Europe Issues Rules to Stop Mom-Baby
HIV Spread (news article)
New guidelines for preventing the spread of HIV from
infected women to their newborns were released by
the European Commission on Thursday, continuing the
international focus on vertical transmission.
Chinese Use Newfound Wealth to Buck
Government's 'One-Child' Birth Limits (news article)
China's so-called one-child policy is widely criticized
abroad for its use of draconian measures including
forced sterilizations and abortions. But in many parts
of rural China, the policy is hardly enforced at all.
FAMILY PLANNING / REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH RESEARCH
Reasons
for Not Using Condoms Among the Hong Kong Chinese
Population: Implications for HIV and STD Prevention
(research abstract)
Common reasons for not using condoms were trust in
partner, use of other contraceptives, and reduced
sensation while using condoms. Given the reported
high prevalence of travel and sexual contact with
strangers, and misconceptions about condoms among
the Hong Kong Chinese population, the authors call
for innovative condom social marketing campaigns.
A
Comparison of Women's Regret After Vasectomy Versus
Tubal Sterilization (research abstract)
Related press release: Few
Women Regret Sterilization Procedures
Most women did not express regret after their husband's
vasectomy and the probability of regret was similar
to sterilized women. However, when there was substantial
conflict between a woman and her husband before vasectomy
or tubal sterilization, the probability of subsequent
request for reversal was increased.
Dual
Needs: Contraceptive and Sexually Transmitted Infection
Protection in Lusaka, Zambia (research article)
PDF
Although efforts are being made to integrate STI services
into family planning clinics in Zambia, these efforts
need reinforcement. The educational levels of both
providers and their clients may be barriers to a successful
transfer of STI prevention information during client-provider
interactions.
The
Feasibility of Integrated STI Prevalence and Behaviour
Surveys in Developing Countries (research abstract)
The authors assessed the feasibility of conducting
a national combined STD prevalence and behaviour survey
in Mali. They achieved high participation rates (84
to 100 percent) and conclude that they present an
effective methodology for collecting risk behaviour
and STI/HIV prevalence information concurrently, which
should be considered by countries expanding STI/HIV
surveillance as part of UNAIDS second generation HIV
surveillance
Iran's
Family Planning Program: Responding to a Nation's
Needs (research overview)
This overview of Iran's family planning efforts and
the role of the Islamic government and civil society
in the revival of the national family planning program
is the second in a series of policy briefs. Also available
in PDF.
Emergency
Contraception: A Review of Current Oral Options
(research article)
This article reviews oral options of emergency contraception,
discussing adverse effects, drug interactions, contraindications
and warnings, as well as multiple resources for more
information.
FAMILY PLANNING / REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH NEWS
Iran's
Clerics Tout Vasectomies to Curb Baby Boom (news
article)
Having promoted a baby boom, Iran's religious leaders
are now trying to curb it by discreetly touting vasectomies.
Yet nothing can be advertised on state television
or radio because any public mention of sexual matters
is taboo.
No
Condom Dispensers in Hot Zones (news article)
They are popular Nairobi hot spots but none has a
condom dispenser in their lavatories. They are the
most frequented places, packed to the brim, especially
during weekends by revelers and frequented by the
category identified in the HIV-AIDS campaigns as a
high risk group.
Experts Say Gaining Weight on the
Pill Is a Myth (news article)
Many young women falsely believe that taking oral
contraceptives will cause them to gain weight, and
as a result, some may rely on less effective birth
control methods, two birth control experts said.
Uganda:
'Female Condom Not Yet Popular' (news article)
The female condom has not been well received because
it interferes with certain cultural sexual practices,
a monitoring and evaluation specialist has said.
Clinical
Microbicides Must Be Safe (news article)
As the campaign for microbicides continues, AIDS organizations
in Uganda are not about to have their women simply
used as guinea pigs.
HIV / AIDS RESEARCH
The
Elderly and AIDS: Coping Strategies and Health Consequences
in Rural Tanzania 
(research report)
Deaths of adults from AIDS are likely to have the
largest adverse impacts on the elderly in poor households.
A broader group of elderly poor people with pervasive
low health status should also be the focus of public
policy designed to improve the welfare of the elderly.
Talking
About AIDS: The Influence of Communication Networks
on Individual Risk Perceptions of HIV/AIDS Infection
and Favored Protective Behaviors in South Nyanza District,
Kenya
(research article)
This paper explores the significance of social relationships
to two important stages in the process of sexual behavioral
change: the perceived risk of becoming HIV-infected
through unprotected sexual intercourse and the preferred
methods of protection either through sexual fidelity,
or through condom use.
HIV / AIDS NEWS
AIDS
Awareness High, But Behaviour Remains Risky, According
to New Study by UN Population Division (press
release)
A year after the 189-nation General Assembly adopted
a plan to halt the AIDS epidemic, a UN report said
``dramatic changes'' in sexual awareness and behavior
are still needed in many poor countries to stop the
advance of the killer disease.
HIV Develops Resistance to Experimental
Drug (news article)
An experimental AIDS drug called T-20, which researchers
hope will benefit people whose HIV infections have
become resistant to other medications, may itself
sometimes cause HIV resistance to develop, the results
of a new study suggest.
Quest
for HIV/AIDS Treatment Fuels Bogus Drug Boom (news
article)
Many Malawians living with HIV/AIDS are forced to
rely on illegal drugs in a bid to treat opportunistic
illnesses, ease suffering and prolong their lives.
This article reports on some of the drugs that have
flooded the country's black market with a potentially
disastrous health impact.
Tourists
Help Spread AIDS in Kenya, Say Health Workers
(news article)
Kenyan health workers warn that international tourists
are helping the spread of HIV/Aids by encouraging
the development of sex industries in rural villages
along the popular Malindi coast.
Woman:
Cruel Caricature of the HIV Age (news article)
With women contributing 55 per cent of HIV positive
adults, Victoria Ibanga writes that gender inequality
has become a key variable in the incidence of HIV
and AIDS.
AIDS
Threatens Caribbean Paradise (news article)
The Caribbean already has the second-worst rate of
infection worldwide, after Sub Saharan Africa, but
that message is only now beginning to be taken seriously.
This article talks about AIDS in Tobago, and how unsafe
sex practices and lack of concern are fueling a widespread
epidemic.
US Officials Seek AIDS Funding for
Myanmar (news article)
U.S. officials Wednesday asked Congress for $1 million
to fight HIV/AIDS in Myanmar despite strict US sanctions
on the military-led country, saying it was now the
center of the disease in the region.
MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH RESEARCH
Free
Formula Milk for Infants of HIV-Infected Women: Blessing
or Curse? (research abstract)
Free formula milk may appear to be a blessing, but
while potentially decreasing the rate of postnatal
transmission, it is very likely to increase morbidity
and mortality from other infectious diseases, thus
decreasing overall child survival.
Related news article: Breast
is Still Best Even When HIV Prevalence is High, Experts
Say
Cardiovascular
Status of Infants and Children of Women Infected with
HIV-1 (P2C2HIV): A Cohort Study
(research article)
Related press release: Cardiac
Differences in Infants Born to HIV-Positive Mothers
May Persist; Effects Based on Child's Infection Status
The hearts of children whose mothers are infected
with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) show subtle
differences in cardiac structure and function by echocardiogram
regardless of whether the children are born infected
with HIV.
Preconception
Health Care (research article)
Appropriate preconception health care improves pregnancy
outcomes. When started at least one month before conception,
folic acid supplements can prevent neural tube defects.
Targeted genetic screening and counseling should be
offered on the basis of age, ethnic background, or
family history. Before conception, women should be
screened for human immunodeficiency virus and syphilis
infection and begin treatment to prevent the transmission
of disease to the fetus. Immunizations against hepatitis
B, rubella, and varicella should be completed, if
needed.
Measles
Vaccine Efficacy Evaluated by Case Reference Technique
(research article)
This study evaluated the case reference method of
vaccine efficacy calculation under field conditions
in the slum areas of New Delhi, India. 73.3 percent
of vaccinated cases developed measles attack before
an interval of 6 months of vaccination. The results
of this study indicate that the case reference technique
for the estimation of measles vaccine efficacy is
as effective a tool as serology and can be easily
carried out in a community setting.
MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH NEWS
EPI
Shake-Up Designed To Boost Infant Health (news
article)
Ugandan children are to benefit from a new vaccine
which offers protection against five major childhood
diseases in a single shot, as part of the country's
new initiative to strengthen the process of the routine
immunization of infants before their first birthday.
MEN'S HEALTH RESEARCH
Vasectomy
and Risk of Prostate Cancer (research abstract)
Related news article: Vasectomy
Does Not Increase Prostate Cancer Risk
Having a vasectomy does not increase a man's risk
of prostate cancer even 25 or more years after the
procedure, according to the results of this study.
MEN'S HEALTH NEWS
You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' (And
It Helps) (news article)
Men bedeviled by premature ejaculation can make the
sex last a little longer by turning it into a numbing
experience. The Performa condom, from Durex, is lubricated
on the inside with a small amount of benzocaine, a
topical anesthetic that numbs the penis. Men who've
used the device have reported it can delay their orgasms
and improve their sex life.
Hormone Replacement Therapy for Men
Gains Ground (news article)
Extra testosterone may help men fight symptoms of
"male menopause" like grumpiness and loss
of strength, scientists say. Hormone replacement therapy,
or HRT, is commonly given to women to relieve menopause
symptoms like hot flashes and to reduce risk of age-related
ills like osteoporosis, but hormone supplements for
men are more controversial.
POPULATION RESEARCH
To
Tie the Knot or Not Cohabitation, Marriage and Individuals'
Attitudes to Risk
(research article)
This paper uses a model that provides a theoretical
framework for the commonly occurring phenomenon of
cohabitation followed by marriage, and is consistent
with empirical findings on these institutions. Individuals
tend to set higher standards for marriage than for
cohabitation. When the true worth of a cohabiting
partner is revealed, some cohabiting unions are converted
into marriage while others are not.
The
Cultural Evolution of Age-At-Marriage Norms
(working paper)
An agent-based model is used to study the cultural
evolution of age-at-marriage norms. Theoretical arguments
and empirical evidence on the existence of norms proscribing
marriage outside of an acceptable age interval are
reviewed. Using a definition of norms as constraints
built in agents, the authors model the transmission
of norms, and of mechanisms of intergenerational transmission
of norms. Agents can marry each other only if they
share part of the acceptable age interval.
POPULATION NEWS
Vietnam
Records High Population Growth (news article)
Vietnam's population is still rising by around 1.2%
or one million people per annum and will hit 113-122
million by 2050. The poor education and health of
the current population, half of which are under 20,
and the low skills of the workforce are obstacles
to national socioeconomic development.
China
Thrown Off Balance as Boys Outnumber Girls (news
article)
Chinese traditions, a tough one-child-per-couple policy,
and modern medical technology have combined to create
a demographic nightmare. Over the next two decades,
as many as 40 million young Chinese men won't be able
to marry, settle down, and start families. There won't
be enough wives to go around.
WOMEN'S HEALTH RESEARCH
Femicide
in Costa Rica 1990-1999
(Spanish)
This study describes the differences between homicide
and femicide, the hidden numbers, gender-based violence,
the impact and victims of femicide, control, suicide,
impunity and causes of femicide and gender-based violence.
It is available in Spanish only.
Oestrogen
Receptor Transcripts Associated with Cervical Human
Papillomavirus Infection
Related press release: Estrogen:
A Role In HPV Infection, Cervical Cancer?
It may be that some women are "biologically vulnerable"
to HPV because of the numbers of estrogen receptors
they have in their cervix, suggesting that these receptors
may in some way facilitate infection with the virus.
WOMEN'S HEALTH NEWS
Sierra
Leone: Aid Group Works to Ease Return of Sex Abuse
Victims (news article)
As they struggle to reintegrate back into their communities
following civil conflict in Sierra Leone, women and
girls who have been sexually abused by combatants
are receiving much-needed assistance from advocates
helping foster their acceptance.
New Breast Cancer Drug Hot on Tamoxifen's
Heels (news article)
An international team found that women who took a
newer type of drug called anastrozole, brand name
Arimidex, were more likely to be alive and disease-free
3 years after surgery than women who took what is
now considered the "gold standard" in breast
cancer prevention, tamoxifen.
Boys
Will Be Boys (news article)
It has become a tragic inevitability that whenever
international peacekeepers are sent to bring law and
order to a war torn country, a vast and exploitative
sex industry, allegedly follows close behind. In Bosnia
and Kosovo, girls as young as 15 have been duped into
working in brothels and forced to have sex with UN
personnel.
Ovarian Disorder May Hike Heart Disease
Risk (news article)
After comparing the arteries of healthy women to those
with polycystic vary syndrome (PCOS), researchers
found women with PCOS have stiffer arteries than those
without the disorder. Stiff arteries are often an
indication of plaque buildup in the arteries, which
is a known cause of heart disease.
YOUTH RESEARCH
Orphans
of the HIV/AIDS Epidemic: The Time to Act is Now
(report)
Related news article: Number
of South African Children Orphaned by AIDS to Increase
Without significant changes in sexual behavior or
interventions, about 15 percent of all children under
the age of 15 are expected to be orphaned by 2015,
according to a new report.
YOUTH NEWS
Japan:
Youth Sex on Rise, as are Serious Infections (news
article)
A sex education expert is alarmed by the increasingly
decadent lifestyle of youth that has made them more
susceptible than ever to sexually transmitted infections.
Governments
Should Include Youth in Decision-Making (news
article)
Young people are vulnerable to problems such as unemployment,
child labor and the impact of HIV/AIDS because they
often do not have access to decision-making forums.
Health
Services for Adolescents in Mongolia (program review)
The survey assessment of existing health services
for adolescents covered 304 participants. The survey
aimed to assess the quality and accessibility of existing
health services to adolescents, identify strengths
and weaknesses of current services, and identify ways
to improve them.
BOOKS / BOOK REVIEWS
Qualitative Methods: A Field Guide for Applied Research
in Sexual and Reproductive Health
This field guide is a practical, hands-on guide for
use by social scientists, public health specialists,
and research teams interested in using qualitative
methods to study sexual and reproductive health. Copies
are available at no cost to developing country researchers
and organizations. For ordering information contact
publications@fhi.org.
PROFILES / SPECIAL REPORTS
Youth and Technology: IPPF/WHR Experiences to Promote Sexual
and Reproductive Health
This reports reviews case studies of youth sexual
and reproductive health associations in Chile, El
Salvador, Guatemala, and Peru. Many of these projects
have involved using such emerging computer technologies
as cyber centers, Web sites, interactive multimedia
CD-ROM programs, email counseling services, and various
chip-based technologies. Exposure to the technology
brought positive changes in knowledge and attitudes
related to SRH and gender roles. The studies revealed
that there are limits to reaching certain populations.
Nutrition
for HIV-AIDS Best Practices Workshop 2002 (workshop summary)
Teaching your client about eating a nutritious diet:
Everyone can live longer and stronger with good nutrition!
This summary provides guidance on how PLWA in Malawi
can choose local foods for a nutritionally balanced
diet.
Men's
Role in Gender-Based Violence
(fact sheet)
It is easy to blame men without questioning why they
are violent. Activists and theorists alike have realized
that, in order to eradicate gender-based violence
we must address the cause as well as the effect.
Population and Development Indicators for Asia and the Pacific, 2002 (datasheet)
Interested in knowing midyear populations for 2002?
Total fertility rates? Dependency ratios? The number
of adults living with HIV/AIDS? These datasheets contain
a multitude of population and development indicators
for Asia and the Pacific.
Adolescent
Reproductive Health Laws and Legislation in Asia and
the Pacific Introduction
Adolescent
RH: Introduction and Objectives
Review
of International Standards for Rights of the Child
and Adolescent Rights
Early
Marriage and Childbearing
Unwanted
Pregnancy and Unsafe Abortion
Access
to FP/RH Services and Contraceptives
HIV/AIDS
and STDs
Violence
Against Women and Girls
This package contains reviews of legislation dealing
with adolescent reproductive health in Asia-Pacific
region to convince policy-makers and legislators of
the critical urgency to examine the gaps and to take
immediate action, especially in the area of establishing
or updating the legal framework necessary to protect
all aspects of adolescent rights.
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