The Pop Reporter®
– Events – Archives – Subscribe – Modify Profile – Headline Sharing Program – The Pop Reporter en Espaņol (Spanish)
Volume 3, Number 18
5 May 2003
GUEST COMMENTARY
Overcoming Fatalism: A Human Rights Approach to Maternal Mortality
by Laura Katzive, JD, LLM <LKatzive@reprorights.org>
"A woman who gives birth opens her own coffin." So goes an expression that is well known in parts of Mali, a country in which one in 19 women dies of pregnancy-related causes.(1)
In Mali and in other countries where the risks associated with pregnancy and childbirth are high and well known, men and women alike accept maternal mortality as a tragic but inevitable fact of life. Women are often expected to spend most of their adult lives having and caring for babies. The associated risks of pregnancy and childbirth are merely a condition of womanhood.
For too long, fatalism and resignation have reigned over political resolve to save women's lives. Governments point to a shortage of financial resources and entrenched social and cultural practices as nearly insurmountable barriers to maternal survival. But maternal death is, in fact, most often the result of choices, including government choices about policy and resource allocation.
If astounding numbers of maternal deaths alone -- over a half a million per year worldwide (1) -- do not motivate governments to take urgent steps, their obligations under international law should. All countries are bound by the basic principle articulated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: "Everyone has the right to life..." Nearly 150 countries have formally committed themselves to upholding this principle by ratifying the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (Civil and Political Rights Covenant), which provides that "[e]very human being has the inherent right to life. This right shall be protected by law." The Human Rights Committee, the U.N. body charged with overseeing implementation of this treaty, has drawn an explicit link between governments' obligation to protect the right to life and their duty to take positive steps to prevent maternal mortality.(2)
The causes of maternal mortality are many and can themselves be classified as violations of rights protected in major human rights instruments, including the Civil and Political Rights Covenant, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. Shortages and inaccessibility of obstetric services, for example, constitute a denial of the right to health care. Harmful practices and social norms such as female genital mutilation and early pregnancy, which weaken women physically and heighten their risks of obstetric complications, violate women's basic right to equality and non-discrimination. Finally, denials of women's right to reproductive self-determination, including governments' failure to ensure access to family planning services, threaten women's lives by preventing birth spacing and by increasing the likelihood of unsafe abortion.
These international legal norms are powerful tools for promoting women's safety during pregnancy and childbirth. Women can claim their protected rights by demanding government action to support and expand maternal health services, repeal laws that restrict women's access to health care, invest in measures to promote women's status, and address social norms that limit women's ability to make choices affecting their reproductive lives. Government accountability for pregnancy-related deaths begins with recognition of women's rights and a refusal to view such deaths as inevitable.
References
1. Maternal Mortality in 1995: Estimates Developed by WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA (2001). Accessed April 24, 2003.
2. United Nations Human Rights Committee, General Comment 28 on Equality of Rights Between Men and Women, CCPR/C/21/Rev.1/Add.10, 29/3/2000, paragraph 10.
Laura Katzive is a legal adviser for global projects at the Center for Reproductive Rights. She recently co-authored a report titled "Claiming our Rights: Surviving Pregnancy and Childbirth in Mali."
FAMILY PLANNING / REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH RESEARCH
Contraception: From Accessibility to Efficiency (research abstract)
Related news article:Two-thirds of Unplanned Pregnancies Due to Contraception Errors
Researchers have found two-thirds of unplanned pregnancies occur in women using contraception.
Condom-use Errors and Problems. A Neglected Aspect of Studies Assessing Condom Effectiveness (research abstract)
Findings from this study that included males and females suggest that condom-use errors and problems may be quite common and that assessment of errors and problems do not necessarily need to be gender specific.
Common Statistical Errors in the Design and Analysis of Subfertility Trials (research abstract)
This paper discusses study design and data analysis flaws in studies on sub-fertility.
The Use of Family Planning Methods in an Administrative District of Istanbul (research abstract)
According to the findings of this study, the level of knowledge about family planning and the consequent behavior of the women within the fertile age group are better than the average of Turkey, but still not satisfactory.
Oral Contraceptives and Inherited Thrombophilia: A Gene-Environment Interaction with a Risk of Venous Thrombosis? (research abstract)
There are no consistent data regarding the thrombotic risk in users of oral contraceptives with an inherited thrombophilic defect and personal history of venous thrombosis. Selective genetic screening on the basis of clinical judgment, and family and personal history, instead of universal screening, may be useful before oral contraceptives are prescribed.
The Combined Contraceptive Ring NuvaRing® and Spermicide Co-medication (research abstract)
The effects of nonoxynol-9 on etonogestrel and ethinylestradiol release and absorption from NuvaRing® were studied in 12 subjects for two cycles: one control and one interaction cycle (nonoxynol-9 was administered on day 8). Nonoxynol-9 had no effect on release or absorption and, consequently, serum levels of etonogestrel and ethinylestradiol.
Assessment of the Validity of and Adherence to Sexually Transmitted Infection Algorithms at a Female Sex Worker Clinic in Abidjan, Côte D'Ivoire (research abstract)
A cross-sectional study was conducted from 1999 to 2000 among FSWs attending as returning clients.The prevalences of genital infections were as follows: Neisseria gonorrhoeae and/or Chlamydia trachomatis, 8.2%; Trichomonas vaginalis, 16.7%; bacterial vaginosis, 62.3%; and Candida albicans, 6.2%. The sensitivity of the algorithms was 20% and the positive predictive value was 14% for cervical infection. The proportion of cases for which all steps of the algorithm were correctly applied was 30.
Is Syndromic Management Better Than the Current Approach for Treatment of STDs in China?: Evaluation of the Cost-Effectiveness of Syndromic Management for Male STD Patients (research abstract)
Diagnostic accuracy, treatment appropriateness, costs, and effectiveness of current clinical procedures and syndromic management were compared for 406 men attending four STD clinics. Modified WHO syndromic algorithm for urethral discharge yielded 100% sensitivity and a 69% positive predictive value (PPV). A syndromic algorithm for genital ulcers correctly treated all syphilis patients, with a 25% PPV. The average cost (in $US) per correct treatment by the current approach was $323.48 for urethritis and $85.65 for syphilis. For the syndromic approach, the average cost per correct treatment was $3.15 for urethritis and $13.54 for syphilis.
FAMILY PLANNING / REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH NEWS
ACOG: Investigative Contraceptive Device Implanon Shows 100% Efficacy in Study (news article)
The investigative single-rod subdermal contraceptive device, Implanon, can be easily inserted and removed by a health care professional using only a local anaesthetic, with removal usually taking less than 3 minutes.
Botswana: Ministry Won't Import Different Sizes of Male Condoms (news article)
The Ministry of Health says it will not import male condoms in different sizes unless there is evidence that other than the regular size, which fits all, is needed.
US Minorities Unaware of "Morning-after" Pill (news article)
A survey of US black and Latina women suggests only a small percentage have ever heard of emergency contraception, or the "morning-after" pill, researchers report.
Advanced Supply of 'Morning-After' Pill Boosts Use (news article)
Women who receive a supply of emergency contraception, or the "morning-after pill," appear more likely to use the product to prevent pregnancy than women given only a prescription.
Namibia: Making Sense of Condoms (news article)
'Sense', the third brand of condoms promoted by the National Social Marketing Programme (NaSoMa), targets the working class's reproductive age group.
HIV / AIDS RESEARCH
Reducing the Sexual Risk Behaviors of HIV+ Individuals: Outcome of a Randomized Controlled Trial (research abstract)
Related news article: Counseling Reduces Risky Behavior in HIV-positive People
A year after receiving behavioral counseling about risky sexual behavior, HIV-positive people had two-thirds fewer episodes of unprotected sex with HIV-negative individuals or those who do not know their status.
Awareness of HIV and AIDS Among Fishermen in Coastal Areas of Balochistan (PubMed abstract)
A cross-sectional survey was conducted between September-October 2000 at Gidani, a coastal area of Balochistan, Pakistan. About 1000 fishermen were interviewed to assess the knowledge, attitude, behaviour, and practices regarding HIV/AIDS. While healthcare providers believe that the prevalence of HIV/AIDS is high, the community did not consider themselves at risk. Adolescents with any sexual health problems visit traditional healers. The community was aware of the etiology and some of the risk factors associated with AIDS, most probably due to the recent public health campaigns against the disease.
Association Between HIV-1 Infection, the Etiology of Genital Ulcer Disease, and Response to Syndromic Management (research abstract)
Among the 587 individuals recruited, the prevalences of infections due to HSV, Treponema pallidum, Chlamydia trachomatis (lymphogranuloma venereum [LGV]), Haemophilus ducreyi, Calymmatobacterium granulomatis, and HIV-1 were 48%, 14%, 11%, 10%, 1%, and 75%, respectively. The prevalence of T pallidum was higher among men (P = 0.03), and an association was seen among HIV-1-seronegatives on univariate and multivariate analyses (P < 0.001; P = 0.01). The prevalence of C trachomatis (LGV) was higher among females (P = 0.004), and an association was seen among HIV-1-seropositives on univariate analysis (P = 0.04).
Voluntary Counselling, HIV Testing and Adjunctive Cotrimoxazole Reduces Mortality in Tuberculosis Patients in Thyolo, Malawi (research abstract)
Between 1 July 1999 and 30 June 2000, all TB patients were started on standardized anti-TB treatment, and offered voluntary counselling and HIV testing (VCT). Those found to be HIV-positive were offered cotrimoxazole at a dose of 480 mg twice daily, provided there were no contraindications. End-of-treatment outcomes in this cohort (intervention group) were compared with a cohort registered between 1 July 1998 and 30 June 1999 in whom VCT and cotrimoxazole was not offered (control group). In the intervention group, 1019 (96%) patients were counselled pre-test, 964 (91%) underwent HIV testing, and 938 (88%) were counselled post-test. The overall HIV-seroprevalence rate was 77%. A total of 693 patients were given cotrimoxazole, of whom 14 (2%) manifested minor dermatological reactions. The adjusted relative risk of death in the intervention group compared with the control group was 0.81 (P < 0.001).
HIV / AIDS NEWS
US: Global AIDS Bill Heads for Senate (news article)
President Bush's "moral imperative" for America, a $15 billion plan to prevent and treat AIDS in Africa and the Caribbean, won decisive House backing.
HIV/AIDS Epidemic in China Spreads into the General Population (news article)
China is at significant risk of a generalized HIV/AIDS epidemic as the disease is spreading from relatively localized high-risk groups into the mainstream population. By 2010 there could be between 10 million and 15 million infected Chinese. If the government does not act quickly and decisively, China risks becoming the country with the largest number of people with HIV.
Cost of HIV/AIDS Medicines Reduced for Struggling Countries (news article)
The world's leading supplier of anti-retroviral drugs for treating HIV/AIDS, GlaxoSmithKlein, has announced that it is slashing the prices of many of its leading drugs to be sold in countries worst-hit by the AIDS epidemic.
Stemming AIDS Tide in Former USSR
HIV is running out of control among the ruins of the former Soviet empire. Health workers are desperately worried by the rapid spread of the disease, which has been accelerated through widespread drug use, prostitution, ignorance, and official apathy.
Brazil Keen on AIDS Drug Plant in Mozambique (news article)
The Brazilian government expressed an interest in manufacturing anti-retroviral drugs in Mozambique.
While Battling SARS, China Neglects AIDS (news article)
While severe acute respiratory syndrome has struck thousands in cities such as Beijing, Guangzhou, and Hong Kong, drawing intense international scrutiny, AIDS has ravaged far more lives in village after village in central China's flatlands. As many as 1 million poor farmers have been infected with HIV in rural Henan province, along with perhaps another million elsewhere in China.
MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH RESEARCH
Prevalence of Sexually Transmitted Infections Among Antenatal Women in Vanuatu, 1999-2000 (research abstract)
This paper describes results of a cross-sectional survey of 547 pregnant women attending a first-visit antenatal hospital clinic in Vila. Laboratory testing included PCR on tampons for chlamydia, gonorrhea, and trichomoniasis; testing of sera for syphilis with rapid plasmid reagin; and ELISA for HIV. The prevalence of trichomoniasis was 27.5% (150); of chlamydia, 21.5% (117); of gonorrhea, 5.9% (32); and of syphilis, 13 (2.4%). No HIV cases were detected; 214 women (40%) had more than 1 STI. Young age and single marital status were both significantly associated with infection (P < 0.001).
Pattern and Predictors of Weight Gain During Pregnancy Among HIV-1-Infected Women from Tanzania (research abstract)
The authors obtained monthly anthropometric measurements in a cohort of 957 pregnant women from Tanzania who were HIV infected. They estimated the weekly rate of weight gain at various points during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy and computed rate differences between levels of sociodemographic, nutritional, immunologic, and parasitic variables at the first prenatal visit. The change in mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) from baseline to delivery was also examined. The rate of weight gain decreased progressively during pregnancy. There was an average decline of 1 cm in MUAC between weeks 12 and 38. Lower level of education and helminthic infections at first visit were associated with decreased adjusted rates of weight gain during the third trimester. High baseline MUAC, not contributing to household income, lower serum retinol and selenium concentrations, advanced clinical stage of HIV disease, and malaria infection were related to decreased rates of weight gain during the second trimester. Low baseline CD4 T-cell counts were related to a poorer pattern of weight gain throughout pregnancy.
Maternal Obesity and Breast-feeding Practices (research abstract)
In this study, 124,151 mother-infant pairs were included. Body mass index (BMI) before pregnancy and gestational weight gain were categorized. Multiple logistic regression was used to identify the association between maternal obesity and breast-feeding initiation (n = 51,329), and multiple linear regression was used to examine the effect of maternal obesity on breast-feeding duration among women who initiated breast-feeding (n = 13,234). Regardless of gestational weight gain, obese women were less likely to initiate breast-feeding than were women with a normal BMI before pregnancy who also gained the recommended weight during pregnancy.
MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH NEWS
Low-Birth-Weight Risk May Run in the Family (news article)
Young mothers who were small at birth appear to be significantly more likely than their peers to have a low-birth-weight baby.
Afghanistan: Government Set to Tackle Maternal Mortality (news article)
The Afghan government announced that it would take steps to reduce maternal and child mortality in the country.
Timor-Leste Midwives Get UN Motorcycles in Bid to Slash Maternal Mortality (news article)
The UN has given Timor-Leste's midwives 80 motorcycles in a bid to extend their reach to remote rural areas and cut the highest level of maternal deaths.
MEN'S HEALTH RESEARCH
The Health of Men: Structured Inequalities and Opportunities (research abstract)
This article summarizes data on the magnitude of health challenges faced by men in the United States. Age-adjusted mortality rates for the 15 leading causes of death in the US for the year 1999 reveal that, except for Alzheimer's disease, men have higher death rates than women.
Male Prisoners and HIV Prevention: A Call for Action Ignored (research abstract)
US prison inmates are disproportionately indigent young men of color. These individuals are severely affected by HIV/AIDS, largely owing to the high-risk behavior that they engage in prior to incarceration. Researchers and practitioners have issued a call for the importance of offering HIV prevention services in prison settings. However, this call has largely been ignored. This article outlines reasons why these recommendations have been largely ignored, discusses innovative HIV prevention programs that are currently being implemented in prison settings, and offers recommendations for securing support for HIV prevention services in correctional settings.
Traffic Pollutants Affect Fertility in Men (research abstract)
Related news article: Traffic Pollution May Damage Sperm Quality
Italian scientists say traffic pollution can affect male fertility by damaging sperm
MEN'S HEALTH NEWS
Clip Provides Quicker, Cheaper, Less Painful Alternative to Vasectomy (news article)
The Food and Drug Administration has cleared the Vasclip, a device that can be implanted in men to serve as an alternative vasectomy method.
Health Experts, Medical Journal, Advocates Issue Wake Up Call on Men's Health (press release)
Former US Secretary of Health and Human Services Dr. Louis W. Sullivan joined a group of leading medical experts and others in issuing a national wake up call about a "silent health crisis" affecting men, as detailed in a special edition of the American Journal of Public Health. "It is time to awaken the nation to the fact that the current health state of men, especially men of color, is hazardous to the nation's long-term health," Sullivan said.
Men's Life Expectancy Described as a 'Crisis' (news article)
The average US man dies almost five years before the average woman, but a medical journal says that is not biologically inevitable, calling the disparity a "silent health crisis."
Circumcision Does Not Dull Sensitivity: Study (news article)
Circumcised men, irrespective of whether they have erectile dysfunction, appear to have the same degree of penis sensitivity as men who are uncircumcised, a new study suggests -- in a finding that will probably just add fuel to the fire of a controversial subject debated for years.
POPULATION RESEARCH
A Socioeconomic Analysis of Fertility Determinants with a Count Data Models: The Case of Tunisia 
(research paper)
This study presents an overview of the demographic situation since independence in 1956, using the econometric analysis and the Poisson regression model of household fertility decision. The demographic and economic background of Tunisia is discussed, a
theoretical background is presented and the econometric specifications, data and results are followed by a discussion of the policy implications.
War Related Sexual Violence in Sierra Leone: A Population Based Assessment (report)
This report documents that internally displaced women and girls in Sierra Leone have suffered an extraordinary level of rape, sexual violence and other gross human rights violations during their country's civil war, with half of those who said they came into contact with RUF (Revolutionary United Front) forces reporting sexual violence.
POPULATION NEWS
Slovakia: Population to Continue Shrinking (news article)
The number of births in Slovakia fell to 50,800 in 2002, Statistics Office figures show. This is almost half the number of 50 years ago. The number of children under 15 has dropped to less than a million. The biggest problem is that the family today does not have prestige value; a car, cottage, and career are valued more than having five children, say demographers.
WOMEN'S HEALTH RESEARCH
From Violence to Supportive Practice: Family, Gender and Masculinities (feature article)
Understanding women's lives is incomplete without looking at their everyday locations within families, including relations with men, which also provides a view of an aspect of men's lives and expressions of their subjective positions in ways that have not so far been addressed.
Shalishi in West Bengal: A Community-Based Response to Domestic Violence (feature article)
Traditional community/village level dispute resolution systems, such as the shalishi in West Bengal, have been used to intervene effectively in settling domestic violence cases, but deriving as they do their legitimacy from the conventional norms and values of the community, they work in favour of keeping the family intact, often compromising feminist notions of empowerment.
WOMEN'S HEALTH NEWS
Pakistan: 'Women Require Reproductive Health Education' (news article)
Women in Pakistan require greater education about reproductive health, particularly about vaginal discharge, according to a doctor who was part of a team that conducted a study into reproductive health among women.
The Scars of Tradition (feature article)
Genital mutilation remains a rite of passage for girls throughout much of Africa -- and Europe. This article from TIME Europe magazine examines the current state of affairs of female circumsicion in several European countries.
Alcohol: A Recently Identified Risk Factor for Breast Cancer (commentary)
Evidence from 53 epidemiologic studies makes clear that alcohol is an independent risk factor for breast cancer, with about 4% of new cases of breast cancer attributable to drinking alcohol.
YOUTH RESEARCH
Missed Opportunities for Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Human Immunodeficiency Virus, and Pregnancy Prevention Services During Adolescent Health Supervision Visits (research abstract)
This study was done to describe prevention counseling on pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), received by sexually experienced youth in the primary care setting and to test associations between recent sexual risk behaviors and preventive counseling. The study concluded that primary care providers miss opportunities to provide STD, HIV, and pregnancy prevention counseling to high-risk youth.
YOUTH NEWS
Tanzania: House Girls More Prone to HIV/AIDS, Survey Shows (news article)
House maids in Tanzania are at a higher risk of contracting HIV/AIDS because their male bosses, their male children, and other male family members force them to have sex, a country-wide survey shows.
UNICEF Highlights Ignorance about HIV/AIDS Among Young Indonesians (news article)
Young Indonesians are alarmingly ignorant about HIV/AIDS and related issues. A UNICEF survey of more than 1,000 Indonesian children and young people in 2001 showed that 84% "knew only a little or nothing about HIV/AIDS." The same survey revealed that 73% of those aged 14 to 17 did not know what a condom was, compared to 40% in the rest of the East Asia and Pacific region.
Zambia: Government Acts Against Widespread Abuse of Girls (news article)
Human Rights Watch (HRW) has welcomed a commitment by Zambia to address allegations of widespread sexual abuse of young girls. The move followed a damning report by HRW in January which detailed sexual abuse and other rights abuses of Zambian girls, especially those orphaned by HIV/AIDS. The report said that due to widespread sexual abuse, girls in Zambia were five times more likely to be infected with HIV than boys.
BOOKS / BOOK REVIEWS
The Human Life Span: What Do We Know? (book)
During the twentieth century the human life span increased by more than 50% in most industrialized countries. Because longer life has both merits and costs, this phenomenon has provoked much discussion and thought. Whether the life span will continue to edge upward is a topic of keen interest. In Life Span: Evolutionary, Ecological, and Demographic Perspectives, the editors explore the subject of the life span by bringing together research conducted by scholars from many disciplines.
PROFILES / SPECIAL REPORTS / RESOURCES
US National Day to Prevent Teen Pregnancy (resource)
The National Day to Prevent Teen Pregnancy is on May 7, 2003. The primary activity for the National Day is for teens to take a fun, interactive, confidential, online quiz.
Ten Dimensions of Scaling Up Reproductive Health Programs: An Introduction (report)
This is the introduction to a series of issue papers for FP/RH program managers that consider the following questions on the subject of scaling up: How do we know when we have achieved scale? What management, technological, and human competencies are necessary to bring programs to scale? What strategies most effectively produce the desired leap? How should the desired impact be measured? How do we maintain the gains of an expanded and comprehensive program? What kind of coverage is enough to qualify as "scaled up"? What is being scaled up? How much will it cost to scale up? What resources are needed and how can they be mobilized? When is the right time to scale up?
DOLPHN: Data On-Line for PHN (resource)
The Population, Health and Nutrition Information Project (PHNIP) released the prototype of its new Data Online for Population, Health and Nutrition (DOLPHN) database. DOLPHN was created to provide quick and easy access to a select group of commonly used demographic and health data relevant to the management of USAID global health programs.
USAID State-of-the-Art Training Course Website (resource)
The primary objectives of the SOTA are to: (1) update USAID Population, Health & Nutrition (PHN) Officers on critical scientific and programmatic developments in population and health as part of their continuing professional development; (2) provide information and experience on recommended programmatic responses; (3) familiarize PHN Officers regarding current Agency policies, strategies, and processes relevant to the PHN sector; (4) forge relationships between missions for ongoing dialogue regarding program content, organization, and sector management; (5) contribute to an ongoing process of professional development; and (6) promote the capability, morale, and effectiveness of USAID's field mission and Washington PHN team members. Website includes course materials.
Planning and Managing Contraceptive Phaseout: Applying Lessons Learned (resource)
This is a 48-page background and analytical document designed to assist USAID Missions in the phaseout of contraceptive support programs. The first section of the document summarizes the principal lessons learned in several countries over the past 15 years. The lessons fall into two basic groups: caveats (warnings as to why phaseouts fail) and principles (outlining individual elements of successful phaseout strategies). The second section is the Management Decision Tool, which is intended to help Missions identify and implement key steps in contraceptive phaseout. The three components of the tool cover the country situation analysis, the identification of specific tasks needed, and an analysis of the host country policy and policymakers.
Gender, HIV/AIDS, and Rights: Training Manual for the Media (resource)
This manual provides training for members of the media reporting on HIV/AIDS. Its introduction argues the importance of gender training for the media because research shows that news is told largely through the eyes, voices, and perspectives of men. The media often makes the mistake that gender equals women. This leads to a news approach that focuses on women as isolated
members of societies with specific needs and interests.
Facts of Life: Issue Briefings for Health Reporters, Vol. 8, No. 5 - May 2003 (resource)
".....Health professionals, researchers and activists are finally paying attention to the need to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in health. But efforts to address these disparities often omit men, a forgotten demographic in health policy and practice. Men of color are less healthy than any other group and more likely to suffer chronic conditions. They have reduced access to care and are more severely affected by the underlying causes of disease. Thus far, men of color have been underrepresented in proposed solutions to
health disparity problems...."
What Works: A Policy and Program Guide to the Evidence on Family Planning, Safe Motherhood, and STI/HIV/AIDS Interventions: Module 1 (resource)
This publication - the first in a series entitled "What Works: A Policy and Program Guide to the Evidence on Family Planning, Safe Motherhood, and STI/HIV/AIDS Interventions" - presents a comprehensive review of the interventions (with supporting evidence) that have been shown to enhance maternal health in developing countries. Some of the major topics include Labor and Delivery,
Postnatal Care, Care During Pregnancy, and Pre-pregnancy Care.
Mobilising Communities to Prevent Domestic Violence: A Resource Guide for Organisations in East and Southern Africa (tool)
The Resource Guide is a tool for community-based organizations working to prevent domestic violence. It provides an accessible and practical description of the process of community mobilization.
CONTINUOUS IDENTIFICATION OF RESEARCH EVIDENCE RELATED TO FAMILY PLANNING GUIDANCE
New evidence has been identified that is directly related to guidance provided in the Medical Eligibility Criteria for Contraceptive Use (MEC) or the Selected Practice Recommendations for Contraceptive Use (SPR). Identification begins with screening of new articles entered into the POPLINE® database, with further review for relevance to the WHO guidance. This new evidence will be monitored on an on-going basis by WHO and will be evaluated at future WHO expert meetings to update the MEC and SPR.
_________________________________________________
Merki-Feld GS, Neff M, and Keller PJ. A 2-year prospective study on the effects of depot medroxyprogesterone acetate on bone mass -- response to estrogen and calcium therapy in individual users. Contraception. 2003 Feb;67(2):79-86
Findings in this article have been found relevant to WHO Method: Progestogen-Only Injectables and Condition: Age/Life-stage
Link to CIRE Evidence | Link to POPLINE Record
_________________________________________________Berenson AB, Radecki CM, Grady JJ, Rickert VI, and Thomas A. A prospective, controlled study of the effects of hormonal contraception on bone mineral density. Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2001 Oct;98(4):576-82
Findings in this article have been found relevant to WHO Method: Progestogen-Only Injectables and Condition: Age/Life-stage
Link to CIRE Evidence | Link to POPLINE Record
_________________________________________________El-Shafei MM, Mashali A, Hassan EO, El-Boghdadi L, and El-Lakkany N. Postpartum and postabortion intrauterine device insertion unmet needs of safe reproductive health: three years experience of Mansoura University Hospital. Egyptian Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2000 Jan-Mar;26(1-3):253-62
Findings in this article have been found relevant to WHO Method: Copper IUD and Condition: Postpartum (nonbreastfeeding women)
Link to CIRE Evidence | Link to POPLINE Record
_________________________________________________Mangan SA, Larsen PG, and Hudson S. Overweight teens at increased risk for weight gain while using depot medroxyprogesterone acetate. Journal of Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology. 2002 Apr;15(2):79-82
Findings in this article have been found relevant to WHO Method: Progestogen-Only Injectables and Condition: Obesity (body mass index >30) and Method: Combined OCs and Condition: Obesity (body mass index >30)
Link to CIRE Evidence | Link to POPLINE Record
_________________________________________________Tagy AH, Saker ME, Moussa AA, and Kolgah A. The effect of low-dose combined oral contraceptive pills versus injectable contraceptive (Depot Provera) on liver function tests of women with compensated bilharzial liver fibrosis. Contraception. 2001 Sep;64(3):173-6
Findings in this article have been found relevant to WHO Method: Progestogen-Only Injectables and Condition: Schistosomiasis and Method: Combined OCs and Condition: Schistosomiasis
Link to CIRE Evidence | Link to POPLINE Record
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 INFO Project, 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