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The Pop Reporter®

Volume 4, Number 33
16 August 2004

"The Pop Reporter" (R) Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health/Center for Communication Programs INFO Project. 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

Contraceptive Failure in the United States (PubMed abstract)
This review provides an update of previous estimates of first-year probabilities of contraceptive failure for all methods of contraception available in the United States. Estimates are provided of probabilities of failure during typical use (which includes both incorrect and inconsistent use) and during perfect use (correct and consistent use). The difference between these two probabilities reveals the consequences of imperfect use; it depends both on how unforgiving of imperfect use a method is and on how hard it is to use that method perfectly. These revisions reflect new research on contraceptive failure both during perfect use and during typical use.

Migrants' Risky Sexual Behaviours in India and at Home in Far Western Nepal (research abstract)
Researchers examined Nepali migrants' vulnerability to HIV/STIs and their possible role in causing the epidemic in far western Nepal. They conducted six focus group discussions among 53 returned migrants from India, mainly from Mumbai. They found that migrants commonly had multiple sexual encounters, changed partners, and used condoms infrequently both in India and at home. Several factors influenced them to practice high-risk sexual behaviors. In India, these included peer norms and pressures, cheaper sex, lack of family restraint, drinking alcohol, and low perceived vulnerability to HIV/STIs. In Nepal, these factors included the migrants' new status, frequent local festivals, and low perceived vulnerability to HIV/STIs.

Influences of Social Power and Normative Support on Condom Use Decisions: A Research Synthesis (research abstract)
This meta-analysis of 58 studies involving 30,270 participants examined how study population and methodological characteristics influence the associations among norms, control perceptions, attitudes, intentions, and behavior in the area of condom use. Findings indicated that control perceptions generally correlated more strongly among members of societal groups that lack power, including female, younger individuals, ethnic-minorities and people with lower educational levels. Norms generally had stronger influences among younger individuals and among people who have greater access to informational social support, including males, ethnic majorities, and people with higher levels of education.

FAMILY PLANNING/REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH NEWS

India's Lorry Drivers Shown the Route to Sexual Health (feature article)
This feature article relates the story of a social marketing campaign and peer education among truck drivers in India.

The Gambia: Polygamy: Is It Advantageous to Women? (feature article)
This feature article, originally published in The Independent (Banjul), discusses the pros and cons of polygamy in The Gambia.

Botswana: Depo Provera Can Cause Depression, Pain During Sex (news article)
This article, prepared by the Botswana Press Agency, demonstrates how information can be skewed when not considered alongside sound scientific knowledge.

FAMILY PLANNING/REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH LAW AND POLICY

Namibia: Breast Feeding Best Option (news article)
Breast-fed infants are more likely to survive than babies who are given infant formulas, indicates the National Policy on Infant and Young Child Feeding that was launched in Windhoek last Friday by the Ministry of Health and Social Services. The Minister of Health and Social Services introduced the policy document at the event where the provision of anti-retroviral therapy was expanded on Friday to several state and church-managed hospitals. The 28-page booklet notes that breastfeeding provides substantial benefits to both children and mothers and that it significantly improves child survival by protecting infants against diarrhoeal diseases, pneumonia and other potential fatal infections.

Fertility Laws Frustrate Italians (news article)
New laws making it more difficult for couples to get fertility treatment in Italy are starting to have an impact. Since Italy's new fertility law was passed five months ago, the success rate for treatments has dropped from one-in-four to one-in-nine. Catholic politicians across the political spectrum supported the clamp down on Italy's traditionally liberal approach to fertility treatment. But the laws are frustrating couples trying for children.

Dutch Sperm Laws Threaten Donations (news article)
Thousands of women across Europe conceive babies by artificial insemination every year. But changes in the law in several countries, removing the right of sperm donors to remain anonymous, have caused a dramatic drop in the number of men willing to donate. This could severely undermine the whole idea of artificial insemination as a solution for infertility, or for women who wish to have children without having a husband.

Improving Reproductive Health in Romania (policy brief)
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This brief provides highlights of the findings of three nationwide surveys on reproductive health on fertility, abortion, contraceptive use, violence against women, and the special needs of young adults. It also highlights some of the steps taken to address issues identified in the survey results, as well as remaining challenges.

HIV/AIDS RESEARCH

Epidemiology of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus in Saudi Arabia: 18-year Surveillance Results and Prevention from an Islamic Perspective (research article)
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This study describes the results of 18-year of HIV surveillance in Saudi Arabia and the preventive measures implemented from an Islamic perspective.

HIV/AIDS Awareness and Sexual Practices among Undergraduates in Enugu, Nigeria (PubMed abstract)
In this study, researchers at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, assess the knowledge of HIV/AIDS among Nigeria undergraduates and determined how the knowledge has influenced their sexual behavior. They used a self-administered questionnaire survey of a random sample of undergraduates (n=505) of two University Campuses in Enugu, Nigeria. For the 348 (68.9%) respondents who had ever had sexual intercourse, the mean number of sexual partners, which they had before and after they became aware of HIV/AIDS, did not differ significantly. However, there was a significant tendency towards more consistent condom use after the respondents became aware of HIV/AIDS.

HIV Prevention in Africa: Programs and Populations Served by Non-Governmental Organizations (research abstract)
This report provides details concerning HIV prevention activities across the continent and describes in detail innovative programs from Togo and South Africa.

HIV/AIDS NEWS

Brazil Plans 3 Billion Free Condoms for AIDS Fight (news article)
Brazil intends to distribute 3 billion free condoms every year, mainly to the poor and young, in a bid to prevent the spread of AIDS, the country's AIDS director said. The plan to offer universal, free access to condoms builds on the country's renowned AIDS treatment program, which provides a cocktail of free drugs for patients with HIV.

Namibia: Government Expands HIV Treatment Programme (news article)
Ministry of Health and Social Services in Namibia has expanded its anti-retroviral therapy to HIV/AIDS patients and the prevention of mother to child transmission program to several hospitals. As a result of the launch, the rollout programme of anti-retroviral therapy will cover six additional state hospitals. Namibia, counts among few countries in Africa that have expanded HIV/AIDS therapy to all its regions.

Russia, Facing Epidemic, Reluctant to Confront AIDS (feature article)
This feature article, from The Chicago Sun-Times, reveals the extent of the AIDS crisis in Russia with some startling statistics: Just three federal-level staff oversee a meager budget of $4 million. Brazil, with fewer HIV-infected people than Russia, spends 100 times as much as Russia fighting AIDS, and has 200 staff working on the issue. Stigma and misperceptions about risk run so deep that poll results published last May found that while 1 in 5 Russians knows someone with HIV, 46% think those infected should be isolated from the rest of society.

Cambodia Orders Halt to Drug Testing (news article)
Cambodia's premier ordered a halt to plans for human trials of an anti-AIDS drug in his country that would have recruited hundreds of sex workers to determine if the medicine could prevent new HIV infections.

Swaziland: New Radio Drama Spreads AIDS Awareness (feature article)
A new radio drama aimed at transforming Swazis' knowledge of AIDS into a change in personal behavior began broadcasting.

Brain Drain in Africa Stalls Anti-HIV Campaign (news article)
The continuous "brain drain" of skilled nurses and doctors from African countries for better paid jobs overseas is jeopardizing the global fight against the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Nurses and doctors from Africa, notably Nigeria, are flocking to new jobs in developed countries, particularly the United Kingdom where the state-run National Health Service is facing chronic staff shortages.

MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH RESEARCH

Fetal Loss Associated With Excess Thyroid Hormone Exposure (research article)
Related news article: Overactive Thyroid Tied to Miscarriage Risk
Maternal hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism have deleterious effects on the outcome of pregnancy. While the effects of thyroid hormone (TH) deprivation on the fetus, independently from that on the mother, can be studied in infants with congenital hypothyroidism, this is not the case in those with fetal thyrotoxicosis. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of TH excess on fetuses carried by mothers with resistance to TH (RTH) who are euthyroid despite high TH levels but who may carry normal fetuses that are exposed to high maternal hormone levels. The researchers concluded that there was a higher rate of miscarriage in mothers affected by RTH that may have involved predominantly unaffected fetuses. The lower birth weight and suppressed levels of TSH in unaffected infants born to affected mothers indicates that the high maternal TH levels produce fetal thyrotoxicosis. These data indicate a direct toxic effect of TH excess on the fetus.

Implementing a Rural Programme of Prevention of Mother-to-child Transmission of HIV in Zimbabwe: First 18 Months of Experience (research abstract)
This paper reports on activities and lessons learned during the first 18 months of a rural program of prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV in Zimbabwe. Of 2,471 pregnant women using antenatal services, 2,298 were pre-test counselled; the acceptance of HIV testing reached 92.9%. Of the women who decided to take an HIV test, 1,588 (74.3%) returned to collect their result. Overall, HIV prevalence was 20.4% (n=437); 326 of the HIV-positive women were counselled and 104 (24%) received complete mother-child antiretroviral prophylaxis.

MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH NEWS

Burundi: Campaign to Increase Breastfeeding (news article)
A nationwide campaign to increase public awareness on the importance of breastfeeding began with a workshop in Burundi's capital, Bujumbura. Medical workers and journalists attended the Bujumbura event, which was organised by the National Programme for Reproductive Health in conjunction with the UN Children's Fund. Other workshops are also being held around the country.

India: Rajasthan Aims to Bring Down Maternal Mortality Rate (news article)
Rajasthan plans to open 200 emergency obstetric care units in the state this year to bring down its maternal mortality rate, which at 677 per 100,000 live births is the third highest in the country. The plan comprises opening 50 special and 150 basic emergency obstetric units.

Mali: Women Clock Up Success with Maternal Mortality MDG (news article)
The small Malian town of Zegoua - population 22,000 - doesn't have a great many "claims to fame". In one respect, however, it has achieved something remarkable. "Since January 2002, there's not been one case of neonatal or maternal mortality in Zegoua or any other nearby village," Yaya Coulibaly, director of the Zegoua Community Health Centre, told a group of local and international journalists recently.

MEN'S HEALTH RESEARCH

Evaluating Men's Involvement as a Strategy in Sexual and Reproductive Health Promotion (research abstract)
Nearly 10 years has passed since the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development recognized men as legitimate targets for sexual and reproductive health promotion. It was proposed that men should be involved because their active participation was crucial to the success of programs and to the empowerment of women. In an effort to examine the lessons learned from men's involvement, this paper reviews published evaluations of interventions that have targeted heterosexual men. From their review of these studies, the authors suggest that there is some evidence that the use of media approaches may be a successful strategy and that there may be some problems with the application of some cognitive behavior change approaches.

Bicycle Riding and its Relationship to the Development of Erectile Dysfunction (research abstract)
Researchers have suggested that cycling is a hazard to the sexual health of men. Insufficient data have left cyclists skeptical of this claim. The researchers explored risk factors within cycling that may put riders at risk for the development of erectile dysfunction (ED). Results showed that ED prevalence was 17%. Although results from univariate analysis revealed a correlation between ED and several tested variables, none proved to be statistically significant after controlling for age.

MEN'S HEALTH NEWS

The Philippines: Take the Cut, Family Planning Expert Tells Pinoy Macho Men (feature article)
Husbands in the Philippines are finally sharing the effort with their wives and even taking the lead in family planning, according to this feature article from the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

India: UP Landowner Sterilizes Male Servants Without Consent (news article)
In the backwaters of an impoverished district of Kheri, a wealthy landowner got five of his male servants 'sterilized' without their consent just to get some concessions for an arms' license. The laborers have been staging a dharna at the district collectorate, demanding action against the landowner.

POPULATION RESEARCH

Under-Five Mortality in Nigeria: Perception and Attitudes of the Yorubas Towards the Existence of "Abiku" (research article)
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This paper examines the perception and attitudes of the Yorubas about the existence of abiku (children from the spirit world) and the mode of treatment given to such children. The study elicited information from 1,695 women of reproductive age in Ondo and Ekiti state of Southwest Nigeria. The study shows (i) more than half of the respondents believe in the existence of abiku children; (ii) that abiku children can be identified from the evidence of past death, frequent indisposition, non-responsiveness of their illness to modern medical care as well as repeated death and verification from traditional healers; (iii) that causes of illness differ between abiku and non-abiku children; (iv) close to 71% of the respondents have faith in traditional methods of treatment for abiku children.

POPULATION NEWS

Philippines: One, Two and Stop, Urge Congressmen (news article)
"In China, they stop at one. Indonesia stops at two. In the Philippines, they stop at...4 a.m." Jokes like these flooded the simple text messaging systems of cellular phones as a debate brewed over a proposed two-child policy in Congress, suggesting why such a measure could not succeed in this country. Disputes over limiting the number of children were resurrected when a congressman filed a proposed bill late last month law urging Filipino parents to have at least two children to address problems arising from a rapidly growing population. Support picked up when the most senior lawmaker threw his weight behind the bill and asked the Philippine government to once and for all act on it in order to address overpopulation.

Latvian Population Still in Decline (news article)
The statistics office reported that the population of Latvia has continued to decline and that a drop of 7,000 people has been registered so far this year. The rate of population decline in the first half of this year was the same as last year.

China: Zhejiang Tackles Gender Selection (news article)
East China's Zhejiang Province will strictly forbid prenatal sex selection and the selective abortion of female fetuses to reverse a gender imbalance among newborn babies. The government will launch educational campaigns to change the traditional view that favors boys, especially in rural areas, and enhance the management of ultrasound scanning.

Uganda: Low Birth Rate Irks MP (news article)
A Kitagwenda county Member of Parliment has said he is disappointed by the low rates of women who get pregnant in his constituency. "It seems men in Kitagwenda have forgotten their duty," he is quoted as saying. "The rate at which they are making their wives pregnant is low. They need to improve." However, the acting district chairperson said the population growth rate in the district was very high and that there was a need for family planning.

WOMEN'S HEALTH RESEARCH

Sexual Assault History and Risks for Sexually Transmitted Infections among Women in an African Township in Cape Town, South Africa (research abstract)
This study investigated factors related to risks for STIs, including HIV, among South African women with a history of sexual assault. An anonymous street intercept survey of women (n=272) living in an African township in the Western Cape, South Africa assessed demographic characteristics. Surveys were completed by 90% of women approached. Forty-four per cent (n=119) of women reported a history of sexual assault. Women who had been sexually assaulted were significantly more likely to have shared injection drug equipment, exchanged sex to meet survival needs, and used alcohol compared to women who had not been sexually assaulted. Women with a history of sexual assault were also significantly more likely to have multiple male sex partners, greater rates of unprotected vaginal intercourse, lower rates of condom protected anal intercourse, more sexual contacts involving blood, and more STIs and genital ulcers.

Covert Use of Topical Microbicides: Implications for Acceptability and Use (review article)
This paper discusses findings from research on contraceptive and condom use as well as microbicide studies to show how women decide to use a new product.

WOMEN'S HEALTH NEWS

Pakistan's Sex Workers Promote Condom Use (feature article)
In a pilot project launched last year in Serey Ghat, the red light district in Hyderabad, Pakistan, sex workers are beginning to take the social marketing of condoms upon themselves.

Japanese Women Shun the Pill (news article)
Five years ago Japanese women's rights advocates won their battle to legalize the birth control pill. Now they are waging an even tougher fight -- getting women to use it. About 370,000 Japanese women use the pill, according to estimates, only 1.3% of the 28 million Japanese females between 15 and 49 years old, compared with 15.6 percent in the United States.

The Future of the Female Condom (commentary)
In this viewpoint, the authors (all from the HIV Center for Clinical and Behavioral Studies, New York State Psychiatric Institute and Columbia University, New York) review what has been learned about the female condom over the past decade and argue for a renewed commitment to behavioral intervention research and the implementation and evaluation of large-scale female condom programs.

China’s Growing AIDS Epidemic Increasingly Affects Women (feature article)
This feature article from the Population Reference Bureau focuses on the rise of sexually transmitted HIV in China, how women are particularly vulnerable to infection, and the latest government efforts targeting women.

Advocates Battle Obstetric Fistula in Eritrea (feature article)
In the United States, obstetric fistula, or tissue damages caused by childbirth, have gone the way of tuberculosis and polio. But for women in countries such as Eritrea it's a widespread and ruinous problem that health advocates are struggling to correct.

Uganda: Women Complain of Lack of Access to AIDS Drugs (feature article)
The many problems facing women getting access to AIDS drugs is revealed in this article.

YOUTH HEALTH RESEARCH

Endocrine Pancreatic Dysfunction in HIV-Infected Children: Association with Growth Alterations (PubMed abstract)
The pancreatic endocrine system normally guarantees a quick and efficient response to daily metabolic perturbations, but associated data for HIV-infected patients are lacking. A prospective study was performed to evaluate pancreatic endocrine secretion and its possible association with failure to thrive among HIV-infected children. Results showed that a significant correlation emerged between the ratio of insulin to glucagon and the growth velocity of HIV-infected children. The researchers concluded that the study provides the first evidence of altered pancreatic endocrine secretion and its association with growth failure among HIV-infected children.

HIV/AIDS Knowledge and the Implications for Health Promotion Programs Among Chinese College Students: Geographic, Gender and Age Differences (research abstract)
Data were collected in 2000 from 1081 students from eight colleges in China to assess the overall level of AIDS knowledge, and to explore regional, gender and grade differences in AIDS knowledge. The data indicate an inconsistent level of AIDS knowledge among students, with a significant gender and grade difference. More than one-third of the students perceived themselves as having limited knowledge of AIDS. While the students could identify transmission modes, they were less knowledgeable about symptoms, activities that did not transmit the virus, treatment and preventive measures. The majority of the students reported having discussed AIDS issues with their peers and friends, but few of them had done so with their parents or teachers. AIDS knowledge varied among students by site of residence, with the highest knowledge among students from the urban areas and the lowest among those from rural areas.

YOUTH HEALTH NEWS

Nigeria: Good Health: CHIEF Advocates for Youth-Focused Reproductive Health Clinics (news article)
A call has been made for setting up youth-focused reproductive health clinics in Lagos State and the country as a whole. The need to improve the economic empowerment of out-of-school youths as a way of reducing the spread of HIV within the community has also been identified. These were amongst recommendations made last week by the Community Health Information Education Forum (CHIEF), a health development and community based NGO targeting women, youths, children and other vulnerable groups.

"Edutainment Nights" Promote HIV/AIDS Awareness in Africa (feature article)
From video clips of Kenyan adolescents talking about condoms to T-shirts with prevention messages from Zambia and Zimbabwe, the African media is using creative methods to educate young people about HIV/AIDS. But can the media be even more effective? And what are the experiences of different African countries in promoting HIV/AIDS awareness? These questions were discussed by more than 120 representatives from civil society, ministries of health and education, the media, and other groups at the Global Development Learning Network Centers in Tanzania and Uganda, and at the African Medical and Research Foundation Training Center in Kenya. Participants shared examples of African television, radio, print, and electronic materials that combine education and entertainment - "edutainment" - media to inform young people about HIV/AIDS. They also evaluated whether these materials could be applied in the context of their own countries.

Viet Nam: 20 Percent of Babies Born to Young Mothers Annually (news article)
According to the Health Ministry, 20% of newborn babies are born to mothers under 19 years old. A recent survey conducted by the ministry revealed that about 300,000 under 20-year-old women become pregnant, with 80% of them ignorant of contraception techniques.

SPECIAL REPORTS/PROFILES/RESOURCES

Rethinking Domestic Violence: A Training Process for Community Activists (training manual)
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This program tool was developed by Raising Voices in collaboration with the Center for Domestic Violence Prevention, a registered local non-governmental organization in Kampala, Uganda. The Training Process is a
tool for strengthening the capacity of a wide range of community members to prevent domestic violence. It is a series of training sessions that can be used individually or as a part of a longer process. It will help participants think about, discuss and take action to prevent domestic violence. It is a practical tool for trainers and activists who want to begin a process of change in their community.

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