Volume 6, Number 19
15 May 2006

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FAMILY PLANNING/REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH RESEARCH

Lessons for management of sexually transmitted infection treatment programs as part of HIV/AIDS prevention strategies
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Central America and the Caribbean)
American Journal of Public Health. Online access May 2, 2006.
Mckay J | Campbell D | Gorter AC
The authors analyzed the treatment schedule of a long-running HIV/AIDS prevention program in Managua, Nicaragua, that targets sex workers through mass and specific clinic-based treatment of STIs and confirmed the role of frequency of treatment in generating a sustained reduction in measured prevalence of STIs.

Sexually transmitted infection services as a component of HIV care: findings of a demonstration project among HIV-infected women in Thailand
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Asia)
Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes. 2006 April 15;41(5):671-674.
Sirivongrangson P | Bollen LJM | Chaovavanich A | Suksripanich O| Jirarojwat N | Virapat P | Charoenwatanachokchai A | Lokpichat S | Pobkeeree V | Chantharojwong N | Supawitkul S | Tappero JW | Levine WC
Two-hundred ten HIV-infected women at an infectious disease clinic (n=150) and an STI clinic (n=60) received STI services from July 2003 through February 2004. The prevalence for any STI was 8% at the infectious disease clinic and 30% at the STI clinic. Of the 116 (55.2%) sexually active women, 42 (36.2%) reported sex without a condom during the last 3 months. Women receiving antiretroviral treatment reported condom use during last sex more often compared with those not receiving antiretroviral treatment (82.2% vs. 58.8%).

Distribution of contraceptive use in a Turkish population
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Europe)
European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology. Online access May 3, 2006.
Bozkurta N | Özkanb S | Onana A | Korucuoðlua U | Aygünb R | Himmetoðlu O
Researchers estimated the distribution of contraceptive use among reproductive age women (n=2365) in a Turkish population. During the time period just after marriage, 1,914 women (80.9%) declared that they did not use any type of contraception. Among 451 women who had used a contraceptive method just after marriage, the most commonly used method was condoms (34.2%), followed by oral contraceptives (31.2%) and coitus interruptus (25.9%). When their history of contraceptive use was asked, 1,903 women (80.2%) stated that they used a method of contraception while 462 women (19.5%) had never used any type of contraceptive. When distribution of contraceptive methods among women was analyzed, it was found that intrauterine devices were the most commonly used method (n=1046, 55%).

Barriers to contraceptive use in product labeling and practice guidelines
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Global | North America)
American Journal of Public Health. 2006 May;96(5):791-799.
Grossman D | Ellertson C | Abuabara K | Blanchard K | Rivas FT
The authors reviewed the labeling of the major contraceptives available on the market worldwide, as well as the contraceptive practice guidelines of the leading professional and public sector organizations active in family planning. Their hypothesis was that both labeling and practice guidelines create barriers to access that, if removed, could increase the number of contraceptive users. They also identified research priorities to help solidify the evidence supporting simplifying the provision of contraceptives.

HIV, HBV, HCV, and syphilis co-infections among patients attending the STD clinics of district hospitals in Northern India
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Asia)
International Journal of Infectious Diseases. Online access May 04, 2006.
Hussain T | Kulshreshtha KK | Sinha S | Yadav VS | Katoch VM
The objective of the study was to assess the risk of co-infections with HIV, hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), and syphilis among patients attending STD clinics, antenatal clinics, and Ob-Gyn outpatients department clinics. Results indicate a substantial percentage of the outpatients seen in the clinics of the district hospital in Uttar Pradesh harbor HIV and viral hepatitis infections, which otherwise would remain undiagnosed without serological screening.

Screening for sexually transmitted infections at a DeAddictions service in South India
(Research Article; Asia)
Drug and Alcohol Dependence. 2006 Apr 28;82(2):127-134.
Carey MP | Ravi V | Chandra PS | Desai A | Neald DJ
The authors estimated the lifetime prevalence of four STIs and identified correlates of these infections among patients seeking care for a substance use disorder at a specialized DeAddictions unit in southern India. One-quarter of all patients tested positive for at least one STI. Lifetime seroprevalence rates were 12.9% for syphilis, 10.3% for chlamydia, 3.1% for Hepatitis B, and 1.1% for HIV. Analyses did not reveal any consistent pattern of associations between STI status and sociodemographic, psychiatric, and sexual behavioral characteristics.

Use of contraceptive methods by sexually active women in São Leopoldo, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
(Abstract; South America)
Cadernos de Saúde Pública. 2006 May;22(5):1101-1109.
Carreno I | Dias-da-Costa JS | Olinto MTA | Meneghel S
This population-based cross-sectional study in the urban area of São Leopoldo, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, analyzed the prevalence of contraceptive use and socioeconomic variables in 867 women reporting an active sex life (84.5%), stratified by age groups. 627 women (61.1%) reported use of contraceptive methods. In the 20- to 49-year-old group, 48.8% reported using oral contraceptives, 18.7% tubal ligation, 17.3% condoms, and 7.3% IUDs. In the 50- to 60-year-old group, the most widely used method was tubal ligation (79.6%) (women with less schooling showed a higher prevalence). Prevalence of oral contraception was higher in low-income women. The full text of this article is available in Portuguese.

Emergency contraception: a contraceptive intervention approaching target despite controversy and opposition
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Global)
Journal of Public Health. Online access April 6, 2006.
Sarkar NN
The objective of this study is to make the public aware of progress, safety, effectiveness of use, acceptance, and over-the-counter availability of emergency contraception.

FAMILY PLANNING/REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH NEWS

Pakistan: Couples marrying by choice face many dangers
(Feature Article; Asia)
10 May 2006
Integrated Regional Information Networks
At least two young couples who recently married by choice in Pakistan are today on the run and at risk of imminent murder, says the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan.

Women's deaths mystery widens
(News Article; Global | North America)
10 May 2006
Associated Press
A rare germ that killed four California women who took the abortion pill RU-486 has been implicated in the deaths of even more women following childbirth or miscarriage, broadening the debate beyond abortion on the eve of a meeting to examine the bacterial mystery.

HIV/AIDS RESEARCH

Fighting HIV — lessons from Brazil
(Commentary; Global | South America)
New England Journal of Medicine. 2006 May 11;354(19):1977-1981.
Okie S
In this article, a contributing editor of the New England Journal of Medicine examines the factors that have contributed to Brazil's success in slowing the spread of HIV/AIDS in the country.

HIV infection in women utilizing a major hospital in Andhra Pradesh, India, 1993-2004
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Asia)
International Journal of Infectious Diseases. Online access May 4, 2006.
Sudha T | Teja VD | Lakshmi V
Medical records of HIV-reactive women, identified during a 12-year period in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, were reviewed for epidemiological and clinical information about HIV in women. The overall prevalence of HIV-reactive women was 1.6%. Overall, 24.5% of HIV-infected cases were women, ranging from 6.3% in 1993 to 28.9% in 2004. HIV infection was increasingly found in women over 30 years of age. Heterosexual contact (87.3%) was the most common route of HIV transmission. The majority of the women (75.2%) were asymptomatic. Women, compared to men, suffered more from respiratory and bacterial infections, often pneumonia, and from gender-specific manifestations like vaginal candidal infections. Following the introduction of antiretroviral (ARV) therapy in the hospital in 1999, only 8.5% of HIV-reactive women have received ARV treatment.

"We have our protector": misperceptions of protection against HIV among participants in a microbicide efficacy trial
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Sub-Saharan Africa)
American Journal of Public Health. Online access May 2, 2006.
Mantell JE | Morar NS | Myer L | Ramjee G
The investigators examined perceptions of the effectiveness and acceptability of a candidate microbicide among 94 South African female sex workers who had participated in a phase 3 microbicide trial for HIV prevention. They found that while participants clearly indicated that they understood the experimental nature of the candidate microbicide, and they recognized that they had been informed after the trial that the product was ineffective, most continued to believe that the candidate microbicide helped prevent HIV and other STIs, alleviated reproductive tract pain and STI symptoms, and helped to clean the vagina.

Epidemiological characteristics of HIV/AIDS in west China
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Asia)
International Journal of STD & AIDS. 2006 May;17(5):324-328.
Hu Z | Qin X | Zhu M-Z | Yang S | Zhang X-J
The authors of this paper, from the Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China, enhance understanding of the HIV/AIDS crisis in China by analyzing the published literature on the epidemiology, demographic features, routes of infection, and risk factors of HIV/AIDS infection in the 12 provinces in the west of China.

Randomized trials stopped early for harm in HIV/AIDS: a systematic survey
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Global)
HIV Clinical Trials. 2006 Jan-Feb;7(1):24-33.
Mills E | Cooper C | Wu P | Rachlis B | Singh S | Guyatt GH
This study assessed the prevalence of randomized clinical trials stopped early for harm in HIV/AIDS and determined the quality of reporting of methods to inform the decision to stop the trial. Results show that the reporting of methods to inform the decision to stop trials for harm in this population is deficient in a variety of ways, including lack of stopping guidelines.

Mental health and sexual risk behaviours in a South African township: A community-based cross-sectional study
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Sub-Saharan Africa)
Public Health. Online access May 8, 2006.
Smit J | Myer L | Middelkoop K | Seedat S | Wood R | Bekker LG | Stein DJ
This study examined the association between mental illness and HIV risk behaviors in a South African township. Of the 645 individuals who completed the survey, 33% reported depression, 17% reported alcohol abuse, and 15% reported post-traumatic stress disorder. After adjusting for demographic characteristics, the presence of any of these three conditions was strongly associated with experiences of forced sex, transactional sex, and increased condom use. These findings emphasize the substantial burden of mental illness in this setting.

Using a multisectoral approach to assess HIV/AIDS services in the western region of Puerto Rico
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Central America and the Caribbean)
American Journal of Public Health. Online access May 2, 2006.
Toro GA | Burns P | Pimentel D | Peraza LRS | Lugo CR
The Enhancing Care Initiative of Puerto Rico assessed services available to people living with HIV/AIDS in the western region of Puerto Rico. Participants were 212 people living with HIV/AIDS and 116 employees from 6 agencies providing HIV/AIDS services in the region. Two main findings were that depression symptoms were present in 98.1% of people living with HIV/AIDS, and 7 of the 15 municipalities in the region did not provide any specific services to this population.

Persistence of nevirapine-resistant HIV-1 in women after single-dose nevirapine therapy for prevention of maternal-to-fetal HIV-1 transmission
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Global)
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Online access April 25, 2006.
Palmer S | Boltz V | Martinson N | Maldarelli F | Gray G | McIntrye J | Mellors J | Morris L | Coffin J
A single dose of the anti-retroviral drug, nevirapine, to HIV-infected mothers to prevent them infecting their babies at birth can cause drug resistance in about one-fifth of women.

Occupational HIV infection among health care workers exposed to blood and body fluids in Brazil
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; South America)
American Journal of Infection Control. 2006 May;34(4):237-240.
Rapparini C
This study identified cases of occupationally acquired HIV infection among health care workers in Brazil. After an extensive literature search, four documented occupational HIV infection cases were identified, only one of which had been published in a scientific journal. Findings were consistent with the majority of documented infections worldwide.

HIV/AIDS NEWS

AIDS drug provokes patent battle in India
(News Article; Asia)
11 May 2006
International Herald-Tribune
A legal challenge to a patent application in India on a crucial AIDS drug was filed recently in Delhi by two patients' rights groups, who claim that thousands of lives could be put at risk if the patent is approved.

Top Caribbean broadcast leaders commit resources to addressing HIV/AIDS in the region
(Press Release; Global | Central America and the Caribbean)
10 May 2006
Kaiser Family Foundation
More than 30 television and radio executives, representing 20 countries, announced the establishment of the first Caribbean Broadcast Media Partnership on HIV/AIDS.

PanAfrica: The mystery of discordance
(Feature Article; Global | Sub-Saharan Africa)
10 May 2006
Inter Press Service
Between 13% and 36% of couples in South Africa may be in HIV discordant relationships, says Dr. Sinead Delany-Moretlwe of the Reproductive Health and HIV Unit at the University of the Witwatersrand. However, researchers have yet to understand fully why the AIDS virus is not transmitted between these partners, even when they fail to practice safe sex. A study is currently underway in six African countries, in a bid to unravel the mysteries of HIV discordance -- in particular, whether treating the virus that causes genital herpes reduces the risk of HIV transmission between those in discordant relationships.

Namibia joins South Africa and Zambia in extending HIV/AIDS treatment to refugees
(News Article; Sub-Saharan Africa)
10 May 2006
Reuters
In southern Africa, Namibia has now joined South Africa and Zambia on the list of countries that explicitly guarantee that refugees have access to anti-retroviral therapy (ART). Most other countries in the region provide assistance on an unofficial basis, leaving Botswana as the only country that officially denies refugees equal access to ART.

Zimbabwe: HIV-positive people floundering as economy sinks
(Feature Article; Sub-Saharan Africa)
10 May 2006
Integrated Regional Information Networks
Newspapers headlines in Zimbabwe's capital, Harare, announced last week that anti-AIDS drugs were in perilously short supply, endangering the lives of HIV-positive people. The government has attributed the crumbling of its healthcare system - which threatens its free antiretroviral (ARV) program - to sanctions imposed by western nations. Zimbabwe, which has one of the world's highest rates of HIV infection, is going through a severe economic crisis. There are shortages of food and fuel and inflation reached 913.6% in March.

Ethiopia: President calls for mainstreaming HIV/AIDS intervention
(News Article; Sub-Saharan Africa)
11 May 2006
The Ethiopian Herald
President Girma Wolde-Giorgis recently called for mainstreaming HIV/AIDS prevention and control mechanisms in rural development and health extension programs to enhance ongoing efforts to contain the spread of the pandemic.

Iraq: AIDS patients demand better treatment, stipends
(Feature Article; Middle East)
11 May 2006
Integrated Regional Information Networks
Iraqis living with HIV/AIDS and their families are demanding improved treatment facilities and larger monetary stipends.

Combating TB, poverty and HIV at the Blue House
(Feature Article; Sub-Saharan Africa)
5 May 2006
Independent Online
Blue House, a clinic run by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in Mathare, one of the most populous slums in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, means salvation to thousands of people infected with tuberculosis and HIV.

Botswana: First HIV vaccine trial stopped
(News Article; Sub-Saharan Africa)
5 May 2006
The Reporter
The Project Director at the Botswana-Harvard Partnership recently announced that they have discontinued vaccinations in the Phase 1 HIV Vaccine Trial known as HVTN 059. He said that the company that manufactures the study product called AVX101 had "documentation irregularities" in a totally different product to the study vaccine. He said the discontinuation was not due to the purity or safety of the drug.

MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH RESEARCH

Maternal risk profiles and the primary cesarean rate in the United States, 1991–2002
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Global | North America)
American Journal of Public Health. 2006 May;96(5):867-872.
Declercq E | Menacker F | MacDorman M
US national birth certificate data were used to assess changes in primary cesarean rates stratified according to maternal age, parity, and race/ethnicity. More than half (53%) of the recent increase in overall cesarean rates resulted from rising primary cesarean rates. There was a steady decrease in the primary cesarean rate from 1991 to 1996, followed by a rapid increase from 1996 to 2002. In 2002, more than one fourth of first-time mothers delivered their infants via cesarean.

The silent HIV epidemic among pregnant women within rural Northern Tanzania
(Abstract; Sub-Saharan Africa)
BMC Public Health. Online access April 29, 2006.
Yahya-Malima KI | Olsen BE | Matee MI | Fylkesnes KM
The authors enrolled 1,377 counselled and consenting pregnant women attending antenatal care clinics for the first time during the current pregnancy. The study was conducted in six antenatal clinics, within three divisions of rural Manyara and Singida regions in 2003/2004. Among enrolees, 94% (1296/1377) participated fully. The overall prevalence of HIV was 2%. The highest HIV prevalence was among women aged between 15-19 years in both rural and remote rural populations. The odds of HIV infection was 4.3 times among women reporting more than one lifetime sexual partners compared with those with one partner.

Sexually transmitted infections among pregnant women attending an antenatal clinic in Fuzhou, China
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Asia)
Sexually Transmitted Diseases. 2006 May;33(5):296-301.
Chen X-S | Yin Y-P | Chen L-P | Thuy NTT | Zhang G-Y | Shi M-Q | Hu L-H | Yu Y-H
A cross-sectional study at an antenatal clinic in East China revealed a substantial prevalence of STIs, including a large proportion of asymptomatic infections among pregnant women.

Correlates of syphilis seroreactivity among pregnant women: the HIVNET 024 trial in Malawi, Tanzania, and Zambia
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Sub-Saharan Africa)
Sexually Transmitted Diseases. Online access April 28, 2006.
Potter D | Goldenberg RL | Read JS | Wang J | Hoffman IF | Saathoff E | Kafulafula G | Aboud S | Martinson FE | Dahab M | Vermund SH
This study examined correlates of syphilis seroprevalence among HIV-infected and -uninfected antenatal attendees in an African multisite clinical trial. Findings show many women without identified risk factors were syphilis-seropositive. Younger HIV-infected women were also at highest risk.

Coverage of antenatal syphilis screening and predictors for not being screened in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Asia)
Sexually Transmitted Diseases. 2006 May;33(5):284-288.
Munkhuu B | Liabsuetrakul T | Chongsuvivatwong V | Geater A | Janchiv R
Antenatal syphilis screening in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, has low coverage with poor contact tracing. Lack of knowledge and living far from syphilis screening services strongly increased the risk of not being screened.

MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH NEWS

Political will could slash child mortality in Asia-Pacific: UN
(News Article; Global)
10 May 2006
AFP
Child mortality in the Asia-Pacific region could be significantly reduced if governments showed enough political will, United Nations' agencies said in a statement recently.

Zimbabwe: Rising child malnutrition signals impact of poverty/AIDS
(Feature Article; Sub-Saharan Africa)
10 May 2006
Integrated Regional Information Networks
As food prices continue to escalate in Zimbabwe, the number of children suffering from severe malnutrition has increased in suburbs around the capital, Harare, according to aid workers. But they do not rule out that the spike could be linked to HIV/AIDS, in a country with one of the worst prevalence rates in the world.

AIDS success stories recorded, but serious concerns linger
(News Article; Central America and the Caribbean)
8 May 2006
The Bahama Journal
The percentage of babies born with HIV in The Bahamas is now less than 1%, a significant decrease over the past years, according to health officials.

MEN'S HEALTH RESEARCH

HIV Risk Behavior Patterns, Predictors, and Sexually Transmitted Disease Prevalence in the Social Networks of Young Roma (Gypsy) Men in Sofia, Bulgaria
(Abstract; Europe)
Sexually Transmitted Diseases. Online access April 19, 2006.
Kabakchieva E | Vassileva S | Kelly JA | Amirkhanian YA | Difranceisco WJ | McAuliffe TL | Antonova R | Mihaylova M | Vassilev B | Khoursine R | Petrova E
Investigators studied predictors of high-risk sexual practices and STD prevalence among Roma (Gypsy) men's social networks in Sofia, Bulgaria. They found that men had a mean of 7 partners in the past year; 59% had multiple partners in the past 3 months. Seventy-three percent reported recent unprotected vaginal, and 51% unprotected anal intercourse. Fifty-nine percent of men had sex with other men in the past year. Finally, they found that the social network to which an individual belonged accounted for 23% to 27% of variance in predicting sexual risk behavior.

POPULATION RESEARCH

The mortality divide in India: the differential contributions of gender, caste, and standard of living across the life course
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Asia)
American Journal of Public Health. 2006 May;96(5):818-825.
Subramanian SV | Nandy S | Irving M | Gordon D | Lambert H | Smith GD
Researchers conducted a multilevel cross-sectional analysis of individual mortality, using the 1998–1999 Indian National Family Health Survey data for 529,321 individuals from 26 states. Substantial mortality differentials were observed between the lowest and highest standard-of-living quintiles across all age groups. Substantial caste differentials were observed at the beginning and end stages of life. Area variation in mortality is partially a result of the compositional effects of household standard of living and caste.

POPULATION NEWS

Putin offers Russian mothers cash for more babies
(News Article; Global | Asia)
10 May 2006
Reuters
Russian President Vladimir Putin offered women cash to have more babies recently as he tackled a decline in population that is leaving swathes of the country deserted and threatening to strangle economic growth. In his annual address to the nation, Putin said each year Russia's population fell by about 700,000 -- or about the same as the population of San Francisco. He proposed new financial incentives to nudge up the birth rate. Putin proposed more than doubling monthly payouts to families for their first baby to 1,500 roubles ($55) -- over half the average wage.

94 million Filipinos in 2010?
(News Article; Asia)
11 May 2006
Manila Standard Today
The Philippine's annual population growth slowed to 1.95% in 2005 from an average of 2.34% in the 1990-2000 period.

WOMEN'S HEALTH RESEARCH

What is the desired menstrual frequency of women without menstruation-related symptoms?
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Global)
Contraception. 2006 May;73(5):537-541.
Ferrero S | Abbamonte LH | Giordano M | Alessandri F | Anserini P | Remorgida V | Ragni N
This study investigated the desired menstrual frequency of subjects without menstruation-related symptoms (270 women of reproductive age in Italy). Conclusions show that over 50% of women without menstruation-related symptoms would like to lessen the frequency of menstrual periods and about 50% of them would desire amenorrhea.

Periodic presumptive treatment for cervical infections in service women in 3 border provinces of Laos
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Asia)
Sexually Transmitted Diseases. Online access May 8, 2006.
O'Farrell N | Oula R | Morison L | Van CTB
The objectives of this study were to determine whether periodic presumptive treatment (PPT) for STIs in service women could be implemented in 3 border provinces of Laos and whether its implementation was associated with a reduction in the prevalence of cervical infections. Lower prevalences of cervical infections were observed after 2 to 3 rounds of PPT. The authors conclude that the optimal time between rounds of PPT is uncertain, but while these high STI rates prevail, a 1- to 2-month gap is recommended.

Sex work practices and condom use in female sex workers in Sydney
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Oceania)
International Journal of STD & AIDS. 2006 May;17(5):319-323.
Fox J | Tideman RL | Gilmour S | Marks C| van Beek I | Mindel A
This study determined sex work practices and predictors of condom use among female sex workers (SWs) in Sydney, Australia. One hundred and forty-eight international (born in Asia) and 141 local SWs (born in Australia, New Zealand or the UK) were recruited. Local SWs saw more clients per shift than international SWs, but international SWs worked more shifts per week than local SWs. International SWs used condoms less consistently at work than local SWs. About 37% of international SWs never used condoms with non-paying partners, compared with 14% of local SWs. Speaking Thai or Chinese and previous sex work in Thailand were associated with inconsistent condom use.

WOMEN'S HEALTH NEWS

South Africa: New sexual offences bill fails to protect rape survivors
(News Article; Global | Sub-Saharan Africa)
10 May 2006
Integrated Regional Information Networks
Gender activists are describing a new sexual offenses bill, expected to be tabled in the South African parliament, as a step backwards in terms of rape survivors' ability to protect themselves from HIV infection.

YOUTH HEALTH RESEARCH

HIV prevention in Mexican schools: prospective randomised evaluation of intervention
(Research Article; Central America and the Caribbean)
(You need Adobe Acrobat Reader to access this document)
British Medical Journal. Online access May 8, 2006.
Walker D | Gutierrez JP | Torres P | Bertozzi SM
In this study, researchers assessed the effects on condom use and other sexual behavior of an HIV prevention program at 40 public high schools (n=10,954 first year high school students) in the state of Morelos, Mexico, that promotes the use of condoms with and without emergency contraception. They found that a rigorously designed, implemented, and evaluated HIV education course did not
reduce risk behavior; they recommend that such courses be redesigned and evaluated. They also found that the addition of emergency contraception did not decrease reported condom use or increase risky sexual behavior, but did increase reported use of emergency contraception.

YOUTH HEALTH NEWS

Liberia: Government and UN vow to investigate sex trade report
(News Article; Sub-Saharan Africa)
9 May 2006
Integrated Regional Information Networks
Related Report: From camp to community: Liberia study on exploitation of children
(You need Adobe Acrobat Reader to access this document)
The government of Liberia and the UN peacekeeping mission on Tuesday promised to conduct investigations into a report by British-based charity Save the Children that government workers, peacekeepers, and aid workers are giving Liberian girls money, food, and favours in return for sex.

Many Pinoy youths believe they are 'immune' from AIDS
(News Article; Asia)
12 May 2006
Sun Star
One of every five Filipino young adults believes that they have "inherent" protection against HIV/AIDS, an official of the health department revealed recently.

More students willing to discuss AIDS openly, says Ong
(News Article; Asia)
11 May 2006
Bernama
Students in tertiary learning institutions are now more open in discussing HIV/AIDS related issues, thus breaking the old taboo to keep it discreet, Deputy Higher Education Minister Datuk Ong Tee Keat said recently.

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Volume 6, Number 1915 May 2006