Volume 6, Number 25
26 June 2006

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FAMILY PLANNING/REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH RESEARCH

Acceptability of Praneem polyherbal vaginal tablet among HIV uninfected women & their male partners in Pune India - Phase I study
(Research Article; Asia)
(You need Adobe Acrobat Reader to access this document)
Indian Journal of Medical Research. 2006 Apr;123:547-552.
Joglekar NS | Joshi SN | Navlakha SN | Katti UR | Mehendale SM
This article reports on a safety and acceptability study of Praneem polyherbal tablet, a candidate microbicide, among HIV uninfected women in Pune, India. Praneem polyherbal tablet was found acceptable by the study participants with 90% of the participants showing 80% and more acceptability score. Discharge of the product residue was reported as a concern by 6 (30%) of participants. Nineteen (95%) female participants liked the smell and the same number reported that the product was easy to use and did not affect the usual sexual pleasure. However, men reported lack of sexual satisfaction.

Assessment of India's locally manufactured contraceptive product supply
(Report; Asia)
(You need Adobe Acrobat Reader to access this document)
Bethesda, MD: Private Sector Partnerships-One project, Abt Associates Inc. 2006.
Beer K | Armand F
This report examines Indian manufacturers of generic versions of hormonal contraceptives (oral contraceptive pills, emergency contraception, and injectable contraceptives) and intrauterine devices. The principal question this report addresses is whether Indian manufacturers of contraceptive products are in a position to serve as a main source of contraceptives for the domestic and regional markets in a commercially viable manner.

Nepal: reproductive health commodity pricing survey -- understanding equity, access, and affordability of essential reproductive health commodities
(Report; Asia)
(You need Adobe Acrobat Reader to access this document)
Washington, DC, USAID, 2006.
Rao R | Dhruba T
Regulatory guidelines under the Nepal Drug Act of 1978 govern the sale and distribution of pharmaceutical products in Nepal. Regulations are based on a 1995 National Drug Policy that promotes community drug financing programs in the public sector and establishes profit and distribution margin rates. Those policies were put in place to encourage equity, access, and use of medicines. The findings from this analysis indicate that cumulative distribution and profit margins for some reproductive health medicines in the private sector exceed the established norms.

FAMILY PLANNING/REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH NEWS

Study: condoms protect well against cancer-causing virus
(News Article)
22 Jun 2006
CNN
Related Research Article: Condom use and the risk of genital human papillomavirus infection in young women
For the first time, scientists have proof that condoms offer women impressive protection against the virus that causes cervical cancer.

Survey of 17,500 women in 10 countries shows global lack of awareness of basic facts about fertility
(News Article)
20 Jun 2006
PR Newswire
Women in countries around the world are unaware of many of the most basic facts associated with their own fertility and reproductive health, according to the results of a landmark study of 17,500 women presented at the
European Society of Human Reproductive Endocrinology conference in Prague.

Abstinence doesn't help HIV, STD spread
(News Article)
21 Jun 2006
United Press International
Related Abstract; subscription needed for full text: The effects of religious affiliation on sexual initiation and condom use in Zambia
Teaching young women in Zambia to delay sex until marriage is not enough to prevent the spread of HIV and sexually transmitted diseases, says a U.S. study.

Reproductive health education ignored
(News Article)
25 Jun 2006
The Standard (Kenya)
Reproductive health in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Ethiopia is still virtually a taboo subject.

Condom sales down as Czechs lose fear of AIDS
(News Article; Europe)
26 Jun 2006
Czech Happenings
Czech condom sales have been falling in recent years because of the popularity of modern forms of contraception and because Czechs are losing fear of AIDS, experts and physicians have said.

China conducts research on side-effects of contraceptives
(News Article; Asia)
22 Jun 2006
People's Daily
The world's most populous nation is building a national network to monitor and prevent possibly harmful side-effects of contraceptives. About 100 monitoring stations are expected to be operating across China by 2010 according to a national population and family planning science and technology conference held recently.

FAMILY PLANNING/REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH LAW AND POLICY

Pakistan offers free school to one-child families
(News Article; Asia)
23 Jun 2006
Reuters
Pakistani families that have only one child will have that child's education paid for by the government under a novel plan to try and bring down the country's rapid population growth.

China scraps move to criminalize gender selection
(News Article; Asia)
26 Jun 2006
Reuters
China has scrapped plans to make sex-selective abortion a crime, more than a year after announcing penalties were necessary to correct gender imbalances among newborns.

Kenya: Sh10bn is set aside for sexual health education
(News Article)
20 Jun 2006
The Nation (Nairobi)
One-quarter of Kenya's Health ministry budget will be allocated to reproductive health, an assistant minister has said.

HIV/AIDS RESEARCH

‘The man who believed he had AIDS was cured’: AIDS and sexually-transmitted infection treatment-seeking behaviour in rural Mwanza, Tanzania
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Sub-Saharan Africa)
AIDS Care. 2006 Jul;18(5):460-466.
Plummer ML | Mshana G | Wamoyi J | Shigongo ZS | Hayes RJ | Ross DA | Wight D
This study examined general illness, sexually-transmitted infection (STI) and AIDS treatment-seeking behavior in rural Mwanza, Tanzania. Treatments were pluralistic and opportunistic, usually beginning with home remedies (western or traditional), followed by visits to traditional healers (THs) and/or health facilities (HFs). THs were sometimes preferred over HFs because of familiarity, trust, accessibility, expense, payment plans, and the perceived cause, nature and severity of the illness, e.g. only THs were believed to successfully treat bewitchment. Some people, particularly young girls, delayed or avoided seeking treatment for STIs for fear of stigma. Most STIs were attributed to natural causes, but AIDS was sometimes attributed to witchcraft.

Utilization of voluntary counseling and testing services in the Eastern Cape, South Africa
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Sub-Saharan Africa)
AIDS Care. 2006 Jul;18(5):446-455.
Hutchinson PL | Mahlalela X
This analysis examines attitudes towards voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) services, patterns of utilization of VCT services and the relationships between HIV/AIDS-related stigma, VCT service availability and quality and the use of VCT in South Africa. It finds that while overall use of VCT services is low, utilization of VCT services is positively associated with age, education, socioeconomic status, proximity to clinics, availability of rapid testing and outreach services and lower levels of HIV/AIDS stigma.

The validity of self-reported likelihood of HIV infection among the general population in rural Malawi
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Sub-Saharan Africa)
Sexually Transmitted Infections. Online access June 21, 2006.
Bignami S | Chao LW | Anglewicz P | Chilongozi D | Bula A
This study examines the validity of self-reported likelihood of current HIV infection among the general population in rural Malawi. Of 2299 survey respondents who assessed their likelihood of being infected with HIV at the time of the survey, 71% were accurate. The majority of incorrect assessments (88%) were due to respondents' over- (rather than under-) estimating their likelihood of being infected with HIV. Women were less likely than men to correctly assess their HIV status. The two most significant predictors of false positive responses were marital status and self-reported health.

A qualitative assessment of long distance truck drivers’ vulnerability to HIV/AIDS in Itajaí, southern Brazil
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; South America)
AIDS Care. 2006 Jul;18(5):489 - 496.
Malta M | Bastos FI | Pereira-Koller EM | Cunha MD | Marques C | Strathdee SA
This study established the context of HIV vulnerability among truckers and commercial sex workers (CSWs) in Itajaí, Brazil. Truck drivers typically had unprotected sex with several partners, including CSWs and truckstop employees. Both truckers and CSWs had low perceived HIV risk in spite of being engaged in high-risk sex behaviors. Use of alcohol and amphetamine-like drugs was frequent among truckers and appeared to influence unsafe sex practices. Knowledge about amphetamine-related risks was low, as was access to health services and HIV/AIDS behavioral interventions.

Sexual behaviour and condom use among unmarried young men in Cambodia
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Asia)
AIDS Care. 2006 Jul;18(5):505-513.
Douthwaite MR | Saroun L
This paper describes the sexual behavior of 665 unmarried men aged 15-24, and explores factors associated with condom use at last intercourse. Of all sexually active respondents, half reported three or more partners, and 71% used a condom at last sex. Results showed that condom use varied by type of partner, was less likely among males outside the education system, and higher among those more positive and informed about condoms.

Analysis of the influence of therapy and viral suppression on high-risk sexual behaviour and sexually transmitted infections among patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus in Taiwan
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Asia)
Clinical Microbiology and Infection. 2006 Jul;12(7):660.
Chen SC | Wang ST | Chen KT | Yan TR | Tang LH | Lin CC | Yen SF
This study examined the effects of certain characteristics of HIV-infected patients related to the risks of practicing unprotected sex (UPS) among 919 HIV-infected patients who attended the sexually transmitted disease clinic of the Taipei City STD Control Center, Taiwan. After learning that they were HIV-positive, 517 (56%) subjects had practiced UPS, 476 (52%) had a new STD diagnosis, and 106 (12%) had used some form of injected drug. UPS was reported by 76% of homosexual/bisexual males, 19% of heterosexual males and 5% of females, and was reported more often by those individuals with casual sexual partners. UPS was associated with male-to-male sexual intercourse, with casual sexual partners, and with an individual's knowledge of his/her HIV status for greater than 11 years.

Sexual risk-taking and HIV testing among health workers in Zambia
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Sub-Saharan Africa)
AIDS and Behavior. Online access June 16, 2006.
Kiragu K | Ngulube T | Nyumbu M | Njobvu P | Eerens P | Mwaba C
Health workers in five Zambian hospitals were interviewed to assess HIV/AIDS risk-taking and status awareness. They were comprised of physicians, nurses, clinical officers and paramedics. Only 33% had been tested for HIV and only 24% said their partner had been tested. 26% of sexually active respondents had multiple partners; 37% of these had not used condoms. Only 60% of respondents believed condoms were effective in preventing HIV. Women were less likely to trust or use condoms even in high-risk relationships.

HIV status disclosure to sex partners and sexual risk behaviors among HIV positive men and women in Cape Town, South Africa
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Sub-Saharan Africa)
Sexually Transmitted Infections. Online access June 21, 2006.
Simbayi L | Strebel A | Cloete A | Henda N | Mqeketo A | Kalichman SC
This study examined disclosure of HIV/AIDS status to partners. Participants who had not disclosed to all of their sex partners were significantly more likely to have multiple sex partners, HIV negative partners, partners of unknown HIV status, and unprotected intercourse with non-concordant sex partners. Having not disclosed HIV status to partners was also independently associated with having lost a job or a place to stay because of being HIV positive and feeling less able to disclose to partners.

Feasibility and effectiveness of Cotrimoxazole prophylaxis for HIV-1-infected adults attending an HIV/AIDS clinic in Uganda
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Sub-Saharan Africa)
Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes. Online access June 4, 2006.
Watera C | Todd J | Muwonge R | Whitworth J | Nakiyingi-Miiro J | Brink A | Miiro G | Antvelink L | Kamali A | French N | Mermin J
Researchers examined the feasibility and effectiveness of daily cotrimoxazole prophylaxis in a well-established cohort of HIV-infected adults attending clinics in Entebbe, Uganda. Findings indicate that cotrimoxazole prophylaxis can be introduced into routine HIV clinic activities and is associated with a reduction in overall mortality and malaria morbidity, even in an area with high bacterial resistance.

Qualitative changes in AIDS preventative attitudes in a rural Senegalese population
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Sub-Saharan Africa)
AIDS Care. 2006 Jul;18(5):514-519.
Wade AS | Enel C | Lagarde E
This study assessed recent changes in knowledge and attitudes towards AIDS in a rural population of Senegal. Overall, AIDS preventive attitudes measured in 1997 were not sustained in 2003, while stigmatization of people living with HIV/AIDS was very widespread.

Should ART be offered to HIV-serodiscordant and HIV-seroconcordant couples: an ethical discussion?
(Commentary)
Human Reproduction. Online access June 13, 2006.
Zutlevics T
This article deals with the ethical arguments of those who remain opposed to offering HIV-serodiscordant and HIV-seroconcordant couples access to assisted reproduction technique (ART). Until these arguments have been addressed, clinics providing ART to such couples cannot be assured that their practices are ethical.

HIV/AIDS NEWS

FDA approves new HIV drug by J&J unit
(News Article)
23 Jun 2006
Market Watch
The Food and Drug Administration approved a new drug by a unit of Johnson & Johnson to treat HIV in patients who have become resistant to other drugs, the agency said recently.

South Africa: new AIDS threat looms
(News Article; Sub-Saharan Africa)
21 Jun 2006
Integrated Regional Information Networks
A rise in HIV infection rates in South Africa's Western Cape Province could be linked to the growing popularity of a relatively new but highly addictive and easily accessible drug, some analysts are beginning to suspect.

Cote d Ivoire: involving children in issues raised by HIV/AIDS
(News Article; Sub-Saharan Africa)
22 Jun 2006
Integrated Regional Information Networks
A co-founder of a shelter for children orphaned by the HIV/AIDS pandemic implores that children should never be shut out of the complex problems faced by families living with HIV/AIDS.

Tanzania: country focuses on blood safety to fight AIDS
(News Article; Sub-Saharan Africa)
26 Jun 2006
The East African (Nairobi)
Tanzania has opened a $1.8 million national blood transfusion center in Dar es Salaam to assure the safety of blood and its availability to recipients.

Swaziland: AIDS slows school building in rural areas
(News Article; Sub-Saharan Africa)
19 Jun 2006
Integrated Regional Information Networks
Deaths of parents from AIDS-related illnesses in rural Swaziland has slowed the rate of school construction, school officials told Prime Minister Themba Dlamini during a visit to the north of the country.

Rwanda: WFP to boost anti-AIDS war
(News Article; Sub-Saharan Africa)
25 Jun 2006
The New Times (Kigali)
As part of its global effort to combat HIV/AIDS, the World Food Programme intends to increase its support to people living with the deadly virus.

MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH RESEARCH

The influence of economic development level, household wealth and maternal education on child health in the developing world
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text)
Social Science and Medicine. Online access June 21, 2006.
Boyle MH | Racine Y | Georgiades K | Snelling D | Hong S | Hong W | Hurley P | Rao-Melacini P
This study estimates the relative importance to child health (indicated by weight and height for age) of economic development level [gross domestic product (GDP) converted to international dollars using purchasing power parity (PPP) rates: GDP-PPP], household wealth and maternal education and examines the modifying influence of national contexts on these estimates. The three study variables exhibited strong independent associations with child health: GDP-PPP accounted for the largest amount of unique variation, followed by maternal education and household wealth.

Como sera, pues?: the NGO contribution to neonatal health in Bolivia
(Report; South America)
(You need Adobe Acrobat Reader to access this document)
Washington, DC, USAID, 2006.
This field story examines how Saving Newborn Lives (SNL)initiative's NGO partners started a dialogue between rural and poor communities and the health care facilities serving them through a methodology called Calidad y Calidez, adapted from Save the Children’s partnership-defined quality model. SNL and its NGO partners used workshops as a tool to break down a number of communication
barriers, setting a foundation for core program activities including: training community health workers and untrained traditional birth attendants (parteras); educating women’s groups, men’s groups, and local and district officials about neonatal health; and carrying out community
mapping to identify families at high risk of a neonatal death. Additionally, the NGOs helped build capacity of health centers, peasant unions, mothers’ clubs, and local health directorates to confront the issue of neonatal mortality in their communities.

MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH NEWS

Maternal, child deaths on the rise, say experts
(News Article)
26 Jun 2006
The Standard (Kenya)
Cases of maternal and child deaths have increased drastically in Africa, despite commitments by governments to reverse the trend.

MEN'S HEALTH RESEARCH

Awareness and attitudes regarding microbicides and Nonoxynol-9 use in a probability sample of gay men
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text)
AIDS and Behavior. Online access June 15, 2006.
Carballo-Dieguez A | O'sullivan LF | Lin P | Dolezal C | Pollack L | Catania J
This study examined gay men's use and perception of microbicides. Despite warnings against Nonoxynol-9, 26% of respondents reported still using it. Microbicide awareness was higher among men reporting unprotected anal intercourse (UAI) than among consistent condom users. Scenarios presenting microbicides "as effective as condoms," "nearly as effective," or "less effective but better than nothing" produced wide variability in willingness to use them, which may have implications for microbicide acceptability. HIV-infected men and those who reported UAI showed greater microbicide acceptance.

POPULATION NEWS

No sex please, we're Japanese
(News Article; Asia)
22 Jun 2006
CNN
More sex. That's what one expert says is needed to solve Japan's baby shortage.

US population expected to top 300 million in fall
(News Article; North America)
26 Jun 2006
Boston Globe
The US population is on target to hit 300 million this fall, with Hispanic newborns and immigrants accounting for a large part of the increase.

President Putin says Russia on verge of demographic crisis
(News Article; Asia)
20 Jun 2006
Kyiv Post
President Vladimir Putin warned recently that Russia was on the verge of a demographic crisis, with its population in danger of halving by the end of the century.

WOMEN'S HEALTH RESEARCH

What happens to women who sell sex? Report of a unique occupational cohort
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text)
Sexually Transmitted Infections. Online access June 21, 2006.
Ward H | Day SE
Researchers explored longer-term health and career paths of women who have worked in the sex industry. Findings showed that sex work is associated with excess mortality and morbidity including the sequelae of sexually transmitted infections, mental health problems and substance misuse.

Smoking and time to clearance of human papilloma virus infection in HIV-seropositive and HIV-seronegative women
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text)
AIDS and Behavior. Online access June 14, 2006.
Koshiol J | Schroeder J | Jamieson DJ | Marshall SW | Duerr A | Heilig CM | Shah KV | Klein RS | Cu-Uvin S | Schuman P | Celentano D | Smith JS
The authors evaluated smoking and human papillomavirus (HPV) clearance by HIV serostatus among women. Smoking did not modify overall clearance but was associated with lower high-risk HPV clearance in HIV-seronegative women.

WOMEN'S HEALTH NEWS

Rape in war 'a growing problem'
(News Article)
22 Jun 2006
BBC
Rape and sexual violence in conflict appear to be worsening and very little is being done to tackle the problem, a major UN conference has heard.

Battered Kenyan women more prone to HIV: report
(News Article; Sub-Saharan Africa)
22 Jun 2006
Reuters
Abused Kenyan women, many of whom have little control over their sexual encounters, are six times more likely to become infected with HIV/AIDS than men of the same age, a United Nations report said recently.

Traditions weigh on China's women
(News Article; Asia)
19 Jun 2006
BBC
In China, one woman kills herself every four minutes.

YOUTH HEALTH RESEARCH

Pregnancy-related school dropout and prior school performance in South Africa
(Working Paper; Sub-Saharan Africa)
(You need Adobe Acrobat Reader to access this document)
New York, Population Council, 2006. (Policy Research Division Working Paper no. 212)
Grant M | Hallman K
Using data collected in 2001 in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, this working paper from the Population Council examines the factors associated with schoolgirl pregnancy, as well as the likelihood of school dropout and subsequent re-enrollment among pregnant schoolgirls.

'Telling the truth is the best thing': teenage orphans' experiences of parental AIDS-related illness and bereavement in Zimbabwe
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Sub-Saharan Africa)
Social Science and Medicine. Online access June 12, 2006.
Wood K | Chase E | Aggleton P
This paper focuses on the narratives of older children in their teens, who have experienced parental AIDS-related illness and death in six sites in Zimbabwe. A key finding is that, while many orphaned teenagers desire direct communication with adults about parental illness and death, adults themselves-whether the sick parent, other relatives in the household or a caregiver following parental loss-are often ill-equipped to identify and manage children's distress positively.

Bridging the gap between adolescent sexuality and HIV risk: the urban Malaysian perspective
(Research Article; Asia)
(You need Adobe Acrobat Reader to access this document)
Singapore Medical Journal. 2006 Jun;47(6):482-490.
Ng CJ | Kamal SF
This study qualitatively explored adolescents' sexuality and their relation to HIV risk in Malaysia. There were definite differences in gender roles in terms of how adolescents perceived sex, selection of sex partners and communication with their partners. Definitions of stable and casual relationships differed between males and females. Most participants were concerned about pregnancy rather than sexually transmitted diseases or HIV infection when they interpreted safe sex. Reasons for not practicing safe sex include trust between sex partners, complacency, low perception of risk, and negative attitudes towards condom use.

HIV counseling and testing manual for youth
(Technical Report)
(You need Adobe Acrobat Reader to access this document)
Washington, DC, USAID, 2006. (YouthNet Brief No. 17)
This manual suggests that HIV testing offers opportunities to discuss sexuality, contraception, and future choices.

Sexual behavior of young adults in Sri Lanka: Implications for HIV prevention
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Asia)
AIDS Care. 2006 Jul;18(5):497-500.
Perera B | Reece M
Data related to sexual behaviors were collected from individuals aged 18-20 years in Sri Lanka. Over half of the males and approximately one-third of the females reported that they were sexually active at the time of the study, with penetrative sexual experiences reported by 20.1% of males and 3.1% of females. Only 26.5% of males and less than 10% of females reported having ever used a condom when participating in vaginal, anal or oral intercourse.

YOUTH HEALTH NEWS

Cameroon girls battle 'breast ironing'
(News Article; Sub-Saharan Africa)
23 Jun 2006
BBC
A nationwide campaign is under way in Cameroon to discourage the widespread practice of "breast ironing," involves pounding and massaging the developing breasts of young girls with hot objects to try to make them disappear.

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Volume 6, Number 2526 June 2006