The Pop Reporter®
– Events – Archives – Subscribe – Modify Profile – Headline Sharing Program – The Pop Reporter en Espaņol (Spanish)
Volume 2, Number 49
9 December 2002
FAMILY PLANNING / REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH LAW AND POLICY
International
Law, Human Rights and HIV/AIDS 
(research article)
This article explores the relevance of international human rights law
in the response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic at national and international
levels. Public health advocates can use arguments based on this body of
law to promote responses to HIV/AIDS that reflect sound public health
principles and documented best practices.
China:
Hubei to Relax Its One-Child Regulation (news article)
Hubei has become the latest province in China to revise its birth-control
policy since the amended national family planning law was implemented
in September.
The
Politics of Priority Setting for Reproductive Health: Breast and Cervical
Cancer in Ghana (research abstract)
This paper demonstrates how local politics can trump scientific and economic
evidence and suggests that the priority setting process can have unforeseen
equity and social implications. It concludes by arguing that the policy
priority measure provides a more complete picture of reproductive health
priorities and is useful for better understanding the implications of
the priority setting process for reproductive health.
US:
Court Says HIV Patient Can Sue Doctor Who Told Employer (news article)
An appeals court reinstated a lawsuit against a doctor who revealed a
patient's HIV-positive status to his employer.
FAMILY PLANNING / REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH RESEARCH
Current
Perspectives on Emergency Contraception
(research article)
This article provides an update on the prescription of emergency contraceptives
so that doctors may become more confident at prescribing emergency contraceptives
and educating women about this back-up contraceptive. The current changes
in the delivery of emergency contraceptive pills from prescription-only
through self administration to over-the-counter sales is also discussed.
Use
of Mandelic Acid Condensation Polymer (SAMMA), A New Antimicrobial Contraceptive
Agent, For Vaginal Prophylaxis (PubMed abstract)
Related news article: Vaginal
Contraceptive/HIV Fighter Seems Promising
An experimental vaginal gel appears to be a safe, effective contraceptive,
according to animal studies. The compound, SAMMA, blocked HIV and two
strains of herpes simplex virus in laboratory testing. Investigators believe
the encouraging results justify further testing.
Male
Contraception (research abstract)
This review addresses the current standing of male contraception, long
the poor relation in family planning but currently enjoying a resurgence
in both scientific and political interest as it is recognized that men
have a larger role to play in the regulation of fertility, whether seen
in geopolitical or individual terms.
Experience
with GyneFIX(R) Insertions in Spain: Favorable Acceptance of Intrauterine
Contraceptive Implant with Some Limitations (PubMed abstract)
This was a prospective, multicenter, observational study of GyneFIX(R)
insertion in1684 women. GyneFIX(R) insertion was rated easy in 92%, with
more difficulty in nulliparous women, who showed significantly more symptoms
during insertion of the device. First-year expulsion and continuity rates
were 5.6 and 88 per 100 women, respectively. The pregnancy rate was 0.3
per 100 women/years.
FAMILY PLANNING / REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH NEWS
South
Africa: Vaginal Creams Set to Help in Anti-HIV Battle (news article)
A national prevention initiative could bring hope to millions of South
African women at risk of contracting HIV. It will for the first time see
the accelerated testing of safe and effective microbicides - vaginal barrier
gels that have the potential to reduce the transmission of HIV by killing
off sperm cells and the viruses and bacteria that lead to AIDS and other
sexually transmitted diseases.
Single-Dose
Emergency Contraception Works (news article)
Single-dose emergency contraception is just as effective as multiple doses,
a finding that could make delivering and taking emergency contraception
much easier, an international study from the World Health Organization
suggests.
Tapeworm
Could Provide Unisex Pill (news article)
The humble tapeworm could be the source of a new form of contraception
for both men and women, researchers say. A tapeworm found in fish contains
a chemical compound that appears to make the fish infertile.
China
to Lift Ban on Condom Advertisements in an Effort to Raise Awareness of
Safe Sex (news article)
China will lift a ban on condom advertisements in an effort to promote
safe sex and reduce the incidence of sexually transmitted diseases like
AIDS.
UN:
Family Planning Spurs Growth in Poor Nations (news article)
Developing countries can fuel economic expansion and boost productivity
by investing in family planning and reproductive health services.
HIV / AIDS RESEARCH
Nelson
Mandela/HSRC Study of HIV/AIDS Household Survey 2002 (report)
Related news article: South
African Survey Lifts Lid Off HIV Epidemic, Shows Progress on Prevention
A blockbuster report on South Africa's HIV epidemic challenges many existing
perceptions of the scale of the problem and how South Africans are responding
to it. The main finding is that "HIV is a generalised epidemic in
South Africa that extends to all age groups, geographic areas and race
groups." 11.4% of South Africans are estimated from this survey to
be living with HIV (95% confidence intervals 10.0-12.7%), excluding only
those under the age of 2 and some significant populations such as those
living in military camps, university hostels, boarding schools, prisons
and hospitals. Among those aged 15-49, the figure is 15.2% (CI 13.9 -
17.5%.
How
Human Immunodeficiency Virus Voluntary Testing Can Contribute to Tuberculosis
Control
(research article)
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is fueling the tuberculosis (TB) epidemic,
particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. However, despite their close epidemiological
links, the public health responses have largely been separate. WHO has
set out a strategy to decrease the burden of HIV-related TB, comprising
interventions against both TB and HIV. Voluntary counseling and testing
(VCT) for HIV can link TB and HIV program activities. To explore how VCT
for HIV can contribute to a more coherent response to TB, WHO is coordinating
the ProTEST Initiative. Under this initiative, pilot districts are establishing
links between centers for VCT for HIV and TB prevention and care. This
will pave the way for large-scale operationalization of the comprehensive
range of interventions needed to control TB in settings with high HIV
prevalence.
Association
Between Cervical Shedding of Herpes Simplex Virus and HIV-1 (PubMed
abstract )
Related news article: Cervical
HSV Shedding Tied to More HIV Shedding
In women coinfected with HIV-1 and herpes simplex virus (HSV) type 1 or
2, researchers linked more cervical shedding of HSV with high levels of
HIV in cervical secretions and cells.
The
African Aids Epidemic: Reflections on a Research Program (research
abstract)
A collaborative program between research teams of the Australian National
University and three African universities spent 12 years investigating
the social and behavioral context of the African epidemic with the aim
of providing an understanding of the social dimension of the epidemic
so that behavioral change might be accelerated. This paper provides a
history of the project's activities and summarizes its findings.
HIV / AIDS NEWS
HIV
Feeds on Women's Low Status in India (news article)
The long-standing subordination of women and girls in Indian society takes
on lethal dimensions with the rapid spread of HIV. Though men can experiment
with sex outside of marriage without any social stigma, women do not even
have the status to demand that husbands who may bring sexually transmitted
diseases home use condoms.
Chinese
AIDS Victims Lose Home (news article)
In China, residents of a small pioneering care home for people with HIV/AIDS
say they have been evicted following their landlord's discovery that they
carried the virus.
US:
Sex Workers in Border Regions Potential Source for HIV/AIDS Spread (press
release)
The social behavior of sex workers and transportation workers along the
U.S. - Mexico border has the potential to spread HIV and AIDS through
North and Central America in much the same way the disease has spread
through sub-Saharan Africa, according to a new University of Houston study.
Lusaka:
North-Western Has Lowest Aids, Syphilis Cases Due to Circumcision - Chituwo
(news article)
The North-Western Province of Lusaka has a peculiarly low number of HIV/AIDS
and syphilis cases due to circumcisions, said the health minister.
Botswana:
All-Out Effort Fails to Halt AIDS Spread (news article)
Two years into the five-year African Comprehensive HIV/AIDS Partnership,
Botswana is learning what big money, free drugs and strong leadership
can and cannot do to halt the epidemic. "We're making astounding
progress, and it's astoundingly inadequate," said a physician and
former management consultant for McKinsey & Co. who runs Botswana's
antiretroviral program.
MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH RESEARCH
Annual
Summary of Vital Statistics - 2001(research abstract)
Related news article: Improvements
Noted in US Teen Births, Prenatal Care
An annual report that provides a snapshot of births and deaths in the
US offers both good and bad news this year. In encouraging news, teen
birth rates continued to drop in 2001, and women were more likely to receive
prenatal care than in years past. But the rates of low birth weight and
infant mortality remained steady.
Effect
of Supplementary Feeding on the Prevention of Mild-To-Moderate Wasting
In Conditions of Endemic Malnutrition In Guatemala
(research article)
Children aged 6-48 months in a rural area of Guatemala with a high prevalence
of malnutrition received either Atole, a supplemental drink with a high
protein and moderate energy content, or Fresco, a drink with no protein
and a low energy content to estimate the effect of supplementary feeding
on the prevention of wasting in preschool children. Findings indicate
that supplementary feeding of children aged 6-24 months in populations
with inadequate dietary intakes can prevent the onset of wasting in a
large proportion of children.
Association
Between Bacterial Vaginosis or Chlamydial Infection and Miscarriage Before
16 Weeks' Gestation: Prospective Community Based Cohort Study (research
article)
Related news article: Vaginal
Infection Tied to 2nd Trimester Miscarriage
Results from a prospective cohort study of 1216 pregnant women attending
general practices and family planning clinics reveal that bacterial vaginosis
is not a strong risk factor for miscarriage before 16 weeks' gestation.
However, it may be associated with miscarriage in the second trimester.
Spontaneous
Arousals in Supine Infants While Swaddled and Unswaddled During Rapid
Eye Movement and Quiet Sleep (research abstract)
Related news article: Swaddling
May Help Sleeping Babies Remain on Their Backs
Supine sleep is recommended for infants to decrease the risk of sudden
infant death syndrome, but many parents report that their infants seem
uncomfortable supine. A safe form of swaddling that allows hip flexion/abduction
and chest wall excursion may help parents keep their infants in the supine
sleep position and thereby prevent the sudden infant death syndrome risks
associated with the prone sleep position.
Risk
Factors for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Among Northern Plains Indians
(research abstract)
Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is a leading cause of postneonatal
mortality among American Indians, a group whose infant death rate is consistently
above the US national average. A population-based case-control study of
33 SIDS infants and 66 matched living controls among American Indians
in the U.S. was conducted to determine prenatal and postnatal risk factors
for SIDS among American Indians. Results indicate that public health nurse
visits, maternal alcohol use during the periconceptional period and first
trimester, and layers of clothing are important risk factors for SIDS
among Northern Plains Indians. Strengthening public health nurse visiting
programs and programs to reduce alcohol consumption among women of childbearing
age could potentially reduce the high rate of SIDS.
Bottle
Feeding in the Bed or Crib Before Sleep Time and Wheezing in Early Childhood
(research article)
Among children with parental history of atopy, bottle feeding in the bed
or crib before sleep time in the first year of life is a risk factor for
recurrent wheezing and asthma at 5 years of age and a risk factor for
wheezing between the ages of 1 and 5 years.
Polygyny
and Child Survival In Nigeria: Age-Dependent Effects (research abstract)
Mortality risks under age five are estimated in this study using data
from the 1990 Nigerian Demographic and Health Survey for children in monogamous
and polygynous families. The results indicate that polygyny does not have
a significant effect on neonatal mortality. In contrast to the results
of previous research, polygyny is significantly associated with lower
child mortality during the post-neonatal period (1-11 months), but not
during childhood (12-59 months). The study found socio-economic factors
to be important confounders of the relationship between polygyny and mortality
during the neonatal and post-neonatal periods.
MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH NEWS
Nepal's
Childhood Mortality Falls by Half as Vaccinations Rise Tenfold
(news article)
Nepal, one of Asia's poorest countries, has been taking hard knocks in
recent years, struggling with a Maoist rebellion since 1996, and facing
the appalling slaughter of many of its royal family by one of its own
members in June 2001. But a delighted Nepalese Minister for Health, recently
reported significant health improvements in the country. From 1980 to
2000, mortality in under five-year-olds fell by 55%; infant mortality
has dropped by 33%; and fertility by 26%.
Rubella
Vaccination Recommendation Changes for Pregnant Women (press release)
Ob-gyns are now being advised that it is safe for women to receive their
rubella vaccination up to one month before becoming pregnant instead of
the previous three-month wait period, according to an opinion released
today by The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Women
who have just given birth and are at high risk for acquiring rubella should
be vaccinated before they leave the hospital.
Uganda:
HIV+ Mums Puzzled About Breastfeeding (news article)
Participants of the Women's Worlds Congress held at Makerere University
in July this year expressed concern that prevention of mother to child
transmission of HIV as an intervention programme in the fight against
HIV, may not be helpful, if implemented in isolation.
MEN'S HEALTH RESEARCH
Investigation
of a Novel Preparation of Testosterone Decanoate in Men: Pharmacokinetics
and Spermatogenic Suppression with Etonogestrel Implants (PubMed abstract)
Related news article: Hormone
Therapy a Potential Male Contraceptive
An experimental hormone combination holds promise as a male contraceptive,
the results of a new study suggest.
Sexually
Transmitted Diseases and Sexual Lifestyles of Distance Truck Drivers:
A Clinico-Epidemiologic Study in South India (PubMed abstract)
The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence and pattern
of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and to study sexual lifestyles
of long-distance truck drivers and their assistants in south India. All
263 of the truck drivers were sexually active and heterosexual contact
was the predominant mode (99.2%). Two-thirds of them had contact with
commercial sex workers and roughly 60% admitted alcohol consumption. One
hundred and two participants (38.7%) had various STDs. The authors concluded
that the higher median age, education less than primary school level,
longer duration of occupation, longer duration of each trip, and a previous
history of genital ulcer disease were significant risk factors for the
acquisition of HIV infection.
MEN'S HEALTH NEWS
Lack
of Expertise and Funding are Hampering Prostate Cancer Screening and Treatment
(news article)
A lack of widespread expertise and adequate funding, rather than the screening
test itself, is hampering screening for and treatment of prostate cancer,
claims a leading cancer epidemiologist.
Panel
Softens Prostate Screening Stance (news article)
The US Preventive Services Task Force has dropped its objection to routine
prostate cancer screenings for millions of middle-aged and elderly men,
saying it is possible the tests save lives.
New
Scan IDs Aggressive Prostate Tumors (news article)
A specially modified type of magnetic resonance imaging is as effective
as biopsy for identifying aggressive prostate tumors with the additional
advantage of being able to provide "a roadmap for treatment,"
researchers reported Wednesday.
POPULATION RESEARCH
State
of World Population 2002: People, Poverty, and Possibilities
(report)
This UNFPA report is available in English, French, Spanish, Russian, and
Arabic. The report argues that addressing population concerns is critical
to meeting the Millennium Development Goals of cutting global poverty
and hunger in half by 2015, reducing maternal and child deaths, curbing
HIV/AIDS, advancing gender equality, and promoting environmentally sustainable
development.
Related news article: Fertility
Decline is Economic 'Window of Opportunity'
Reducing population growth by improving family planning services creates
significant economic growth and reduces poverty, according to the new
UNFPA report.
POPULATION NEWS
World
Population Headed for 9.2 Billion by 2050 (news article)
Global population is projected to increase from 6.28 billion today to
9.2 billion by 2050, according to "The State of World Population
2002" a report by the United Nations Population Fund.
India:
The Desperate Bachelors (news article)
A fertile farming state just west of New Delhi, Haryana produces a smaller
share of girls, relative to overall births, than almost anywhere else
in India.
Iranian
Population to Overtake Russians, Japanese within 50 Years (news article)
The population of Iran is projected to rise to 121.4 million by 2050,
more than twice the number of people living in Britain. Within the next
50 years, the number of people living in Iran will overtake the declining
populations in Germany, Japan and even Russia, according to figured compiled
in the State of World Population 2002 report.
Pakistan's
2.1 Percent Population Growth To Be Lowered To 1.3 (news article)
Pakistan's population growth has started declining from the current growth
rate of 2.1 percent and is expected to go down to 1.3 percent over the
next two decades, the Population Planning Commission's Deputy Chairman
said.
India
Losing Population Battle (news article)
Since the 1950s, India's birth rate has been halved, but the massive population
is still the number one problem it faces. With the population still increasing
by a figure equal to the entire population of Australia every year, it
is accepted India's attempts to stabilize it have already failed.
WOMEN'S HEALTH RESEARCH
Oral
Contraceptives and the Risk of Breast Cancer in BRCA1 and BRCA2 Mutation
Carriers (research abstract)
Related news article: Pill
May Boost Risk in Breast Cancer Gene Carriers
Women with a gene mutation linked to breast and ovarian cancer who took
the birth control pill face a greater risk of developing breast cancer
than women with the gene who never took oral contraceptives.
Hormone
Replacement Therapy Regimens and Breast Cancer Risk (PubMed abstract)
Related news article: Study
Confirms Breast Cancer Risk in Continuous Combined Hormone Therapy Risk
Begins to Return to Normal After Women Stop Taking Hormones
Researchers confirmed that a daily, combined dose of estrogen and progestin
increases breast cancer risk in post menopausal women, but added that
this risk begins to return to normal about six months after women stop
taking the hormones.
Perspectives
on the Women's Health Initiative Trial of Hormone Replacement Therapy
(PubMed abstract)
To help clinicians understand the Women's Health Initiative primary prevention
trial, a large, complex trial, the authors describe several pervasive
biases in earlier observational studies, review the principal findings
of the trial, summarize recent systematic reviews, and offer clinical
suggestions for hormone replacement therapy.
Prone
Table Stereotactic Breast Biopsy
(research article)
The prone table machine is a mammographic X-ray system specially designed
for use in the stereotactic localization of breast abnormality. In this
study, its clinical usefulness was investigated in terms of duration,
success rate, complications, and patients' acceptance of the procedure.
During a 5-month period, 79 patients attended the Kwong Wah Hospital for
stereotactic-guided biopsy on the prone table. Eighty-one lesions were
assessed. The prone table machine was considered to be useful and efficient,
and had a high degree of acceptance among patients.
WOMEN'S HEALTH NEWS
China
Protects Women's Choice on Contraception (news article)
Chinese women have come to know more about contraception and they are
free to choose the contraceptive methods suitable for their own physical
conditions.
Hopkins
Study Finds Combined PET-CT Better at Detecting Ovarian Cancer (news
article)
Hopkins radiologists have found that a combination of positron emission
tomography (PET) and computed tomography (CT) detects cancer spread better
than PET alone.
Southern
Africa: Women and Girls Still Facing Discrimination and Violence (press
release)
"Immediate action is needed to protect Southern African women from
the combined effects of violence and HIV/AIDS," Amnesty International
said in a press release. "Despite commitment by Southern African
governments to eliminate 'all forms of discrimination [and] all forms
of violence against women and girls' to reduce their vulnerability to
HIV/AIDS, there continues to be evidence of widespread economic, social
and legal discrimination along with high levels of violence, including
sexual violence, against women and girls in Southern African countries."
YOUTH RESEARCH
When
and Where Do Youths Have Sex? The Potential Role of Adult Supervision
(research abstract)
Substantial numbers of youths currently spend long periods of time without
adult supervision and have limited opportunities to participate in after-school
activities. More than half of sexually active youths reported that they
had sex at home after school, and, particularly for boys, sexual-and drug-related
risks increased as the amount of unsupervised time increased.
YOUTH NEWS
South Africa Takes Heart as Young Heed AIDS Warning (news article)
More young South Africans are heeding safe sex campaigns and cutting their
chances of getting AIDS or the HIV virus which causes it, a new survey
said on Thursday, heartening the nation worst hit by the pandemic.
When you click on any link, your Internet browser will access a Web site not connected to "The Pop Reporter.®" Information accessed through these links and contained in this issue of "The Pop Reporter®" does not necessarily state or reflect the views of the Population Information Program, Johns Hopkins University, or the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
All links were verified at the date of posting. Your computer and/or network configuration regarding Java script, cookies, and other security issues may not allow you to view certain Web sites. Consult your computer technician if you are having problems.
Information & Knowledge for Optimal Health (INFO) Project
111 Market Place Suite 310, Baltimore, MD 21202
Phone: 410-659-6300 Fax: 410-659-6266 Security & Privacy Policy