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Volume 5, Number 4
24 January 2005

"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

Explaining Inconsistencies between Data on Condom Use and Condom Sales (research article)
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This paper assesses whether the number of sex acts and the number of condoms used can be estimated from survey data. It finds that condom sales to the trade are a poor indicator of levels of condom use and are therefore insufficient to monitor HIV prevention programs. While survey data on condom prevalence allow more detailed monitoring, converting such data to an estimated number of sex acts and condoms used is not straightforward. Collecting survey data on the number of sex acts and the number of condoms used in a fixed time period may enable the calculation of more reliable estimates of the number of sex acts and condoms used.

Existing Demand for Birth Spacing in Developing Countries: Perspectives from Household Survey Data (research abstract)
This study identifes the extent of demand for birth spacing according to age and parity among married women of reproductive age in developing countries. Demand for birth spacing is the most prevalent reason for an interest in family planning among married women aged 15–29 years in the majority of developing countries examined. In the 15–19-year age cohort, the demand for spacing is proportionally the most prevalent reason for a demand for family planning. A demand for spacing even exists among young, zero-parity married women in each country examined.

Mistimed and Unwanted Pregnancies in Jordan: A Modern Woman's Conundrum (research article)
This study explores the risk factors for experiencing unintended pregnancy in the Jordanian context. Risk factors that independently increased the likelihood of an unintended pregnancy included ever-use of modern contraception, use of the contraceptive pill, and number of previous births. Factors associated with pregnancy reported as intended included use of the IUD, obtaining contraceptive services from private medical providers, and ability to pay for health care with little difficulty.

The Process of Seeking and Undergoing Surgical Contraception: An Ethnographic Study in a Brazilian Community (research abstract)
This research describes the process of seeking and undergoing surgical contraception by women of a low-income community in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. The three ethnographic cultural categories described (a) the difficulties women encountered with nonsurgical contraceptive methods, (b) the obstacles and barriers to obtaining surgical contraception for low-income women, and (c) beliefs and values of and about women who have undergone tubal ligation procedures. The cultural theme was that "being operada was the realization of a great dream."

Seroprevalence of Hepatitis C and Associated Risk Factors among an Urban Population in Haiti (research article)
This investigation determined the seroprevalence of hepatitis C and associated risk factors in an urban population in Haiti. The prevalence of positive HCV antibody was 4.4%. Subjects who were anti-HCV positive had an average of 7 ± 8.6 lifetime sexual partners, compared to average of 2.5 ± 3.5 lifetime sexual partners among HCV-negative subjects. Intravenous drug use and number of sexual partners were independently associated with a positive HCV antibody result.

MHOs and Reproductive Health: Using Mutual Health Organizations to Promote Reproductive Health (policy brief)
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This brief provides an overview of Mutual Health Organizations (MHOs), describes findings of a study in Senegal that examined current MHO coverage of reproductive health services, and recommends how MHOs can be used to promote these services.

FAMILY PLANNING/REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH NEWS

Philippines to Launch TV Family Planning Program (news article)
The Philippines is ready to launch a television program on family planning and responsible parenthood this month as a measure to control the country's large population.

Cote D' Ivoire: Condom Cafe at Front-Line of Awareness Campaign (news article)
At the Condom Cafe in Abidjan, customers don’t get after-dinner mints with their bill. Instead they leave with an AIDS goodie bag, complete with red ribbon, a leaflet about the disease, and a free condom.

Philippines Says No to Condoms (news article)
Health officials in the mostly Roman Catholic Philippines said Sunday they would not endorse the use of condoms to stem the country's galloping population growth. Health Secretary Manuel Dayrit said in a statement that "we don't promote it as a regular type of contraceptive," despite condoms' effectiveness in preventing the spread of sexually-transmitted diseases. The department, which coordinates the country's population control program, limits itself to presenting married couples with options while actively promoting "natural family planning" without the use of contraceptives.

FDA Delays Decision on OTC Emergency Contraceptive, Plan B (news article)
Barr Pharmaceuticals, Inc confirmed that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has informed the Company that it is unable to complete its review of the Company's Supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) to market the Plan B(R) (levonorgestrel) emergency contraceptive Over-The-Counter (OTC) by the January 21st Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) date. The FDA also indicated to the Company that it is committed to completing its review of the application in the near future. The Company remains optimistic that the agency will approve Plan B for OTC sale. Plan B continues to be available to American consumers by prescription.

Cash Incentives for Family Planning in Chhattisgarh (news article)
In a population control drive in tribal areas where couples prefer several children, the Chhattisgarh government has announced cash incentives for men and women opting for family planning methods.

FAMILY PLANNING/REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH LAW AND POLICY

Pope Reaffirms No Condom Stand after Spain Debacle (news article)
Related: news article: Mexican Bishop Backs Condom Use to Prevent HIV Infection
Pope John Paul has stressed that the Roman Catholic Church believes abstinence and fidelity within marriage, and not condoms, are the best way to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS. The Pope's words, spoken to a new ambassador to the Vatican, took on an added significance being his first direct comment on the controversial topic since a Catholic official in Spain this week appeared to question the Church's stand against condoms.

Jamaica: Strengthening Multisectoral Coordination for Youth (policy brief)
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This policy brief from the POLICY Project describes the efforts in Jamaica to strengthen multisectoral coordination on youth issues.

CDC Issues Updated Guidelines on Use of Antiretroviral Drugs to Prevent HIV Infection After Sexual, Drug Use, and Accidental Exposure (press release)
Related: news article: US Policy Shift on AIDS Drugs Use
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)announced new federal guidelines for the use of antiretroviral drugs to prevent HIV infection after exposure to HIV through sexual intercourse, sexual assault, injection drug use, or accidents. “Using antiretroviral drugs after exposure is an important safety net to prevent HIV infection in certain cases," said Ronald O. Valdiserri, MD, MPH, deputy director of CDC’s National Center for HIV, STD and TB Prevention. "But the drugs are not a substitute for abstinence, mutual monogamy, or consistent and correct condom use, and should not be viewed as a quick fix."

Ghana Needs a Population Control Policy (commentary)
At the current rate of growth, Ghana’s population could top 60 million in another 50 years, if not controlled.

HIV/AIDS RESEARCH

AIDS Communications Through Social Networks: Catalyst for Behaviour Changes in Uganda (research abstract)
The authors investigate distinctive communications through social networks that may be associated with population behavior changes and HIV prevalence declines in Uganda compared to other countries.

Female-to-Male Infectivity of HIV-1 among Circumcised and Uncircumcised Kenyan Men (research abstract)
This study modeled persex act probabilities of female-to-male HIV-1 transmission (i.e., infectivity) for circumcised and uncircumcised men, by use of detailed accounts of sexual behavior in a population with multiple partnerships. After accounting for sexual behavior, it found that uncircumcised men were at a more than 2-fold increased risk of acquiring HIV-1 per sex act, compared with circumcised men. Moreover, female-to-male infectivity of HIV-1 in the context of multiple partnerships may be considerably higher than that estimated from studies of HIV-1 serodiscordant couples.

HIV/AIDS and Community Conflict in Nigeria: Implications and Challenges (research abstract)
This paper discusses how HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment, and mitigation activities and funding for such work can lead to community conflict. It is argued that conflict can be fuelled by the different priorities and perceptions of community members and groups vis-à-vis those of development organizations, and by the impact of funds on often desperately poor communities. It considers the potential input of participatory approaches, community psychology and change management in the development and implementation of HIV/AIDS interventions specifically so as to reduce potential for conflict.

Ex Vivo Analysis of HIV-1 Co-receptors at the Endocervical Mucosa of Women Using Oral Contraceptives (research article)
Related: news article: Oral Contraceptives Upregulate CCR5 on Endocervical Mucosa
Upregulation of the HIV-1 chemokine co-receptor CCR5 in the endocervical mucosa of women using combined oral contraceptives may increase the risk of HIV transmission.

Diagnosis of Sputum-Scarce HIV-associated Pulmonary Tuberculosis in Lima, Peru (research summary)
Since sputum induction, bronchoalveolar lavage, or gastric aspiration TB tests are rarely appropriate HIV patients in less-developed countries, researchers compared the performances of a simple string test and the gold-standard sputum induction. 160 HIV+ sympotamatic adults, and 52 asymptomatic HIV+ patients underwent the string test followed by sputum induction in Lima. The string test detected tuberculosis in 14 patients in whom this disease was suspected; sputum induction detected only 8 of them. These preliminary data suggest that the string test is safe and effective for retrieval of useful clinical specimens for diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis, and is at least as sensitive as sputum induction.

Low Socioeconomic Status and Risk for Infection with Human Herpesvirus 8 among HIV-1 Negative, South African Black Cancer Patients (research abstract)
Between January 1994 and October 1997, researchers interviewed 2,576 black in-patients with newly diagnosed cancer in Johannesburg and Soweto, South Africa. Of the 2,191 HIV-1 negative patients, 39.1% were positive for antibodies against the latent antigen of HHV-8. For females, independent risk factors included working in a paid domestic capacity, defining occupational status as economically non-active unemployed, having a state pension or being on a disability grant, using oral contraceptives, and having a delayed age at menarche.

An HIV-Prevention Intervention for Sex Workers in Tijuana, Mexico: A Pilot Study (research abstract)
This article describes the development of a culturally relevant sexual risk reduction intervention based on SCT and Theory of Reasoned Action for female sex workers (FSWs) in Mexico. The intervention was designed to promote consistent use of condoms with clients. Spanish-speaking counselors used motivational interviewing techniques and skill-building exercises to promote behavior change in a clinic-based sample of FSWs. The authors describe the intervention and provide pilot data that demonstrate the feasibility and benefits of this approach.

Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prevention of Selected Common HIV-Related Opportunistic Infections in the Caribbean Region (research article)
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The Caribbean region, like other resource-limited areas, lacks many of the diagnostic and treatment modalities taken for granted in richer areas of the world. The Caribbean Guidelines for the Treatment of Opportunistic Infections in Adults and Adolescents Infected With the Human Immunodeficiency Virus provides guidelines for the region for preventing and treating more than 20 opportunistic diseases reflecting the variable availability of diagnostic and treatment resources. Elements of diagnosis and prevention of tuberculosis, Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia, and other common opportunistic conditions in this resource-limited setting are discussed.

HIV/AIDS NEWS

Uganda: Public Transport to be Used to Combat HIV/AIDS (news article)
Uganda’s public transport system is set to become the latest vehicle to promote behavior change in the country’s continued fight against HIV/AIDS. The government aims to increase the public response to HIV/AIDS by using public transport vehicles as message boards for HIV/AIDS stickers and posters, and as distribution channels for condoms and information flyers.

Guinea-Bissau: First ARVs Arrive, But No One Trained to Prescribe Them (news article)
A first consignment of antiretroviral drugs for people living with AIDS has arrived from Brazil for distribution free of charge to people living with AIDS in Guinea-Bissau. However, local doctors and nurses have not yet received training in how to use the drugs and will be reliant on medical manuals to learn how to prescribe them.

Ethiopia Making Headway Against HIV/AIDS After Late Start (news article)
Despite getting a late start in understanding the seriousness of the disease that is threatening to rob Africa of its future, the Ethiopian government is making great headway against HIV/AIDS.

Sierra Leone: 300 People to Receive Free Antiretroviral Drugs (news article)
The government of Sierra Leone has launched a program to provide free antiretrovial drugs to 300 people living with AIDS.

New Plan Could Speed AIDS Vaccine Development (news article)
The Global HIV/AIDS Vaccine Enterprise, an international alliance of independent organizations supporting HIV vaccine research, has issued a roadmap to speed the development of a vaccine by promoting new collaboration, resources, and strategic focus.

Malawi: Boost for HIV/AIDS Treatment Programs (news article)
HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment programs in Malawi have been boosted by a new US $14 million grant from the Global Fund.

NIH Begins Second Phase I Clinical Trial of HIV Vaccine Produced in Collaboration With GenVec (press release)
GenVec, Inc. announced today that the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, has begun the second Phase 1 clinical trial in healthy adult volunteers of an HIV vaccine candidate jointly developed by the Dale and Betty Bumpers Vaccine Research Center, a part of NIAID, and GenVec.

MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH RESEARCH

Induced Sputum Versus Gastric Lavage for Microbiological Confirmation of Pulmonary Tuberculosis in Infants and Young Children: A Prospective Study (research summary)
This study compared the yield of Mycobacterium TB from repeated induced sputum with that from gastric lavage in young children from an area with a high rate of HIV and TB. 250 children aged 1 month to 5 years were admitted for suspected pulmonary TB in Cape Town, South Africa. Sputum induction and gastric lavage were done on three consecutive days according to a standard procedure. Results show sputum induction is safe and useful for microbiological confirmation of TB in young children and is preferable to gastric lavage in both HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected infants and children.

HIV and Infant Feeding: A Compilation of Programmatic Evidence (report)
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The United Nations-led process of updating the 1998 international guidelines related to infant feeding and the prevention of maternal-to-child-transmission (pMTCT) of HIV called for a review of recent programmatic experience in addition to a review of the new scientific and medical evidence. This document represents an attempt to compile and synthesize reports on a wide variety of relevant programs conducted since the 1998 guidelines were issued. It should also serve as a valuable resource to those involved in developing or scaling-up pMTCT-related programs in the future.

Child Mortality in Relation to HIV Infection, Nutritional Status, and Socio-Economic Background (research abstract)
The aims of this study were to examine the impact of child HIV infection on mortality and to identify nutritional and sociodemographic factors that increase the risk of child mortality independent of HIV infection in Tanzania. HIV infection was associated with an adjusted 4-fold higher risk of mortality. Preventable conditions including inadequate water supply, child undernutrition, and anaemia were found to contribute significantly to infant and child mortality independent of HIV infection.

MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH NEWS

Tsunami Affects 15,000 Pregnant Women in Sri Lanka (news article)
Around 15,000 pregnant women in Sri Lanka have been affected by the tsunami disaster and are in need of special care and attention.

Mozambique: Starting to Save HIV-Positive Children (news article)
Around 15% of Mozambicans are living with HIV/AIDS, and 200,000 people should be receiving ARV medication, but the government's free program only reaches 1,700 HIV-positive people. The target is to double the number of sites providing ARVs to 47 this year, and expand treatment to 29,000 people.

MEN'S HEALTH RESEARCH

Bangladesh Male Involvement: Offering Reproductive Health Services for Men Improves Clinic Utilization (research summary)
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In rural Bangladesh, reproductive health services for men were successfully integrated into formerly female-focused services without compromising the quality of care. The addition of services for men increased utilization of clinical services by both men and women. The intervention is being scaled up to 100-150 additional clinics.

Social Construction of Condom Non-Use: Implications for Condom Promotion Interventions in Bangladesh (research article)
This study, presented at the Population Association of America 2004 Annual Meeting, was conducted to explore Bangladeshi men's emic views on condom non-use. Fifty men of 18 to 56 years from diverse socio-demographic backgrounds and five HIV/AIDS professionals as key-informants were interviewed. Findings suggest refusal to use condoms is not a personal choice, rather a social decision deeply embedded in the relational context. The notion of reduced physical pleasure has social and masculine realities attached to men's lives and emotions. Pornographic movies are referred to as learning media for sex without condoms as 'real' men's sexual skill. AIDS educational materials symbolize condoms as choices for promiscuous men, which discourage men from using condoms to preserve the image of a good man. The size of condoms interferes with men's phallic concerns of masculine sexuality, a social construct. Individually focused condom interventions are less effective because they do not address social and masculine dimensions of male sexuality.

Involving Men in Maternity Care: South Africa (report)
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In the current context of health care in South Africa, STIs and HIV/AIDS, as well as maternal mortality, partnered deliveries, and involving men in reproductive health, including PMTCT are important issues and priorities. This study reports on the success of a clinic-based intervention that included improved perinatal care and couples counseling. the intervention was feasible, relevant and effective in significantly changing communication, partner assistance during emergency, condoms as a dual protection method, condom use, and condom use in last sexual encounter. Had the intervention been in place for a longer period or supported by mass communication efforts to encourage men to come to the clinic, there may have been a greater impact.

MEN'S HEALTH NEWS

Senegal: Gay Community Plays it Quietly in Face of Social Taboos (news article)
The illegal nature of homosexuality in Senegal makes targeted health interventions difficult.

POPULATION RESEARCH

A Population with Continually Declining Mortality (research article)
This session paper is from the Population Association of America 2004 Annual Meeting. The authors present a new dynamic population model that provides a framework for analyzing continuing mortality declines. Every year there is one birth in the model. Mortality increases exponentially over age at rate b while decreasing exponentially over time at rate c. The model population is strikingly linear in its behavior over time, with many measures changing at a rate that closely approximates a simple function of b and c. The size of the population is virtually the same as the average age at death, and both increase annually by c/b. Period life expectancy at birth also increases linearly by c/b, while the average age of the population increases linearly by c/(2b). Preserving a constant ratio of persons in the economically active ages to those in the retirement ages implies an increase in the “normal” age of retirement of about 6.8c years per year. The interpretability of parameters b and c, the ability to accommodate varying rates of decline, and the linear nature of demographic changes enhance the model’s potential for analyzing steadily increasing longevity.

Low Fertility: Can Governments Make a Difference? (research article)
A growing number of countries view their low birth rates with the resulting population decline and ageing to be a serious crisis, jeopardizing the basic foundations of the nation and threatening its survival. In attempting to raise birth rates, governments are seeking to address the underlying causes of low fertility and adopting polices, programs and incentives to encourage couples, in particular women, to increase their child bearing. Maternity and paternity leave, childcare, after school programs, part-time employment, job security, cash allowances and other financial incentives are among the measures adopted or being carefully reviewed by governments. Will government efforts to raise below replacement fertility make a difference? This question is the primary focus of this paper, which was presented at the 2004 Annual Meeting of the Population Association of America.

POPULATION NEWS

China Confronts Its Daunting Gender Gap (news article)
The latest official figures indicate that in China, about 119 boys are born for every 100 girls, and in some rural areas, the difference is 133 to 100, throwing the gender balance out of whack. Government family planning policies seek to reverse this worrisome trend.

China's Greying Population (news article)
The country's strict birth control policy and the fact that people are living longer is a key factor in China's changing population structure.

WOMEN'S HEALTH RESEARCH

The Role of Body Weight in Oral Contraceptive Failure: Results from the 1995 National Survey of Family Growth (research summary)
This study explores if increasing body weight is associated with oral contraceptive (OC) failure using a retrospective cohort of 1,916 women who reported using OCs in January 1993 and provided complete covariate information on the 1993 National Health Interview Survey and 1995 National Survey of Family Growth. Women with a BMI greater than or equal to 30 had a statistically significant increased risk of having an OC failure as compared to women with BMIs of 20 to 24.9. However, after adjustment for age, marital status, education, poverty, race/ethnicity, parity, and dual method use, this increased risk was attenuated and no longer statistically significant.

Do Higher Status and More Autonomous Women have Longer Birth Intervals? Results from Cebu, Philippines (research abstract)
This study looks at whether women's status and autonomy affect birth-to-conception intervals using data from the Cebu Longitudinal Health and Nutrition Survey in the Philippines. Researchers followed 1,123 married, fecund women, aged 25–49, for up to 5 years. After adjustment for age, wealth, education, other socio-economic variables, and women's status, decision-making autonomy remained a significant predictor in all models. This effect remains even after adjusting for contraceptive use, implying that autonomy influences birth-to-conception intervals through other mechanisms above and beyond increased contraceptive use.

Management of Vesico-Vaginal Fistulas in Women (review article)
This study reviews the main causes of fistulas, and the surgical techniques and success rates of surgical closure. The highest number of cases (47.6%) occurred in women aged between 26 and 35 years. Obstructed labor contributed to 72.78%, cesarean hysterectomy to 7.60%, cesarean section to 7.30%, and other obstetrical traumatic procedures to 12.28% of the cases. Surgical success was achieved in 84.5% of the cases. Better preoperative preparation and rigorous measures for preventing postoperative infection can help increase the success rate of fistula repair.

WOMEN'S HEALTH NEWS

Pakistan Outlaws "Honor" Killings (news article)
President Pervez Musharraf signed a bill recently making honor killing an explicit criminal act punishable by death.

Chinese Women and Their Contraceptive Choices (news article)
This article explores the various contraceptive choices made by women in China, a world leader in the use of contraceptives.

YOUTH HEALTH RESEARCH

The Factors Influencing Transactional Sex among Young Men and Women in 12 Sub-Saharan African Countries (report)
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This study explores if youth are at higher risk of
engaging in transactional sex than other groups and what factors influence youth to engage in transactional sex by analyzing data from the Demographic and Health Surveys from 12 sub-Saharan African countries including Benin, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Chad, Guinea, Kenya, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Togo, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. It also examines the relationship between young men and young women’s individual socio-demographic characteristics and the probability that they will engage in the exchange of sex for money.

Self-Reported and Observed Female Genital Cutting in Rural Tanzania: Associated Demographic Factors, HIV and Sexually Transmitted Infections (PubMed abstract)
This study investigated the prevalence and type of female genital cutting (FGC) in a rural multi-ethnic village in Tanzania, its associated demographic factors, its possible associations with HIV, STIs, and infertility and to assess the consistency between self-reported and clinically observed FGC. The strongest predictors of FGC were ethnicity and religion, i.e., being a Protestant or a Muslim. FGC was not associated with HIV infection, other STIs, or infertility. The data indicate that both women and clinicians might incorrectly report women's circumcision status.

Adolescents’ Reports of Parental Knowledge of Adolescents’ Use of Sexual Health Services and Their Reactions to Mandated Parental Notification for Prescription Contraception (research abstract)
Related: news article: US: Parental OK for Teen Birth Control May Not Help
Forcing clinics to require parents to approve contraception for teenagers could increase the rate of pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases. A survey of U.S. teens showed that if they were required to show a signed consent form from a parent before getting prescription-only contraception such as birth control pills, many would instead opt for over-the-counter methods, such as condoms, or no contraception. Few said they would stop having sex. "The implication is that parental notification wouldn't be a good thing," study author Dr. Rachel Jones of the Alan Guttmacher Institute in New York told Reuters Health.

Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention: An Abstinence-Centered Randomized Controlled Intervention in a Chilean Public High School (research abstract)
This study evaluates the efficacy of an abstinence-centered sex education program in adolescent pregnancy prevention in a high school in Santiago, Chile. Researchers conducted a prospective, randomized study using the application of the TeenSTAR sex education program during the first year of high school to the intervention groups in the 1997 and 1998 cohorts. All cohorts were followed up for 4 years. Pregnancy rates for the intervention and control groups in the 1997 cohort were 3.3% and 18.9%, respectively. Pregnancy rates for the intervention and control groups in the 1998 cohort were 4.4% and 22.6%, respectively. The authors concluded that the abstinence-centered TeenSTAR sex education intervention was effective in the prevention of unintended adolescent pregnancy.

“We Have Our Own Special Language.” Language, Sexuality and HIV/AIDS: A Case Study of Youth in an Urban Township in South Africa (research abstract)
This paper explores youth sexuality in South Africa with a specific focus on how language influences sexuality. Group and individual interviews with youth were conducted, and results show that the use of language influences youth sexuality. Youth have developed a specialized language to talk about sex and sexuality and this language has become part of the daily discourse, so that unsafe sexual practices become norms and are justified.

Do We Need to Treat Vulvovaginitis in Prepubertal Girls? (research article)
Vulvovaginitis is generally considered to be the most common gynecological problem in prepubertal girls, although the incidence is unknown. Diagnosing infection is confounded by the overlap between normal flora and potential pathogens. The presence of an organism does not itself denote causation, and the clinical picture as well as microbiology should be considered before infection is assumed. In this review, researchers present available evidence on the management of vulvovaginitis focusing mainly on the microbiology.

YOUTH HEALTH NEWS

Australia: Brochure Aims to Discourage Teen Prostitution (news article)
The Children's Commissioner in Tasmania has spoken out in support of an initiative to discourage young people from becoming prostitutes to survive. An alliance of prostitutes is seeking funding to publish a brochure it is preparing which contains information about the realities of sex work.

US: Nearly 3 in 10 Young Teens 'Sexually Active' (news article)
NBC News and PEOPLE Magazine commissioned a landmark poll surveying young teenagers about their intimate sexual attitudes and practices. In one of the first surveys of its kind, teenagers as young as 13 reveal how much they know about sex and how much they are doing. The poll, conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International, questioned 13 to 16 year-olds about their sexual behavior, relationships, oral sex, STDs, and casual sexual partners (what's now known as “friends with benefits”).

SPECIAL REPORTS/PROFILES/RESOURCES

AIDS Epidemic Update (report)
The annual AIDS epidemic update reports on the latest developments in the global HIV/AIDS epidemic. With maps and regional summaries, the 2004 edition provides the most recent estimates of the epidemic’s scope and human toll, explores new trends in the epidemic’s evolution, and features a special section on women and AIDS.

"The Pop Reporter" (R) Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health/Center for Communication Programs INFO Project. When you click on any link, 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. Problems and comments can be addressed to rjacoby@jhuccp.org. Archives available at http://www.infoforhealth.org/popreporter/. Subscribe at http://prds.infoforhealth.org/signup.php. Modify your account at http://prds.infoforhealth.org/modify.php. Have an item to contribute for consideration in The Pop Reporter? E-mail the URL and description to rjacoby@jhuccp.org. Forward this message to a friend who could benefit from INFO project activities! Sincerely, Robert Jacoby, rjacoby@jhuccp.org Editor, The Pop Reporter

Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health: The INFO Project

Volume 5, Number 424 January 2005