Volume 5, Number 18
2 May 2005

The Pop Reporter is now available in both CD-ROM (past year) and print archives (past 6 months) formats. These items are intended for users in low-resource settings. For print or CD-ROM archives, contact rjacoby@jhuccp.org with your request and complete mailing address.

FAMILY PLANNING/REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH RESEARCH

Consistent Condom Use Dynamics among Sex Workers in Central America: 1997–2000
(Abstract)
This paper provides evidence on consistent condom use dynamics among sex workers in Central America between 1997 and 2000 and examines the most important predictors of use behavior important for policy and program interventions in the region.

Birth Intervals and Injectable Contraception in Sub-Saharan Africa
(Abstract)
Data from successive Demographic and Health Surveys undertaken in nine African countries were analyzed to investigate associations between use of depot-medroxyprogesterone acetate and other reversible contraception and short birth intervals. Researchers found that the proportion of short birth intervals has changed little over the last decade in a context of very low use of the intrauterine device. Widespread adoption of injectable contraception was associated with greater odds of a short birth interval, thus not contributing favorable conditions for improved child health.

Safety and Efficacy of Implanon™, a Single-rod Implantable Contraceptive Containing Etonogestrel
(Abstract)
In this study, sexually active American women (n=330) with apparently normal menstrual cycles used the implant for up to 2 years. Total exposure was 474 woman-years (6,186 cycles), and 68% of subjects had at least 1 year of exposure. No pregnancies occurred. The most common bleeding pattern observed throughout the study was infrequent bleeding, defined as less than three episodes of bleeding in a reference period (excluding amenorrhea). The least common pattern was frequent bleeding, defined as more than five episodes of bleeding in a reference period. Infrequent, prolonged and frequent bleeding patterns were most common early in the study and declined thereafter.

The Quality of Integrated Reproductive Health Services: Perspectives of Clients in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
(Abstract)
The focus of family planning programs has shifted away from an emphasis on controlling fertility towards helping individuals achieve their reproductive goals. This article seeks to expand knowledge about the quality of integrated services from the perspective of clients at health facilities in KwaZulu-Natal. The results from 300 structured interviews with clients visiting health facilities found that overall quality of services was relatively high. However, the quality of services varied somewhat between rural and urban areas.

Use of Male Condoms During and After Randomized, Controlled Trial Participation in Cameroon
(Abstract)
This study evaluated patterns of long-term use of male condoms among partners of 966 Cameroonian women who received eight intensive, monthly counseling sessions about condoms and STI testing and treatment. Consistent condom use began decreasing while women were still receiving monthly condom use counseling, with every month in the trial associated with an odds ratio of 0.96 of consistent condom use and dropped substantively after the trial with a 0.39 odds ratio in a logistic regression analysis.

FAMILY PLANNING/REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH NEWS

Korea Home to No. 1 Condom Manufacturer
(News Article)
A Korean company has made an improbable leap to the top of one competitive consumer product category: condoms.

One-Third of Married Japanese Do Not Have Sex
(News Article)
Around one-third of married Japanese couples have not had sex for at least a month, a study said, urging the Japanese to overcome a sexual shyness to prevent the population from a dangerous decline.

Gambian Bishop Endorses Condom Use
(News Article)
An Anglican bishop in The Gambia, Solomon Telewa Johnson has for the first time endorsed the use of condoms to combat the spread of HIV/AIDS.

Long-lasting Gel Blocks Herpes
(News Article)
An experimental gel can prevent herpes infection in mice. If it works as well in people, one application would protect women for several days.

Botswana: Low Usage of Reproductive Services by Men Worrisome
(News Article)
The Botswana Family Welfare Association has reported a low utilization of reproductive health services by males as compared to their female counterparts in Kanye.

FAMILY PLANNING/REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH LAW AND POLICY

South Africa Row Over HIV Privacy
(News Article)
Three HIV-positive South African women have taken two well-known women's rights activists to court for allegedly revealing their HIV status.

Romanian Bridegrooms Forced to Take Anti-violence Courses
(News Article)
Romanian bridegrooms will have to take a 3-day course to deter them from beating their wives under new laws set to come into force next year. As an incentive, the government will pay men £150 for completing the course, equivalent to two months' salary. Men who refuse to attend will be refused permission to marry.

HIV/AIDS RESEARCH

Drug Use Among Female Sex Workers in Hanoi, Vietnam
(Abstract)
This study describes the drug use practices among female sex workers (FSWs) in Hanoi and to identify factors associated with their drug injecting. Among the middle-class FSWs, 27% used drugs, of whom 79% injected. Among low-class FSWs, 46% used drugs and 85% injected. Among drug-using FSWs, 86% had started using drugs within the past 6 years. The high prevalence of injecting drug use among FSWs makes them susceptible to HIV infection and is a threat to their clients.

Comparison of Three Methods to Measure HIV Incidence Among Persons Seeking Voluntary, Anonymous Counseling and Testing
(Abstract)
The authors compared three practical methods to estimate human HIV incidence rates using existing data from persons seeking anonymous testing. They included: one based on self-reported dates of prior tests, one based on linking records of prior tests using an anonymous unique testing code, and one based on the Serologic Testing Algorithm for Recent HIV Seroconversion (STARHS). The three methods had complementary strengths and limitations, which may prevent proper interpretation of HIV incidence if any one method is analyzed alone.

Evaluation of HIV Counselling and Testing, Self-Disclosure, Social Support and Sexual Behaviour Change Among a Rural Sample of HIV Reactive Patients in South Africa
(Abstract)
The aim of this study was to evaluate HIV counselling and testing, self-disclosure, social support, and sexual behavior change among a rural sample of HIV reactive patients in South Africa. At follow-up, only 36% had disclosed their HIV status and half of the participants had had sex without condoms in the past 3 weeks. The major reason for not disclosing their HIV status was fear of negative reactions, fear of discrimination, fear of violence, and concerns about confidentiality. Social support was found to be significantly related to disclosure of HIV status, while counselling context and content and counselling satisfaction were not related with HIV disclosure.

HIV Sexual Risk Behavior Over 36 Months of Follow-Up in the World's First HIV Vaccine Efficacy Trial
(Abstract)
This study evaluated HIV sexual risk behavior among 5,095 HIV-negative men who have sex with men (MSM) and 308 women. Among MSM, younger age (less than or equal to 30 years), perceived assignment to vaccine, and nonblack race were associated with an increased probability of unprotected anal sex. Among women, unprotected vaginal sex initially decreased but was statistically equivalent to baseline by 24 months, whereas unprotected vaginal sex with HIV-infected partners decreased from baseline, where it remained throughout the trial.

"I Have an Evil Child at My House": Stigma and HIV/AIDS Management in a South African Community
(Abstract)
This study examined the social roots of stigma by means of a case study of HIV/AIDS management among young people in a South African community. It highlights the web of representations that sustain stigma, the economic and political contexts within which these representations are constructed, and the way in which they flourish in the institutional contexts of HIV/AIDS interventions.

Evaluation of Rapid HIV Testing Strategies in Under Equipped Laboratories in the Central African Republic
(Abstract)
A strategy based on two consecutive rapid tests was tested. This strategy used the Determine HIV-1/2® (Abbott Laboratories®, Tokyo, Japan) rapid immunochromatographic test as a screening test and the Uni-Gold HIV test® (Trinity Biotech®, Dublin, Ireland), SDHO HIV 1/2 test® (SDHO laboratories®, Saint-Sauveur des Monts, Canada), HIV 1/2 Quick test® (Cypress Diagnostics®, Langdorp, Belgium) or Retrocheck HIV® test (Qualpro Diagnostics®, Goa, India) as a confirmatory test. This new strategy appears to be reliable, simple, feasible and rapid in under equipped laboratories.

Heterosexual Transmission of HIV in China: A Systematic Review of Behavioral Studies in the Past Two Decades
(Abstract)
The objective of this study was to address the role of heterosexual transmission of HIV in China. Researchers found that drug users were more likely to be involved in higher-risk sexual behaviors than were those who abstained from using drugs. Most female drug users (52% to 98%) reported having engaged in commercial sex. Most female sex workers (FSWs) and individuals with STDs had concurrent sexual partners. Many continued to have unprotected sex after noticing STD symptoms in themselves or their sexual partners. From 5% to 26% of rural-to-urban migrants had multiple sexual partners, and 10% of males patronized FSWs during migration.

USAID Project Profiles: Children Affected by HIV/AIDS (Fourth Edition)
(Report)
(You need Adobe Acrobat Reader to access this document)
This fourth edition of USAID Project Profiles: Children Affected by HIV/AIDS presents profiles of 114 projects (90 country-specific, 12 regional, and 12 global) funded by USAID. This report contains information provided by
the projects in the spring and summer of 2004. The .pdf file is 268 pages.

New HIV Drugs in Development
(Abstract)
Since the introduction of zidovudine 18 years ago, the treatment of HIV has been rapidly evolving. Active therapies with reduced adverse effects and long-term activity in the presence of, or reduced susceptibility to, antiviral resistance continue to be needed. This review addresses these clinical needs, with a discussion of several new drugs currently in the clinical trial pipeline.

HIV/AIDS NEWS

India: NGOs Moot Legal Reforms to Fight HIV Stigma
(News Article)
Residents of Mamani Pol in the old city resisted a newly formed self-help group of HIV positive people, Association of People Living with HIV/AIDS (APLWHA), from setting up their office in the locality, fearing HIV infection.

Swaziland: Business Coalition Launches HIV/AIDS Mitigation Plan
(News Article)
Small and medium enterprises have the potential to lift living standards and build a new generation of entrepreneurs, but in Swaziland that strategy is being challenged by AIDS.

Kenya: HIV Test No Longer a Must for Public Jobs
(News Article)
Employees joining the public service will no longer have to undergo HIV tests, a cabinet minister said recently.

Brazil to Help Caribbean Fight HIV/AIDS
(News Article)
The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) will receive technical support from Brazil in the struggle against the spreading of HIV/AIDS, according to St. Lucia´s Health Minister, Damien Graves.

Taiwanese 'AIDS Storm' Looms: Health Officials
(News Article)
A new strain of HIV from China has crept into Taiwan via intravenous drug users over the past 3 years, sounding alarm bells with health authorities that the mutated virus could trigger an HIV/AIDS wildfire.

Botswana: ARV Not Emergency Drug, Warns Doctor
(News Article)
Mahalapye Hospital chief medical officer Dr Kunal Bose has cautioned Batswana against the tendency to treat antiretroviral (ARV) drugs as emergency treatment drugs.

Indian Armed Forces Fight Another Enemy: HIV/AIDS
(News Article)
In order to combat the HIV/AIDS pandemic, the Indian Armed Forces have initiated a very vibrant AIDS Control Programme, which has already shown excellent results.

MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH RESEARCH

Antenatal Care in the Capital City of Cambodia: Current Situation and Impact on Obstetric Outcome
(Abstract)
This paper is an analysis of the situation of antenatal care (ANC) attendance in the capital of Cambodia, Phnom Penh, and the effect of ANC attendance on delivery and newborn outcome, in order to establish a strategy for ANC in the national reproductive health program in Cambodia.

Effect of an IMCI Intervention on Quality of Care Across Four Districts in Cape Town, South Africa
(Abstract)
This study measured the change in quality of care provided to sick children as a result of the routine implementation of the Integrated Management of Childhood Illnesses (IMCI) intervention. There was a marked improvement in assessment of danger signs in sick children (7% before versus 72% after), assessment of co-morbidity (integrated score 5.2 versus 8.2), rational prescribing (62% versus 84%), and starting treatment in the clinic (40% versus 70%). However, there was no change in the treatment of anaemia or the prescribing of vitamin A or counselling of caregivers.

Understanding the Relationship of Maternal Health Behavior Change and Intervention Strategies in a Nicaraguan NGO Network
(Abstract)
This study examines independent effects of investments in capital (i.e., physical, human and social capital), and management systems (e.g., monitoring and evaluation systems [M&E]) on maternal and child health behavior change.

MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH NEWS

India: Orissa to Tackle High Maternal Mortality Rate
(News Article)
The state government has stepped in to reduce the high maternal mortality rate in four tribal dominated districts in collaboration with the United Nations Funds for Population Affairs (UNFPA).

Nepal: Women Volunteers Deliver
(Feature Article)
The work of Female Community Health Volunteers (FCHVs) provides a rare bright light in Nepal, a country where more than half of all kids suffer from general malnutrition and where 75,000 die each year. FCHVs provide a variety of services to the roughly 150 households in their areas. They give polio drops, distribute condoms and deliver family planning information, administer minor first aid, and, in some of Nepal's 75 districts, they are trained to treat acute respiratory illnesses like pneumonia, one of the leading causes of child death in this South Asian nation.

MEN'S HEALTH RESEARCH

Determinants of Spacing Contraceptive Use among Couples in Mumbai: A Male Perspective
(Abstract)
This study determined factors influencing the use of spacing contraceptive methods in India, particularly from men's perspective. Data were obtained through a semi-structured interview schedule from 2,687 married men aged between 18 and 40 years from central Mumbai City, India. Male participation in contraceptive use was 23% (condom and withdrawal). The results indicate that the use of spacing contraceptive methods was significantly higher among those couples where the men desired one or two children, had knowledge of five or more contraceptive methods and discussed with their wives obtaining family planning information, spacing and permanent contraceptive methods.

Demographic, Behavioral, and Knowledge Factors Associated With Herpes Simplex Virus Type 2 Infection Among Men Whose Current Female Partner Has Genital Herpes
(Abstract)
This study evaluated risk factors for herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) infection among men whose female partners have genital herpes (GH). Potentially modifiable risk factors for HSV-2 infection included engaging in vaginal sex during symptomatic episodes, never using condoms, and lower knowledge of GH.

Men's Experiences of Vasectomy in the Brazilian Public Health Service
(Abstract)
This paper describes the experiences of a group of men who had had vasectomy in a Sao Paolo State Health Service Clinic.

Characteristics and Sexually Transmitted Diseases of Male Rural Migrants in a Metropolitan Area of Eastern China
(Abstract)
The goal of this study was to identify the correlates and determine the prevalence of STDs among male rural migrants in Shanghai, China. Among the migrants interviewed, the prevalence of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis was 3.5%, 0.5%, and 1%, respectively. None were infected with HIV. The prevalence of STDs was 3.2% for construction workers, 5.6% for market vendors, and 5.6% for factory workers. Risk factors for STDs were longer duration in Shanghai, frequent hometown visits, having multiple sex partners, and the desire to have multiple sex partners.

MEN'S HEALTH NEWS

Pollutant Affects Sex Chromosome
(News Article)
Related Abstract: Exposure to Persistent Organochlorine Pollutants and Seminal Levels of Markers of Epididymal and Accessory Sex Gland Functions in Swedish Men
An environmental pollutant can change the ratio of sperm carrying male and female chromosomes, a study says.

POPULATION RESEARCH

Premarital Fertility in Namibia: Trends, Factors and Consequences
(Abstract)
According to data from the 1992 and 2000 DHS surveys, the proportion of premarital births was 43% for all births, and 60% for the first birth. Major variations were found by ethno-linguistic groups. Whites and mixed races also differed, with Afrikaans-speaking groups having a behavior closer to the average, whereas other Europeans had less premarital fertility despite an average age at marriage. Ethnic differences remained stable after controlling for various socioeconomic factors, such as urbanization, level of education, wealth, access to mass media, and religion.

A Varied Pattern of Change of the Sex Differential in Survival in the G7 Countries
(Abstract)
This study documents a sustained pattern of narrowing of the sex differential in life expectancy at birth in favor of women into the later part of the 1990s for six of the populations that comprise the G7 countries: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, England and Wales (as representative of the United Kingdom), and the US.

Role of Family Type in the Idealization of a Larger Number of Children by Husbands in Pakistan
(Abstract)
This study focuses on determining the number of children considered ideal by Pakistani husbands and identifying the factors associated with this, with a special emphasis on family type. The mean ideal number of children perceived by husbands was four. Living in an extended family and being illiterate are significantly associated with idealization of a larger number of children by the husband, while adjusting for socioeconomic status, family structure, and family planning information.

Analysing the Relationship between Family Planning Workers' Contact and Contraceptive Switching in Rural Bangladesh Using Multilevel Modelling
(Abstract)
This study uses a longitudinal database to assess the impact of family planning outreach workers' contact upon contraceptive switching and upon the risk of an unintended pregnancy. The study results indicate that side effects and other method-related reasons are the two primary reasons for contraceptive discontinuation in rural Bangladesh.

POPULATION NEWS

UN: Asia Pacific to Home Largest Aging Population
(News Article)
Asia Pacific countries already with a large number of aged people will home almost two thirds of the world's aging population of over 60 years old in 50 years, predicted the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific.

WOMEN'S HEALTH RESEARCH

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Memory Problems After Female Genital Mutilation
(Abstract)
This pilot study investigated the mental health status of women after genital mutilation. The psychological impact of female genital mutilation was assessed in 23 circumcised Senegalese women in Dakar. Twenty-four uncircumcised Senegalese women served as comparison subjects. The circumcised women showed a significantly higher prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (30.4%) and other psychiatric syndromes (47.9%) than the uncircumcised women. PTSD was accompanied by memory problems.

Commercial Sex Workers: Victims, Vectors or Fighters of the HIV Epidemic in Cambodia?
(Abstract)
This paper looks at the knowledge, attitudes and behaviour of commercial sex workers (CSWs) in Cambodia regarding HIV/AIDS and condom use.

In Vitro and In Vivo: The Story of Nonoxynol 9
(Abstract)
The first microbial product for to prevent HIV transmission to be clinically evaluated contained Nonoxynol-9 (nonylpenoxypolyethoxyethanol [N-9]), a nonionic surfactant, as the active agent. This article presents a review of the in vitro, ex vivo, and animal model data on the safety of N-9 and a critical analysis of their predictive power based on the results of multiple safety and efficacy trials.

WOMEN'S HEALTH NEWS

Niger: A Hundred Dollars Goes a Long Way to Ending Genital Mutilation
(Feature Article)
This feature article relates the story of a female circumcisor who laid down her knife after a local NGO gave her a small loan to start a spice-selling business.

YOUTH HEALTH RESEARCH

Determinants of Condom Use among Youth in Madagascar
(Abstract)
This study identified the key determinants of condom use with regular and casual partners among youth (n=2,440 aged 15–24) in Madagascar. Among sexually experienced youth, only about four in ten males and two in ten females have ever used condoms. Fewer than 15% of youth used a condom in last intercourse with their regular partner. Whether youth will try condoms appears to depend largely on the perceived effectiveness of condoms for family planning, access to a nearby condom source, parental support for condom use, and patterns of risky sexual behavior.

Forgotten Casualties of War: Girls in Armed Conflict
(Report)
(You need Adobe Acrobat Reader to access this document)
Related News Article: World Armed Groups 'Abduct Girls'
A "hidden army" of girls is being forced to work for armed groups involved in conflicts worldwide. A Save The Children report found more than 120,000 girls and young women have been abducted and pushed into conflict. The charity says they often end up serving as soldiers or performing domestic jobs, but almost all of them are forced into becoming sex slaves.

Adolescent Use of the Combined Oral Contraceptive Pill. A Retrospective Observational Study
(Abstract)
This study examined the extent of combined oral contraceptive use by girls 10 to 16 years of age in Scotland. The UK is recognised as having the highest rate of teenage pregnancy in Western Europe, but despite the medical and social concerns about the sexual health of teenagers, the level of oral contraceptive use in this young age group remains low.

Impact of Rapid Socio-economic Changes on Teenage Pregnancies in Estonia during 1992-2001
(Research Article)
In this article, the authors analyze the impact of the changes on the reproductive behavior of teenage girls, measured by adolescent fertility and abortion rates between 1992 and 2001.

Pogsara Yia! (Girls First!): Findings from the Navrongo Health Research Centre -- Female Genital Mutilation Eradication Intervention
(Report)
(You need Adobe Acrobat Reader to access this document)
A key activity of the Navrongo FGM eradication project involves forming a partnership between the community and the Navrongo Health Research Centre to determine why FGM is practised and what can be done to end it. Can community action make the sun set faster on FGM?

YOUTH HEALTH NEWS

AIDS Treatment for Uganda's Children
(News Article)
The Ministry of Health in Uganda has started a treatment program targeting HIV positive children with drugs available for about 4,000 children.

Zambia: Government Not Doing Enough for OVC, Says Official Report
(News Article)
An official report has found that the Zambian government was not "giving sufficient priority" to orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) and has called for universal access to antiretroviral drugs.

UK: Nurses Warn Over Teen Group Sex
(News Article)
Teenagers are taking part in a group sex activity known as "daisy-chaining", nurses have claimed.

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Editor, The Pop Reporter

Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health: The INFO Project

Volume 5, Number 18 2 May 2005