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Volume 4, Number 50
13 December 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

Reproductive Health Services and Intimate Partner Violence: Shaping a Pragmatic Response In Sub-Saharan Africa (commentary)
This commentary examines the context of intimate partner violence in Sub-Saharan Africa, outlines the intersections between partner violence and reproductive health, and considers the opportunities for linkage at the program and service levels. In addition, it explores the opportunities and challenges related to developing an active response to domestic violence within reproductive health services in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Cross-national Analysis of a Model of Reproductive Health in Developing Countries (news article)
The purpose of this paper is to propose a model of reproductive health at the cross-national level. It is argued that improvements in gender equality and levels of democracy are necessary and important for increasing reproductive health levels. Data from 129 developing countries are used to test the proposed model. Researchers found that as the level of democracy increases resulting in improvements in gender equality, the extent of personal rights improves. Furthermore, advances in personal rights increase the level of reproductive health.

Risk of Ischaemic Stroke in People with Migraine: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Observational Studies (research abstract)
Related: news article: Warning for Migraine Sufferers as Pill Linked to Higher Stroke Risk
Migraine sufferers who take the pill are up to eight times more likely to suffer a stroke than those not using it, new research says. An analysis by researchers from Canada, the US, and Spain of more than 5,000 migraine sufferers found that they were twice as likely to suffer a stroke than other people, but for women on the pill the risk increased eight-fold. The scientists said that more work should be done in the area to establish the reasons behind the link. A review of 14 studies into the link between migraine and stroke concluded that the risk of stroke for migraine sufferers was 2.16 times that for non-sufferers.

Courses for Medical Residents and Trainers in Turkey for Promotion of Quality of Reproductive Health Services (research abstract)
In order to provide high quality services in reproductive health, training of health professionals is essential. In Turkey, a project for in-service training of medical residents was conducted in 2003 under the aegis of the Human Resources Development Foundation, the Turkish Ministry of Health and UNFPA. This article describes the content and results of the program.

Microbicide Acceptability Research: Current Approaches and Future Directions (research abstract)
This article reviews the current body of microbicide acceptability research, characterizes the limitations in assessment approaches, and suggests strategies for improvement. Of the 61 studies reviewed, more than half assessed acceptability based primarily on the description of a hypothetical microbicide, or with the demonstration of a spermicide or lubricant. Physical characteristics of microbicidal products, their effects after insertion, and their effects on sensation during intercourse were the dimensions most frequently assessed. Attention to the social context of use was inadequate.

FAMILY PLANNING/REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH NEWS

Contraception, the Missing Link in the Millennium Development Goals (news article)
Organizations are working towards the inclusion of a ninth goal that specifically targets universal access to contraception in the Millenium Development Goals.

Uganda: Condoms Running Out (news article)
A condom shortage is expected nationwide because the Government’s Engabu brand has been frozen and the procedure for approving new imports has been lengthened.

New Korean Condom Name Too Close for Comfort (news article)
South Korea has dropped plans to replace the English word for condom with a Korean word after people with identical or similar-sounding names complained.

FAMILY PLANNING/REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH LAW AND POLICY

Tools for Policy Impact: A Handbook for Researchers (resource material)
(You need Adobe Acrobat Reader to access this document)
The Overseas Development Institute, as part of its Research and Policy in Development (RAPID)program, has been looking at the links between research and policy for several years. It is now beginning a process of identifying, developing, distributing and delivering tools, resources and training support that can help research providers access the policy process. This handbook presents work in progress on tools for policy impact, specifically geared towards the needs of researchers.

China Working on Strategy to Stem Potential Population Problems (news article)
China is writing a strategy to prevent potential population problems, as the first 50 years of the new century will be crucial for its population growth, senior official Yu Xuejun said. According to the China Daily, Yu noted that the challenges China will face include a lack of educated and skilled workers, a growing number of migrants and a disproportionate sex ratio at birth.

HIV/AIDS RESEARCH

Willingness to Participate in HIV/STD Prevention Activities among Chinese Rural-To-Urban Migrants (research abstract)
Data from 4,208 migrants aged 18–30 years old in Beijing and Nanjing, China, were analyzed to examine the correlates of willingness to participate (WTP) in HIV/STD prevention intervention activities among Chinese rural-to-urban migrants. Increased WTP was associated with employment in the industrial sector, migrating to cities to learn more about the outside world, prior experience with health maintenance, higher level of HIV/AIDS awareness, and perceived severity of risk behaviors. The high level of WTP suggests that HIV/STD prevention activities are acceptable among rural-to-urban migrants.

HIV/STD Risk Behaviors and Perceptions Among Rural-To-Urban Migrants in China (research abstract)
Data from 2,153 sexually active rural-to-urban migrants in China were analyzed to examine the relationship between the movement of rural-to-urban migration and increased HIV/STD risk and the applicability of constructs of a Western-based theory of behavioral change to the study population. Data suggest that high mobility among rural-to-urban migrants was associated with increased sexual risk. Increased sexual risk was associated with increased perceptions of extrinsic rewards, intrinsic rewards, and response cost. Also, increased sexual risk was associated with perceptions of decreased severity, vulnerability, response efficacy, and self-efficacy.

Adherence to Antiretroviral Therapy in HIV-Infected Adults in Soweto, South Africa (research abstract)
This is a cross-sectional study of ART adherence among patients at an adult HIV Clinic in Soweto, South Africa. The adherence reported by these patients for the previous month was more than 95% for 88% of patients, 90-95% 9% and, less than 90% for 3%. The main reasons given for missing doses were being away from home (30%), difficulty with the dosing schedules (23%), and running out of pills (12%). Adherence decreased considerably with fear of being stigmatized by the sexual partner. Results suggest high levels of adherence and viral suppression are achievable for a significant proportion of HIV-infected patients taking ART in a resource-limited area such as Soweto, South Africa.

Exploring the Association Between HIV and Violence: Young People's Experiences with Infidelity, Violence and Forced Sex in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (research article)
This article examines the role violence plays in the sexual relationships of young people in Sub-Saharan Africa and its association with HIV. Men who were violent toward female partners also frequently described forced sex and sexual infidelity in these partnerships. Men with multiple concurrent sexual partners reported becoming violent when their female partners questioned their fidelity, and reported forcing regular partners to have sex when these partners resisted their sexual advances, thus the association between HIV and violence may be partially explained by these behaviors.

The Impact of Attending a Behavioural Intervention on HIV Incidence in Masaka, Uganda (research abstract)
This paper examined why a community randomized trial of a behavioral intervention found no significant effect of this on HIV incidence in rural Uganda. Overall, 81% of individuals in the intervention communities and 9% in the comparison communities reported attending at least one of the intervention activities in the past year. There was a lower HIV incidence in those who reported attending at least one intervention activity compared with those who attended none, and in women this effect was statistically significant. Although the intervention had no significant benefit in the communities as a whole, it resulted in a reduced risk of HIV acquisition in women who attended it.

Public Opinion and HIV/AIDS: Facing Up to the Future? (report)
(You need Adobe Acrobat Reader to access this document)
This research finds that despite frequent and personal exposure to the HIV/AIDS pandemic, many ordinary Africans have not yet grasped its full collective social, economic or political significance. Poor people demote AIDS to a low priority problem behind more immediately pressing concerns like jobs or hunger. Citizens are undecided about whether their governments should divert scarce resources from these and other important priorities to fight the AIDS epidemic in their country.

Sociology and Behaviour of West African Blood Donors: The Impact of Religion on Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection (research abstract)
This study examines the religious factors that may play a role in sexual behavior and HIV testing in Ghana. Irrespective of their HIV status or religion, 95% of the respondents believed that extra-marital sex was a sin, and 79% of those tempted to have an extra-marital affair considered that their religious beliefs helped them to abstain. Having a formal role in church activities was associated with reduced odds of HIV. In addition to other factors limiting HIV spread, such as male circumcision, relatively high level of education and an absence of armed conflicts in Ghana, the use of condoms conferred a reduced risk.

HIV/AIDS NEWS

Over Five Million HIV Cases in India (news article)
The number of estimated cases of HIV/AIDS has touched a whopping 5.1 million and a reassessment of India's status is likely to be made in the next eight to ten months.

UNICEF: Arab Media Should Help Knock AIDS Taboos (news article)
Media in the Middle East and North Africa, with one of the fastest AIDS growth rates, needs to help combat the epidemic by fighting cultural taboos, a U.N. Children's Fund (UNICEF) official said on Tuesday. "In the Arab world, there are very few national media strategies on AIDS. We need a responsible media to disseminate correct information," Mohammed Imad al-Daker, consultant on HIV/AIDS at UNICEF, told Reuters in an interview. "High unemployment rates, low acceptance of condom usage, reluctance by the family to discuss AIDS, and lack of adequate counseling are some of the environmental and lifestyle factors that boost the chances of acquiring AIDS."

Rising HIV Rates in Uganda Threaten Gains (news article)
As the world marked World AIDS Day on December 1, worrying statistics were emerging from war-torn northern Uganda.

Family Important for AIDS Prevention, Says Chinese Expert (news article)
Family ties have become a vulnerable part in the spread of AIDS virus and this basic social unit can also be a shield to contain the killer disease, said a noted Chinese professor in the World Family Summit.

China to Treat More AIDS Patients with Free ARV Therapy (news article)
China plans to treat another 20,000 to 30,000 AIDS patients next year with free anti-retroviral (ARV) therapy, a senior health official said.

AIDS: Industries Lament Loss of Skilled Manpower (news article)
As the scourge of HIV/AIDS gets worse in Nigeria, employers of labor are already feeling the pinch as skilled workers are being lost as a result of the dreaded disease daily.

Botswana: HIV Prevalence Continues Unabated (news article)
Alarmingly high HIV incidence rates in Botswana continue to climb.

Fighting AIDS with Microbicides (feature article)
Microbicides mark a critical point in the fight to prevent the spread HIV/AIDS among women with over 60 potential microbicides developed and five having reached the final stage of human testing.

Pakistan: HIV Lessons in Madrassahs (news article)
The war on terror has heaped much negative attention on Pakistan's madrassahs. But two non-governmental organizations view the network of religious schools as a potential partner in their effort to bring AIDS awareness and prevention to the country.

Key HIV-Fighting Genes Identified (news article)
The key genes which lead the body's fight against HIV infection have been pinpointed by scientists.

MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH RESEARCH

The Relationship Between Intimate Partner Violence and Unintended Pregnancy: Analysis of a National Sample From Colombia (research article)
This article explores the relationship between intimate partner violence and women's ability to control their fertility. Data analysis of the 2000 DHS for Colombia showed that 55% of respondents had had at least one unintended pregnancy, and 38% had been physically or sexually abused by their current or most recent partner. Women's adjusted odds of unwanted pregnancy increased with exposure to physical/sexual violence. Results suggest eliminating intimate partner violence in Colombia would result in an estimated 32,523-44,986 fewer unintended pregnancies each year.

MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH NEWS

Sudan: Maternal Mortality Among the Highest in the World (news article)
The high number of women dying in Sudan from causes linked to pregnancy, childbirth and low prevalence of natal care is of serious concern, the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) said during its annual country program review in Khartoum.

Uganda: Few Pregnant Women Take HIV/AIDS Tests (news article)
Five percent of pregnant women in villages take HIV/AIDS tests because the majority fear retribution from their husbands if they go for the tests, the Director General of Uganda Aids Commission has said.

A Maternity Death Every Five Minutes in India (news article)
A woman in India dies delivering a baby every five minutes, leading the country to have a maternal mortality ratio of 534 per 100,000 births.

MEN'S HEALTH RESEARCH

Increase in Scrotal Temperature in Laptop Computer Users (research article)
(You need Adobe Acrobat Reader to access this document)
Related: press release: US Researchers Warn of Possible Fertility Risk to Men Using Laptop Computers on Their Laps
(You need Adobe Acrobat Reader to access this document)
Related: news article: Laptop Computers Lower Sperm Counts and Increase Infertility Risk for Men
US fertility experts warned teenage boys and young men to consider limiting the time that they use laptop computers positioned on their laps, as long-term use may affect their fertility. The increasing popularity of laptop computers (LC), coupled with existing evidence that elevated scrotal temperature can result in sperm damage, prompted researchers from the State University of New York at Stony Brook to undertake the first study into the effect of heat from LC on scrotal temperature. The findings show that using an LC on the lap increased the left scrotal temperature by a median 2.6°C and the right by a median 2.8°C. Several previous studies have shown that increases in testicular or scrotal temperatures of between 1°C and 2.9°C are associated with a sustained and considerable negative effect on spermatogenesis and fertility.

HIV, Syphilis Infection, and Sexual Practices among Transgenders, Male Sex Workers, and other Men who have Sex with Men in Jakarta, Indonesia (research abstract)
The goal of this study was to establish the prevalence of HIV, syphilis, and sexual risk behavior among three groups of men who have sex with men (MSM) in Jakarta, Indonesia, and to investigate sexual links between these men and broader heterosexual populations. HIV prevalence was 22% among transgender sex workers, 3.6% among male sex workers, and 2.5% among self recognized MSM, and syphilis prevalence was 19.3%, 2.0% and 1.1% respectively. Risk behavior is high in all subpopulations, and bisexual behavior is common, meaning the threat of a wider epidemic is substantial.

Seroprevalence of and Risk Factors for HIV-1 Infection among South American Men who have Sex with Men (research abstract)
This study determined the seroprevalence, potential risk factors, and geographic distribution of HIV-1 among groups of men who have sex with men (MSM) in South America. HIV-1 seroprevalence varied widely (overall 12.3%, range 11.0%–20.6%). Predictors of HIV-1 infection varied among countries; however, a history of previous STD was associated with a consistent increased risk. The results illustrate an elevated HIV-1 seroprevalence among MSM participants from Andean countries. In Southern Cone countries, HIV-1 infection was also associated with use of illegal drugs such as cocaine.

MEN'S HEALTH NEWS

Over 1,800 Men Undergo Non-Surgical Vasectomy in Balaghat (news article)
Over 1,800 men underwent non-surgical vasectomy (NSV) under a special drive in this naxalite-affected district of India, a move officials hope will be a record-setting family planning initiative.

Male Birth Control Moves Closer to Reality (news article)
The day when men can take a pill or rely on an implant to keep them from fathering a child may only be a few years away, experts say.

POPULATION RESEARCH

Impact of Long-term Political Conflict on Population Health in Nepal (research article)
This article examines the changes in health care in Nepal since the start of the Maoist conflict in 1996. The author traces the effects of the fighting on availability and access to care through government spending on health and the exodus of physicians an international aid workers

Indigenous Representations of Illness and AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa (research abstract)
This paper examines illness representations in Sub-Saharan Africa, and how these have responded to the emergence of AIDS. Indigenous views of illness (particularly STDs) exhibit coherent structure, in which causation, prevention and treatment relate to one another in functional ways. However, biomedical and traditional views concerning prevention appear to be in direct conflict with one another, with potentially hazardous consequences. Research exploring the extent to which indigenous beliefs may be influencing people's decisions about safe sex could offer useful insights for AIDS prevention programs.

POPULATION NEWS

Government Fails to Meet Population Control Targets in Pakistan (news article)
The Population Welfare Ministry has failed to evolve a mechanism to control Pakistan's spiraling population that is still increasing at a growth rate of 1.9% per year despite Population Policy 2002 endorsed by all stakeholders.

Sanya Declaration Pinpoints Major Challenges on Family Life (news article)
The Sanya Declaration, which was approved by the recent World Family Summit, pinpointed major challenges posed by the ongoing global social and economic changes on family life in many regions of the world.

WOMEN'S HEALTH RESEARCH

An International Comparison of Women's Health Issues in the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, Canada, Hong Kong, and Singapore: The CIDA-SEAGEP Study (PubMed abstract)
This study aimed to identify and compare current gaps in surveillance, research, and programs and policies, and to predict trends of women's health issues in developing countries based on the experience of developed countries. The participating countries identified women's health as an important issue, especially for reproductive health (developing countries) and senior's health (developed countries). Cancer, lack of physical activity, high blood pressure, diabetes, poverty, social support, caring role for family, and informing, educating, and empowering people about women's health issues were the main concerns.

WOMEN'S HEALTH NEWS

Women Bear the Brunt of War, Amnesty International Says (news article)
Related: resource material: Women and War: Stop Violence Against Women
Raped, treated as the sexual 'booty' of war or slain by indiscriminate bombings, women are too often the first victims of conflict, Amnesty International charged in a report demanding legal redress.

YOUTH HEALTH RESEARCH

The Experience of Sexual Coercion Among Young People in Kenya (research article)
This study investigates the prevalence and patterns of sexual coercion among married and unmarried males and females aged 10-24 in Kenya. 21% of females and 11% of males had experienced sex under coercive conditions. Most of the perpetrators were intimate partners. Females who had ever been married and those who did not live with a parent or spouse had a significantly elevated risk of sexual coercion; sexual coercion was associated with having had multiple partners and with having had a reproductive tract infection. Males who had been coerced were significantly more likely to have had a first partner who was older by at least five years.

Coerced First Intercourse and Reproductive Health Among Adolescent Women in Rakai, Uganda (research article)
This study examines the reproductive health consequences of sexual coercion experienced by adolescent women in Uganda. Of a sample of 575 sexually experienced 15-19-year-old women 14% reported that their first sexual intercourse had been coerced. Young women who reported coerced first intercourse were significantly less likely than those who did not to be currently using modern contraceptives, to have used condoms at last intercourse the preceding 6 months; they were more likely to report their most recent pregnancy as unintended and to report one or more genital tract symptoms.

Sexual Possibility Situations and Sexual Behaviors among Young Adolescents: The Moderating Role of Protective Factors (research abstract)
This study examines sexual possibility situations (SPS) and protective practices associated with involvement in intimate sexual behaviors. Results show the following significant predictors for intimate sexual behaviors: age, gender, time alone with groups of peers, time alone with a member of the opposite sex, behavior self-concept, popularity self-concept, self-efficacy for abstinence, outcome expectations for abstinence, parental control, personal values, and parental values. Analysis alo revealed that age, time alone with a member of the opposite sex, and personal values were significant predictors of initiation of sexual intercourse.

YOUTH HEALTH NEWS

In Africa, FGM Checks into Hospitals (news article)
Traditional practitioners of FGM in Africa have begun to back out of the business. That doesn't mean it is over. Now many female teens are checked into hospitals under the pretext of an illness and a doctor performs the illegal procedure.

US: Teens Delaying Sexual Activity: Using Contraception More Effectively (press release)
Sexual activity declined significantly for younger teenage girls and for teenage boys between 1995 and 2002, and teen contraceptive use improved in significant ways, according to a new study released today by the Department of Health and Human Services. The study compares new findings from the 2002 National Survey of Family Growth with the previous survey conducted in 1995.

Fiji: Harsh Words Lead to Teenage Pregnancy (news article)
Harsh words used by parents towards their daughters is a contributing factor to the increase in teenage pregnancy and other sexual activities on Fiji.

India: Andhra Debates Over Condoms in Schoolbags (news article)
An Andhra Pradesh Cabinet Minister's proposal of putting condoms in the school bags of middle school children has sparked off a debate in the state. Andhra has among the highest number of HIV patients and the minister says the proposal will help control the spread of the disease.

BOOKS/BOOK REVIEWS

Countering Gender Violence: Initiatives Towards Collective Action in Rajasthan (book)
Using rural Rajasthan as a case study, the author of this volume explores some crucial issues relating to the lives of the women in this region, and concludes that understanding violence and responses to violence are strongly influenced by cultural contexts and norms. The subject is approached through the issue of health and human rights.

SPECIAL REPORTS/PROFILES/RESOURCES

The State of the World's Children 2005: Childhood Under Threat (news article)
Related: news article: Uganda: Spare the Women and Children, UN Agency Urges
Related: news article: Southern Africa: Childhood Under Threat, Warns UNICEF
Despite the near universal embrace of standards for protecting childhood, a new UNICEF report shows that more than half the world's children are suffering extreme deprivations from poverty, war and HIV/AIDS, conditions that are effectively denying children a childhood and holding back the development of nations.

WHO Database on Health and Human Rights Actors (resource material)
As part of basic building-blocks to develop a solid foundation for WHO's emerging work on health and human rights, a Global Database on Health and Human Rights Actors has just been launched on WHO Health and Human Rights website. This database contains information gathered from a survey of organizations concerning their structures and programs. It is searchable by country (where the organization is located) or by specific health issue.

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Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health: The INFO Project

Volume 4, Number 5013 December 2004