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The Pop Reporter®

Volume 4, Number 47
22 November 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

New Ideas and Fertility Limitation: The Role of Mass Media (research abstract)
This article investigates the mass media as a social change that shapes individual behavior primarily via ideational mechanisms. Empirical analyses of 1,091 couples in the Chitwan Valley Family Study, using detailed measures of social change from rural Nepal, show that exposure to the mass media is related to childbearing behavior and to preferences for smaller families, weaker son preferences, and tolerance of contraceptive use.


In Vivo Distribution of a Vaginal Gel: MRI Evaluation of the Effects of Gel Volume, Time and Simulated Intercourse (research abstract)
This randomized crossover trial evaluates the effect of gel volume and patient activity upon vaginal epithelial coating. Ten women self-inserted, on separate visits, 3 or 5 mL of gel and underwent serial MRI scanning both before and after simulated intercourse. Gel spread was dependent upon time and volume.


Complications of Intrauterine Contraceptive Device (IUD) Use at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Nigeria (PubMed abstract)
This is a retrospective study of 602 women who had IUD insertions at a family planning clinic in Nigeria between January- December 1995 to study the complications associated with the IUD use. Results show an 85.55% continuation rate after a year, 81.06% of patients were without complications, 0.33% had Pelvic Inflammatory Disease and no perforation was reported. IUD was acceptable to most patients (85.5%) and IUD complications were most common within the first 3 months of insertion. Overall, IUDs were found to be a safe and effective method.


Scaling Up a Successful Counseling Model in Guatemala (report)
(You need Adobe Acrobat Reader to access this document)
The objective of this project was to improve clients’ ability to make an informed choice of contraceptive methods by scaling up the use of the balanced counseling strategy in public service delivery institutions in Guatemala. To reach this end, the project provided technical assistance to Calidad en Salud (Quality in Health), the leading reproductive health project in Guatemala, to train service providers in public institutions about the counseling methodology. This report examines the outcomes of the project.


Observations on Reproductive Health Programs in the Baltic States (research abstract)
This paper looks at how the rapidly reformed health sectors of ex-Soviet republics are responding to the vision of reproductive health articulated in Cairo 10 years ago. Reproductive health and rights have improved in these states in spite of recent reforms often acting to oppose improvement. Reforms such as the introduction of family medicine need continued adjustment, especially regarding antenatal care. One special challenge is the retention of essential mid-level providers, such as midwives, as the mode of HIV transmission becomes increasingly sexual.

FAMILY PLANNING/REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH NEWS

Birth-Control Shot Gets Black Box Warning (news article)
Related: press release: Black Box Warning Added Concerning Long-Term Use of Depo-Provera Contraceptive Injection
Depo-Provera, an injectable contraceptive, will come with a special warning that links prolonged use of the drug with bone density loss, the FDA has said.


Aussies First in Line for Spray-On Contraceptive (news article)
As easy as putting on perfume, a new fast-drying contraceptive spray would be applied to the inner side of a woman's forearm once a day, ending the need for pills, implants or injections, say researchers.


‘No Condom, No Sex' says New Zealand Parliament, ‘No Rubba no Hubba Hubba' (news article)
The New Zealand parliament has launched a campaign with the phrase "No Rubba no Hubba Hubba", this means ‘no condom, no sex' - this is an attempt at combating the country's growing rate of STIs.

FAMILY PLANNING/REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH LAW AND POLICY

Chile Introduces Right to Divorce (news article)
Related: news article: Malta and Philippines the Only Remaining Countries Without Divorce
Chile has become the third last country to adopt divorce laws, leaving Malta and the Philippines as the only two countries in the world that are still rejecting divorce.


India: Draft Legislation on HIV/AIDS Anti-discrimination Soon (news article)
Draft legislation to fight HIV/AIDS discrimination is 90% complete, according to a group of lawyers fighting large-scale instances of stigma that has haunted HIV/AIDS patients.

HIV/AIDS RESEARCH

Older Age Does Not Influence CD4 Cell Recovery in HIV-1 Infected Patients Receiving Highly Active Anti Retroviral Therapy. (research article)
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To characterize epidemiological and clinical features of older HIV+ subjects, a prospective case-control study was performed where 81 older were compared with 162 younger subjects. Under HAART a statistically significant increase in TCD4+ cell number was observed both in cases and controls and there was no statistically significant difference between cases and controls regarding viro-immunological response. Although older subjects present a more severe HIV infection, they can achieve, under HAART, the same viro-immunological success as the younger individuals.


Nationwide HIV Prevalence Survey in General Population in Niger (research abstract)
A national population-based survey was carried out in Niger in 2002 to assess HIV prevalence in the population aged 15-49 years. HIV positivity rate was 1% in women and 0.7% in men. It was significantly higher among urban populations than among rural ones (respectively, 2.1% and 0.6%). Variables significantly related to the risk of being tested positive for HIV were urban housing, increasing age, and being either widowed or divorced. The estimate from the national survey was lower than the prevalence assessed from antenatal clinic data (2.8% in 2001).


Enfuvirtide: A New Class of Antiretroviral Therapy for HIV Infection (research abstract)
Enfuvirtide is the first of a new class of antiretroviral agents recently approved for the treatment of HIV-1 infection. Present available data suggest that enfuvirtide may be a promising agent for the control of HIV infection in patients who have previously received reverse transcriptase inhibitor and protease inhibitor regimens and who are either intolerant to such drugs and/or who have gone into virological failure. Perhaps the greater limitation to the clinical use of enfuvirtide is the cost, limiting its use in the developing world.


Can Population Differences Explain the Contrasting Results of the Mwanza, Rakai, and Masaka HIV/Sexually Transmitted Disease Intervention Trials?: A Modeling Study (research abstract)
This study examines whether population differences can explain the contrasting impacts on HIV observed in the Mwanza trial of STD syndromic treatment (ST), the Rakai trial of STD mass treatment (MT), and the Masaka trial of information, education, and communication (IEC) with and without ST. Findings show that population differences in sexual behavior, curable STD rates, and HIV epidemic stage can explain most of the observed contrast. This study supports the hypothesis that STD management is an effective HIV prevention strategy in populations with a high prevalence of curable STDs, particularly in an early HIV epidemic.

HIV/AIDS NEWS

Swaziland: Swazis Strengthen Efforts to Fight HIV/AIDS Stigma (news article)
The Swaziland National Network of People Living with HIV and AIDS (SWANNEPHA), comprised of 46 organizations aims to reduce stigma and discrimination and "build a positive image of people living with HIV and AIDS".


Breakthrough in AIDS Fight (news article)
French researchers announced that, in laboratory conditions, they had stimulated antibodies that dramatically barred the AIDS virus from infecting human immune cells.


Experts: Russia Lacks Will to Fight AIDS (news article)
AIDS and the HIV virus are spreading at an alarming pace in Russia, but the government lacks the political will to combat the epidemic that may claim tens of thousands of lives within the next few years, leading experts have warned.


Sri Lankan HIV/AIDS Cases on the Increase (news article)
An increasing number of Sri Lankan youngsters are now threatened by sexually transmitted infections including HIV and AIDS mainly due to unprotected sexual activity.


Anti-AIDS Seaweed Vaginal Gel Tested in South Africa (news article)
South Africa is at the crest of a wave of international studies to test the safety and efficacy of a seaweed-based microbicide, which once inserted into a woman's vagina could help prevent the spread of AIDS.


Bangkok to Pilot Anonymous AIDS Clinics (news article)
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration is to mark World Aids Day this year with the launch of three pilot clinics offering anonymous AIDS testing and advice.


South Africa: Frank Dialogue About Gender is Key to Tackling HIV/AIDS (feature article)
Recent workshops in South Africa encourage frank discussions about sex, gender relations, and violence against women. The goal is to influence attitudes and behaviors that can fuel the spread of the HIV virus.


Reggae Stars 'Help to Spread HIV' (news article)
Reggae stars using homophobic lyrics are stoking the spread of HIV, a UK minister is warning in the Caribbean.

MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH RESEARCH

Association of Levels of HIV-1 Infected Breast Milk Cells and Risk of Mother-to-Child Transmission (research article)
The proportion of infected cells to total cells was measured in serial breast milk samples collected from 291 HIV-1infected women in Nairobi, Kenya. The number of infected BMCs per million cells was associated with levels of cell-free viral RNA in breast milk, levels of cell-free virus in blood plasma, and proviral DNA in cervical and vaginal secretions. The estimated concentration of infected BMCs per milliliter was higher in colostrum or early milk than in mature milk. This suggests that infected BMCs may play a more important role in transmission of HIV via breast-feeding than does cell-free virus.



Strategies to Prevent Eclampsia in a Developing Country: II. Use of a Maternal Pictorial Card (PubMed abstract)
Related: PubMed abstract: Strategies to Prevent Eclampsia in a Developing Country: I. Reorganization of Maternity Services
This paper assesses the efficacy and acceptability of a patient-held pictorial card aimed at raising awareness and appropriate health seeking behavior in response to prodromal symptoms of imminent eclampsia.


Maternal Resources, Proximity of Services, and Curative Care of Boys and Girls in Minya, Egypt 1995-97 (research abstract)
Using data from a representative sample of children in Egypt, this study assesses whether maternal resources, marital household structure, and proximity of services influence disparities by sex in curative care. The results show that boys visit any source of care marginally more often than girls. Higher maternal education has no effect on the relative odds of private care, whereas maternal residence with marital relatives reduces the odds that girls receive private care. Having a public clinic in the neighborhood, at which private services may be offered, increases girls' odds of receiving private care.

MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH NEWS

Malaysia Sets the Example with Lowest Regional Child Mortality Rate (news article)
Malaysia can show the rest of the region that it is possible to achieve low maternal and child mortality rates even as a developing nation, said Gaye Phillips, the United Nations Children's Fund representative to Malaysia.


Skilled Attendants Vital to Reducing Maternal Deaths (news article)
Skilled attendants play a pivotal role in reducing maternal and newborn mortality and morbidity, according to a joint statement issued recently by three major health agencies.


Angola: Government to Launch Plan to Reduce Maternal-Infant Death (news article)
A National Plan to speed up the reduction in the country's maternal and infant death rates will soon be launched as part of the Millennium Development Goals, a World Health Organization source has said.


Decline in Pregnancy-Related Deaths in Gauteng (news article)
The number of women dying due to early pregnancy related complications in Gauteng has declined significantly since 1999, the provincial health department has said.

MEN'S HEALTH RESEARCH

Fathering Latina Sexualities: Mexican Men and the Virginity of their Daughters (research abstract)
Based on in-depth tape-recorded interviews with 20 immigrant men living in Los Angeles, this study examined Mexican fathers' views of virginity as they educate their daughters in the United States. Results indicate that protecting their daughters from a sexually dangerous society and improving their socioeconomic future is of greater concern to these men than preserving virginity per se. The authors argue that these men's narratives challenge stereotypical images and archetypes of the Latino macho father.

MEN'S HEALTH NEWS

Circumcised Men Less Likely to Get AIDS (news article)
It seems that there is more evidence that men who are circumcised have a dramatically lower rate of HIV infection than those who are not, according to new studies in Africa and India.

POPULATION RESEARCH

Using Indirect Methods to Understand the Impact of Forced Migration on Long-term Under-five Mortality (research abstract)
This paper looks at the Brass Method and the Preceding Birth Technique in combination with a classification of women by their migration and reproductive histories in order to study the impact of forced migration on under-five mortality in the refugee and host populations of Arua District, Uganda and Yei River District, Sudan. Results indicate that women who did not migrate in a situation of conflict and women who repatriated before the age of 15 had children with the highest under-five mortality rates compared with women who were currently refugees and women who repatriated after the age of 15.


A Typology of Groups at Risk of HIV/STI in a Gold Mining Town in North-Western Tanzania (research abstract)
Qualitative research was conducted in a small town adjacent to a large-scale commercial gold mine in north-western Tanzania to identify populations at high risk of HIV and suggest suitable behavioral interventions by gaining an understanding of sexual behavior patterns in the town. The town was a high-risk environment as a result of the economic opportunities available there (in contrast to the poverty of surrounding areas), which were often accessed by offering sex in exchange for money or gifts. Results show the utility of thinking of risk environments rather than attributing risk to types of people and to target interventions to these environments.



Some Mechanisms Linking Economic Inequality and Infant Mortality (research abstract)
This study assesses the relationship between state-level economic inequality and an infant's probability of death. Economic inequality is found to be associated with higher neonatal mortality even after controlling mother's age and race and state characteristics that are likely to be associated with both inequality and infant death. The increase in economic segregation increased infant deaths more than the increase in health care spending reduces them, so the net effect of economic inequality is to increase infant deaths especially in the first month after birth.


Popular Perceptions of Emerging Influences on Mortality and Longevity in Bangladesh and West Bengal (research abstract)
In this study in rural Bangladesh and West Bengal, India, respondents were questioned about their perceptions of changes in mortality. The findings show that, while child mortality levels are perceived to have fallen dramatically in recent times, the health and survival prospects of the middle aged and the elderly are seen to have been better in the past. The perceived decline in adult health is attributed to environmental deterioration and lifestyle changes accompanying modernization. Unhealthy agricultural practices and impiety were cited as possible causes.


An Intergenerational Model of Domestic Violence (research abstract)
This paper proposes and analyzes an intergenerational model of domestic violence (IMDV) in which behavioral strategies or scripts are transmitted from parents to children. The IMDV calls attention to three features neglected in the domestic violence literature. 1) If some men are more likely than others to be violent as husbands and if some women are more likely than others to remain in violent marriages, then the level of violence is sensitive to the probability that such individuals will marry each other; 2) domestic violence requires the conjunction of a husband who is violent and a wife who stays in the marriage; 3) variables and policies that reduce the rate of domestic violence in the current generation are likely to reduce it even further in future generations.

POPULATION NEWS

UNFPA Laments Nigeria's High Population Rate (news article)
According to the UNFPA, Nigeria's poverty profile and its inherent dependency ratio is traceable to the increasing population, which is at present not showing any sign of stopping.


We Need More Babies! (feature article)
Europe's plummeting fertility rate is a time bomb, threatening economic growth and social welfare. But what can governments do about it? This feature article from TIME magazine describes how states are trying to get people to have more kids.

WOMEN'S HEALTH RESEARCH

Impact of Common Contraceptive Methods on Quality of Life and Sexual Function in Hong Kong Chinese Women (research abstract)
The aim of this prospective observational study was to determine the impact of combined oral contraceptive (COC) pills, injectables, intrauterine contraceptive device (IUCD), and female sterilization on the quality of life and sexual function of the users. A sample of 361 Hong Kong Chinese women who were first-time contraceptive users were queried and results showed that the COC pills, injectables, IUCD, and female sterilization all do not have significant adverse impact on quality of life and sexual function. Also, after female sterilization, there is a significant improvement in sexual satisfaction and sexual drive.


'I Never Go Anywhere': Extricating the Links between Women's Mobility and Uptake of Reproductive Health Services in Pakistan (research abstract)
An integrated analysis of large-scale survey data and detailed ethnography is presented to examine the patterns of women's mobility and their relationships with contraceptive and antenatal care use in Pakistan. Findings confirm that women's mobility is circumscribed but also illustrate the complex and contested nature of female movement. No direct relationship between a woman's unaccompanied mobility and her use of either contraception or antenatal care is found. The wider impact of mobility restrictions on women's reproductive health is acknowledged and policy implications are identified.


The Future of Female-Controlled Barrier Methods for HIV Prevention: Female Condoms and Lessons Learned (research abstract)
This paper draws on lessons learned from the past decade of female condom (FC) programming. Interviews with 34 professional stakeholders in FC programming from the USA and South Africa highlight a number of factors that can help create public and institutional cultures, in which barrier methods controlled by women can be considered feasible and can be put into use.

WOMEN'S HEALTH NEWS

Women Make Up 60% of Thailand's Young HIV Patients (news article)
Some 70,000 Thai youngsters aged between 15 and 24 have HIV and 60% of them are young women, Health Minister Sudarat Keyuraphanwas reports.


Pakistan's Taboo on Sex Abuse (feature article)
Ranging from "Eve teasing" - as sexual taunting is often referred to in South Asia - to disturbing numbers of gang rapes, sexual harassment is affecting women in villages and cities alike.

YOUTH HEALTH RESEARCH

Can Government Policies Help Adolescents Avoid Risky Behavior? (PubMed abstract)
This study examines the extent to which policies influence participation of adolescents in alcohol and tobacco consumption and in unsafe sex. Data were obtained from the 1995 Youth Risk Behavior Surveys (YRBS) conducted by 20 different states and cities in the U.S. These data were combined with state data on cigarette taxes, vending machine laws, beer taxes, and family planning clinic availability. State policies, such as taxes on beer and placement of family planning clinics influence adolescents' behavior.

YOUTH HEALTH NEWS

UNICEF Deeply Concerned Over Increased Violence Against Children in Sudan's Darfur (news article)
Reports of violence against Sudanese women and children in and around camps for civilians displaced by fighting in Darfur seem to be increasing rather than diminishing, UNICEF said recently.


Cheap Antibiotic Works Well with HIV Children (news article)
A low-cost antibiotic which has performed well in tests should be given to all HIV children in developing countries to prevent infections such as pneumonia and reduce deaths, scientists report.


Lessons from US Teen Pregnancy Drop (news article)
The birth rate among US teens aged 10-14 has fallen to the lowest level since 1946, government figures show. Purists claim it is down to policies promoting abstinence. But family planning services argue 88% of those who make the pledge break the pledge, so it must be down to condoms and safe sex education.

BOOKS/BOOK REVIEWS

Sexual Behavior of Adolescents in Contemporary Sub-Saharan Africa (book)
Written by an international and interdisciplinary group of scientists and covering all sub-Saharan regions, this book is a pan-African volume on new research on adolescent sexual behavior. The papers in this volume show that Africa is a mosaic of cultures where local norms and values must be considered in order to successfully understand and manage the emerging sexual and reproductive health issues.

SPECIAL REPORTS/PROFILES/RESOURCES

Directory of Associations of People Living with HIV/AIDS 2004 (resource material)
(You need Adobe Acrobat Reader to access this document)
The "Directory of Associations of People Living with HIV/AIDS" is a valuable resource for people living with or affected by HIV/AIDS, and for international organizations, donors, national AIDS control programs, conference planners, and private companies. This 2004 edition contains contact, membership, leadership, and activity information for more than 350 associations of people living with HIV/AIDS in more than 70 countries worldwide.
[This PDF is 2.8MB]

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