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The Pop Reporter®

Volume 3, Number 26
30 June 2003

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FAMILY PLANNING / REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH RESEARCH

Advancing Health Communication: The PCS Experience in the Field (report)
Related press release: Strategic Health Communication Can Lead to Healthier Behaviors in Developing World
Strategic communication programs make a difference in changing health behavior when communication professionals apply key lessons from 20 years of field experience, according to a new publication from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health/Center for Communication Programs (CCP). The 97-page report reaches five overarching conclusions and offers 52 specific lessons learned from the experience of CCP's Population Communication Services (PCS) project, which was supported by the US Agency for International Development and concluded March 31, 2003.

Impact of On-site Testing for Maternal Syphilis on Treatment Delays, Treatment Rates, and Perinatal Mortality in Rural South Africa: A Randomised Controlled Trial (research abstract)
Researchers conducted a cluster randomised controlled trial among seven pairs of primary healthcare clinics in rural South Africa to study the impact of on-site syphilis testing on treatment delays and rates, and perinatal mortality. Of 7,134 women seeking antenatal care with available test results, 793 (11.1%) tested positive for syphilis. Women at intervention clinics completed treatment 16 days sooner on average, though there was no significant difference in the proportion receiving adequate treatment at intervention (64%) and control (69%) clinics.

Alarming Increase in Ciprofloxacin- and Penicillin-Resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae Isolates in New Delhi, India (research abstract)
The aim of the study was to determine the antimicrobial susceptibility of Neisseria gonorrhoeae isolates from patients with acute gonococcal urethritis in New Delhi. The authors concluded that the significant increase in ciprofloxacin resistance in the current study indicates that resistance has developed under selective antibiotic pressure.

Evidence-based Development of Health and Family Planning Programs in Bangladesh and Ghana (research report)
This paper describes two initiatives that have used experimental studies to guide the development of community-based health and family planning programs. In Bangladesh and Ghana, factorial experiments were implemented in stages. An exploratory phase developed a service system for community-based health care; an experimental phase assessed the demographic impact of the system; a replication phase examined the transferability of the experimental program to a non-research setting; and a scaling-up phase facilitated the extension of the new system to the national health care program. Success in Bangladesh and Ghana suggests ways in which evidence-based system development can overcome resource and organizational constraints and foster transitions from limited, passive clinical services to active programs for providing accessible community-based care.

Condom Use and Abstinence among Unmarried Young People in Zimbabwe: Which Strategy, Whose Agenda? (research report)
This paper compares the views about abstinence and condom use expressed by young people in Zimbabwe in focus-group discussions with the views underlying national policies and religious and traditional beliefs. Young people's decisions to adopt one or the other of these risk-reduction strategies may not necessarily indicate genuine individual choices, but rather their deference to adults' interests as they understand those interests.

FAMILY PLANNING / REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH NEWS

Doctors Upset at Post-coital Contraceptive Ruling (news article)
The Australian Medical Association will challenge an interim decision allowing the sale of a morning-after pill without a prescription. Doctors clashed with public health and family planning groups over the decision of a national regulatory committee to allow the direct sale of Levonorgestrel as an emergency post-coital contraceptive

FAMILY PLANNING / REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH LAW AND POLICY

Information Note on the 10th Anniversary of the International Conference on Population and Development - ICPD (policy brief)
As we approach the 10th Anniversary of the ICPD, the mid-point of its 20-year Programme of Action, there is much to celebrate and to look forward to. Many countries have been able to translate the commitments they made in Cairo into policies and action programmes designed to transform the lives of women. But much remains to be done. At this point in time, most member states, UNFPA, and other partners believe that the best way to commemorate ICPD is by doing a pragmatic and constructive country-by-country analysis of achievements, of constraints, of lessons learned and to feed back the results so as to enrich and accelerate the implementation of the ICPD PoA. The 10th Anniversary is also an opportunity to reflect on the ICPD goals, and demonstrate how achieving them will contribute to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Several activities are already planned at the national, regional and global levels. This article summarizes those activities.

Infant Mortality and Family Welfare: Policy Implications for Indonesia (research abstract)
The objective of this study was to examine the effect of family welfare index (FWI) and maternal education on the probability of infant death. Results determined that the increased probability of infant mortality attributable to family income inequality and low maternal education seems to work through pathways of material deprivation and chronic psychological stress that affect a person's health damaging behaviours. The policies that are likely to significantly reduce the family's socioeconomic inequality in infant mortality are implicated.

Ethiopia: Government Criticizes Attitude Towards Women's Rights (news article)
The Ethiopian government has blasted the "pathetic" attitude towards women's rights in the country which it says is fuelling the AIDS epidemic. It warned that social and cultural factors such as polygamy and sexual violence were exacerbating the vulnerability of the nation's women.

HIV / AIDS RESEARCH

Antibody Domain Exchange is an Immunological Solution to Carbohydrate Cluster Recognition (PubMed abstract)
Related news article: Towards An AIDS Vaccine: Unusual Antibody That Targets HIV Described By Scientists At TSRI
A group of scientists from The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) and several other institutions has solved the structure of an antibody that effectively neutralizes human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the virus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).

HIV / AIDS NEWS

Laos Opens Up to World and AIDS Threat (news article)
Landlocked, communist Laos has its isolation to thank for keeping the global AIDS epidemic at bay while its Southeast Asian neighbors struggle with some of the highest HIV infection rates in the world. But the United Nations fears attempts by the country to adopt a market economy and open up to the outside world could spark a surge in transmissions of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.

Genetic Tests Predict AIDS Vulnerability (news article)
Researchers have developed genetic tests and a statistical formula to measure the body's ability to prevent HIV from developing into AIDS. They say they can predict whether the virus has enough pre-programming to evade the immune system's defense systems.

Nigeria: HIV/AIDS--NGO Runs Voluntary Counselling, Testing Centre (news article)
The Centre for the Right to Health, a non-governmental organisation which focuses on prevention of the spread of HIV/AIDS and provision of care and support to people living with HIV, has announced that it has started running a voluntary counselling and testing service at its centres in Lagos and Abuja.

Botswana: Where Aids Awareness Work is Hitting the Rocks (news article)
Although Botswana is known to have the world's highest percentage of people living with HIV/ AIDS, a significant proportion of the youth still believe the pandemic is a figment of other people's imagination. With such dangerous mindset, AIDS awareness programmes are not having the desired impact.

AIDS Initiative Targets Those Unaware They Have the Disease (news article)
A new rapid HIV test lies at the heart of a major effort, starting Friday, to bring people who don't know they're infected with the AIDS virus out of the shadows and into a doctor's care. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention plans to buy nearly 250,000 rapid tests for $2 million and distribute them to state health departments as part of a major ongoing HIV-prevention initiative.

Southern African Leaders to Plot Joint AIDS Strategy (news article)
Leaders of 14 southern African countries will gather in Lesotho this week to plan a joint strategy against HIV infection and AIDS.

MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH RESEARCH

Zinc Status of Breastfed and Formula-fed Infants of Different Gestational Ages (research abstract)
Zinc status in 186 full term and preterm infants was determined at birth, and 3, 6, 9, and 12 months of age along with determination of zinc levels in breast or formula milk to find out if routine zinc supplements are needed during infancy. The leukocyte and plasma zinc levels in all breastfed infants were high at birth and gradually declined reaching lowest values by 4-6 months of age, and improved to normal levels by 9 months following weaning. The preterm infants however, had significantly higher leukocyte zinc at birth compared to term infants. Results suggest that the fall in zinc status during early infancy could be a transient phenomenon which could be reversed by proper weaning, thus strengthening the plea for timely food supplements rather than the need for single nutrient supplements.

MEN'S HEALTH RESEARCH

Anthropological Assessment for Culturally Appropriate Interventions Targeting Men Who Have Sex With Men (PubMed abstract)
Although social and cultural factors play a fundamental role in the health of sexual minority populations and the development of culturally appropriate interventions, public health activities and research have sometimes lacked appropriate sophistication or attention to issues of cultural competency. In areas such as HIV prevention for men who have sex with men (MSM), biomedical interpretations of same-sex phenomena should be applied with caution. Communities and societies may broadly understand same-sex desire, attraction, behavior, and identity through age-structured/initiatory, gender-defined, profession/social role*defined, or egalitarian/gay frameworks. When more detailed, locally specific information is required, such as for youth, ethnic minorities, or urban versus rural populations, the approach to rapid anthropological assessment presented can provide nuanced insights for effective health programs targeting MSM.

The Influence of Finasteride on the Development of Prostate Cancer (research abstract)
Related news article: Drug Promises to Prevent Prostate Cancer
Scientists have discovered that a drug that shrinks enlarged prostates and fights baldness also cuts men's chances of getting prostate cancer, the first success in a long quest to prevent the No. 2 cancer killer of men. But not every man will want to use the drug, called finasteride: Sexual side effects aside, it may actually increase aggressive tumors in some. Finasteride is sold under the brand name Proscar to treat the benign prostate enlargement so common with aging and, in a much lower dose, as Propecia to fight baldness.

Effect of Male Age on Fertility: Evidence for the Decline in Male Fertility with Increasing Age (research abstract)
Related news article: Men Have Biological Clocks Too, Study Finds
It's not just women who have biological clocks, British researchers report. As men get older, it takes them longer to father a child.

MEN'S HEALTH NEWS

Merck's Paradoxical Prostate Drug Results (news article)
A giant government-sponsored study found that healthy men who took Merck's Proscar drug reduced their risk of prostate cancer by 25%, the first time a drug was shown to prevent prostate cancer in a large trial. But these positive findings come with a major caveat: even as it slashed the overall risk of developing tumors, the drug paradoxically appeared to increase men's risk of developing less common but much more aggressive "high-grade" prostate tumors--the ones most likely to metastasize and become deadly. Some top researchers said this unexpected finding largely cancelled out the benefit in preventing less-aggressive tumors.

Studies Shatter Myth about Abuse (feature article)
It is not just men who hit women. Women hit men, too. And the latest research shows that ignoring the role women play in domestic violence does both women and men a disservice.

Farm Chemicals Linked To Lower Sperm Counts (news article)
Follow-up studies of men in rural mid-Missouri who had lower sperm counts and quality than their peers in urban centers have identified three agricultural chemicals linked to the problem.

POPULATION RESEARCH

Births: Preliminary Data for 2002 (report)
Related press release: US Birth Rate Reaches Record Low
The US birth rate fell to its lowest level since statistics have been kept, with teen birth rates down but the number of births to unmarried women at record-high levels.

Counting the People: Constraining Census Costs and Assessing Alternative Approaches (report)
The papers in this report are based on an edited selection of presentations made at two meetings on population censuses. The first was the UNFPA/PARIS21 International Expert Group Meeting on Mechanisms for Ensuring Continuity of 10-Year Population Censuses: Strategies for Reducing Census Costs held in Pretoria on 26-29 November 2001 and the second meeting was a UNFPA In-House Capacity Building Workshop on Population Censuses: New Directions and Cost Saving Strategies held in Princeton, New Jersey on 21-23 October 2002.

POPULATION NEWS

Men Outnumber Women as AIDS Grips South Africa (news article)
One of the most disturbing impacts of the HIV/AIDS pandemic is that, as more women die, the ratio of men to women has changed. The natural gender balance was slightly fewer adult men than women. Now there is a ratio of 120 males to 100 females.

Spain Labors to Bring Home Baby - and the Bacon (feature article)
In the tiny southwestern town of Calzadilla, new mothers receive more than just a little bundle of joy.
The mayor awards a live Iberian pig - more valuable than a year's supply of diapers in this ham-producing region - to every couple with a newborn. It's his way of encouraging more births in a nation with one of the world's lowest fertility rates.

WOMEN'S HEALTH RESEARCH

Relationship Between Long Durations and Different Regimens of Hormone Therapy and Risk of Breast Cancer (research abstract)
Related news article: More Evidence That HRT Boosts Breast Cancer Risk
Yet another study has found an apparent increased risk of breast cancer in older women who have taken combined hormone replacement therapy for at least five years. The latest study, found that the increased risk held true regardless of the pattern of progestin use, a hormone used in tandem with estrogen.

Influence of Estrogen Plus Progestin on Breast Cancer and Mammography in Healthy Postmenopausal Women (research abstract)
Related news article: Hormone Pills May Spur Breast Cancer
More negative fallout from a landmark government study suggests breast cancer linked to estrogen-progestin pills may be fast-growing and hard to detect, clarifying risks for millions of women still using hormone treatment.

Evaluation of a New Rapid Diagnostic Kit (FemExam) for Bacterial Vaginosis in Patients With Vaginal Discharge Syndrome in The Gambia (research abstract)
The goal of this study was to determine the prevalence of BV and to evaluate the performance of a new commercial diagnostic test kit in a developing country environment. Authors concluded that in a setting where BV was frequently associated with vaginal discharge, the FemExam test compared favorably with conventional clinical diagnosis, and it has the advantage of being rapid, less subjective, and easily performed. Cutting its cost would provide wider accessibility in developing countries.

WOMEN'S HEALTH NEWS

New Ovarian Cancer Hope For Women; Scientists Bring Early Detection Closer (news article)
Scientists at the Pacific Northwest Research Institute (PNRI) in Seattle announced a new biomarker for ovarian cancer today. Their discovery promises improved diagnosis of the disease, which usually remains hidden until it is too late for effective treatment.

Newly Mapped Enzyme Could Yield New Treatments For Female Sexual Dysfunction (news article)
New research from the University of Pennsylvania and other institutions indicates that the enzyme arginase II, which can short-circuit a biochemical pathway leading to sexual arousal in men, is also present in the female genitalia and represents a promising target for new drugs to treat sexual dysfunction in women.

YOUTH HEALTH RESEARCH

A Tailored Minimal Self-help Intervention to Promote Condom Use in Young Women: Results From a Randomized Trial (PubMed abstract)
The purpose of the study was to evaluate the efficacy of a theory-based tailored minimal self-help intervention to increase condom use among young women at risk for HIV/sexually transmitted disease. Results showed that relative to usual care, intervention group women reported significantly more condom use overall and with recent primary partners. They also reported using condoms for a higher proportion of intercourse episodes . Significantly more intervention women carried condoms, discussed condoms with partners, and had higher self-efficacy to use condoms with primary partners. The authors concluded that tailored cognitive/behavioral minimal self-help interventions hold promise as HIV/STD prevention strategies for diverse populations of young at-risk women.

Aboriginal Nurses' Perception of Facilitators and Barriers for Taking a Sexual History in Taiwan (PubMed abstract)
The potential for risky sexual behaviors and adolescent unplanned pregnancy has become a main concern in the health care system for aborigines in eastern Taiwan. Using aboriginal nurses to provide information on sexual behaviors may have potential as a means of promoting healthy sexual practices among aborigines.

PROFILES / SPECIAL REPORTS / RESOURCES

South-to-South Collaboration: Lessons Learned (report)
This report presents lessons learned from a study of activities designed to improve collaboration between, and build capacity within, developing countries and reduce their reliance on external technical assistance from developed countries.

Using Data to Improve Service Delivery: A Self-Evaluation Approach (guide)
The purpose of this guide is to help frontline health workers use the data collected at health facilities to solve common problems in service delivery and improve their response to community needs. It is intended for doctors, nurses, and midwives in community based health centers. The overall aim of the guide is to promote greater use of existing service data to improve health services. It does not require health workers to collect any additional data.

The How-To Rural Toolkit for Sexual Health Programs and Resources (toolkit)
This Toolkit is a capacity building resource for community leaders who are interested in developing, coordinating and maintaining sexual and reproductive health (SRH) projects, programs and services, particularly in rural and remote communities.

Repro-Ado! L'éducation construit le futur! (resource)
The German Foundation for World Population announces this its new website, an information network for organizations and institutions working in the field of adolescent sexual and reproductive health in Francophone West Africa. The aim of this network is not only to exchange information and experiences, but also to build capacity and offer tools to youth-serving NGOs and therefore contribute to the wellbeing of young people in Francophone West Africa.

Effective Training in Reproductive Health: Course Design & Delivery (manual)
This manual is designed to be a resource for individuals who provide training in reproductive health, whether they work with health-care providers, managers, advocates or community members. It is designed to help these individuals strengthen their training and facilitation skills, enabling them to plan and implement more effective training courses and events.

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