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The Pop Reporter®

Volume 4, Number 8
23 February 2004

"The Pop Reporter" (R) Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health/Center for Communication Programs INFO Project Get news and research headlines delivered to your website, every day, customized to topics of interest to your webiste visitors. The Pop Reporter Headline Sharing Program is a free service of The INFO Project, with funding from USAID. Complete the form at our sign up page and let us know which news and research topics you want to display on your website. We will contact you to discuss the specific requirements for displaying The Pop Reporter headline box on your website. When you click on any link below, 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 US Agency for International Development. All links were verified at the date of mailing. 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.

FAMILY PLANNING/REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH RESEARCH

Using the Internet for Partner Notification of Sexually Transmitted Diseases --- Los Angeles County, California, 2003 (report)
Related news article: E-mails Used to Alert of STD Exposure
In a pilot program in Los Angeles County, health officials use e-mail and the Internet to notify the sex partners of people who had been diagnosed with STDs.

He Said, She Said: Concordance Between Sexual Partners (research abstract)
A study examining concordance of self-reported sexual behaviors and attitudes among 112 heterosexual couples revealed high concordance on reports of relationship characteristics, sexual behaviors, and condom use and discordance on relationship power and sexual decision-making dominance. Substantial agreement was found between men’s perceptions of their partners’ attitudes and risky behavior and their partners’ reports; only fair agreement between women’s perceptions and their partners’ self-reports was found.

Applying Motivational Interviewing to Contraceptive Counseling: ESP for Clinicians (research abstract)
The authors of this paper propose application of motivational interviewing to contraceptive counseling. This process, which they call ESP, involves (1)Exploring discrepancies between pregnancy intention and contraceptive use and between risk of STIs and condom use, (2) Sharing information, and (3) Promoting behaviors to reduce risk. This model emphasizes the importance of identifying discrepancies between goals and behaviors and supporting women's confidence in using appropriate contraceptive methods.

Negative Lifestyle is Associated with a Significant Reduction in Fecundity (research abstract)
Researchers in the UK administered a questionnaire to 2,112 pregnant women in teaching hospitals to evaluate the association patterns and quantify the effects of lifestyle on time to pregnancy (TTP). They found that TTP was significantly longer if the woman or partner smoked more than 15 cigarettes/day, the partner consumed more than 20 alcohol units/week, the woman's body mass index was more than 25 kg/m2, their coffee and/or tea intake was more than 6 cups/day, or if they were socially deprived. Each of these effects remained unchanged after adjusting for the potential confounders. Couples who had more than 4 negative lifestyle variables had a sevenfold longer TTP; their conception probabilities fell by 60%; and they were 7.3-fold more likely to be subfecund than those without negative variables.

FAMILY PLANNING/REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH NEWS

New Pill Case With Alarm Reminds Women to Take Birth Control Pill (press release)
Related resource material: PillPack Web Site
Pillpaks is a new, trendy, hard-sided case, about the size of a credit card holder, designed with a built-in alarm function to alert users to take their pill. Pillpaks are designed to discreetly accommodate all rectangular birth control pill packages, and there is even a special design for round Ortho pill products. The handy clock and customizable alarm can be set once, reprogrammed for multiple reminders throughout the day or simply turned off. Reusable month after month, Pillpaks come with alarm and chime choices, as well as easy-to-follow instructions and a battery. The unique design even provides room to discreetly carry additional protection against STDs.

China Education Television (CETV) First to Deal with Sex (news article)
"Green Apple, Red Apple", China's first national TV program on sex education for youth, is formally broadcast on CETV-1 (China Education Television-1). The brand-new program is aimed at focusing on sex health, a sensitive topic of public concern through an easy yet entertaining way for the youth.

Brazilian Group Agrees to Tone Down Sexually Explicit Floats (news article)
A Brazilian group has agreed to tone down its sexually explicit displays for the city's famed Carnival parade after prosecutors threatened to ban the floats. Grande Rio -- whose carnival theme "Let's Wear the Little Shirt, My Love," slang for using a condom -- will modify the explicit decorations on its floats, including a giant Adam and Eve copulating and sexual positions from the Kama Sutra.

UK: Women in Pregnancy Test Warning (news article)
Thousands of women who were told they were not pregnant by NHS staff are being urged to get tested again. It follows the discovery of a fault in a test kit used by hospitals and GP surgeries across the UK.

An Awful Lot of Condoms in Brazil (news article)
Brazil's health ministry will dole out 10 million free condoms to revellers during the carnivals as part of an AIDS-prevention campaign.

FAMILY PLANNING/REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH LAW AND POLICY

The Politics of Action on AIDS: A Case Study of Uganda (research abstract)
This article examines the political dimensions of Uganda's progress in bringing a generalized HIV/AIDS epidemic under control.

Gender, AIDS, and ARV Therapies: Ensuring that Women Gain Equitable Access to Drugs within U.S. Funded Treatment Initiatives (resource material)
(You need Adobe Acrobat Reader to access this document)
This resource sheet identifies essential elements of a gender-sensitive approach to HIV/AIDS treatment access for women.

The Worst Pandemic Looks to Get Worse (editorial)
This editorial, written by the director of the health advocacy group Africa Fighting Malaria, sheds light on the alarming build up of fatal drug-resistant HIV. He also writes that humanitarian urges to treat at least 3 million infected Africans with anti-retrovirals (ARVs) are understandable but misguided; Africa simply is not currently capable of administering complex medicines like ARV therapy to even 250,000 Africans.

Priorities, Government Institutions and Foreign Assistance in the Fight against HIV/AIDS in Russia (research abstract)
This article argues that a number of factors have contributed to Russia's lack of success in tackling HIV/AIDS. First, the infection has been interpreted as a health problem rather than as a phenomenon that impacts on all aspects of public life. Second, there have been weak incentives at the federal level, which has resulted in a lack of a coordinated approach to HIV/AIDS at the national level. Third, there have been regional variations in the autonomy and independence from the federal state impacting on the struggle against HIV in the Russian regions. Evidence from research undertaken by DFID is drawn upon to illustrate these variations in tackling HIV/AIDS.

Interpreting Reproductive Rights: Institutional Responses to the Agenda in the 1990s (research abstract)
The authors review the ways in which three very different international organisations concerned with reproductive health policy responded to the reproductive rights agenda during the 1990s. The organizations included in this study were the Women's Global Network for Reproductive Rights, the International Federation of Family Planning Associations and the UK's Department for International Development.

HIV/AIDS, Governance and Development: The Public Administration Factor (research abstract)
This paper provides an overview of the literature concerned with the impact of HIV on public administration, looking in particular at projections of the impact of HIV/AIDS on public expenditure, the impact of attrition on the health and education sectors and on the civil service as a whole.

Looking for Strengths in Response to AIDS: Individual, Group and Public Authority Roles in Strategy (research abstract)
This article seeks to develop a way of thinking about strategy, around the idea of institutional competence, to take account of, and be responsive to, diverse social forms and initiatives.

HIV/AIDS RESEARCH

Reversing the Epidemic: Facts and Policy Options (report)
Related news article: HIV Raging in Former Soviet Republics
Related press release: New Report Warns East European and CIS Policy Makers about the Risks of a Generalized HIV/AIDS Epidemic
This report, available in both Russian and English, is the first comprehensive, country-by-country comparative look at HIV/AIDS in the region: from Prague to Vladivostok, and from the Baltics and Balkans to Turkey. The report details the available HIV/AIDS data for Central and Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States. The facts and figures show a region that has some of the fastest growing infection rates in the world. The report encompasses epidemiological trends and offers demographic and socio-economic profiles of the people living with HIV/AIDS. It focuses on institutional and governance issues, social and economic projections, and policy recommendations. In addition to mapping the epidemic in the region, the report offers the sharp policy recommendations needed to curb the epidemic before the economic and social costs become unmanageable.

Heterosexual Transmission of HIV --- 29 States, 1999--2002 (report)
Related news article: Many New HIV Infections Acquired Heterosexually
Thirty-five percent of all new HIV infections in the US are acquired through heterosexual transmission, according to a report released Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Eighty-four percent of heterosexually acquired HIV infections involved non-Hispanic blacks or Hispanics and most cases were in females.

Attitudes towards Premarital Testing on Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection among Malawians (PubMed abstract)
Researchers analyzed the data collected by the Malawi Demographic and Health Survey 2000 to determine the likelihood of Malawi population to accept HIV testing. Out of 3,092 participants, 23.3% lived in urban and 76.7% in rural areas. Willingness to have premarital HIV counseling and testing was positively associated with increased age, urban residence, and wish to keep one's own HIV testing result confidential. However, knowledge of a person with HIV/AIDS, HIV testing location, and other STDs, as well as belief that abstinence protects against HIV, were inversely related to desire to take an HIV test.

Integrating HIV Voluntary Counselling and Testing Services into Reproductive Health Settings (resource material)
(You need Adobe Acrobat Reader to access this document)
Related press release: New Guidelines for Including HIV Counselling and Testing in Sexual and Reproductive Health Programmes
This guide aims to provide sexual and reproductive health (SRH) program planners, managers, and providers with the information necessary to integrate voluntary counselling and testing (VCT) for HIV/AIDS within their services. VCT has been shown to be an effective strategy to facilitate behavior change for HIV prevention. It offers an entry point for early care and support for those infected with HIV and prevention of mother-to-child transmission. VCT also plays a role in reducing stigma and discrimination. The cost of establishing VCT services within existing SRH settings is lower than establishing them in freestanding sites.

The Effect of Hormonal Contraception on Genital Tract Shedding of HIV-1 (research abstract)
Researchers conducted a prospective study to determine if cervical shedding of HIV-1 increased after initiating hormonal contraception. HIV-1 seropositive women were recruited from a Kenyan family planning clinic, and shedding of HIV-1 DNA (a marker of HIV-1 infected cells) and HIV-1 RNA were measured before and after initiating hormonal contraception: 101 women chose depot medroxyprogesterone (Depo), 53 chose low-dose oral contraceptives (OC), seven high-dose OC, and 52 progesterone-only OC. At follow-up, there was a significant increase in the prevalence of cervical HIV-1 DNA detection (from 42% to 52%) for all hormonal contraception combined, and a trend for an increase for each individual type. Although the prevalence of cervical HIV-1 RNA increased slightly (from 82% to 86%), the concentration of cervical HIV-1 RNA did not change significantly overall or for individual contraception types. The authors conclude that these results may have important implications regarding the infectivity of women using hormonal contraception and highlight the need for epidemiologic studies of transmission rates from women using and not using hormonal contraception.

The Cost of HIV/AIDS to Businesses in Southern Africa (research abstract)
estimate the cost of HIV/AIDS to businesses in southern Africa using company-specific data on employees, costs, and HIV prevalence. Six formal sector enterprises in South Africa and Botswana provided detailed human resource, financial, and medical data and carried out voluntary, anonymous HIV seroprevalence surveys. The present value of incident HIV infections with a 9-year median survival and 7% real discount rate was estimated. Costs included were sick leave; productivity loss; supervisory time; retirement, death, disability, and medical benefits; and recruitment and training of replacement workers. HIV prevalence in the workforces studied ranged from 7.9% to 25%. HIV/AIDS among employees added 0.4% to 5.9% to the companies' annual salary and wage bills. The present value of an incident HIV infection ranged from 0.5 to 3.6 times the annual salary of the affected worker. Costs varied widely across firms and among job levels within firms. Key reasons for the differences included HIV prevalence, levels and stability of employee benefits, and the contractual status of unskilled workers.

HIV/AIDS NEWS

U.N. Experts Urge EU to Tackle AIDS Crisis (news article)
UN experts urged the European Union to appoint a commissioner to take charge of the fight against AIDS to stem a growing crisis in eastern Europe as the bloc prepares to enlarge in May.

China: Yunnan Declares Last-ditch War against AIDS (news article)
Yunnan Province in southwest China has decided to provide condoms in hotel rooms with the other toiletries like toothpaste, as part of its effort to control the spread of AIDS. The province has also inked the decision into a local law on AIDS prevention, the first provincial one of its kind in the country which is to come into effect later this year.

More than 5,000 Suicides in SA This Year (news article)
More than 5 000 South Africans will kill themselves before the end of the year if current trends continue, according to the South African Depression and Anxiety Group. They added that suicide statistics included children as young as 10 and that people with HIV/AIDS were 36 times more likely to commit suicide than people without the disease.

Brazil, Mozambique to Build Factory for AIDS Drugs (news article)
A Brazilian delegation will visit Mozambique this month to complete plans to build a factory to produce HIV/AIDS generic drugs in the southern African state, a Mozambican cabinet minister said.

MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH RESEARCH

Did the Bamako Initiative Improve the Utilization of Maternal and Child Health-care Services in Nigeria? A Case Study of Oji River Local Government Area in Southeast Nigeria (research article)
(You need Adobe Acrobat Reader to access this document)
This study was undertaken to determine the utilization of maternal and child healthcare services in health centers before and after the introduction of the Bamako Initiative program in Southeast Nigeria. Findings showed that although the utilization of immunization, antenatal, and delivery services improved, curative service utilization worsened. The author concludes that potential exclusion of some socioeconomic groups from utilizing services due to financial reasons, distance, and non-availability of medical doctors are major factors militating against the use of these services.

The Analysis of Eclamptic Morbidity and Mortality in the Specialist Hospital Gombe, Nigeria (research abstract)
Researchers performed a retrospective review of 302 cases of eclampsia treated at the Specialist Hospital Gombe in Nigeria. They found that intrapartum eclampsia was the most common presentation, occurring in 166 (55%) patients. Spontaneous vaginal delivery occurred in 159 (52.6%) of the patients, and caesarean section was performed in 122 (40.4%). There were 35 maternal deaths giving a case fatality rate of 11.6%, and there were 111 (36.8%) perinatal deaths during the study period.

Birth Outcomes across Ethnic Groups of Women in Nepal (research abstract)
The authors investigated the relationship between selected socioeconomic variables, pregnancy indices, birth weight, and maternal health in women of different ethnic origins. Data analysis showed Indo-Aryan and lower caste ethnic groups had significantly lower weight babies than Tibeto-Burman and Newar groups. Further analysis showed that the Tibeto-Burman group received better care during pregnancy. Similarly, the Newar groups had significantly better nutritional intake than the Indo-Aryan and lower caste groups. The authors write that the outcome of food restriction and antenatal care during pregnancy in specific ethnic groups has important implications for the health care delivery system.

Heat, Balance, Humors, and Ghorst: Postpartum in Cambodia (research abstract)
This ethnographic study used focus groups and in-depth interviews to explore the postpartum beliefs and practices of Khmer women. The authors describe specific emic taxonomies (those used by cultural insiders, ie, Khmer women) used to describe postpartum conditions and practices used to prevent mortality and morbidity. Beneficial and harmful practices are also detailed. Finally, recommendations are made regarding strengthening beneficial cultural practices as well as use of emic taxonomies in developing health education and communication messages and in the preservice education and in-service training of providers who care for postpartum women.

A Measurement Model of Child Health: Latent Variables Approach (research article)
(You need Adobe Acrobat Reader to access this document)
This paper addresses the issue of health measurement using latent variables. The author explores the following issues: (i) child health is unobservable but can be represented by observed health indicators; (ii) different indicators represent different underlying health states; and (iii) permanent health has a positive impact on transitory health deviations. The results show that empirically there is a distinction between child health states: permanent and transitory.

Maternal Complications Associated with Type of Delivery in a University Hospital (research abstract)
This retrospective study of 1,748 deliveries was carried out at a university hospital in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. C-sections were performed on 988 patients (56.5%). Hemorrhagic complications occurred in 1.2% of c-sections and in 0.8% of normal deliveries, with no statistically significant difference between both groups. The authors found no associations between maternal complications and type of delivery in the period analyzed.

Breastfeeding Practices in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina: Cross-Sectional Self-Report Study (PubMed abstract)
This study investigated breastfeeding practices among mothers of infants in the city of Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina. According to mothers' statements (n=326), 85%, 70%, 44%, and 8% infants were breastfed at the age of 1, 3, 6, and 12 months, respectively. Significantly more infants less than 3 months were breastfed than not. Infant formula was given to 31%, 43%, 85%, and 62% of infants aged 1, 3, 6, and 12 months, respectively. Cow milk was given to 19% of 6-month-old infants, and the proportion of infants fed with cow milk increased with age. The most frequently stated reason for the termination of breastfeeding was the lack of breast milk. Decision whether to breastfeed or not was made by the mothers themselves, in 85% of cases before the delivery. Only 27% of mothers received advice on breastfeeding from the medical personnel.

Timing of Mother-to-child Transmission of HIV-1 and Infant Mortality in the First 6 Months of Life in Harare, Zimbabwe (research abstract)
Researchers examined the risks of intra-uterine (IU), intra- and early post-partum (IP/ePP) and late post-partum (LPP) mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of HIV-1 and infant mortality in the first 6 months of life. Whole blood was collected in ethylenediaminetetra-acetic acid at birth, 6 weeks, 3 and 6 months from 996 infants born to HIV-1 seropositive mothers in Zimbabwe. Two hundred and forty-nine mothers (30.7%) transmitted HIV-1 infection to their infants by 6 months of age. Eighty-nine infants (9.4%), 104 infants (16%), and 21 infants (5.3%) were infected IU, IP/ePP, and LPP respectively. Low maternal CD4 cell count and arm circumference were risk factors for IP/ePP transmission. Infant mortality was higher among infected infants than uninfected. The researchers found that timing of infection, birth weight, and maternal CD4 cell counts were important factors in predicting infant death.

Seasonal and Environmental Effects on Breast Milk Fatty Acids in Burkina Faso and the Need to Improve the Omega 3 PUFA Content (research abstract)
Researchers in Burkina Faso determined the breast milk lipid content and fatty acid composition and compared these values with the recommended adequate intakes.

MEN'S HEALTH RESEARCH

High HIV Prevalence and Risk Behaviors in Men Who Have Sex With Men in Chennai, India (research abstract)
This study estimates HIV and STD prevalence and behavioral risk characteristics of men who have sex with men (MSM) in the slums of Chennai, India. Of 774 men studied, 46 (5.9%) reported sex with other men. MSM were more likely to be seropositive for HIV and were more likely to have a history of STD than non-MSM. Men who used illicit drugs in the past 3 months, ever exchanged money for sex, or were ever tested for HIV were significantly more likely to report sex with men.

Viruses in Semen and Male Genital Tissues--Consequences for the Reproductive System and Ttherapeutic Perspectives (PubMed abstract)
This review summarizes the currently available data on the various viruses identified in the human semen and male reproductive tract, their distribution in tissues and fluids, their possible cell targets and the functional consequences of their infectivity on the reproductive and endocrine systems.

MEN'S HEALTH NEWS

DNA Test Can Turn Doubts into Anguish When Dad is Not Real Father (news article)
Related editorial: Paternity Fraud: Female Violence Against Men
"A surprising 25% to 30% of these tests [paternity tests] conclude that no biological link exists, a revelation that upends society's cozy definition of fatherhood, careening into touchy matters of sex, betrayal, money, abandonment and the yearning for one's own genetic immortality." This is one man's story.

POPULATION RESEARCH

Deaths: Preliminary Data for 2002 (report)
(You need Adobe Acrobat Reader to access this document)
Related press release: U.S. Life Expectancy at All-Time High, But Infant Mortality Increases
Infant mortality in the United States rose for the first time in more than 40 years in 2002, but federal analysts are not ready to say this could be the start of an alarming trend.

The Demographic Transition Revisited as a Global Process (research abstract)
This paper revisits the concept of demographic transitions as a global process.

POPULATION NEWS

China: Population Information Network in Pipeline (news article)
China aims to build an information network by 2006 that pools information about its citizens from various sectors, ranging from police to family planning, taxation and educational departments.

U.N. Profile Shows Growth Rate Slowing In Arab World (news article)
A recent bulletin by the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia outlines population trends in the Arab world and their implications on development for the region. The bulletin estimated that population size in the region will reach 395 million people by 2015 at a growth rate of 2.6%. The growth rate has been declining in the region overall, although it varies considerably by country.

WOMEN'S HEALTH RESEARCH

Antibiotic Use in Relation to the Risk of Breast Cancer (research article)
In this article from JAMA, the authors examine the association between use of antibiotics and risk of breast cancer in a case-control study among 2,266 women older than 19 years with primary, invasive breast cancer. They found that increasing cumulative days of antibiotic use were associated with increased risk of incident breast cancer, adjusted for age and length of enrollment. However, they caution that it cannot be determined from this study whether antibiotic use is causally related to breast cancer, or whether indication for use, overall weakened immune function, or other factors are pertinent underlying exposures.

Intravaginal Practices, HIV and Other Sexually Transmitted Diseases Among South African Women (research abstract)
In a cross-sectional study in Cape Town, South Africa, 29% of women interviewed reported some type of intravaginal practice, primarily wiping inside the vagina with water and/or cloth. These practices were associated with prevalent HIV infection but not with other sexually transmitted diseases.

Current Causes and Management of Violence against Women in Nigeria (research abstract)
This study surveyed how often Nigerian obstetricians and gynaecologists see patients in their practice who have been assaulted and to describe the demographics and management of their most recent case so as to give an idea of the extent of the problem. Of 138 practicing obstetricians, most (98.6%) had previously managed a case of violence. The mean estimate of abused women seen was 7 per year. The majority (51.6%) of patients were pregnant. The assailant was the husband in 69.8% of cases and the most common factor for abuse was as a result of women requesting money for the family needs from their husbands. The most common type of abuse was physical (79.4%), with 34.9% of patients sustaining cuts.

Effects of Alcohol Consumption on Female Fertility during an 18-year Period (research abstract)
Researchers in Sweden found that high alcohol consumption was associated with increased risk of infertility examinations at hospitals and with lower numbers of first and second partus.

WOMEN'S HEALTH NEWS

Two in U.S. Accused of Genital Mutilation (news article)
As the US government prepares to prosecute its first case under a federal law prohibiting FGM, activists are pushing for better legal protection of girls who can face the disfiguring practice when they go to any of 28 African countries.

Argentine Sex Workers Unite (news article)
Thousands of women have formed the Association of Women Prostitutes of Argentina, known by its Spanish acronym AMMAR (the word amar means "to love" in Spanish) and are appealing for government recognition as an official union. It would be the first sex workers' union in Latin America and one of a handful in the world. The women have run up against Argentina's notoriously corrupt police, who demand a cut of the profits and who stand to lose if prostitution is decriminalized. On Jan. 28, 33-year-old AMMAR leader Sandra Cabrera was found dead, with a bullet through the back of her neck, in the red-light district of Rosario, Argentina's second-largest city.

YOUTH HEALTH RESEARCH

What Do Young People from Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina Know about Contraception and Sexual Health? (PubMed abstract)
Researchers used an anonymous questionnaire to survey a random sample of 120 high school students (60 male, 60 female) in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Female students had greater general knowledge, knowledge on contraception, and knowledge on STDs than their male peers. Major sources of information were magazines (69%), TV/radio (50%), school (37%), and friends (36%). The two most common contraception methods known to them were a condom (82%) and contraception pill (77%), whereas 17% of all students were unfamiliar with any contraception method.

Teenage Pregnancy and Delivery: 276 Cases Observed at the Brazzaville University Hospital, Congo (PubMed abstract)
The authors of this paper, from the Brazzaville University Hospital, Congo, studied sexuality, pregnancy, and delivery in 276 female teenagers. Mean age was 14 years 5 months; 84% were single; 3% were married and 13% were concubines. Analysis of social background showed that 42% had attended school, 51% had dropped out, and 7% were illiterate. Mean age at first sexual intercourse was 13 years 9 months. Only 14% practiced contraception, and none used a condom. The mean term of the first prenatal consultation was 26 weeks gestation.

YOUTH HEALTH NEWS

Zimbabwe: Virginity Testing Strips Girls of Their Dignity - Groups (feature article)
This feature article relates how young girls in Zimbabwe undergo "virginity testing" and what the ramifications are upon hearing the results.

Youth Airing Their Concerns in Tanzania (feature article)
This article tells of a talk show forum in Tanzania organized by Femina, an arm of the Health Information Project that is a multimedia HIV/AIDS communication initiative targeting youth.

The Reproductive Health of Young Women in Argentina: An Unsettled Issue (feature article)
This paper discusses the reasons behind unplanned pregnancies, abortion, and HIV/AIDS among young women in Argentina within the context of prevailing culture and myths, the emergence of a national network of advocates of reproductive health, and new legislation.

India; Board Takes Sex Seriously, Plans Chapter (news article)
Bucking under pressure from a section of school teachers who are resisting the introduction of sex education in schools, the state secondary education board seems to have found a way out. According to the officials, the board plans to introduce sex education not as a separate subject, but as a separate chapter in 'Life Science'.

Gabon: Youth More Afraid of Unemployment Than AIDS (news article)
In Gabon, where government spending is falling and unemployment is growing as the oil starts to run out, young people are more worried about getting a job than catching AIDS.

SPECIAL REPORTS/PROFILES/RESOURCES

SURF Knowledge Map on Gender (resource material)
The Kathmandu South and West Asia Sub-regional Resource Facility (SURF) is creating "Knowledge Maps" focused on various thematic areas including Gender. Knowledge Mapping is an attempt to capture what is important and relevant to practitioners and others interested in UNDP's thematic focus areas. Contents include general human and knowledge resources, crisis prevention and recovery, energy and environment, information and communications technology, poverty, democratic governance, HIV/AIDS, and gender mainstreaming.

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