Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health: The INFO Project

Your knowledge-sharing resource on family planning and reproductive health

Shopping Basket

The Pop Reporter®

Volume 6, Number 4
30 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

Guest Editorials (free with every subscription)

Coping with Crises: How Providers Can Meet Reproductive Health Needs in Crisis Situations


Author: Deepa Ramchandran, MHS

dramchan@jhuccp.org

As of mid-2005 some 45 countries, predominantly in Africa and Asia, faced crises related to armed conflicts or natural disasters. Today, nearly 40 million people have fled their homes as a result of conflicts and now are living as refugees outside their countries, or more often, as displaced people within their own countries. Natural disasters affect millions more.

Health care systems, often struggling to meet people’s needs at the best of times, can be quickly overwhelmed in crises situations. They may even be crippled by disaster and conflict. As a result, many people’s reproductive health needs are often neglected. What can local reproductive health care providers do when crisis strikes?

This latest issue of Population Reports can help national and community reproductive health care providers respond to crisis situations and collaborate with international relief agencies. This issue also discusses how relief agencies can address the reproductive health needs of refugees as part of emergency care. Health care providers understand people’s needs and have experience meeting them, but few have worked in humanitarian relief. By learning more and being prepared, family planning providers and managers—whether at the community level or internationally—could help in several ways:

• Plan ahead. Make emergency preparedness plans that consider staffing, logistics, supplies, infrastructure, establishing relationships with news media, and coordination with other organizations. Disaster preparedness training courses can help providers and government officials respond effectively when crises occur. The International Committee of the Red Cross provides the “Health in Emergencies in Large Populations (H.E.L.P)” course, a 3-week module focused on reproductive health in large-scale emergency situations.

• Follow guides to crisis care. The materials that guide international humanitarian relief providers—particularly the Inter-Agency Field Manual and its Minimum Initial Service Package (MISP)—can inform local providers of the reproductive health care needs of refugees. The Inter-Agency Field Manual is a key tool for planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation. The MISP is a series of activities and supplies designed to give health care providers the tools they need to deal with critical steps in a natural disaster or conflict where many people are displaced; minimize mistakes that health care workers might make because they are unfamiliar with crisis situations; and, as a result, save lives. The MISP is intended for the acute phase of a crisis and can be implemented immediately without a needs assessment. Kits of supplies that are part of the MISP can be ordered at any time, without waiting for an emergency situation.

• Collaborate with international relief agencies as soon as possible to help provide sustained, integrated emergency care. Approach someone working for a UN organization and ask which organizations and/or individuals are coordinating and implementing reproductive health care or the MISP. Offer your services and give your qualifications. If you represent your hospital or clinic, provide its roster of staff names and qualifications and the health services it can offer.

• Coordinate with other relief and health care organizations for efficiency and speed. One organization or person should serve as the focal point for reproductive health care.

• Focus on refugees not living in camps. Refugees dispersed among the host communities need as much help as refugees in camps, and local organizations may be able to serve them better than relief agencies.

• Seek help from the survivors. Some refugees may be health care professionals themselves. Often, they can contribute their skills to care for others.

• Work toward recovery. When the international relief workers leave, local health care organizations and providers take back the full responsibility for serving people’s needs. With adequate support, strong health care services, with a strong reproductive health care component, can speed the transition from relief to recovery.

• Join the Inter-Agency Working Group (IAWG). Any reproductive health organization or humanitarian relief agency can join the Inter-Agency Working Group on Reproductive Health in Refugee Situations. The working group seeks to improve interagency collaboration and improve reproductive health care for people in crisis situations. Additionally, reproductive health care providers can join the IAWG electronic mailing list to receive updates on reproductive health care in crisis situations. For further information, contact Nadine Cornier at UNHCR.

Through cooperation and collaboration, international relief agencies and national and local reproductive health programs can help people survive an emergency, sustain their health, and rebuild their lives.

Based on Population Reports, Coping with Crises: How Providers Can Meet Reproductive Health Needs in Crisis Situations. For printed copies of the report, send an e-mail to orders@jhuccp.org or write to Orders Department, Center for Communication Programs, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 111 Market Place, Suite 310, Baltimore, MD 21202, USA. Or use our online order form.

References:

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Reproductive health in refugee situations: An inter-agency field manual. New York, UNHCR, 1999. Available: <http://www.unfpa.org/emergencies/manual/index.htm>.

FAMILY PLANNING/REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH RESEARCH

Gender, social networks, and contraceptive use in Kenya
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Sub-Saharan Africa)
Sex Roles. 2005 Dec;53(11-12):835 - 846.
Musalia JM
This study adds to the growing literature in situating the role of geography and interaction with significant others (community and family members) in understanding Kenya's puzzling fertility transition. Findings indicate that, contrary to previous findings that kin networks are conservative and against innovative fertility behavior, the respondent families, especially in the more prosperous Central Province, are supportive of fertility innovation. Community wide networks are not as influential in directing fertility behavior as own family members are.



Pharmacists' knowledge and perceptions of emergency contraceptive pills in Soweto and the Johannesburg central business district, South Africa
(Research Article; Sub-Saharan Africa)
International Family Planning Perspectives. 2005 Dec;31(4):172–178.
Blanchard K | Harrison T | Sello M
This study assessed pharmacists' knowledge of and attitudes toward emergency contraceptives in South Africa. Nearly all pharmacists sold at least one of the two types of dedicated emergency contraceptive pills available in South Africa. Although most had accurate knowledge about the method's dosing schedule, side effects, and mechanism(s) of action, more than half erroneously believed that repeated use posed health risks. A large majority of pharmacists believed the pills should be available to rape victims, to single or married women, and to women who had never given birth, but almost half did not think the pills should be given to women younger than 18, and a fourth said they would not give them to women with a late menstrual period. About one-third to half of pharmacists supported advance provision of the medication under certain circumstances. Most were willing to display promotional materials on emergency contraceptives in their pharmacies.



Effective use of hormonal contraceptives: Part I: Combined oral contraceptive pills
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Global)
Contraception. 2006 Feb;73(2):115-124.
Curtis KM | Chrisman CE | Mohllajee AP | Peterson HB
This systematic review examines evidence regarding when during the menstrual cycle a woman can initiate combined oral contraceptive (COC) use and what can be done if a woman misses COCs. Evidence from these studies suggested that taking hormonally active pills for 7 consecutive days prevents normal ovulation and that initiating COCs through Day 5 of the menstrual cycle suppresses follicular activity. Studies on the effects of missed COCs generally showed that the risk of ovulation is greatest when the pill-free interval lasts more than 7 days.



Effective use of hormonal contraceptives: Part II: combined hormonal injectables, progestogen-only injectables and contraceptive implants
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Global)
Contraception. 2006 Feb;73(2):125-133.
Chrisman CE | Curtis KM | Mohllajee AP | Gaffield ME | Peterson HB
This systematic review evaluated evidence regarding controversial issues in the clinical management of women using injectable and implantable contraceptives. Results of the studies reviewed showed that initiating injectable and implantable contraceptives through day 7 of the menstrual cycle suppresses follicular activity.



Are young cohorts of women delaying first birth in Mexico?
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Central America and the Caribbean)
Journal of Population Economics. Online access December 10, 2005.
Miranda A
In the last decades, female permanent sterilization became the most used method of contraception in Mexico. During this time, the demand for pills, condoms, and other short-term contraceptives fell consistently. The shift in the demand for contraceptives raises concerns among demographers that the timing of children may remain unchanged regardless of observed reductions in period fertility rates. This paper assesses such ideas in the context of the timing of a first child using duration models as the main analysis tool. Findings suggest that young cohorts of women are effectively delaying first birth relative to the experience of older generations.



Reasons for contraceptive nonuse at first sex and unintended pregnancy
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; North America)
American Journal of Health Behavior. 2006 Jan-Feb;30(1):92-102.
Iuliano AD | Speizer IS | Santelli J | Kendall C
This study examined reasons for contraceptive nonuse at first sex and subsequent unintended pregnancy among women attending family planning and prenatal clinics. Concern about parents' finding out about sexual activity was a common reason for nonuse at first sex and first unintended pregnancy. Problems accessing and discontinuation of contraception were reasons given at second or higher order unintended pregnancy.

FAMILY PLANNING/REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH NEWS

AIDS drive to turn Rwandans onto condoms
(News Article; Sub-Saharan Africa)
25 Jan 2005
AFP
The Rwandan government has launched its first national campaign to promote condoms among the largely illiterate population in a new drive to fight the spread of HIV/AIDS.



Civil 'war' over condoms
(News Article; North Africa)
26 Jan 2006
Inter Press Service
When the Moroccan Association for the Fight Against AIDS launched a campaign last month to raise money to fight AIDS, it had no idea it would have another kind of fight on its hands. The association is now fighting Islamists who accuse it if spreading "the culture of the condom" through its 'telethon' to raise funds.

FAMILY PLANNING/REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH LAW AND POLICY

Reconfiguring child and parental rights: a case for coerced contraception
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Global)
Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal. Online access November 17, 2005.
Flagrant child abuse and neglect touches community sensibilities and suggests the option of coerced contraception in dealing with irresponsible contraception. This idea is resisted by the notion that the right to reproduce is fundamental. Law and ethics uphold this right, seeing it grounded in privacy and bodily integrity. Gender, race, and class issues also argue against the idea of coerced contraception. This essay challenges these traditional positions by constructing a case for coerced contraception from several viewpoints.



Government support for mail-order brides
(News Article; Asia)
24 Jan 2006
Reuters
A rural province in South Korea plans to give financial aid to help lonely male farmers pay for mail-order brides from overseas. South Kyongsang province plans to start a trial program in which it will give 6 million won (US$6,113) to male farmers who marry foreign women. South Korean farmers have been turning to brides from other parts of Asia in recent years after struggling to woo local women, who are often less than enthralled with the prospect of rural life.

HIV/AIDS RESEARCH

Voluntary counseling and testing by nurse counselors: what is the role of routine repeated testing after a negative result?
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Sub-Saharan Africa)
Clinical Infectious Diseases. 2006 Feb 15;42(4):569-571.
Matambo R | Dauya E | Mutswanga J | Makanza E | Chandiwana S | Mason PR | Butterworth AE | Corbett EL
Several hundred HIV negative clients in Zimbabwe were retested at 3 months using two parallel rapid tests. The low prevalence of HIV infection reported here (0.26%) question the likely cost-effectiveness of routine retesting to exclude window period and other false-negative results, suggesting the need for a wider revaluation of the evidence to support this policy in resource-poor settings.



The impact of HIV on cities in the era of treatment: a global perspective
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Global)
Technology in Society. Online access January 24, 2006.
Nash D | Elul B
This paper summarizes key aspects of the global HIV situation, focusing on HIV care and treatment programs that provide ART and their programs' impact on the epidemiology of the disease, with a particular focus on urban areas. Urban populations in both resource-rich and resource-limited settings have been impacted harder by the HIV epidemic than their rural counterparts. The authors discuss the impact of HIV in cities before and after the introduction of ART using the example of New York City, one of the world's most resource-rich cities affected by HIV, and draw on the available data from resource-limited settings to anticipate the possible impact of HIV care and treatment programs in sub-Saharan Africa and other resource-poor settings, along with strategies that can be used for evaluating impact.



Disclosure of HIV serostatus to sex partners: a new approach to measurement
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Global | North America)
Sexually Transmitted Diseases. 2006 Feb;33(2):102-105.
Niccolai LM | King E | D'Entremont D | Pritchett EN
The objective of this study was to assess measurement of full HIV serostatus disclosure (before sex), delayed disclosure (after sex), and no disclosure to both current and recent past (in the last year) sex partners. People with HIV/AIDS were recruited from one urban hospital-based HIV clinic and two community-based HIV/AIDS organizations in the United States. It was concluded that standard measures may underestimate nondisclosure. Counseling and interventions that promote disclosure should include strategies for disclosure in ongoing relationships, assistance in notifying past partners, and a focus on partnership characteristics and dynamics.



High prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases among men who have sex with men in Jiangsu Province, China
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Asia)
Sexually Transmitted Diseases. 2006 Feb;33(2):118-123.
Jiang J | Cao N | Zhang J | Xia Q | Gong X | Xue H | Yang H | Zhang G | Shao C
This study invetigated the prevalence of STDs, including HIV infection, and sexual risk behaviors among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Jiangsu Province, China. The authors write that, given that HIV prevalence among MSM in some other parts of China has been as high as 3%, STDs facilitate the transmission of HIV, and high prevalence of STDs and sexual risk behaviors among MSM exist in Jiangsu Province, the potential for the future spread of HIV is of concern, and it is urgent to provide MSMs with STD healthcare services and HIV/AIDS/STD prevention education and intervention.



Rural-to-urban migrants and the HIV epidemic in China
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Asia)
AIDS and Behavior. Online access January 19, 2006.
Hong Y | Stanton B | Li X | Yang H | Lin D | Fang X | Wang J | Mao R
This qualitative study was designed to explore the social and cultural context of the lives of rural-to-urban migrants and their HIV-related perceptions and behaviors with a particular focus on their relevance to sexual transmission of HIV. The findings suggest an urgent need for HIV/STI prevention programs that address the cultural, social, and economic constraints facing the migrant population in China.



Impact of an educational intervention to promote condom use among the male partners of HIV positive women
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; South America)
Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice. 2006 Jan;12(1):102-111.
Silveira MF | Dos Santos IS
An intervention aimed at increasing condom use by male partners was delivered to HIV positive women attending a Brazilian clinic. It included educational advice delivered by doctors and unlimited access to free condoms. After the training, doctors were more likely to provide advice on condom use. Reported use increased by 14.2% in the intervention group after 30 days.



Gender and HIV/AIDS in the Asia and Pacific region
(Working Paper; Asia)
(You need Adobe Acrobat Reader to access this document)
UNESCAP, 2005.
This paper focuses on the ways in which HIV/AIDS affects men and women differently, highlighting that risks of contracting the virus differ for men and women, addresses gender-specific reasons for faster rates of female HIV/AIDS prevalence, and highlights features and experiences of HIV/AIDS in a few subregions. It also reviews effective strategies and concludes with recommendations.



Drug users: a potentially important bridge population in the transmission of sexually transmitted diseases, including AIDS, in China
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Asia)
Sexually Transmitted Diseases. 2006 Feb;33(2):111-117.
Liu H | Grusky O | Li X | Ma E
This study examined risk characteristics among bridge and nonbridge drug users. It was concluded that the pervasiveness of bridgers among drug users and their risky sexual behavior underscore their role in the spread of STDs.



Biologic and social determinants of sequelae and long-term survival of pediatric HIV in Romania.
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Europe)
Annals of Epidemiology. Online access January 20, 2006.
Kozinetz CA | Matusa R | Hacker CS
This study investigated the effects of social context and clinical factors on survival in a cohort of 333 children in Constanta, Romania to identify issues useful in the treatment and care of HIV infected youth in developing countries. Results suggest that recognition of social-context risk factors for HIV disease progression and survival is important in developing countries, as it is in developed countries.



Expanding access to HIV prevention
(Research Article; Global)
(You need Adobe Acrobat Reader to access this document)
AIDS Research and Therapy. 2006 Jan;3(1)
Gayle HD
This article, written by the Director of HIV, TB, and Reproductive Health at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, describes the foundation’s HIV/AIDS grantmaking priorities, which focus on two critical areas: first, maximizing use of currently available prevention tools and integrating them with treatment and care; and second, accelerating research on new prevention tools.

HIV/AIDS NEWS

Bangladesh model for Muslim world to fight AIDS
(Feature Article; Asia)
27 Jan 2006
The Daily Star (Bangladesh)
Bangladesh can be a role model for other Muslim nations in involving religious leaders for creating awareness on taboos like HIV and AIDS, Dr. Nafis Sadik, special adviser to the UN secretary general, said recently.



Religious groups getting more AIDS funding
(News Article; Global)
30 Jan 2006
Associated Press
New groups are springing up to win a piece of President Bush’s $15 billion AIDS program, with traditional players and religious groups joining forces to improve their chances in a competition that already has targeted nearly a quarter of its grants for faith-based organizations.



China lowers AIDS estimate but says risk still high
(News Article; Asia)
25 Jan 2006
Reuters
China recently lowered its estimate of the number of HIV/AIDS victims in the country by nearly 30%, but experts warned against complacency, saying the figure was still rising with people unaware of the dangers.



Kyrgyzstan: Rise in prostitution threatens to fuel jump in HIV/AIDS
(News Article; Asia)
25 Jan 2006
Integrated Regional Information Networks
A worrying trend in Kyrgyxstan is that the number of HIV-infected women has been increasing over the past few years, and 67% of them were infected though sexual intercourse.



Rwanda starts condom drive
(News Article; Sub-Saharan Africa)
25 Jan 2006
News 24
The Rwandan government has launched its first national campaign to promote condoms among the largely illiterate population in a new drive to fight the spread of HIV/AIDS. The country's "first national condom policy" seeks to break down religious and cultural resistance to the prophylactics in the tiny central African nation, where fewer than half of those in the most vulnerable age group have used them.



BBC quits HIV prevention campaign over U.S. policy
(News Article; Sub-Saharan Africa)
27 Jan 2006
The Advocate
The BBC World Service Trust has abandoned an HIV prevention project it conducts in Tanzania with U.S. AIDS funds rather than comply with a U.S. directive requiring all agencies receiving U.S. funds to sign a pledge opposing sex work. Trust officials say the pledge would have required them to portray sex workers in a negative light in their radio programs and public service announcements and that they were unwilling to do so. They also say had they signed the pledge, they would have been required to promote abstinence and to highlight the failure rates of condoms in protecting against HIV and other STDs.



Zambia blames bad traditional practices for HIV/AIDS
(News Article; Sub-Saharan Africa)
27 Jan 2006
Xinhua
The Zambian government recently said that the number of widows and orphans in the country is alarming, blaming it on bad traditional practices.



New HIV diagnoses rise In 2005 UK
(News Article; Europe)
26 Jan 2006
Medical News Today
The number of new cases of HIV diagnoses in the UK rose in 2005. According to the Health Protection Agency (HPA), the main reason for the rise is the increase in new cases among men who have sex with men.



Resistance to HIV drugs in UK may be lower in some areas
(Letter to the Editor; Europe)
British Medical Journal. 2006 Jan 21;332(7534):179-180.
Fox JM | Fidler S | Weber J
The UK Group on Transmitted HIV Drug Resistance reports an increase in the prevalence of transmitted HIV drug resistance of 14.2% between 1996 and 2003, which is increasing over time. Using the same definition of drug resistance as the UK group, a study of primary HIV infection at St. Mary's Hospital, London, showed that the prevalence and annual incidence of transmitted drug resistance have remained low and stable, at 6% between 2000 and 2005.



Hanoi’s first treatment centre for HIV/AIDS patients inaugurated
(News Article; Asia)
25 Jan 2006
Nhan Dan
The first center providing care and treatment services for HIV/AIDS patients in Vietnam was inaugurated in Hanoi on January 24.

MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH RESEARCH

Protection, promotion and support of breastfeeding in low-income countries
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Global)
Seminars in Fetal and Neonatal Medicine. 2006 Feb;11(1):48-53.
Cattaneo A | Quintero-Romero S
This paper presents some evidence about interventions that are effective to protect, promote, and support breastfeeding in the health system and in the community. These interventions should not be implemented in isolation, but as part of an integrated and intersectoral program, with a participatory approach that takes local cultural characteristics into account. Lack of political will is probably the most important factor associated with inadequate protection, promotion, and support of breastfeeding.



A framework for the development of maternal quality of care indicators
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; North America)
Maternal and Child Health Journal. Online access September 14, 2005.
Korst LM | Gregory KD | Lu MC | Reyes C | Hobel CJ | Chavez GF
This study developed potential indicators for the assessment of maternal health care quality. Ninety potential indicators were identified. Each underwent a thorough review based on: its definition, objective, and validity; its contribution to innovation; the cost and timeliness of implementation; its feasibility, acceptability, and potential effectiveness; and its compatibility with ethics, values, and social policy. This process yielded 24 final indicators from the following categories: health status and sccess; preconception and interconception care; antenatal care; labor and delivery care, and postpartum care.



Health-risk behaviors in a sample of first-time pregnant adolescents
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; North America)
Public Health Nursing. 2005 Nov;22(6):483-493.
Kaiser MM | Hays BJ
This study assessed the frequency of prenatal health-risk behaviors (substance use, sexual risk taking, and prenatal class attendance) among a nonrandom sample of first-time pregnant adolescents in the United States. The health-risk behavior most modified during pregnancy was alcohol use. Of the 52/145 who used street drugs, nine continued despite pregnancy. Of the 75/145 who smoked early in pregnancy, 39 continued. The majority did not use a condom at last sexual intercourse. Approximately half attended a prenatal class and half attended a teen parenting class.

MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH NEWS

Russian government says infant mortality down
(News Article; Asia)
27 Jan 2006
RIA Novosti
Infant and maternal mortality rates in Russia have been falling steadily in the past 4 years, but have not yet reached the European average.



Mother's milk enlisted in South Africa AIDS fight
(Feature Article; Sub-Saharan Africa)
27 Jan 2006
Reuters
Ithemba Lethu's milk bank, founded five years ago, has won widespread praise as an effective, grass-roots response to the AIDS crisis in South Africa, where an estimated 5 million people, or one in nine of the population, are HIV-positive.

MEN'S HEALTH NEWS

Ultra-Orthodox Jews criticised over circumcision practice
(News Article; North America)
British Medical Journal. 2006 Jan 21;332(7534):137.
Tanne JH
This article focuses on the controversy over an ancient circumcision practice by ultra-Orthodox Jews called metzitzah b'peh ("suction by mouth"). The practice led to the death of one newborn boy from herpes simplex type 1 and caused brain damage in another. Seven cases of herpes have been linked to the practice since 1998.

POPULATION RESEARCH

Analysis of the determinants of fertility decline in the Czech Republic
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Europe)
Population Economics. Online access January 24, 2006.
Klasen S | Launov A
This paper analyzes the decline in the total fertility rate (TFR) in the Czech Republic during the economic transition. Researchers found that the negative effect of transition on TFR is mostly driven by a sharply increased influence of higher education, limited ability to combine employment with childbearing, and lack of adequate childcare facilities. They also detected a significant role of the increased use of contraception, motivated by both economic and demographic reasons.

POPULATION NEWS

Russian population shrinks to 142.8 million
(News Article; Asia)
30 Jan 2006
Interfax
Russia's population fell to 142.8 million, a drop of 675,100 or 0.47% in the first 11 months of the year, the Federal State Statistics Service said.



German chancellor wants more babies
(News Article; Europe)
28 Jan 2006
UPI
Germany's new chancellor has made raising the county's birth rate a priority because some 40% of women are not having children. Chancellor Angela Merkel said she is concerned that more than a third of German women are not having children and every year 100,000 more Germans die than are born.

WOMEN'S HEALTH RESEARCH

Hormonal contraceptive use and risk of sexually transmitted infections: a systematic review
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Global)
Contraception. 2006 Feb;73(2):154-165.
Mohllajee AP | Curtis KM | Martins SL | Peterson HB
This article looks at whether hormonal contraceptive users, as compared to nonusers, may be at increased risk for acquiring STIs. The authors summarize and assess the quality of 83 identified studies. They found that studies of combined oral contraceptive and depot medroxyprogesterone use generally reported positive associations with cervical chlamydial infection, although not all associations were statistically significant. For other STIs, the findings suggested no association between hormonal contraceptive use and STI acquisition, or the results were too limited to draw any conclusions.



Does insertion and use of an intrauterine device increase the risk of pelvic inflammatory disease among women with sexually transmitted infection? A systematic review
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Global)
Contraception. 2006 Feb;73(2):145-153.
Mohllajee AP | Curtis KM | Peterson HB
This research review examined whether the insertion of copper and levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine devices (IUDs) increases the risk of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) among women with sexually transmitted infection (STI). None of the studies that examined women with STIs compared the risk of PID between those with insertion or use of an IUD and those who had not received an IUD. A review of studies found on MEDLINE suggested that women with chlamydial infection or gonorrhea at the time of IUD insertion were at an increased risk of PID relative to women without infection.



Vaginal douching practice in Turkish women: who is douching, and why?
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Europe)
Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. 2005 Dec;45(6):522-525.
Karaer A | Avsar AF | Ozkan O | Bayir B | Sayan K
The aim of this study was to describe vaginal douching practices among women of reproductive age in Turkey and to examine the association between this practice and adverse reproductive health consequences. The authors found that the practice is primarily used for hygienic reasons; most women used water alone and homemade solution. Using a multivariate model, only age and intrauterine device usage were associated with vaginal douching.

WOMEN'S HEALTH NEWS

Afghanistan: Pervasive gender gaps need urgent addressing, says World Bank
(News Article; Asia)
26 Jan 2006
Integrated Regional Information Networks
Related News Article: Afghanistan: National reconstruction and poverty reduction - the role of women in Afghanistan's future
(You need Adobe Acrobat Reader to access this document)
A new World Bank report has warned that reconstruction and development in post-conflict Afghanistan will be severely affected unless pervasive gender gaps are addressed.



Roma women were unlawfully sterilised
(News Article; Europe)
British Medical Journal. 2006 Jan 21;332(7534):138.
Krosnar K
At least 50 Czech women were unlawfully sterilized and should be awarded financial compensation as they were coerced into sterilizations, a report from the country’s ombudsman has said. Under communist rule, social workers often offered a one-off payment equal to four times the average monthly salary to persuade Roma women against having more children. Even after the law was changed in 1991, doctors have continued to persuade Roma women to have sterilizations.



EU governments to fight violence against women
(News Article; Europe)
26 Jan 2006
Expatica
Governments across the European Union aim to hammer out common legislation to fight "tradition-based" violence against women, including forced marriages, genital mutilation, and so-called honor-killings, a leading EU official said recently.



Studies: women genetically programmed to cheat
(News Article; Global)
4 Jan 2006
ABC News
Related Abstract; subscription needed for full text: Conditional expression of women's desires and men's mate guarding across the ovulatory cycle
Two new studies find that women may be genetically predisposed to cheating on their partners.

YOUTH HEALTH RESEARCH

Perceived quality of reproductive care for girls in a competitive voucher programme. A quasi-experimental intervention study, Managua, Nicaragua
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Central America and the Caribbean)
International Journal for Quality in Health Care. 2006 Jan;18(1):35-42.
Meuwissen LE | Gorter AC | Knottnerus JA
This study determined whether female adolescents from low-income areas in Managua were satisfied with the sexual and reproductive health (SRH) care provided through a competitive voucher program and to analyze the determinants of their satisfaction. Results show voucher use by teenage girls was associated with a better perceived SRH care.



Weight gain in obese and nonobese adolescent girls initiating depot medroxyprogesterone, oral contraceptive pills, or no hormonal contraceptive method
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; North America)
Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine. 2006 Jan;160(1):40-45.
Bonny AE | Ziegler J | Harvey R | Debanne SM | Secic M | Cromer BA
This study examined weight changes in a large cohort of obese and nonobese adolescent girls initiating depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA), an oral contraceptive (OC), or no hormonal contraceptive method (control). Weight was examined as mean change over 18 months and actual weight at each study visit. Adolescent girls who were obese at initiation of DMPA gained significantly more weight than did obese girls starting OC or control. At 18 months, mean weight gain was 9.4, 0.2, and 3.1 kg for obese girls receiving DMPA, receiving OC, and control, respectively. Weight gain in obese girls receiving DMPA was also greater than weight gain in all nonobese categories.



Peer education in HIV prevention: an evaluation in schools
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Europe)
European Journal of Public Health. Online access January 23, 2006.
Merakou K | Kourea-Kremastinou J
This study tested the effectiveness of the peer education method in HIV prevention in high school settings through a pilot intervention.



Stop violence against us!: summary report: a preliminary national research study into the prevalence and perceptions of Cambodian children to violence against children in Cambodia
(Report; Asia)
(You need Adobe Acrobat Reader to access this document)
Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Tearfund, 2005.
Miles G | Varin S
This report is an attempt to get information about the prevalence of three aspects of the problem of violence against children - sexual abuse, domestic violence, and corporal punishment. It is also an attempt to listen to children's own perceptions and to continue to explore ways to address violence that include those not yet considered.

YOUTH HEALTH NEWS

British girls among most violent in world, WHO survey shows
(News Article; Global)
24 Jan 2006
Guardian
British girls are among the most violent in the world, with nearly one in three Scottish and English adolescents admitting to having been involved in a fight in the past year, according to research.



Burma to tackle sex education in schools
(News Article; Asia)
25 Jan 2006
The Irrawaddy News Magazine Online Edition
Burma plans to add an HIV/AIDS prevention and education program to its national school curriculum targeting children aged between 7 and 16, an age group considered particularly vulnerable.



Youth urged to dodge HIV/AIDS by busying themselves with sports
(News Article; Sub-Saharan Africa)
26 Jan 2006
Zambia News Agency
A Non-Governmental Organization has called on youths in the country to direct their energy to sports activities as opposed to indulging in activities that would expose them to HIV/AIDS.

Calendar of Events

See All Events

November 28, 2005 - December 2, 2005
5th Annual Congress of Midwives of South Africa
The congress aims to improve the quality of maternal and child health care being provided by midwives and other health care providers.
E-Mail: accounts@rca.co.zaEvent Location: Nelspruit, Mpumalanga, South Africa


February 8, 2006 - February 10, 2006
Impact Assessment: How Do We Know We are Making a Difference?
This INTRAC workshop will review the developments in the methodologies for assessing the impact of the types of Social Development work undertaken by NGOs. It will analyze the emergence of Impact Assessment as a separate discipline. It will also explore the areas of overlap between evaluations, which look at the efficiency and effectiveness of outcomes, and impact assessment which aims to identify the longer-term changes associated with Social Development work. The workshop will examine to what extent the NGO community’s experience with impact assessment has begun to contribute to the body of knowledge about likely benefits (and problems) with particular ways of working.
E-Mail: training@intrac.orgEvent Location: London, England

---

"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

Disclaimer: The information provided on this web site is not official U.S. Government information and does not represent the views or positions of the U.S. Agency for International Development, the U.S. Government or The Johns Hopkins University.