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Volume 2, Number 35
3 September 2002
FAMILY PLANNING / REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH LAW AND POLICY
China
to Implement First National Family Planning Law
(news article)
China is to formalize its family planning and population
control policies with its first national family planning
law, which went into effect on September 1. The new
law, which has been 23 years on the drawing board
and comprises seven chapters and 47 articles, has
detailed provisions on measures to encourage and guarantee
family planning, and outlines the public's legal obligations.
China
Says No Relaxation of 1 Couple, 1 Child Policy
(news article)
China's new family planning law took effect on September
1 amid official media reports that the government
will neither tighten nor relax its "one couple,
one child" policy.
Peru Looks to Ban
Popular Birth Control Method (news article)
Peruvian officials are considering banning tubal ligation,
a popular birth-control method, in response to reports
of forced sterilizations in the 1990s. Women's rights
advocates oppose the change and are calling for compensation
for the victims.
Pakistan:
Activists Hail Gang-rape Verdict (news article)
Pakistani rights groups hailed the verdict of a local
court giving the death sentence to six men who had
gang-raped a women on a decision of a village jury,
but have urged the government to take concrete steps
to eliminate extra-judicial tribunals.
Earth
Summit Delegates Struggle to Resolve Issues: Population
Growth, Said to be at Crux, is Left Off Agenda
(news article)
Criticized for lack of progress, the ministers and
delegates of 191 countries dug in last night in a
frenzied attempt to settle stubborn, unresolved issues
before their presidents and prime ministers take center
stage today at the global summit on poverty alleviation
and the environment.
Nigerian Couple Sentenced
to Stoning (news article)
An Islamic court has sentenced a couple to death by
stoning for having an affair, marking the first time
in Nigeria that a man has been sentenced to death
for adultery.
FAMILY PLANNING / REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH RESEARCH
How
to Reach Clients of Female Sex Workers: A Survey ''By
Surprise'' in Brothels in Dakar, Senegal 
(research article)
The authors describe their sampling techniques and
survey procedures used in identifying male clients
who frequent brothels to buy sexual services from
female sex workers in Dakar, Senegal, with the aim
of measuring the prevalence of HIV infection and investigating
related risk behaviours.
The
Impact of Price Changes on Demand for Family Planning
and Reproductive Health Services in Ecuador (research
abstract)
Donor funding for family planning and reproductive
health has declined in Latin America over the past
decade, obliging providers to consider other financing
mechanisms, including cost recovery through user fees.
Pricing decisions are often difficult for providers,
who fear that increased fees will cripple demand and
create barriers to access for poor clients.
Reproductive
and Child Health Accounts: An Application to Rajasthan
(research abstract)
This paper describes resource flows for reproductive
and child health (RCH) in the health care system of
Rajasthan, India, using the integrating framework
of health accounts. It analyzes sources and uses of
RCH funds by provider and expenditure category.
Myocardial
Infarction and Third Generation Oral Contraceptives:
Aggregation of Recent Studies (research abstract)
Related news article: No
Birth Control, Heart Attack Link
Women who take third-generation birth control pills
containing desogestrel or gestodene show no increased
risk for heart attack compared to women who take no
birth control pills.
FAMILY PLANNING / REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH NEWS
Inventors
Create Condom Which Can Be Fitted in Three Seconds
(news article)
Two South Africans have invented a condom which can
be unwrapped and fitted within 3 seconds. The applicator,
marked for distribution by next year, received a designers
award from the South African Bureau of Standards.
Injected
Contraceptive Slows Blood Flow (news article)
Women who use an injected contraceptive for extended
periods of time may be at increased risk for heart
disease because this form of birth control impairs
the arteries.
Reproductive
Health and Women's Rights Are Key Issues for Sustainable
Development Summit (press release)
Reproductive health and women's rights are critical
to alleviating poverty and the World Summit on Sustainable
Development should say so, speakers at a summit panel
discussion stressed.
Diaphragm
Put to Test Against HIV (news article)
Taking a new, low-tech tack in the battle against
AIDS, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation plans
to spend $28 million in southern Africa to test whether
the simple latex diaphragm used for birth control
also can reduce a woman's risk of HIV infection.
Bill Gates Foundation
Gives Grants to Low-Tech Efforts at HIV Prevention
(news article)
Low-tech efforts to slow the spread of HIV and give
women some control over contraception got a US $46
million boost Wednesday from the Bill & Melinda
Gates Foundation.
Pakistan:
Focus on Gender Training for TV Scriptwriters
(news article)
A gender training workshop, the first of its kind
to be run in Pakistan, is a joint partnership between
state-run television, PTV, and the United Nations
Development Programme. Established in 1998, the project
runs until the end of September this year, with the
aim of changing attitudes of both men and women in
the media.
Trends
in HIV, Gonorrhoea, and Syphilis (letter to the
editor)
- Screening for neurosyphilis is recommended
- Sexual health services in general practice can be
improved
HIV / AIDS RESEARCH
HIV
Infection in Women: Impact on Contraception (PubMed
abstract)
Researchers in Sao Paulo, Brazil studied 140 HIV infected
women. They observed a significant increase in the
knowledge of contraceptive methods after HIV diagnosis.
The data suggested that the women who received information
had never received it before, or that the diagnosis
created a stronger motivation to listen to the counseling
offered. A significant increase in the use of contraceptive
methods was also found, especially male condoms and
tubal ligation.
High
Prevalence of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Infections
and High Frequency of Multiple HPV Genotypes in Human
Immunodeficiency Virus-Infected Women in Brazil
(research abstract)
A group of 208 human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected
women in Brazil were studied for the presence of human
papillomavirus with the general SPF(10) PCR primer
set. The highly sensitive SPF(10) LiPA system shows
that a very high proportion of HIV-infected women
in Brazil are infected with HPV and often carry multiple
HPV genotypes.
Survey
of the Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Nigerian
Surgery Trainees to HIV-infected Persons and AIDS
Patients
(research article)
The incidence of HIV infection and AIDS is rising
in Nigeria. Surgeons are at risk of occupationally
acquired infection as a result of intimate contact
with the blood and body fluids of patients. This study
set out to determine the knowledge, attitude and risk
perception of Nigerian surgery residents to HIV infection
and AIDS.
HIV / AIDS NEWS
Editorial
on Epidemiology of HIV in China was Misleading
(letter to the editor)
Writers argue that a previous editorial painted a
somewhat misleading and incomplete picture of the
epidemiology of HIV in China.
Russia
Counts 3500 New HIV Cases Every Month (news article)
The Interfax News Agency reports that Russia counted
3,569 new cases of HIV infection in May, followed
by 3,573 in June.
Medical
Activist in China Disappears (news article)
Chinese AIDS activist Wan Yanhai made his share of
enemies in the government while exposing the disease's
spread through blood-buying businesses that reinjected
people with infectious blood. He disappeared last
week. Friends say he was last seen leaving a film
event for gays and lesbians at a Beijing cafe.
Gay
Bathhouses Good Targets for anti-HIV Outreach
(news article)
If the activities at one gay bathhouse are any indication,
risky sexual behavior appears to be less frequent
at these establishments than in the past. But health
officials warn that gay and bisexual men who do report
having unsafe sex in bathhouses are more likely to
be HIV positive.
Kenya:
Churches to Launch AIDS War Plan (news article)
The National Council of Churches of Kenya's 3-year
strategic plan intends to reduce the HIV/AIDS prevalence
by 10 percent.
Thailand
to Join Asian Research on Causes of AIDS Stigma
(news article)
Thailand will join six other Asia-Pacific countries
in conducting ongoing in-depth research into the causes
of discrimination against HIV/AIDS sufferers.
MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH RESEARCH
Rating
Maternal and Neonatal Health Services in Developing
Countries
(research article)
The authors assessed maternal and neonatal health
services in 49 developing countries with the help
of 10 to 25 experts in each country. The average rating
was only 56. They conclude that maternal health programme
efforts in developing countries is seriously deficient,
particularly in rural areas. Improving services requires
moving beyond policy reform to strengthening implementation
of services and to better staff training and health
promotion.
Infant Mortality in India: Use of Maternal and Child Health
Services in Relation to Literacy Status (research article)
The authors deomonstrate that illiteracy of females
had a more detrimental impact on rural than on urban
areas. In the event of high female illiteracy, male
literacy was beneficial for improving the use of services
for reducing infant mortality rate.
Birth
Weight and Perinatal Mortality: A Comparison of "Optimal"
Birth Weight in Seven Western European Countries
(PubMed abstract)
Previous studies have suggested that a population's
entire birth weight distribution may be shifted towards
higher or lower birth weights, and that optimal birth
weight may be lower in populations with a lower average
birth weight. The authors evaluated this hypothesis
by obtaining data on all singleton births (N = 1,372,092)
and extended perinatal deaths (stillbirths plus neonatal
deaths; N = 7,900) occurring in Finland, Sweden, Norway,
Denmark, Scotland, the Netherlands, and Flanders (Belgium)
during 1993-1995. Their results confirm those of previous
studies that compared two populations. To improve
the identification of small babies at high risk of
perinatal death, population-specific standards for
birth weight should be developed and used.
Maternal
Vitamin Use and Reduced Risk of Neuroblastoma
(PubMed abstract)
Related news article: New
UNC Study Suggests Multivitamin Use During Pregnancy
Cuts Childhood Tumor Risk
Previous studies have suggested that maternal vitamin
use during pregnancy may reduce the incidence of childhood
brain tumors. Using data from a large North American
study, researchers investigated maternal vitamin use
and neuroblastoma in offspring, a childhood nervous
system cancer. Daily vitamin and mineral use in the
month before pregnancy and in each trimester was associated
with a 30 to 40 percent reduction in risk of neuroblastoma.
MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH NEWS
Africa:
A Pain of Labor That Never Ends (news article)
Fistula affects an estimated 2 million women worldwide,
with 50,000 to 100,000 new cases each year. The overwhelming
majority is in Africa. Nigeria alone has an estimated
1 million victims. Another 200,000 are in Ethiopia.
In Niger, the condition is so common, it is the leading
cause of divorce nationwide.
Life-Saving
Initiative for Newborn Babies (news article)
Struggling with one of the highest child-mortality
rates in the world at 104 deaths for every 1,000 live
births, Malawi has launched an unconventional care
program aimed at saving the lives of newborn babies
called the Kangaroo Mother Care program. The program
intends to halve the present child mortality rate.
Angola:
Progress Toward Poliomyelitis Eradication (press
release)
Since the World Health Assembly resolved in 1988 to
eradicate poliomyelitis, the estimated number of polio
cases worldwide has declined by over 99 percent. Angola
began polio eradication activities in 1996. Although
polio eradication efforts have been hampered by the
country's 27-year-long civil war, both the incidence
of polio cases and the geographic circulation of poliovirus
in Angola have decreased substantially.
New
Guidelines Developed for Health Workers in Indigenous
Communities (press release)
Three new guidelines for the application of the strategy
of Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI)
in indigenous communities are being prepared by the
Pan American Health Organization.
MEN'S HEALTH RESEARCH
Lack
of Effect of a Low-Fat, High-Fruit, -Vegetable, and
-Fiber Diet on Serum Prostate-Specific Antigen of
Men Without Prostate Cancer: Results From a Randomized
Trial (research abstract)
Related news article: Study
of Low-Fat, High-Fiber Diet Finds No Effect on PSA
Levels in Men Over a Four-Year Period
A low-fat, high-fiber diet heavy in fruits and vegetables
has no impact on prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels
in men over a 4-year period and does not affect the
incidence of prostate cancer, according to a 4-year
randomized, case-control study.
Suicide
and Marital Status in the United States, 1991-1996:
Is Widowhood a Risk Factor? (research abstract)
Related news article: Young
Widowers at High Risk of Suicide: Report
Young white men widowed between the ages of 20 and
34 are 17 times more likely to kill themselves than
their married peers, new study findings show. This
trend is not limited to whites: Among African-American
men who are widowed when relatively young, the risk
of suicide increases nine-fold relative to their married
counterparts.
MEN'S HEALTH NEWS
"Male
Menopause" Therapy Hotly Debated (news article)
Just as women find themselves flailing about, knee-deep
in controversy over the safety of hormone replacement
therapy, men are jumping in.
Smart
Human Sperm 'Have Memory' (news article)
If human sperm turn in one direction, they will turn
in the opposite direction at the next opportunity
demonstrating that they have some kind of memory,
a neurobiologist from Zurich has found.
POPULATION NEWS
Afghanistan:
Census preparations underway (news article)
Preparations are underway to begin the first ever
comprehensive population census in Afghanistan, with
the first batch of field workers to be dispatched
soon.
Zimbabwe:
Census Exercise Hits Snag As Foreigners Refuse to
Be Counted (news article)
Some foreign residents in Zimbabwe are refusing to
disclose information about themselves to census enumerators,
arguing that the census was internal and did not concern
them.
Japan's
Population at 126 Million (news article)
Japan's population was 126,478,672 as of March 31,
up 0.15 percent or 193,867 from a year earlier to
mark a record-low increase.
WOMEN'S HEALTH RESEARCH
Adolescent
and Adult Soy Intake and Risk of Breast Cancer in
Asian-Americans (research abstract)
Related news article: Eating
Soy During Adolescence May Reduce Breast Cancer
A population-based, case-control study of breast cancer
among Chinese, Japanese and Filipino women in Los
Angeles County (USA) was conducted to investigate
the role of soy in breast cancer. Results show that
high soy intake in childhood in Asian-Americans is
associated with reduced breast cancer risk. Risk may
be further reduced by intake as an adult.
Myogenic
Reactivity is Reduced in Small Renal Arteries Isolated
From Relaxin-Treated Rats (research abstract)
Related news article: Pregnancy
Hormone Induces Healthy Blood Vessels, Magee-Womens
Research Institute Scientists Report
The pregnancy hormone relaxin induces a healthy physiological
response in blood vessels, increasing dilation and
benefiting blood pressure and kidney function, scientists
at Magee-Womens Research Institute report. Finding
the key to this physiologic response could have significant
implications for the treatment of hypertension and
other cardiovascular diseases.
WOMEN'S HEALTH NEWS
Sorting
Through the Confusion Over Estrogen (news article)
Why does so much remain unknown about a drug that
has been on the market for more than 60 years? And
what should patients and physicians make of new findings
about hormone replacement therapy?
Computer
Predicts Outcomes of Breast Cancer (news article)
A computer system that mimics the way people think
has been 'trained' by scientists to forecast the outcome
of breast cancer cases. In a preliminary study involving
100 women, the system correctly predicted in almost
9 out of 10 patients whether the disease would spread
to other parts of their body and whether they would
survive for 5 years without a recurrence of cancer.
Chinese
Rural Women Not Shy Over Reproductive Health Problems
(news article)
Women in rural China used to keep their reproductive
health problems as "private secrets" and
seldom went to doctors. Now rural women can get reproductive
health checks regularly inlocal family planning service
centers.
YOUTH RESEARCH
Predictors
of Risky Sexual Behavior in African American Adolescent
Girls: Implications for Prevention Interventions
(research abstract)
Teens presenting in primary care settings in urban
environments seem to be at high risk for HIV, STDs,
and substance abuse, and risk reduction strategies
should be introduced during the preteen years. An
interdisciplinary model of care in primary care settings
serving adolescents is clearly indicated, and prevention-oriented
interventions aimed at reducing risky behaviors and
preventing the development of more significant health,
mental health, or substance abuse disorders are needed.
Gender,
Family, and the Nutritional Status of Children in
Three Culturally Contrasting States of India (research
abstract)
The evidence from this work suggests that nutrition
programs need to adopt community nutrition interventions
that aim resources at young children from families
where children with low weight for age z-scores are
found to cluster.
YOUTH NEWS
Bangladesh: Adolescents' Reproductive Health (news article)
The reproductive health status of adolescent boys
and girls is remarkably low in Bangladesh. Despite
rapid social change, women are still lagging far behind
men in all aspects. They are suffering from poverty
with social and cultural prejudice, gender based violence,
lack of education and less access to essential health
care facilities. All these contribute to poor reproductive
health.
Kenya:
Plea for Family Life Education (news article)
More than 10,000 girls drop out of school annually
due to unwanted pregnancies, with those in day and
mixed schools being the most affected. Some girls
are said to opt for abortion to remain in school,
risking their lives in the process.
US:
Nationwide Advocacy Campaign Launched to Fight Increased
Federal Funding for Unproven Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage
Programs (press release)
The Sexuality Information and Education Council of
the U.S. (SIECUS) announced the launch of its "No
New Money" campaign, a nationwide online advocacy
campaign, in an effort to halt additional federal
funding for abstinence-only-until-marriage programs.
US
Kids Having Unsafe Sex: Survey (news article)
American teenagers may be having less sexual intercourse,
but that doesn't mean they're abstaining from unsafe
sex. A recent survey by Ansell Healthcare, manufacturer
of LifeStyles condoms, found that one-third of teenage
girls said oral sex is not sex. Twenty percent of
teens had oral sex by age 15, half by age 17. In some
circles, say health officials, oral sex is almost
obligatory, like a goodnight kiss.
BOOKS/BOOK REVIEWS
Reconstructing
Gender: A Multicultural Anthology (book)
This anthology on gender focuses on women and men
and the multiple identities that comprise the lives
of individuals across gender. Drawing from a wide
range of sources including research articles, essays,
and personal narratives, Disch has chosen accessible,
engaging, and provocative readings that represent
a plurality of perspectives and experiences.
PROFILES / SPECIAL REPORTS
AIDS,
Public Policy, and Child Well-Being (research
report)
Download each chapter separately in PDF format. The
study, published by UNICEF's Innocenti Research Centre,
draws on nine country case studies from Africa and
Asia to examine the damage caused by HIV/AIDS to the
well-being of children and families and to the smooth
functioning of the societies in which they live.
US:
Women and Smoking: A Report of the Surgeon General
(executive summary)
The present report reviews the now massive body of
evidence on women and smoking, evidence that taken
together compels the US to make reducing and preventing
smoking one of the highest contemporary priorities
for women's health.
Population,
Poverty Reduction and Sustainable Development
(feature article)
The feature provides links to selected Internet resources
about population, environment, poverty, and other
World Summit on Sustainable Development issues from
a population perspective.
Recommendations
for Use of Antiretroviral Drugs in Pregnant HIV-1-Infected
Women for Maternal Health and Interventions to Reduce
Perinatal HIV-1 Transmission in the United States
(Perinatal Guidelines)
Revisions to the February 4, 2002 Public Health Service
Task Force Recommendations for Use of Antiretroviral
Drugs in Pregnant Women Infected with HIV-1 for Maternal
Health and for Reducing Perinatal HIV-1 Transmission
in the United States have been made by the Perinatal
HIV Guidelines Working Group.
WHO/CONRAD
technical consultation on Nonoxynol-9 : World Health
Organization, Geneva, 9-10 October 2001
(summary report)
HIV/AIDS,
Human Resources and Sustainable Development
This is a new report released by UNAIDS at the World
Summit on Sustainable Development on August 30, 2002,
detailing how the epidemic is affecting global human
capital and suggests strategies to mitigate its impact.
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