Volume 4, Number 42
18 October 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

Oral Contraceptive Non-compliance in Rural Bangladesh (research abstract)
This paper examines incorrect use of oral contraceptives (OCs) in rural Bangladesh by using data from an OC compliance survey. Of the 1,031 current users of OCs interviewed, about 13% took their pills out of sequence, while 17% left incorrect intervals between pill packs; 74% took correct action with the missed pill. The present study urges providing women with more support in their pill use and advocates that service providers and husbands should be the focal point of efforts.

The Frequency and Effecting Factors of Consanguineous Marriage in a Group of Soldiers in Ankara (research abstract)
This study was carried out to investigate the frequency of consanguineous marriage in a group of army conscripts in Ankara and the factors affecting this. The rate of marriage between first cousins was found to be 19.1% and the overall rate of consanguineous marriage was 24.1%. Geographical and family characteristics along with soldiers' age at marriage were found to be significant factors in the frequency of this occurence.

A Syphilis Outbreak in Remote Australia: Epidemiology and Strategies for Control (research abstract)
This paper describes the epidemiology of a syphilis outbreak in remote Australia and explores contributing factors and control strategies. Factors contributing to the outbreak included incompleteness of STI clinical management, untimely contact tracing, staffing and management issues, and poor community knowledge about STIs. Open and honest discussion and a collaborative approach toward STI problems affecting indigenous Australians are needed to address such outbreaks.

The Influence of Technical Products on Sexual Activity and Gender Relations: Oral Contraceptive, Condom, Oral Treatments of Sexual Disorders (PubMed abstract)
This paper discusses the introduction and use of various technical products, which have a direct impact on both sexual activity and its consequences: contraception, methods of sexually transmissible infections prevention, and treatment for male impotence. An analysis of the way in which these products are used illustrates how they have contributed to the development of scenarios of sexual relations by distributing specific roles to men and to women.

FAMILY PLANNING/REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH NEWS

South Africa: Doctors Warn on Condom Failure (news article)
In the latest edition of South African Family Practice, the official journal of the South African Academy of Family Practice/Primary Care, doctors warn that condoms regularly fail and do not provide full protection against pregnancy or disease. Even if male condoms are correctly used, the contraceptive failure rate is "relatively high" unless used with a spermicide, authors said. They questioned whether the right message was going out, saying that much more than any other contraceptive method, condoms had a high failure rate because of the way they were used.

Kenya: Tender Scam Holding Birth Control Work (news article)
Attempts by senior Ministry of Health officials to interfere with contraceptive procurement against a donor's wish are responsible for the current shortage of the devices in the public sector.

Ghanaians Might Have Used Unwholesome Condoms (news article)
A baseline study test conducted by the Food and Drugs Board on 25 brands of condoms on the Ghanaian market showed that 24% of them either had holes in them or were in poor conditions due to poor storage, and thus failed to conform to the International Standard Order.

Bangladeshi Government Announces Plans for First-ever Condom Factory (news article)
The Bangladeshi government plans to set up the country's first-ever condom plant as part of a drive to combat AIDS and reduce the amount of foreign exchange spent on importing contraceptive devices.

UK: Promiscuous 10% "Fuel Sex Crisis" (news article)
A "promiscuous 10%" of the population who have multiple partners are fuelling a UK sexual health crisis, say experts, and attempts to cut STIs will fail unless this 10% is encouraged to change its behavior.

FAMILY PLANNING/REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH LAW AND POLICY

85 Nations (not USA) Sign International Population Agreement on Family Planning, HIV/AIDS (news article)
Related: news article: U.S. Tells U.N. It Supports Population Agenda -- on the Understanding It Doesn't Promote Abortion
Eighty-five countries on Wednesday signed a statement reaffirming commitment to reproductive health- and HIV/AIDS-related population and health goals agreed to 10 years ago at the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development in Cairo, Egypt. The United States refused to sign the statement, but said it backs a UN plan to ensure every woman's right to education, health care, and choice about having children, so long as the document doesn't promote abortion.

India: Two Child Norm Cannot be Imposed (news article)
Making it clear that a "two child norm" cannot be imposed as it would be a "violation of fundamental rights", the Indian government said population stabilization programs will be pursued wholly on a voluntary basis.

India's Muslim Leaders to Discuss Female Inheritance; Reject Birth Control Talks (news article)
Islamic leaders in India have proposed changing the law to allow Muslim women to inherit property, but rejected considering the promotion of birth control as "not Islamic." Imams and clerics who determine personal law for India's 140 million Muslims will consider several proposed legal changes at the All India Muslim Personal Law Board meeting in the southern Indian city of Calicut Dec. 24-26.

Uganda: "Do Not Teach Children with Condoms" (news article)
President Yoweri Museveni has rejected placing condoms in classes and demonstrating to children how they are worn. Museveni told delegates from 17 countries who were in Kampala for the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric Foundation board meeting that Uganda reduced AIDS prevalence better than countries with higher rates of condom use. "We find it unacceptable to go to primary schools, to go to secondary schools and teach pupils how to be promiscuous and put on condoms," Museveni said.

HIV/AIDS RESEARCH

Perceptions Toward HIV, HIV Screening, and the Use of Antiretroviral Medications: A Survey of Maternity-Based Health Care Providers in Zambia (research abstract)
This study investigates provider perceptions, knowledge base, and practice patterns toward HIV-positive mothers in Zambia. Of the 225 providers surveyed, many reported widespread stigma associated with HIV, only 30% routinely prescribed antiretroviral treatment (ART) to reduce mother-to-child transmission, and among those never prescribing ART, most cited a lack of availability (83%). These results highlight the need for further provider education, critical appraisal of the current system for HIV testing, and widespread distribution of ART.

Caretakers of AIDS Patients in Rural Tanzania (research abstract)
This study surveys the socio-economic chatacteristics of bed-ridden AIDS patient caretakers in Tanzania. Major findings show that the majority of caretakers are female, are often related to the patient, and may not have sufficient knowledge, counseling, or support for such stressful undertakings.

Dried Blood Spots are an Acceptable and Useful HIV Surveillance Tool in a Remote Developing World Setting (research abstract)
This study examines the acceptability of dried blood spots in a tropical, rural population from an outpatient clinic in Andhra Pradesh, India. Participation was offered to every fifth patient seeking general medical care between March and April 2001. All 1,413 patients approached for the study agreed to participate and provide a DBS for examination. Given the uniform willingness of these clinic attendees to be tested, the authors conclude that DBS is a useful, cost-effective tool in HIV serosurveillance in a rural, tropical setting.

HIV and Increases in Childhood Mortality in Kenya in the Late 1980s to the Mid-1990s (report)
(You need Adobe Acrobat Reader to access this document)
Controversy surrounds the factors responsible for the increase in child mortality in the 1990s, and
the objective of this paper is to clarify the situation. Data from the 1993 and 1998 KDHSs have
been merged into a single data set, and multivariate analysis has been used to examine the factors
associated with mortality risks in childhood. This model suggests that the HIV epidemic played a major role in the recent increases in child mortality in Kenya.

Adherence to Antiretroviral Therapy [ART] in Adults: A Guide for Trainers (resource material)
(You need Adobe Acrobat Reader to access this document)
This manual has been designed for health workers, including physicians, clinical officers, and adherence nurse counselors in ARV programs. The manual consists of four modules to be conducted over four sessions of approximately 2 hours each. These sessions can be conducted as a part of a comprehensive ART training program.

HIV/AIDS NEWS

China to Conduct Nationwide HIV Testing Among Previous Bloodsellers (news article)
The Chinese Ministry of Health announced that China will conduct nationwide HIV testing among people with blood selling history in the 1990s in an effort to detect AIDS patients early.

58% of South Africans Still Risk It in Bed (news article)
While 78% of South Africans are seriously concerned about HIV/AIDS, an astonishing 58% are still having unprotected sex with partners whose sexual history they do not know. These were two of the results of Durex's eighth annual online global sex survey, in which more than 3,000 South Africans were asked about their sexual activities.

Defense Contractors Seek $7-Billion Drug Grant (feature article)
National Public Radio health correspondent Brenda Wilson reports that the defense industry has suddenly become very interested in AIDS. The Bush administration is finalizing details of a $7-billion contract that's up for grabs as part of the president's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief.

Commission Expert on AIDS in Africa Says Pandemic Threatens Continent's Future (news article)
The future stability of Africa will be thrown into doubt if its people now living with HIV/AIDS - a valuable human resource for the continent - are denied treatment, a patron of the United Nations-chaired Commission on HIV/AIDS and Governance in Africa has said.

AIDS May Be Shrinking SA's Population (news article)
South Africa's population may be growing at only a third of the official estimate - largely because of HIV and AIDS.

India: Don't Shun Children of HIV Patients (news article)
President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam pressed for special centers in every Indian state to provide health and education to the children of people afflicted with HIV and other socially ostracized diseases.

Pakistan: Call to Sensitize Media Persons to HIV/AIDS (news article)
Acccording to local a NGO, Society for the Advancement of Community, Health Education, and Training, an upbeat sensitization of media persons to HIV/AIDS is needed to make masses aware of the deadly disease spreading at a fast pace, especially in South East Asia.

MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH RESEARCH

Effect of a Participatory Intervention with Women's Groups on Birth Outcomes in Nepal: Cluster-randomised Controlled Trial (research abstract)
This study examines the effect of community-based participatory interventions on significant reductions in neonatal mortality rates. Researchers pair-matched 42 geopolitical clusters in Makwanpur district, Nepal, selected 12 pairs randomly, and randomly assigned one of each pair to intervention or control. In each intervention cluster, a female facilitator convened nine women's group meetings every month in which perinatal education and problem identification were supported. From 2001 to 2003, the neonatal mortality rate was 26.2 per 1,000 in intervention clusters compared with 36.9 per 1,000 in controls. The maternal mortality ratio was 69 per 100,000 in intervention clusters compared with 341 per 100,000 in control clusters. Birth outcomes in a poor rural population improved greatly through a low cost, potentially sustainable and scalable, participatory intervention with women's groups.

Care of the Newborn Reference Manual (resource material)
(You need Adobe Acrobat Reader to access this document)
The Care of the Newborn Reference Manual provides up-to-date, comprehensive, evidence-based information and defines and illustrates the skills needed to keep newborns healthy, including routine and preventive care as well as early detection and management of life-threatening problems. This manual guides the training of all health care workers in essential newborn care for the health and survival of babies in their first 28 days of life.

Qualitative Research to Improve Newborn Care Practices (resource material)
(You need Adobe Acrobat Reader to access this document)
This guide serves as a reference tool for conducting qualitative research in order to effectively design behavior communications strategies to improve newborn care practices. It focuses on evidence-based practices, data collection techniques, data analysis, and BCC planning and programming.

Chlamydia and Gonorrhoea in Pregnancy: Effectiveness of Diagnosis and Treatment in Botswana (research abstract)
This study determines if the prescribing of erythromycin and ceftriaxone to pregnant women with STI symptoms leads to a reduction in the prevalence among these women of chlamydia and gonorrhoea, respectively. Findings show the prescribing of erythromycin seems to have had a limited effect on chlamydia in this population, whereas the prescribing of ceftriaxone led to the curing of gonorrhoea. Ceftriaxone is provided as a single dose injection at the point of care, and the differential effectiveness between the two drugs may reflect low compliance with the complex erythromycin regimen. Interventions to increase compliance could improve cure rates. The use of a simpler drug regimen should be considered when low compliance is likely.

The Healthy Newborn Partnership: Improving Newborn Survival and HealthThrough Partnership, Policy, and Action (policy brief)
(You need Adobe Acrobat Reader to access this document)
How can we reduce neonatal mortality? While there may not be just one answer, coordination of many programs and agencies within an integrated health system is one way to reach that goal. This policy brief describes ways in which the Healthy Newborn Partnership, formed in 2000, is working to promote newborn health through collaboration and information exchange. Produced in collaboration with Population Reference Bureau.

Every Newborn's Health (resource material)
(You need Adobe Acrobat Reader to access this document)
This resource describes those fundamental measures, based on evidence, necessary for all babies, whether well or sick, normal birth weight or low birth weight. The set of information sheets offers selected essential recommended practices in newborn care: a tool that can be used by all who deal with newborns. It is designed for health care workers in facilities, for those who work in communities, and for those who manage and organize programs that involve care for neonates. The information sheets are versatile and can be used as a summary of procedures and interventions, a means to review evidence-based aspects of newborn care, or even as a guide to use in talking to new mother about appropriate care for their babies.

MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH NEWS

Mozambique: Knowledge Can Prevent Infant and Child Mortality (news article)
In an attempt to empower mothers, the Portuguese version of the third edition of 'Facts for Life', a book outlining measures to reduce health risks for children, was recently launched in Mozambique.

MEN'S HEALTH RESEARCH

Effectiveness of Vasectomy Using Cautery (research article)
This study estimated the effectiveness of vasectomy by cautery and described the trends in sperm counts after cautery vasectomy. A prospective, non-comparative observational study was conducted between November 2001 and June 2002 at four centers in Brazil, Canada, the UK, and the US. Overall failure rate based on semen analysis was 0.8%. By 12 weeks 96.4% of participants showed azoospermia or severe oligozoospermia. The study concludes that cautery is a very effective method for occluding the vas and failure based on semen analysis is rare.

The Internet as Recruitment Tool for HIV Studies: Viable Strategy for Reaching At-Risk Hispanic MSM in Miami? (research abstract)
The authors studied the viability of using the Internet as a tool to recruit at-risk populations, such as Hispanic men who have sex with men, to participate in community-based HIV studies. With positive response rates and development of online procedures, their findings point to the Internet's potential as a tool for sex behavior studies in Hispanic MSM.

POPULATION RESEARCH

ABO Blood Groups and Completed Reproductive Performance of Rural Haryanavi Couples: Analysing Measures of Selection Intensities (research abstract)
The possible differential effects of ABO blood group materno-paternal (fetal) incompatibility on completed reproductive performance were investigated on a sample of 100 couples (100 fathers and 100 mothers) from three villages in the Jind district of Haryana state, India. The study supports the hypothesis that selection is operative at the ABO locus as revealed by the measures of selection intensity. There were no differences in the proportions of average number of male live births in the compatible (0.55) and incompatible matings (0.58). However, in the individual mating types, there was some evidence of higher or lower proportions of male live births.

POPULATION NEWS

Population Growth is Slowing but Development Challenges Remain, Says Fréchette (news article)
Rapid population growth is starting to come to an end around much of the world, but many regions are still struggling against the problems of poverty and pollution, Deputy Secretary-General Louise Fréchette told a General Assembly meeting held to mark the 10th anniversary of the landmark population and development conference in Cairo.

Pakistan: "Government Seeking Clerics Help on Population Control" (news article)
The government plans to seek the services of clerics for population control, according to Federal Population Minister Chaudhry Shahbaz Hussain. The population minister said the government would also train imams in rural mosques to create awareness among the masses.

India: Sikh Women Population Declines Alarmingly (news article)
India's National Minorities Commission has set up a panel of demographers to study the recent results of a census report that says the population of Sikh women is declining. The panel will hold talks with religious leaders to find ways to restore the gender imbalance.

International Migration Recognized as Development Force (press release)
International migration is increasingly being perceived as a development tool and a main source of capital for developing countries, rather than a failure of development. As such, the world must put migration at the center of the global development agenda and mainstream population policy, according to Thoraya Ahmed Obaid, Executive Director of UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund.

WOMEN'S HEALTH RESEARCH

Female Genital Mutilation in Developing Countries: An Agenda for Public Health Response (research abstract)
This paper argues that interventions for preventing FGM should be non-directive, culture-specific, and multi-faceted to be of practical relevance. Potentially effective prevention interventions targeted at local practitioners of FGM, parents, at-risk adolescents, health and social workers, governments, religious authorities, the civil society, and communities are presented.

"Bad for the Body, Bad for the Heart": Prostitution Harms Women Even if Legalized or Decriminalized (research article)
(You need Adobe Acrobat Reader to access this document)
With examples from a 2003 New Zealand prostitution law, this article discusses the logical inconsistencies in laws sponsoring prostitution and includes evidence for the physical, emotional, and social harms of prostitution. These harms are not decreased by legalization or decriminalization. The article addresses the confusion caused by organizations that oppose trafficking but at the same time promote prostitution as a justifiable form of labor for poor women.

WOMEN'S HEALTH NEWS

Anti-HIV Gel May Protect Women (news article)
Scientists have long sought a vaginal gel that women could apply before sex to block the AIDS virus. Now they've found a new lead — a chemical specially designed to thwart the way HIV penetrates women's cells.

Women, Girls Need Legal Protection (news article)
Respecting women and children's rights has been outlined as one of the key arsenals that can help in the fight against HIV and AIDS in Africa.

Zambia: Almost 50% of Women Experience Abuse (news article)
About half of Zambia's women have been subjected to physical or emotional abuse by their spouses or intimate partners, according to a recent report.

Zimbabwe: Hair Salons Come to Rescue of Female Condom (news article)
Besides styling hair, Zimbabwean hairdressers are now making waves by promoting the female condom as a protective device against HIV/AIDS. After struggling for 6 years to sell the contraceptive sheath, partly because it required interacting with women to allow them to ask questions about its use, condom manufacturer PSI-Zimbabwe has settled on engaging hairdressers to popularize the product by using their natural interpersonal skills.

YOUTH HEALTH RESEARCH

Understanding Perceptions of HIV Risk Among Adolescents in KwaZulu-Natal (research abstract)
This study identifies factors that influence the calculation of HIV-risk perception among a group of adolescents in South Africa. Data, collected in 1999 from 2,716 adolescents aged 14–22, are used to explore factors predicting risk perception. Researchers conclude that a greater understanding of the connection of adolescents to their communities and adults in their lives is needed, and ways in which programs can alter the environments in which adolescents form opinions, make choices, and act should be incorporated into program design.

Risk for HIV Infection Among Adolescents in the Border City of Tijuana, Mexico (research abstract)
This study examines the prevalence of HIV risk practices and psychosocial correlates among 370 high school students in the border city of Tijuana, Mexico, by gender and age group. The results indicate substantial risk for HIV infection among Tijuana youth due to unprotected sexual practices, lifetime rates of pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections, and needle-sharing practices, mostly related to tattooing and body piercing, suggesting the need for HIV prevention programs for Tijuana adolescents

National Cross Sectional Study of Views on Sexual Violence and Risk of HIV Infection and AIDS among South African School Pupils (research article)
(You need Adobe Acrobat Reader to access this document)
This national cross sectional study illustrates views of school pupils on sexual violence and on the risk of HIV infection and AIDS and their experiences of sexual violence. Misconceptions about sexual violence were common among both sexes, but more females held views that would put them at high risk of HIV infection. The views of South African youth on sexual violence and on the risk of HIV infection and AIDS were found to be compatible with acceptance of sexual coercion and "adaptive" attitudes to survival in a violent society.

YOUTH HEALTH NEWS

Peer Education Makes Young Chinese Discuss Sex More Easily (feature article)
This feature article on peer education programs in China relates how they are spreading knowledge on how to use contraception, prevent HIV/AIDS, deal with sexual harassment, and even refuse sexual advances.

UK: Are Condoms for Kids the Answer? (news article)
Every day seems to bring a new alert over soaring rates of STIs - and young people may be most at risk. BBC News Online asks whether giving teenagers easy access to condoms is proving effective in the battle to safeguard the UK's sexual health.

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Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health: The INFO Project

Volume 4, Number 4218 October 2004