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Volume 2, Number 40
7 October 2002
FAMILY PLANNING / REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH LAW AND POLICY
Thailand
Contemplates Comprehensive Reproductive Rights Law (news article)
During an August conference on women's health in Bangkok,
Thai lawmakers and government officials took a major
step toward developing a national reproductive rights
law. If Thailand moves forward on this initiative
and passes a comprehensive reproductive health law,
it will be the first country in the region to enact
such legislation.
Philippines Debates National Reproductive Health Law (news
article)
A debate is raging in the Philippines over legislation
requiring the federal government to outline a strategy
that would improve Filipinos' access to reproductive
health care and to review and repeal laws and policies
that infringe on their sexual and reproductive rights.
The bill is crucial for Filipino women's health because
it would force the federal government to fund programs
for contraceptive services and information.
Laos:
One-Fifth of UNICEF Country Budget Allotted to Child,
Maternal Health (news article)
Improving maternal and child health is a major priority
for UNICEF in Laos, where the maternal mortality rate
is the second highest in Asia and less than one-third
of mothers receive prenatal care from a doctor, nurse,
or midwife. Maternal and child health efforts account
for about one-fifth of UNICEF's annual $5 million
budget for the country. Four out of 10 children in
Laos are malnourished and the same proportion experience
stunted growth.
Zimbabwe:
$96 Million Looted from HIV/AIDS Levy Fund (news
article)
A report by the Comptroller and Auditor-General details
the disbursement of funds, which were shrouded in
procedural impropriety.
A
Survey of STI Policies and Programmes in Europe: Preliminary
Results (research abstract)
In this survey study, researchers found that Western
European countries largely leave STI prevention and
care to individual practitioners. While in western
Europe access to condoms appears to be good, in the
newly independent states there are many fewer condom
outlets.
FAMILY PLANNING / REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH RESEARCH
Age-Specific
Prevalence of Infection with Herpes Simplex Virus
Types 2 and 1: A Global Review (research abstract)
Information on age- and sex-specific prevalence of
herpes simplex virus (HSV) types 2 and 1 infections
is essential to optimize genital herpes control strategies.
This review summarizes data from peer-reviewed publications
of type-specific HSV sero-epidemiologic surveys from
around the world.
Improving
Cycle Control in Progestogen-Only Contraceptive Pill
Users by Intermittent Treatment with a New Anti-Progestogen
(research abstract)
The safety and efficacy of the anti-progestogen Org
31710 in improving cycle control in healthy women
using the desogestrel progestogen-only pill was investigated
in this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled
study. Compared with controls, fewer subjects in the
Org 31710 group reported irregular, frequent, or prolonged
bleeding. The addition of Org 31710 once a month improved
cycle control in women using daily treatment with
75 µg desogestrel.
Ovarian
Function with a Novel Combined Contraceptive Vaginal
Ring (research abstract)
Researchers found a new contraceptive ring to be a
highly effective, reversible method of hormonal contraception.
Ovulation, at least until the stage of a 13 mm dominant
follicle, is prevented and as little as 3 consecutive
days of the new contraceptive ring use interferes
with follicle growth.
FAMILY PLANNING / REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH NEWS
Researchers Looking
to Stunt Menstruation (news article)
Ask women how they feel about the bleeding, cramping,
mood swings and other aspects of their monthly menstrual
cycle, and most will say, "Who needs it?"
Now some researchers are saying women don't need to
menstruate monthly, unless they want to become pregnant.
Researchers are looking into ways to reduce the number
of periods each year.
Biggest Study so
far Backs Douching, Infection Link (news article)
Women who douche at least once a month are 40% more
likely to have a mild bacterial infection of the vagina
than women who do not douche at all, researchers report.
Women
in Zimbabwe Reusing Female Condom, Despite Risks
(news article)
The high cost of the female condom is forcing Zimbabwean
women, particularly sex workers, to reuse the device
to save money, despite the risks associated with reuse,
AIDS activists have warned.
Wall
Street Journal Examines Oral Contraceptive Yasmin's
Reputation as Weight-Loss Aid (news article)
Although empirically unsupported, Berlex Laboratories'
oral contraceptive pill, Yasmin, has developed a reputation
as an effective weight-loss aid as well as a method
of pregnancy prevention. It is not clear whether Yasmin
offers any long-term weight benefits compared with
other oral contraceptives.
IPPF
European Network Subsidiary Company Enet Withdraws
Nonoxynol-9 Condoms (news article)
Following the the WHO press statement to the effect
that spermicides containing nonoxynol-9 do not protect
against HIV and may even increase the risk of HIV
infection in women using these products frequently,
the IPPF European Network subsidiary company Enet,
approved the withdrawal of the Nonoxynol-9 lubricated
variant from its range of condoms.
Female
Circumcision Rush for Somali Refugees (news article)
Somali refugees preparing to move to the United States
are rushing to circumcise their daughters, some as
young as two years old, after learning the practice
is illegal in their future home. According to humanitarian
workers in Kenya refugee camps, an unusually large
number of girls have been circumcised in recent weeks.
The agencies working on the resettlement program "are
aware of the problem and are working to figure out
how to put a handle on it and do something about it,"
said a US Embassy spokesman in the Kenyan capital
Nairobi.
HIV / AIDS RESEARCH
The
Next Wave of HIV/AIDS: Nigeria, Ethiopia, Russia,
India, and China (research report)
Related news article:
Intelligence Study Raises Estimate of AIDS Spread
A new report from the National Intelligence Council
estimates that the number of people with HIV/AIDS
will grow significantly by the end of the decade.
The increase will be driven by the spread of the disease
in five populous countries (Nigeria, Ethiopia, Russia,
India, and China) where the number of infected people
will grow from around 14 to 23 million currently to
an estimated 50 to 75 million by 2010.
Knowledge
On, and Attitude Toward, HIV/AIDS among Staff of an
International Organization in Bangladesh (research article)
This study found that most members of the staff, particularly
at lower level, had misconceptions about transmission
and prevention of HIV/AIDS. More than 40 percent of
the respondents had the attitude that HIV-infected
persons should not be allowed to work, while another
10 percent did not have any idea about it. The findings
of the study suggest that the members of the Centre's
staff have a satisfactory level of essential knowledge
on HIV/AIDS, although half of them have poor attitudes
toward persons with HIV/AIDS.
HIV / AIDS NEWS
Danger of AIDS Epidemic
Underplayed in Bangladesh (news article)
Although the official figure of HIV infected people
in Bangladesh is extremely low by any standard (a
mere 188) there is a growing fear that, like India,
Bangladesh may be sitting on a volcano with the danger
of an impending AIDS epidemic.
South
Africa: Free HIV Drug Distribution Begins (news
article)
Rape survivors who are admitted to KwaZulu-Natal hospitals
and community health centers will be given free AIDS
drugs, effective immediately.
Cambodian
AIDS Patients March to Demand Government Help
(news article)
About 300 Cambodians with HIV protested in Phnom Penh
Tuesday to demand more government help. The protesters
walked to a conference center where 1,000 government
ministers, provincial authorities and AIDS patients
are attending a three-day meeting on combating the
disease.
Fear
of Social Backlash Hampers Zimbabwe's Fight Against
AIDS Baby Deaths ( news article)
Efforts to reduce Zimbabwe's infant mortality rate
are threatened because many pregnant women who are
tested for HIV are too frightened to return to the
clinic for the results, Health Ministry official Inam
Chitsike said.
MTV
Stages Seattle/Cape Town Gigs for AIDS Day (news
article)l
The pop music channel MTV, bidding for a world audience
of at least 2 billion people, announced plans yesterday
for concerts in Cape Town and Seattle to mark World
AIDS Day on December 1.
MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH RESEARCH
Perceptions
of Mothers and Use of Breastmilk Substitutes in Dhaka,
Bangladesh (research article)
Approximately, 90% of the mothers of low SES could
not differentiate between infant formula and milk
powder compared to 70% of the mothers of middle SES
(p<0.001). The findings of FGDs revealed that some
middle-class mothers thought that infant formula was
the best food for their infants.
Home
Management of Childhood Diarrhoea in a Poor Periurban
Community in Dominican Republic (research article)
Forty-six percent of caregivers reported that one
of their children had experienced diarrhoea within
the last month. There was high reported use of ORS
and knowledge of its preparation and principal function.
However obstacles to its use included high rates of
dietary restrictions during diarrhoea, positive view
of the use of antibiotics, poor knowledge of preparation
of sugar-salt solutions, and low attention given to
clinical indicators as reasons for seeking professional
treatment.
How
Accurate is the Postnatal Estimation of Gestational Age? (research
abstract)
The purpose of this study was to determine the accuracy
of postnatal gestational age assessment of babies
in North Colombo Teaching Hospital, Ragama, Sri Lanka
using different methods. It was concluded that postnatal
assessment of gestational age by the Parkin's method
is much closer to menstrual gestation than the classical
Dubowitz method and is also easier and quicker to
perform.
Integrating
Quantitative and Qualitative Methods to Assess the
Impact of Child Survival Programs in Developing Countries:
The Case of a Program Evaluation in Ceara, Northeast
Brazil (research abstract)
This article describes an outcome evaluation of a
community health workers program in the state of Ceara,
Northeast Brazil. The program integrated quantitative
and qualitative methods to assess the impact of child
survival interventions in reducing infant mortality
and inadequate weight gain in children. By using multiple
methods that combine quantitative and qualitative
components, researchers can broaden their understanding
of complex public health issues and direct use of
data for decision making.
Infant
Feeding and Blood Cholesterol: A Study in Adolescents
and a Systematic Review (PubMed abstract)
Related news article: Breast
May be Best for Cardiovascular Health
Breastfeeding may be good for long-term cardiovascular
health, according to a study carried out by researchers
at St. George's Hospital Medical School in Tooting,
England. By comparing infants, children, adolescents,
and adults who were breastfed in early life with those
who had been formula-fed, the researchers suggested
that breastfeeding may have long-term benefits for
cardiovascular health. The study found that cholesterol
levels appear to be lower in adults who had been breastfed
compared with those who were formula-fed.
MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH NEWS
US Centers for Disease
Control: Baby Caught West Nile Virus from Mom's Milk
(news article)
US health officials confirmed last week that a Michigan
infant has the West Nile virus and probably got it
from the breast milk of his infected mother.
Test
Shows Aspirin Can Help Prevent Pre-Eclampsia (news
article)
A Spanish researcher has developed a test that identified
93 percent of women who may be susceptible to pre-eclampsia,
which can lead to premature births and risk the lives
of mothers, and has offered evidence that aspirin
given early can prevent the condition. According to
the World Health Organization, pre-eclampsia and eclampsia
occurs in about 10 percent of women worldwide and
is responsible for 12 percent of pregnancy-related
deaths, especially in developing countries.
MEN'S HEALTH RESEARCH
How
Work-place Conditions, Environmental Toxicants and
Lifestyle Affect Male Reproductive Function (research
abstract)
The authors examine how male reproductive function
might be impacted by various factors.
Genital
Shedding of Herpes Simplex Virus among Men (research
abstract)
Epidemiologic studies suggest that most sexual transmission
of genital herpes occurs when persons shed virus but
lack lesions. The shedding rate among men with genital
HSV-2 was significantly higher than among men with
genital HSV-1 infection. The frequency of viral shedding
in men with genital herpes is comparable with that
in women, researchers found.
A
Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial of Zoledronic
Acid in Patients with Hormone-Refractory Metastatic
Prostate Carcinoma (PubMed abstract)
Related news article: Drug May Help
after Prostate Cancer Spreads to Bone
A new drug may help fight the pain and skeletal damage
that occurs when prostate cancer spreads to the bone,
according to the results of a new study. The drug,
zoledronic acid, is a member of a family of medications
called bisphosphonates that help regulate the process
of bone renewal.
Insulin-Dependent
Diabetes in Men is Associated with Hypothalamo-Pituitary
Derangement and with Impairment in Semen Quality
(research abstract)
The objective of the study was to investigate the
hypothalamo-pituitary-testicular axis and sperm structure
at the transmission electron microscope (TEM) level
in men affected by insulin-dependent diabetes. The
study found that the reduced response of gonadotrophins
to GnRH in diabetic men may indicate a decreased acute
releasable pool of pituitary gonadotrophins. The results
of TEM examination showed that sperm from men with
diabetes presented severe structural defects in comparison
with sperm from controls.
MEN'S HEALTH NEWS
STD Surprisingly
Tied to Low Prostate Cancer Risk (news article)
In an unexpected outcome, Finnish researchers found
that men who have been infected with chlamydia appear
to have a reduced risk of prostate cancer.
Male
Pill Tester's Side-effect Agony (news article)
A volunteer tester for the male Pill is demanding
an inquiry after suffering side-effects which he fears
may put his life at risk. The man says he has lost
40 per cent of his lungs and at one point developed
such a serious rheumatoid problem that he could hardly
walk, tie shoelaces, or sleep.
New
Treatments for Prostate Trouble (news article)
Benign prostatic hyperplasia is the medical term for
the enlargement of the prostate. As men age, the prostate
grows, and as it does it puts pressure on the urethra
and bladder, which causes the urinary symptoms that
men experience. For years the standard treatment was
surgery, and while the surgery is still performed
today, advances in medication and alternative therapies
have given doctors options in treating this common
and irritating condition.
POPULATION RESEARCH
Algorithm
for Decomposition of Differences Between Aggregate
Demographic Measures and Its Application to Life Expectancies,
Healthy Life Expectancies, Parity-Progression Ratios
and Total Fertility Rates 
(research article)
The authors propose a general algorithm for the decomposition
of differences between two values of an aggregate
demographic measure in respect to age and other dimensions.
The application of the algorithm enables a numerical
decomposition of the differences between total fertility
rates and between parity progression ratios by age
of the mother and parity. Empirical examples are based
on mortality data from the USA, the UK, West Germany,
and Poland and on fertility data from Russia.
POPULATION NEWS
Australia:
Immigration Only Answer to Population Fall (news
article)
On current population projections, immigration will
be the only thing preventing the Australian population
from declining in about 30 years time, federal Multicultural
Affairs Minister Gary Hardgrave said. "The reality
we are grappling with today is a declining fertility
rate which, since the mid 70s, has been well below
the rate needed for population replacement."
Britain
Census Says Million Are Missing (news article)
The results of Britain's national census, announced
last week, held a surprise for statisticians: almost
a million people, most of them young men, are missing.
UK:
Census Highlights Ageing Population Concerns (news
article)
The census of Britain has revealed that for the first
time there are more people aged over 60 than under
16 and the number of over-85s has increased 500 per
cent since 1951 to 1.1 million.
WOMEN'S HEALTH RESEARCH
A
Population-based Prospective Study of Chlamydia Trachomatis
Infection and Cervical Carcinoma (research abstract)
Related news article: Chlamydia
Infection May Boost Cervical Cancer Risk
Women who become infected with chlamydia appear to
be at an increased risk of developing cervical cancer.
Randomized
Trial of Breast Self-Examination in Shanghai: Final
Results (PubMed abstract)
Related news article: Breast Self-Exam
Won't Cut Cancer Death Risk: Study
This study was conducted to determine whether providing
an intensive program of breast self exam instruction
will reduce the number of women dying of breast cancer.
The study found that teaching women to perform breast
self-exams does not lower their risk of death from
cancer and may lead to unnecessary biopsies. The authors
stress that the findings should not discourage women
from checking their breasts for tumors; rather, that
women who do self-exams should practice regularly
and understand that they may have a higher risk of
having a breast biopsy for a benign tumor should they
detect a lump.
WOMEN'S HEALTH NEWS
Study
Finds Women's Mental Health Benefits Just as Much
as Men's in Marriage (media release)
During the 1970s, there emerged a view of marriage
as an institution that promotes the mental health
of men at the expense of women. When a range of types
of mental disorders are considered, however, marriage
reduces the risk of mental disorders for both men
and women. Although married men and women risk different
types of disorders, this has nothing to do with them
being married.
More
Evidence Aspirin May Prevent Ovarian Cancer (news
article)
Previous research has suggested that women who take
aspirin may reduce their risk of developing ovarian
cancer, and a new examination of the interaction between
aspirin and ovarian cancer cells adds further support
to this conclusion.
YOUTH RESEARCH
An
Evaluation of an Abstinence Education Curriculum Series:
Sex Can Wait (research abstract)
Related news article: Abstinence
Based Program Effective
A non-directive abstinence based sex education program
developed at the University of Arkansas has been shown
to work with high school students. Its developers
attribute its success to the respect it shows to adolescents'
natural drive toward autonomy. It does not include
lessons on contraceptives.
News
from the Frontline: Sexually Transmitted Infections
in Teenagers Attending a Genitourinary Clinic in South
East London (research abstract)
Related news article: Very
High STD Rate Seen in Southeast London Girls
Adolescent girls in southeast London are three times
more likely to have gonorrhea, chlamydia, or some
other sexually transmitted infection than older women
who visit genitourinary medicine clinics for check-ups,
study findings show.
Herpes
Simplex Virus Type 1 Infection: A Sexually Transmitted
Infection of Adolescence? (research abstract)
Related news article: Earlier Sex
Linked to Herpes Infections
People who began having sexual intercourse at age
15 or younger are more likely to be infected with
the herpes simplex virus-1 than someone who had intercourse
for the first time at age 20 or older. Among reproductive
health clinic attendees, someone who had sexual intercourse
for the first time at age 15 or younger was almost
three times as likely to register positive for an
HSV-1 infection as someone whose intercourse occurred
at age 20 or older.
PROFILES / SPECIAL REPORTS
Condoms
Count: Meeting the Need in the Era of HIV/AIDS
(report)
This new PAI report documents the failure of the donor
community--and many of the countries most affected
by AIDS--to adequately support programs that promote
and distribute male and female condoms. At least 8
billion condoms are needed annually for protection
against HIV/AIDS in developing countries and Eastern
Europe, but wealthy countries contribute less than
one billion condoms, fewer than a decade ago, says
the new report from Population Action International.
Facing
the HIV/AIDS Pandemic
(report)
Even as HIV continues its relentless spread across
the globe, most countries still lack the will, the
commitment, and the resources to create effective
HIV/AIDS programs, according to the newest Population
Bulletin.
Universal
Sexuality Education in Mongolia: Educating Today to
Protect Tomorrow
(report)
There are now more than a billion young people between
the ages of 10 and 19 in the world. A considerable
effort must be made within countries to provide young
people with the information and skills they will need
to negotiate their way through a changing culture
and to protect their sexual health. This report explores
Mongolia's efforts to implement a reproductive health
and sexuality education program.
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