Volume 5, Number 42
17 October 2005

The Pop Reporter is available in CD-ROM (January 2004 to present) format. Contact Ghazaleh Samandari with your request and complete mailing address.

FAMILY PLANNING/REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH RESEARCH

Clinicians' perspective of a training programme in syndromic management of sexually transmitted infections in Northern Tanzania
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Sub-Saharan Africa)
International Journal of STD & AIDS. 2005 Oct;16(10):697-701.
Martin D | Klouman E | Masatu M | Klepp KI
This process evaluation study was designed to investigate clinicians' perception of a training program on syndromic management of STIs and their experiences in applying the skills learned during the course. While the clinicians reported to be satisfied with the course itself, the results revealed insufficient practical training. The clinicians reported problems with condom promotion and partner notification, and frequent shortage of equipment and drugs in the clinics was observed. Future courses on syndromic management of STI should focus on skills training related to health education and counselling and have a stronger emphasis on practical, clinical work.

Safety and feasibility of community-based distribution of Depo Provera in Nakasongola, Uganda
(Report; Sub-Saharan Africa)
Family Health International, June 2005.
Stanback J | Mbonye A | LeMelle J | Bekiita M | Ssekito G | Kajura NJ
Throughout Africa, the popularity of depot medroxy progesterone acetate (commonly known as DMPA or Depo Provera) has increased dramatically in recent years. Community-based provision of DMPA has been successfully used in other parts of the world to help meet the demand. Family Health International, with partners Save the Children/USA, Uganda's Ministry of Health, and Nakasongola District's Local Government, has undertaken a major research project to determine the safety and feasibility of using this strategy in Africa.

It's all in the timing: coital frequency and fertility awareness-based methods of family planning
(News Article; Global)
Journal of Biosocial Science. Online access August 23 2005.
Sinai I | Arevalo M
Related News Article: Study confirms that couples using natural family planning have intercourse just as frequently as couples using other methods
Data were used from the clinical trials of two fertility awareness-based methods (the Standard Days Method and the TwoDay Method) to determine the frequency and timing of intercourse during the cycle, and the determinants of coital frequency. Results suggest that coital frequency increases with consecutive cycles of method use. At the same time the frequency of intercourse during the identified fertile days and during menses decreases.

Skewed contraceptive method mix: why it happens, why it matters
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Global)
Journal of Biosocial Science. Online access August 23 2005.
Sullivan TM | Bertrand JT | Rice J | Shelton JD
In this article, method skew is operationally defined as a single method constituting 50% or more of contraceptive use in a given country. Of 96 countries examined in this analysis, 34 have this type of skewed method mix. These 34 countries cluster in three groups: (1) sixteen countries in which traditional methods dominate, most of which are in sub-Saharan Africa; (2) four countries in which female sterilization predominates (India, Brazil, Dominican Republic and Panama); and (3) fourteen countries that rely on a single reversible method. A review of available literature on method choice in these countries provides substantial insight into the different patterns of method skew.

Impact of gender and sex work on sexual and injecting risk behaviors and their association with HIV positivity among injecting drug users in an HIV epidemic in Togliatti City, Russian Federation
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Asia)
Sexually Transmitted Diseases. October 2005;32(10):605-612.
Platt L | Rhodes T | Lowndes CM | Madden P | Sarang A | Mikhailova L | Renton A | Pevzner Y | Sullivan K | Khutorskoy M
This study examined whether risk behaviors and risk factors associated with HIV differed across a sample injecting drug users by gender and sex work. A comparison of risk behaviors indicated that sex workers were more likely to engage in risky injecting behaviors than either men or non-sex workers. They were also more likely to report a history of STIs.

Sources of contraceptive commodities for users in Nigeria
(Abstract; Sub-Saharan Africa)
Public Library of Science Medicine. 2005 Oct 18;2(11):e306.
Researchers conducted a community-based study to examine the sources of contraceptive commodity for users in Nigeria with a view to identifying their preferences for distribution centers.

Contraception and sexually transmitted infections
(Research Article; Oceania)
(You need Adobe Acrobat Reader to access this document)
Australian Family Physicians. 2005 Oct;34(10):869-872.
Sheary B | Dayan L
This article discusses the effect of various contraceptive methods on the transmission of STIs and HIV. It also highlights issues relevant to achieving both contraception and STI/HIV prevention, with a focus on younger women.

The relevance of cultural factors in predicting condom-use intentions among immigrants from the Netherlands Antilles
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Central America and the Caribbean)
Health Education Research. Online access October 5 2005.
Kocken PL | van Dorst AG | Schaalma H
A study into the relevance of cultural factors in predicting condom-use intentions among Antillean migrants in the Netherlands is described in this article. The results showed that condom-use intentions were primarily determined by perceived subjective norms, the perceived taboo on discussing sex, machismo attitudes, gender, age, and educational background. Moreover, the respondent's opinion regarding machismo was an effect modificator for the association between condom-use intentions and subjective social norm. In predicting condom-use intentions, factors specific to the culture of a population contribute significantly to the determinants drawn from the general social-cognition models.

Syphilis and HIV: a dangerous duo
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Global)
Expert Review of Anti-infective Therapy. 2005 Oct;3(5):825-831.
Karumudi UR | Augenbraun M
This review explores the differences in clinical manifestations in HIV-coinfected individuals and discusses data to warrant different management in HIV-coinfected individuals.

Syphilis treatment: old and new
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Global)
Expert Opinion on Pharmacotherapy. 2005 Oct;6(13):2271-2280.
Dayan L | Ooi C
This paper discusses the history and current treatment of syphilis, focusing on dilemmas faced by clinicians today, including the emergence of a resistant strain.

FAMILY PLANNING/REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH NEWS

'Fertility clock' test for women
(News Article; Global)
13 Oct 2005
BBC News
A test is being launched in January which should be able to predict how many viable eggs a woman has left.

Africa: Cheaper female condom will increase accessibility
(News Article; Sub-Saharan Africa)
11 Oct 2005
Integrated Regional Information Networks
Women in sub-Saharan Africa will soon benefit from a cheaper version of the female condom, enabling them to negotiate safer sex with their male partners.

Brazil orders four million female condoms
(News Article; South America)
11 Oct 2005
All Headline News
The Female Health Company has received an order for four million FC Female Condoms from the Brazilian Ministry of Health.

FAMILY PLANNING/REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH LAW AND POLICY

Demographers’ involvement in twentieth-century population policy: continuity or discontinuity?
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Global)
Population Research and Policy Review. 2005 Aug;24(4):359-385.
Caldwell JC
This paper examines the development of relevant population thought and theory in the English-language literature over the first half of the twentieth century. It concludes that in the circumstances of the second half of the twentieth century, it was inevitable that developed countries and their demographers would become involved in controlling fertility levels in developing countries.

Undergo non-surgical vasectomy, get Rs 1000 as incentive
(News Article; Asia)
16 Oct 2005
Express News Service
The district health authorities will be conducting a camp for non scalpel vasectomy (NSV) (male sterilisation) on October 18 at Civil Hospital where every male under going the procedure would be awarded Rs 1000 as incentive.

HIV/AIDS RESEARCH

Revisiting the ABC strategy: HIV prevention in Uganda in the era of antiretroviral therapy
(Review/Synthesis; Sub-Saharan Africa)
Postgraduate Medical Journal. 2005 Oct;81:625-628.
Okware S | Kinsman J | Onyango S | Opio A | Kaggwa P
The ABC strategy is credited for bringing the HIV/AIDS epidemic under control in Uganda. By promoting abstinence, being faithful, and condom use, safe(r) behaviors have been identified that are applicable to people in different circumstances. There is debate in the country over relative importance of abstinence in reduction of HIV incidence as well as over the morality and effectiveness of condoms. This paper examines each component of ABC in light of current developments. It is argued that there is still a strong justification for condom use to complement abstinence and being faithful.

Using gender analysis to build voluntary counselling and testing responses in Kenya
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Sub-Saharan Africa)
Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. Online access October 7 2005.
Taegtmeyer M | Kilonzo N | Mung'ala L | Morgan G | Theobald S
The rapid expansion of voluntary counselling and testing (VCT) for HIV in sub-Saharan Africa has led to concerns over the quality and equity of the services. This study showed how the results of gender analysis can be used to develop equity in VCT scale-up. Data revealed that despite an increased vulnerability to HIV, women are underrepresented in VCT sites in all settings in Kenya. Data also showed that women were also less likely to use condoms or to take home condoms after a VCT visit than their male counterparts.

How can the community contribute in the fight against HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis? An example from a rural district in Malawi
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Sub-Saharan Africa)
Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. Online access October 6 2005.
Zachariah R | Teck R | Buhendwa L | Labana S | Chinji C | Humblet P | Harries AD
This paper describes (a) the experience of initiating community involvement in HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis (TB) activities in a rural district in Malawi and (b) some of the different ways in which the community is contributing in the fight against these two diseases and the outcomes of their involvement. Results show that communities can play an important contributory role in reducing the burden of HIV/AIDS and TB and in mitigating its impact.

Associations of poverty, substance use, and HIV transmission risk behaviors in three South African communities
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Sub-Saharan Africa)
Social Science & Medicine. Online access October 5 2005.
Kalichman SC | Simbayi LC | Kagee A | Toefy Y | Jooste S | Cain D | Cherry C
In this study, surveys were conducted in three South African communities that varied by race and socio-economic conditions: people living in an impoverished African township; an economically impoverished but well infrastructured racially integrating township; and urban non-impoverished neighborhoods. Results showed that HIV/AIDS risks were closely related to experiences of poor education, unemployment, discrimination, violence, and crime. Although poverty-related stressors were associated with a history of alcohol and drug use, substance use did not moderate the association between poverty-related stressors and HIV risk behaviors.

Randomised controlled trials in Africa of HIV and AIDS: descriptive study and spatial distribution
(Research Article; Sub-Saharan Africa)
British Medical Journal. Oct 1;331(7519):742.
Siegfried N | Clarke M | Volmink J
Researchers identify and describe randomised controlled trials on HIV and AIDS conducted in Africa and map their spatial distribution using exact geographic coordinates. They conclude that the relatively small number of HIV/AIDS trials conducted in Africa is not commensurate with the burden of disease.

AIDS: The second wave
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Global)
Archives of Medical Research. 2005 Nov-Dec;36(6):682-688.
del Rio C
This artivle reviews the advances made and impending challenges in the ever-evoloving HIV/AIDS pandemic.

Needle and syringe sharing practices of injecting drug users participating in an outreach HIV prevention program in Tehran, Iran: A cross-sectional study
(Research Article; Middle East)
(You need Adobe Acrobat Reader to access this document)
Harm Reduction Journal. 2005 Oct 7;2(1):19.
Vazirian M | Nassirimanesh B | Zamani S | Ono-Kihara M | Kihara M | Mortazavi Ravari S | Gouya MM
This cross-sectional report compared the risk behaviors of injecting drug users with differential exposure rates to an HIV outreach program in Tehran, Iran. Results indicated that shared use of needle/syringe in the past month was significantly lower among IDUs who received estimated less than/equal to 7 syringes per week than those who did not. Preliminary findings suggest that the outreach program in Tehran may have been beneficial in reducing direct sharing among those who received more than several needles/syringes from the program.

HIV risk environment in Hungary is different from that in Russia and west Balkan states
(Letter to the Editor; Europe)
British Medical Journal. 2005 Oct;331(7521):907.
Rácz J
In this letter to the British Medical Journal, a researcher from Budapest points out that in Hungary the HIV risk environment is not quite as severe as in Russia and the west Balkans, and the macro-environmental (especially economic and social) components are not the same.

HIV/AIDS NEWS

HIV rates decline in Zimbabwe
(Press Release; Sub-Saharan Africa)
(You need Adobe Acrobat Reader to access this document)
10 Oct 2005
UNAIDS
Related News Article: UN agency reports drop in Zimbabwe's HIV infections
A review of epidemiological and behavioral data commissioned by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS and other international partners has found prelimnary indication of decling trends in HIV incidence and prevalence in Zimbabwe over the last 5 years.

Elusive trail of AIDS funds to NGOs in Africa
(Feature Article; North Africa | Sub-Saharan Africa)
14 Oct 2005
Reuters
Donors increasingly prefer to fund NGOs rather than African governments, many of which are seen as corrupt. But because the NGOs number in the thousands, it is unclear how much money they have received or how it was used.

Uganda: AIDS treatment capacity overwhelmed, says NGO official
(News Article; Sub-Saharan Africa)
17 Oct 2005
Integrated Regional Information Networks
The number of Ugandans who become infected with HIV and those who develop AIDS annually has overwhelmed treatment capacity despite the declining prevalence of the disease across the country, the head of an AIDS support NGO said.

Uganda faces HIV treatment challenge, Pfizer chief
(News Article; Sub-Saharan Africa)
14 Oct 2005
Reuters
Successful testing for HIV in Uganda has created a new problem -- there are more patients than the country can handle, the head of Pfizer, the world's biggest drug company, has said.

Lebanon: Keep quiet if you have AIDS or you will become an outcast
(Feature Article; Middle East)
13 Oct 2005
Integrated Regional Information Networks
People who know they are HIV positive in Lebanon keep very quiet about the matter to avoid becoming social outcasts.

In Tamil Nadu, women lead the war against HIV
(News Article; Asia)
12 Oct 2005
Inter Press Service
When a group of HIV-positive women dared go public with their health status at a modest function in early October, it was a revolution for this conservative town, famed for its ancient granite pagodas that speak of development in another millennium.

Face-to-face HIV/AIDS messages rated most effective
(News Article; Sub-Saharan Africa)
14 Oct 2005
Nation Online
Blantyre Rural Education Manager Ellen Simango has said face-to-face HIV and AIDS messages should be emphasized in rural areas because they are more effective and easily accessible in villages than print and electronic media messages.

Afghanistan: Increase in people living with HIV/AIDS
(Feature Article; Asia)
11 Oct 2005
Integrated Regional Information Networks
The rapid spread of HIV/AIDS in Afghanistan could cripple the desperately poor country unless urgent prevention and treatment measures are taken, the Afghan health ministry warned recently.

MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH RESEARCH

Current issues in the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV-1 infection
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Global)
Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. Online access October 5 2005.
Newell ML
Current approaches to intervention to reduce the risk of mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) focus mainly on antiretroviral prophylaxis during pregnancy, labor, and in the early neonatal period, but in some settings also on delivery procedures and avoidance of breastfeeding. To reduce the risk of breastfeeding transmission, shortening the breastfeeding period and/or encouraging exclusive breastfeeding has been suggested. MTCT rates of less than 2% are now reported from countries where antiretroviral prophylaxis, elective Caesarean section and refraining from breastfeeding can be applied, whilst in settings where refraining from breastfeeding is not feasible or safe and where elective Caesarean section is also not a safe option, peripartum antiretroviral therapy can halve the risk to levels of approximately 10% at 6 weeks, although further acquisition of infection through breastfeeding substantially increases the overall rate to 20% or more. In light of the high mortality in all children of HIV-infected women, programs for prevention of MTCT should be monitored not only in terms of HIV transmission avoided but also in terms of child survival.

Healthy Mother/Healthy Child Project Completion Report
(Report; North Africa)
(You need Adobe Acrobat Reader to access this document)
John Snow International, 2005.
The Healthy Mother/Healthy Child Project, funded by USAID with the technical leadership of John Snow, Inc., undertook the task of reducing the risk factors for maternal and neonatal mortality and significantly improved outcomes in nine governorates of Upper Egypt; a region that traditionally has been associated with the worst health statistics. A set of interventions aimed at reducing maternal mortality was designed and implemented using an integrated approach involving policy, technical, management and community-based components. This paper reports on the outcomes of this project.

MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH NEWS

Women's health fuelling poverty
(News Article; Global)
12 Oct 2005
BBC News
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) says 99% of maternal deaths are preventable yet every minute a woman dies from pregnancy-related causes. UNFPA says investment in reproductive health and gender equality could spur growth and sustainable development.

MEN'S HEALTH NEWS

"Men must work with other men"
(News Article; Sub-Saharan Africa)
12 Oct 2005
Inter Press Service
For Tukisang Senne, program director at the Planned Parenthood Association of South Africa, the battle to put men and women on an equal footing has to be waged on various fronts.

Few men use condoms
(News Article; Oceania)
11 Oct 2005
Fiji Times
While family planning protection methods have increased, there is limited use of male methods, a study has revealed.

POPULATION RESEARCH

State of World Population 2005
(Report; Global)
UNFPA, 2005.
Related News Article: U.N.: Family planning is a human right
The report, The Promise of Equality: Gender Equity, Reproductive Health and the Millennium Development Goals, explores the degree to which the global community has fulfilled pledges made to the world’s most impoverished and marginalized peoples. It tracks progress, exposes shortfalls and examines the links between poverty, gender equality, human rights, reproductive health, conflict and violence against women and girls. It also examines the relationship between gender discrimination and the scourge of HIV/AIDS. It identifies the vulnerabilities and strengths of history’s largest cohort of young people and highlights the critical role they play in development.

Changing mortality and average cohort life expectancy
(Research Article; Global)
(You need Adobe Acrobat Reader to access this document)
Demographic Research. 2005 Oct 5;13(5):117-142.
Schoen R | Canudas-Romo V
Period life expectancy varies with changes in mortality and should not be confused with the life expectancy of those alive during that period. Given past and likely future mortality changes, a recent debate has arisen on the usefulness of the period life expectancy as the leading measure of survivorship. The crosssectional average length of life (CAL) has been proposed as an alternative, but has received only limited empirical or analytical examination. Here, researchers introduce a new measure, the average cohort life expectancy (ACLE), to provide a precise measure of the average length of life of cohorts alive at a given time.

POPULATION NEWS

India's baby girls decimated through infanticide or abortion
(News Article; Asia)
13 Oct 2005
Middle East Times
All over Rajasthan and the rest of India, baby girls are being eliminated either through sex-selective abortion or infanticide.

Korea's birth rate far below world average
(News Article; Asia)
14 Oct 2005
The Korea Herald
Korea's low birth rate is in a serious condition, falling far below the world average, a UN document showed yesterday.

UN: RP population may double in 25 years
(News Article; Asia)
14 Oct 2005
ABS-CBN News
The United Nations Population Fund (UNPF)said the Philippine population of 85 million may double in the next 25 to 29 years unless the government aggressively supports the use of artificial birth control.

Shanghai's population gets boost from mums
(News Article; Asia)
17 Oct 2005
China Daily
The natural population growth, the difference between the birth rate and the death rate, in China's biggest city will most probably be positive this year after sliding for a decade, officials said at a press conference.

Empowering women, lower fertility rates key to cutting world poverty
(News Article; Global)
13 Oct 2005
Middle East Times
Resolute action to end discrimination against women and lower their fertility rates is the key to meeting the ambitious goal of halving world poverty by 2015, according to a UN report released recently.

Baby boom time bomb ticks
(News Article; Sub-Saharan Africa)
11 Oct 2005
The Nation (Nairobi)
Kenya's fertility rate has gone up, and indications are that the "baby boom" is likely to rise to even higher levels.

Finding fertile ground
(Commentary; Global)
15 Oct 2005
The Australian
This is an edited extract from a speech given by Angela Shanahan to the Darwin Population Summit 2005 of the Australian Population Institute. Shanahan is a columnist for The Sunday Telegraph and The Canberra Times.

WOMEN'S HEALTH RESEARCH

Women on top: the relative influence of wives and husbands on contraceptive use in KwaZulu-Natal
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Sub-Saharan Africa)
Women Health. 2005;41(2):31-41.
Maharaj P | Cleland J
This paper examined the relative influence of husbands and wives on contraceptive practice. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among adult men and women in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Researchers found that the wife's desire to stop childbearing was the most powerful predictor of contraceptive use among couples, after adjustment for possible confounders. The husband's approval (or not) of family planning and his preference for future childbearing were not significantly related to contraceptive use.

Sex and relationships for HIV-positive women since HAART: a qualitative study
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Europe)
AIDS Patient Care and STDs. 2005 Oct;19(10):859-868.
Keegan A | Lambert S | Petrak J
This study investigates sexual functioning in HIV-positive women and presents the analysis of interviews with 21 seropositive heterosexual women. Dominant themes identified included: (1) difficulties with sexual functioning, in particular lowered libido and enjoyment and reduced intimacy; (2) barriers to forming new relationships: fears of HIV disclosure, fears of infecting partners; (3) coping strategies: included relationship avoidance and having casual partners to avoid disclosure; (4) safer sex: personal dislike of condoms, lack of control, lack of suitable alternatives. Women are experiencing a range of sexual and relationship difficulties that appear to be relatively unchanged despite the advent of HAART.

WOMEN'S HEALTH NEWS

Ethiopia: Domestic violence rampant, says UNFPA
(News Article; Sub-Saharan Africa)
12 Oct 2005
Integrated Regional Information Networks
Domestic violence is so rampant in Ethiopia that nine out of ten women think their husbands are justified in beating them, a recent UN report said.

Women swarm office for tubal ligation
(News Article; Asia)
9 Oct 2005
Inquirer News Service
When news broke out that a City Hall in the Philippines was giving out P5,000 for women who would opt for tubal ligation and men who’d opt for vasectomy, the City Social Services and Development building was swarmed with a crowd that social workers had not been prepared to deal with.

YOUTH HEALTH RESEARCH

Evaluation of condom use among students of the El Mina middle school in Nouakchott in the Islamic Republic of Mauritania
(Abstract; North Africa)
Sante. 2005 Jul 1;15(3):189-194.
Ndiaye P | Abdallahi EH | Diedhiou A | Tal-Dia A | Lemort JP
This study sought to identify the factors limiting condom use among the pupils of the El Mina middle school in Nouakchott in the Islamic Republic of Mauritania. Condom use was significantly more frequent among boys, married students, students with more than one partner, those who attended educational sessions, those for whom sexuality is a taboo subject, those who knew a source of supply, and those for whom condoms were geographically and financially accessible.

Parental influences on young people's sexual behaviour: A longitudinal analysis
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Europe)
Journal of Adolescence. Online access October 6 2005.
Wight D | Williamson L | Henderson M
This paper shows how low parental monitoring predicts early sexual activity for both sexes (with some reverse causation), and for females it also predicts more sexual partners and less condom use.

Piloting post-exposure prophylaxis in Kenya raises specific concerns for the management of childhood rape
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Sub-Saharan Africa)
Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. Online access October 12 2005.
Speighta CG | Klufiob A | Kilonzoa SN | Mbuguaa C | Kuriac E | Bunnb JE | Taegtmeyer M
Thika District, Kenya, is the site of an operational research study on the provision of comprehensive post-rape care, including the free provision of HIV post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP). The high rate of children attending for post-rape services was unexpected and had significant programming implications. All three cases of male rape were in children. Children were more likely to know their assailant than adults and were more likely to be HIV-negative at baseline. The majority (86%) of children presented in time for PEP, with adherence and completion rates similar to adults but lower rates of 6-week follow-up. The use of weight bands to determine drug dosages greatly simplified the appropriate and early administration of paediatric PEP.

YOUTH HEALTH NEWS

Swaziland: New anti-AIDS campaign targets young people
(News Article; Sub-Saharan Africa)
12 Oct 2005
Integrated Regional Information Networks
Swazi health authorities recently launched an ambitious anti-AIDS campaign targeting people between the ages of 20 and 30 years, the group most affected by the virus.

Knot too early for girls
(News Article; Asia)
12 Oct 2005
Hindustan Times
Allowing girls to marry before 18 puts them at risk of domestic violence and death, says the UNFPA State of the World Population Report 2005.

Girls say they use fewer condoms
(News Article; Europe)
14 Oct 2005
The Times
Research by Coventry University found that black pupils often had sex for the first time at a much younger age than their white or Asian classmates. And one in four 12 to 17-year-olds in the group of 3,300 pupils was said to be "sexually active". Among girls, 50% reported having sex without a condom, compared with 42% of boys.

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Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health: The INFO Project

Volume 5, Number 4217 October 2005