Volume 6, Number 1
9 January 2006

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

Prioritizing prevention of HIV and sexually transmitted infections: first-generation vaginal microbicides
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Global)
Current Opinion in Infectious Diseases. 2006 Feb;19(1):49-54.
Madan RP | Keller MJ | Herold BC
This article describes recent findings in microbicidce research, which could have vast implications for decreasing the spread of HIV and other STIs.

Withdrawal users' perceptions of and experience with contraceptive methods in Manisa, Turkey
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Europe)
Midwifery. Online access 28 December, 2005.
Yanikkerem E | Acar H | Elem E
This study attempted to gain an understanding of the knowledge, perceptions, and experiences of using contraceptive methods among Turkish withdrawal users. Researchers concluded that it is important for midwives and nurses to recognize the effects of cultural beliefs on women's contraceptive use and that educational programs should be individualized to meet the specific needs of women and their partners.

Condom use and risk of gonorrhea and chlamydia: a systematic review of design and measurement factors assessed in epidemiologic studies
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Global)
Sexually Transmitted Diseases. 2006 Jan;33(1):36-51.
Warner L | Stone KM | Macaluso M | Buehler JW | Austin HD
Researchers reviewed studies of condom use and risk of gonorrhea and chlamydia and evaluated the importance of four key design and measurement factors on condom effectiveness estimates. They found that condom use was associated with reduced risk of gonorrhea and chlamydia in men and women in most studies, despite methodologic limitations that likely underestimate condom effectiveness.

Does a choice of condoms impact sexually transmitted infection incidence? A randomized, controlled trial
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Central America and the Caribbean)
Sexually Transmitted Diseases. 2006 Jan;33(1):31-35.
Steiner MJ | Hylton-Kong T | Figueroa JP | Hobbs MM | Behets F | Smikle M | Tweedy K | Powell S | McNeil L | Brathwaite A
This study assessed whether providing a choice of condoms would increase condom acceptability, increase self-reported use, and decrease incident sexually transmitted infection. Results demonstrated that a choice of condoms may increase perceived acceptability but not lead to increased condom use and subsequently lower STI rates.

FAMILY PLANNING/REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH NEWS

Gene-blocking cream 'may one day fight HIV/AIDS'
(News Article; Global)
5 Jan 2006
Science and Development Network
Related Research Article: An siRNA-based microbicide protects mice from lethal herpes simplex virus 2 infection
A new way of preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS and other STD is supported by research published in the latest issue of the journal Nature.

Demand for condoms on the rise in Kashmir
(News Article; Asia)
9 Jan 2006
The Star
Demand for condoms in conservative Muslim-majority Indian Kashmir has outstripped supply, and the state authorities have asked for more.

Girls, 13, given contraceptive implants
(News Article; Europe)
8 Jan 2006
United Press International
The British National Health Service is giving girls as young as 13 injections and implants that make them infertile for up to three years. Concerns include lack of control by both the government and parents on youth sexual behavior and the potential side effects of the contraceptive chemicals.

Cupid Condom secures order worth Rs 7.14 crore from Ministry of Health
(News Article; Asia)
5 Jan 2006
IRIS
Cupid Condom Ltd. has been awarded a second order from the government of India for a supply of 54.87 million condoms from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

Reproductive health care being restored in tsunami-hit areas
(Press Release; Global)
22 Dec 2005
UNFPA
A year after the Indian Ocean tsunami, work is ongoing to restore reproductive health services and address psychosocial needs in affected communities with support from UNFPA.

Swaziland: "Sewage sociology" finds condom use rising
(News Article; Sub-Saharan Africa)
5 Jan 2006
Integrated Regional Information Networks
Without a definitive survey it's hard to know the extent of condom use by Swazis, but one group claims to have proof that it's on the rise: the workers at Swaziland's newest sewage treatment plant, who claim they are finding more condoms in the filters that separate solids from liquid waste.

Portuguese skip condom use despite AIDS threat: poll
(News Article; Europe)
30 Dec 2005
AFP/Yahoo
Portugal has one of the highest AIDS infection rates in Europe, but most citizens have not changed their sexual behavior to avoid catching the disease, a new poll showed.

FAMILY PLANNING/REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH LAW AND POLICY

Family planning policy becomes controversial topic
(News Article; Asia)
30 Dec 2005
China Daily
Related News Article: China plans to keep one-child limit
China's once-ambitious family planning policy has become a controversial topic in the academic circle. At a recent forum on China's population and economy hosted by the Beijing University, the family planning policy was challenged by a number of Chinese scholars and government officials.

Chinese facing jail to protect unborn girls
(News Article; Asia)
27 Dec 2005
Times Online
China plans to jail anyone who helps prospective parents to learn the sex of their unborn child, in an attempt to halt the abortion of female fetuses.

HIV/AIDS RESEARCH

Equitable treatment for HIV/AIDS clinical trial participants: a focus group study of patients, clinician researchers, and administrators in western Kenya
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Sub-Saharan Africa)
Journal of Medical Ethics. 2006 Jan;32(1):55-60.
Shaffer DN | Yebei VN | Ballidawa JB | Sidle JE | Greene JY | Meslin EM | Kimaiyo SJ | Tierney WM
This study describes the concerns and priorities of key stakeholders in a developing country regarding ethical obligations held by researchers and perceptions of equity or "what is fair" for study participants in an HIV/AIDS clinical drug trial. According to findings, Kenyan patients, clinician researchers, and administrators believe that it would be unfair to stop antiretroviral therapy following an HIV/AIDS clinical trial and that researchers have a long term obligation to participants.

Surveillance of HIV, hepatitis B virus, and hepatitis C virus in an Estonian injection drug using population: sensitivity and specificity of testing syringes for public health surveillance
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Europe)
The Journal of Infectious Diseases . 2006 Feb;193(3):455-457.
Uuskula A | Heimer R | Dehovitz J | Fischer K | McNutt LA
Surveillance of bloodborne infections among injection drug users (IDUs) can be accomplished by determining the presence of pathogen markers in used syringes. Parallel testing of returned syringes and venous blood from IDUs was conducted to detect antibodies to HIV, hepatitis B virus (HBV), and hepatitis C virus (HCV). Syringe surveillance for HIV yielded a sensitivity and specificity of 92% and 89%, respectively, and provided a reasonable estimate of the prevalence of HIV among participants. Because sensitivity for HBV (34%) and HCV (55%) was low, syringe testing may be useful for surveillance of hepatitis over time but not for estimation of prevalence.

Risk factors influencing HIV infection incidence in a rural African population: a nested case-control study
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Sub-Saharan Africa)
The Journal of Infectious Diseases. 2006 Feb;193(3):458-466.
Todd J | Grosskurth H | Changalucha J | Obasi A | Mosha F | Balira R | Orroth K | Hugonnet S | Pujades M | Ross D | Gavyole A | Mabey D | Hayes R
Risk factors influencing the incidence of HIV infection were investigated in a case-control study nested within a community-randomized trial of treatment of syndromic STIs in rural Tanzania. Herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2)infection was the most important risk factor for HIV infection, which highlights the need for HSV-2 interventions in HIV infection control, and there were particularly strong associations with recent HSV-2 seroconversion.

HIV counseling and testing practices at an urban hospital in Kampala, Uganda
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Sub-Saharan Africa)
AIDS and Behavior. Online access January 4, 2006.
Wanyenze R| Kamya M| Liechty CA| Ronald A| Guzman DJ| Wabwire-Mangen F| Mayanja-Kizza H| Bangsberg DR
This study describes HIV testing practices and risk behavior among medical inpatients at an urban hospital in Uganda. Researchers interviewed 395 adults on the day of discharge. Overall, 46% tested for HIV before or during admission. Of the 20% tested during hospitalization, 64% were HIV-positive. Among 47% who had sex in the previous year, only 14% used condoms consistently and only 20% knew the HIV status of their sexual partner, indicating that participants would benefit from risk-reduction counseling.

HIV/AIDS NEWS

AIDS in Honduras: subtle killer, brazen threat
(Feature Article; Central America and the Caribbean)
5 Jan 2006
The Dallas Morning News
HIV has in recent years emerged as the primary cause of death among childbearing-age women in Honduras. In Honduras, which has a population of about 7 million, the prevalence of the disease is estimated at 1.8%, one of the highest in the western hemisphere.

Tajikistan: Interview with the Global Fund to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria
(Interview; Asia)
29 Dec 2005
Integrated Regional Information Networks
The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria was created to finance a dramatic turnaround in the fight against AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. In an interview, the Grant Implementation Unit Manager for the Global Fund in Tajikistan discussed the many challenges faced in the impoverished Central Asian state.

Local authorities accused of being inactive against AIDS
(News Article; Sub-Saharan Africa)
16 Dec 2005
New Era (Windhoek)
The National Coordinator of The Alliance of Mayors' Initiative for Community Action on AIDS at the Local Level has lashed out at local authorities in Namibia for failing to introduce HIV/AIDS programs at local level this year.

A lake where it's easier to catch HIV than fish
(Feature Article; Sub-Saharan Africa)
8 Jan 2006
Taipei Times
Impoverished people from across Africa fish the waters of Lake Mweru in Zambia, creating the perfect breeding ground for HIV/AIDS to flourish.

Cheap HIV drugs: plunge in AIDS deaths in 2005
(News Article; Asia)
3 Jan 2006
The Nation (Thailand)
The number of people with HIV who developed full-blown AIDS last year fell dramatically while the number of deaths linked to HIV/AIDS dropped by more than two thirds, the Public Health Ministry said recently.

Nigeria to double free AIDS treatment centres
(News Article; Sub-Saharan Africa)
6 Jan 2005
Reuters
Nigeria will double the number of government centers where AIDS patients can get free drugs in the next 3 months as part of a major drive to widen access to treatment, the government anti-AIDS agency said recently.

New barriers to drugs could worsen Guatemala's long-ignored AIDS problem
(News Article; Central America and the Caribbean)
5 Jan 2006
Costa Rica Times
Guatemala has more AIDS orphans than any other nation in Central America, and experts say it's at a critical juncture in its growing HIV epidemic. It recently received an $8.4 million grant from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS. Guatemala has concurrently signed a free-trade agreement with the United States that includes provisions U.N. officials and Guatemalan physicians fear could significantly hinder the widespread distribution of affordable, generic AIDS drugs to people who need them.

Zambia struggles with power of witchdoctors
(Feature Article; Sub-Saharan Africa)
28 Dec 2005
Guardian
Western and traditional medicine in Zambia are culturally miles apart, but both camps agree that attitudes to sex, health, wealth, and death have helped HIV to spread. Changes in cultural practices are needed, and doctors of different disciplines must cooperate.

Delhi's nearly 40% population at risk of contracting HIV/AIDS
(News Article; Asia)
8 Jan 2006
Web India 123
A Delhi State AIDS Control Society report states that Delhi's population, nearly half of which is due to migration, presents a unique challenge in the struggle against HIV/AIDS.

Botswana's AIDS program confronts stigma, fear
(News Article; Sub-Saharan Africa)
5 Jan 2006
Associated Press
The startling reluctance to seek help in one of the few African nations able to provide it prompted a radical rethink of how testing is done here. An HIV test is now offered as a routine part of any medical visit.

MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH RESEARCH

Management of genital infections in pregnant women
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Global)
Current Opinion in Infectious Diseases. 2006 eb;19(1):55-61.
Donders GGG
This review examines and evaluates ways of managing genital infections in pregnant women. Genital infections often remain unnoticed during pregnancy, as their signs and symptoms may be seen as part of the normal discomfort of pregnancy. Also, it is sometimes not clear whether there are multiple partners or whether the partners have been treated, making re-infection after treatment highly likely. Partner tracing may be difficult, but the 'screen and treat' policy is usually the best solution.

Prevalence of and risk factors for hepatitis C in rural pregnant Egyptian women
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; North Africa)
Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene . 2006 Feb;100(2):102-107.
Stoszek SK | Abdel-Hamid M | Narooz S | Daly ME | Saleh DA | Mikhail N | Kassem E | Hawash Y | Kafrawy SE | Said A | Batanony ME | Shebl FM | Sayed M | Sharaf S | Fix AD | Strickland GT
Prevalence and risk factors for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection were studied in pregnant women from three rural Egyptian villages in the Nile Delta being admitted to a prospective cohort study of maternal-infant transmission; 15.8% had antibodies to HCV (anti-HCV) and 10.8% also had HCV-RNA. Risk factors for anti-HCV included increasing age, low socioeconomic status and a history of blood transfusion or injection therapy for schistosomiasis. Results suggest HCV causes very little detected illness in young adult Egyptian women and some sources of HCV transmission in rural Egypt in the past were associated with the provision of medical care and varied by location.

Strategies to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Global)
Current Opinion in Infectious Diseases. 2006 Feb;19(1):33-38.
McIntyre J
This review describes recent advances in the prevention of mother-to-child transmission, focusing on the use of antiretroviral treatment strategies in pregnancy, and discusses the emergence of viral resistance following the use of nevirapine to prevent mother-to-child transmission.

MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH NEWS

Gujarat aims to improve maternal, infant mortality rates
(News Article; Asia)
5 Jan 2006
New Kerala
The state of Gujarat in India is launching a new health program to effectively bring down the maternal and infant mortality rates, according to an official statement.

MEN'S HEALTH NEWS

'T'-drug use for 'safe sex' worries experts
(News Article; North America)
3 Jan 2006
Los Angeles Times
"Taking a T." That's what HIV-negative gay men call the practice of downing the AIDS drug tenofovir and hoping it protects them from the virus during unprotected sex. Sold in packets along with Viagra and Ecstasy at gay dance clubs, the trend has alarmed public health officials. Prevention experts worry about the sources of the drug as they believe some men are buying it online, raising questions of drug quality; others are getting it from HIV-positive friends, suggesting that those who are sharing doses aren't keeping up with their own treatment schedules.

Information campaign on HIV prevention launched
(News Article; Asia)
6 Jan 2006
Vietnam News Agency
The Health Ministry in Vietnam has launched a nationwide information campaign on raising men's awareness of the risk of HIV infection through unsafe sex.

Namibia's prisons sit on AIDS 'time bomb'
(News Article; Sub-Saharan Africa)
4 Jan 2006
Mail & Guardian
A 30-year-old law in Namibia banning male-to-male sex is preventing condom distribution in the country's prisons and is hindering HIV prevention efforts. According to government officials, condom distribution would promote sex between men, which is outlawed under the 1977 Criminal Procedures Act. As a result of the Act, condoms are not being distributed in Namibian jails: to do so would amount to condoning sex between men in contravention of the law, says the government, even if it had the benefit of reducing HIV transmission.

Urethritis in men linked to oral sex
(News Article; Global)
6 Jan 2006
HealthDay News
Related Abstract; subscription needed for full text: Etiologies of nongonococcal urethritis: bacteria, viruses, and the association with orogenital exposure
New research suggests that the gonorrhea-like condition known as urethritis, perhaps the most common STD, can spread to men when they're on the receiving end of fellatio.

POPULATION NEWS

Japanese urged to 'breed like dogs'
(News Article; Asia)
6 Jan 2006
The Australian
In a sign of rising despair over the country's dwindling birth rate, Japan's Prime Minister has suggested that his people should take their cue from the canine world and breed larger litters of offspring in the Year of the Dog.

China to keep population below 1.37 bln by 2010
(News Article; Asia)
6 Jan 2006
Xinhua
China's population and family planning minister said that China will work to limit its mainland population below 1.37 billion by 2010.

A risk of total collapse
(Commentary; Global)
21 Dec 2005
The Guardian
Is it possible that global civilisation might collapse within our lifetime or that of our children? Until recently, such an idea was the preserve of lunatics and cults. In the past few years, however, an increasing number of intelligent and credible people have been warning that global collapse is a genuine possibility. And many of these are sober scientists, including Lord May, David King, and Jared Diamond, people not usually given to exaggeration or drama. The new doomsayers all point to the same collection of threats: climate change, resource depletion, and population imbalances being the most important.

WOMEN'S HEALTH RESEARCH

Vaginal douching and associated factors among married women attending a family planning clinic or a gynecology clinic
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Europe)
European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology . Online access December 27, 2005.
Caliskan D | Subasi N | Sarisen O
This study determined the vaginal douching habits and associated factors of women (n=635) attending two different healthcare clinics in Turkey. Of the women, 50.2% performed vaginal douching. Vaginal douching was associated with age, education level, type of dwelling, working outside of the home, age at marriage, age at birth of first child, parity, spontaneous abortion, history of pelvic inflammatory disease, use of contraceptives, and attending a healthcare clinic.

Young age is a risk factor for HIV among female sex workers—An experience from India
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Asia)
Journal of Infection . Online access December 27, 2005.
Sarkar K | Bal B | Mukherjee R | Saha MK | Chakraborty S | Niyogi SK | Bhattacharya SK
Researchers studied the prevalence of HIV and associated risk factors among brothel-based sex workers in eastern India. Young sex workers were found to have a significantly higher HIV transmission as compared to sex workers in older age groups. The authors postulate that behavioral factors may increase a young sex worker's risk of acquiring HIV infection, including professional immaturity with clients, which might lead to more unprotected sex.

Knowledge, attitude and practice of family planning among Igbo women of south-eastern Nigeria
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Sub-Saharan Africa)
Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology. 2005 Nov;25(8):792-795.
Ikechebelu JI | Joe-Ikechebelu NN | Obiajulu FN
A total of 200 Nigerian women visiting Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital's antenatal clinic were interviewed about their knowledge, attitude, and practice of family planning. Findings indicate that despite the high education/literacy with the attendant and high knowledge and approval rate of family planning in this part of Nigeria, the practice of family planning is still low, especially due to partner objection.

Spousal abuse against women and Its consequences on reproductive health: a study in the urban slums in Bangladesh
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Asia)
Maternal and Child Health Journal. Online access December 13, 2005.
Salam A | Alim A | Noguchi T
This study assessed the association between spousal violence and women's reproductive health from eight randomly selected urban slums from four metropolitan cities in Bangladesh. Abused women suffered from gynecological problems at the time of pregnancy significantly more than non-abused women and abused women suffered from reproductive tract infections significantly more than non-abused women. Abusive husbands suffered from STDs significantly more than non-abusive husbands. Abused women used contraception significantly less than non-abused women. Spousal violence was the most important contributing factor for reproductive health problems in women.

WOMEN'S HEALTH NEWS

Doctors to go on Ganga Yatra
(News Article; Asia)
5 Jan 2006
The Hindu
Guided by the holy Ganga, a group of doctors and young men will walk along its banks covering a distance of 2,000 km in 100 days, reaching out to and conducting health camps for villagers rarely exposed to this kind of an intervention. The yatra, which is a unique concept in itself, will focus on educating women regarding safe motherhood, HIV/AIDS, other STDs, and population stabilization through leaflets, posters, and manuals.

A haven for abused women in Kosovo
(Feature Article; Europe)
5 Jan 2005
The Christian Science Monitor
Kosovo's only women's shelter, founded in 1999, is symbolic of the sweeping cultural and social changes brought on by the presence of the international peacekeeping force that arrived at the end of Kosovo's civil war. But pervasive traditionalist thinking about women's rights and a lack of support from local officials has made it difficult for the Liria Center for the Protection and Rehabilitation of Women - based in Gjilan, Kosovo - to prosper.

YOUTH HEALTH RESEARCH

Education and nutritional status of orphans and children of HIV-infected parents in Kenya
(Working Paper; Sub-Saharan Africa)
(You need Adobe Acrobat Reader to access this document)
Calverton, MD, Demographic and Health Research Division, 2005. (DHS working papers No, 24)
Mishra V | Arnold F | Otieno F | Cross A | Hong R
This report examines how school attendance and nutritional status differ between orphaned and fostered children and between children of HIV-infected parents and non HIV-infected parents in Kenya. Results show that orphaned and fostered children age 6-14 are significantly less likely to be attending school than non-orphaned, non-fostered children of HIV-negative parents. Children of HIV-infected parents are significantly less likely to be attending school, more likely to be malnourished and less likely to receive treatment for ARI and diarrhea than children of non-HIV-infected parents. Children of non-HIV-infected single mothers are more disadvantaged in nutrition, health care, and school than children who live with both non-HIV-infected parents.

HIV risk behaviors and the context of sexual coercion in young adults' sexual interactions: Results from a diary study in rural South Africa
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Sub-Saharan Africa)
Sexually Transmitted Diseases. 2006 Jan;33(1):52-58.
Hoffman S | O'sullivan LF | Harrison A | Dolezal C | Monroe-Wise A
The goal of this study was to gain insight into the specific gender dynamics in the intimate relationships of rural South African young adults that contribute to risk for HIV infection. Inconsistent condom use was more likely in relationships in which the male partner had ever used threat or force to engage in sex during this period. Male sexual coercion was more likely in relationships in which alcohol was ever used in conjunction with sex and when a man's desire to engage in sex was perceived as greater than the woman's.

Adolescent sexual behavior and attitudes: A costs and benefits approach
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; North America)
Journal of Adolescent Health . 2006 Jan;38(1):35-43.
Deptula DP | Henry DB | Shoeny ME | Slavick JT
This study examined the independent influences of attitudes concerning the costs, such as embarrassment and pregnancy, and benefits, such as physical pleasure, of sexual intercourse on reports of actual engagement in sexual intercourse controlling for age, gender, religion, and cognitive ability. Both Costs and Benefits were significantly associated with concurrent and future sexual activity after controlling for demographic variables (age, religion, gender, cognitive ability). In addition, both costs and benefits also predicted sexual initiation.

Preventing sexually transmitted infections among adolescents: 'the glass is half full'
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Global)
Current Opinion in Infectious Diseases. 2006 Feb;19(1):39-43.
DiClemente RJ | Crosby R
This review documents the efficacy of recent STI prevention programs. Overall, the review identified few STI prevention trials published since 2000. Moreover, considerable variability in program efficacy was observed across studies. Some studies observed changes in STI-associated risk behaviors, while only a few identified reductions in biologically confirmed STIs. In general, few programs demonstrated consistency of effects and a significant magnitude of effects across a broad range of outcomes.

Reducing the risk of HIV transmission among adolescents in Zambia: Psychosocial and behavioral correlates of viewing a risk-reduction media campaign
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Sub-Saharan Africa)
Journal of Adolescent Health . 2006 Jan;38(1):55.e1-55.e13.
Underwood C | Hachonda H | Serlemitsos E | Bharath-Kumar U
The purpose of this study was to evaluate phase I of a theoretically informed media campaign designed by youth in Zambia to encourage their peers to adopt risk-reduction practices to protect themselves from sexually transmitted infections and HIV. Controlling for age, sex, educational attainment, and urban or rural residence, analyses demonstrated that, compared with nonviewers, campaign viewers were 1.61 times more likely to report primary or secondary abstinence and 2.38 times more likely to have ever used a condom.

Impact of accessible sexual and reproductive health care on poor and underserved adolescents in Managua, Nicaragua: a quasi-experimental intervention study
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Central America and the Caribbean)
Journal of Adolescent Health . 2006 Jan;38(1):56.e1-56.e9.
Meuwissen LE | Gorter AC | Knottnerus AJ
This study evaluated a voucher program intended to make sexual and reproductive health care accessible to adolescents from disadvantaged areas of Managua, Nicaragua. The needs of adolescents were met with a relatively simple intervention through existing health facilities, and many seemed willing to protect themselves against STDs. This suggests that access to sexual and reproductive health care can play an important role in changing youth behavior and increase the use of contraceptives and condoms.

Abstinence and abstinence-only education: A review of U.S. policies and programs
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; North America)
Journal of Adolescent Health . 2006 Jan;38(1):72-81.
Santelli J | Ott MA | Lyon M | Rogers J | Summers D | Schleifer R
This article reviews the effects of the recent absitence-only policies of the US.

YOUTH HEALTH NEWS

Toll of circumcision deaths increases to 22
(News Article; Sub-Saharan Africa)
9 Jan 2006
The Herald
Traditional leaders have been urged to play a direct and leading role in preventing the continued deaths of initiates in the Eastern Cape. The renewed call by the province’s House of Traditional Leaders follows the death of an initiate who hanged himself at Bolothwa in the Queenstown area on New Year’s day.

Calling for youth education on HIV/AIDS
(News Article; Sub-Saharan Africa)
5 Jan 2006
VANGUARD
Despite the growing number of HIV/AIDS infections among youth in Nigeria, and a push by different agencies to adopt a comprehensive approach towards educating the youth on the HIV/AIDS epidemic, the government's efforts at educating youth have been rather slow.

Teenagers new HIV/AIDS threat group in Mizoram
(News Article; Asia)
19 Dec 2005
Web India 123
A new group of sex workers who have "chosen the profession to earn extra money to maintain their high life style" is posing a serious threat towards the containment of HIV/AIDS proliferation in Mizoram, India.

S.Africa youth AIDS programme faces cash crunch
(News Article; Sub-Saharan Africa)
4 Jan 2006
Reuters
South Africa's national youth HIV/AIDS program faces a funding crunch following a move by the global AIDS funding organization to stop financing it, which the program head blamed in part on U.S. interference.

Calendar of Events

See All Events

May 8, 2006 - May 12, 2006
Food Security and HIV/AIDS: An Integrated Response to the Dual Epidemics of Hunger and HIV/AIDS in Africa
The four principal themes of the forum are Impact of HIV/AIDS on Household Food Security & Nutrition, Community Resiliency, Livelihood Interventions that Improve Health, and Monitoring and Evaluation in HIV/AIDS, Food Security & Nutrition Programming.
Event Location: Lusaka, Zambia

November 15, 2006 - November 22, 2006
International Child Health
This is a six-day course organised by the Australian International Health Institute, The University of Melbourne, in collaboration with the Centre for International Health of Burnet Institute and the Centre for International Child Health of the Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne. It is intended for health program planners, development workers, and other health practitioners.
Contact's Name: Joni Law / E-Mail: jycl@unimelb.edu.au
Event Location: Melbourne, Australia

"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!

Robert Jacoby, Editor
Ghazaleh Samandari, Research Analyst

Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health: The INFO Project

Volume 6, Number 1 9 January 2006