Volume 6, Number 29
24 July 2006

Pop Reporter Tip: Did you know you can modify your subscription account? There are four features you can use to personalize your subscription: delivery format, number of topic categories, regions of the world, and type of delivery. Click the "Modify Profile" link on The Pop Reporter Web pages to gain access to your personal account.

FAMILY PLANNING/REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH RESEARCH

Fear of sexually transmitted infections among women with male migrant partners – relationship to oscillatory migration pattern and risk-avoidance behaviour
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Sub-Saharan Africa)
South African Medical Journal . 2006;96(5):434-438.
Hughes G | Hoyo C | Puoane T
In South Africa, former apartheid laws encouraged rural males seeking employment to migrate to urban areas, moving weekly, monthly, or annually between their rural families and urban workplaces. The combination of the migrant labor system and long family separations caused an explosion of serious health consequences, among others STIs in the migrant population. In KwaZulu-Natal, 208 prenatal patients who were partners of oscillating male migrant workers were interviewed to determine their demographic and behavioural characteristics, and their fear of STIs. Thirty-six per cent of the rural women said that they were afraid of contracting STIs from their returning migrant partners. Women who saw their partners infrequently were more fearful of STI transmission and were less able to have sexual communication. However, almost none of the women protected themselves, while only 8% used condoms, primarily for contraceptive purposes.

Formal and informal sector health providers in southern India: Role in the prevention and care of sexually transmitted infections, including HIV/AIDS
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Asia)
AIDS Care. Online access July 10, 2006.
Mignone J | Washington RG | Ramesh BM | Blanchard JF | Moses S
In the case of both the urban and rural areas of the state of Karnataka, India, primary and secondary healthcare is provided by practitioners who can be categorized into three major groups: qualified allopathic physicians, qualified non-allopathic doctors (homeopathic and Ayurvedic) and registered medical practitioners. In 2002, the India-Canada Collaborative HIV/AIDS Project conducted a study in an urban area and a rural district of the state of Karnataka, collecting information from 998 care providers regarding attitudes, knowledge, and practices related to STI care and HIV/AIDS care. This paper analyses and compares the three different types of health care providers with respect to these parameters and discusses implications for STI/HIV/AIDS prevention and care programs.

FAMILY PLANNING/REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH NEWS

Implantable contraceptive receives federal approval
(News Article; Global | North America)
18 Jul 2006
Associated Press
Implanon, an hormonal contraceptive implant, has received FDA approval for sale in the US. Implanon sales will begin in August or later, after doctors receive mandatory company training on how to implant it, according to manufacturer Organon USA Inc. Once implanted, the matchstick-size rod should provide longer protection than any other hormonal contraceptives currently sold in the U.S. market. It also will be the only implant currently available and the first since Norplant.

Vietnam to offer movies about sex on Internet
(News Article; Asia)
19 Jul 2006
Reuters
The government of communist-run Vietnam, where pornographic Web sites are banned, plans to offer downloadable movies on an Internet site to educate married couples about healthy sex. An official cited cases of married couples who had not had sex for a year, a rising divorce rate, and rampant prostitution as reasons to publicize more information about sex.

Swaziland: Facing the culture shock of monogamy
(Feature Article; Sub-Saharan Africa)
21 Jul 2006
Integrated Regional Information Networks
Polygamy is enshrined as a man's right in Swaziland's new constitution, but women led by King Mswati's eldest daughter are having none of it, taking on the traditionalists that run the country.

Condom use still not popular - survey
(News Article; Sub-Saharan Africa)
18 Jul 2006
The Swazi Observer
A survey done for the Second National Multi-sectoral HIV and AIDS Strategic Plan for 2006-2008 has discovered that low condom usage is included among the prime drivers of the AIDS pandemic.

Antares announces development agreement with the Population Council; innovative transdermal gel contraceptives containing Nestorone
(Press Release; Global)
24 Jul 2006
Business Wire
Antares Pharma has signed a joint development agreement with the Population Council, an international, non-profit research organization. Antares and the Population Council will initially develop contraceptive formulation products containing Nestorone(R) by using the Council's patented and other proprietary information covering the compound, and Antares' proprietary, advanced transdermal delivery (ATD(TM)) gel platform.

FAMILY PLANNING/REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH LAW AND POLICY

Zimbabwe: women hail domestic violence bill
(News Article; Sub-Saharan Africa)
12 Jul 2006
The Herald
Women's organizations hailed the Domestic Violence Bill, saying the proposed law would help curb domestic violence, which has resulted in deaths or serious injuries to many people in the country.

Government to expand childbirth incentives
(News Article; Asia)
14 Jul 2006
The Korea Times
Starting next year, families with children under five, or who have a new-born child, will receive 100,000 won per month (US$105) for each child, the Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare has announced. The measure is part of a childbirth incentive system to tackle the country's low birth rates.

Jordan: Courts must be tougher on domestic violence
(Feature Article; Middle East)
12 Jul 2006
Integrated Regional Information Networks
A legal researcher in the policy and planning unit at the National Council For Family Affairs claims that the Jordanian penal code regarding domestic violence is excellent. The problem lies in its application.

G8 set plan of action against infectious diseases
(News Article; Global)
16 Jul 2006
RIA Novosti
The Group of Eight summit has set a plan of action against major infectious diseases including HIV/AIDS.

HIV/AIDS RESEARCH

Routine HIV testing in Botswana: a population-based study on attitudes, practices, and human rights concerns
(Research Article; Sub-Saharan Africa)
PLoS Medicine. 2006 Jul;3(7):e261.
Weiser SD | Heisler M | Leiter K | Percy-de Korte F | Tlou S
The Botswana government recently implemented a policy of routine or "opt-out" HIV testing in response to the high prevalence of HIV infection, estimated at 37% of adults. Researchers conducted a cross-sectional, population-based study of 1,268 adults from five districts in Botswana to assess knowledge of and attitudes toward routine testing, correlates of HIV testing, and barriers and facilitators to testing, 11 months after the introduction of this policy. Routine testing appears to be widely supported and may reduce barriers to testing in Botswana. As routine testing is adopted elsewhere, measures should be implemented to assure true informed consent and human rights safeguards, including protection from HIV-related discrimination and protection of women against partner violence related to testing.

Uptake of workplace HIV counselling and testing: a cluster-randomised trial in Zimbabwe
(Research Article; Sub-Saharan Africa)
PLoS Medicine. July 2006;3(7):e238.
Corbett EL | Dauya E | Matambo R | Cheung YB | Makamure B | Bassett MR | Chandiwana S | Munyati S | Mason PR | Butterworth AE | Godfrey-Faussett P | Hayes RJ
HIV counselling and testing is a key component of both HIV care and HIV prevention, but uptake is currently low. Researchers investigated the impact of rapid HIV testing at the workplace on uptake of voluntary counselling and testing (VCT). High-impact VCT strategies are urgently needed to maximize HIV prevention and access to care in Africa. VCT at the workplace offers the potential for high uptake when offered on-site and linked to basic HIV care. Convenience and accessibility appear to have critical roles in the acceptability of community-based VCT.

Adherence to antiretroviral therapy in a context of universal access, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; South America)
AIDS Care. Online access July 7, 2006.
Remien RH | Bastos FI | Terto V | Raxach JC | Pinto RM | Parker RG | Berkman A | Hacker MA
Adherence to therapy is integral to improving and maintaining the health and quality of life of people living with HIV. Two-hundred HIV-positive adults recruited from teaching hospitals and NGOs in Rio de Janeiro City were assessed on socio-demographic factors, adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART), and psychosocial factors hypothesized to be associated with ART. Adherence in Brazil is as good, if not better, than that seen in the US and western Europe, which is noteworthy since the sample was derived predominantly from public healthcare settings. It is possible that the connection to NGOs in Rio de Janeiro City played a helpful role in achieving high levels of adherence in this sample of people living with HIV and AIDS.

Does conflict increase vulnerability to HIV infection? Issues for a research agenda
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Sub-Saharan Africa)
African Journal of AIDS Research . 2006;5(1):41-48.
Gruber J
This paper considers the ways in which conflict, gender inequality, and HIV prevalence and infection rates may or may not be connected; its intention is to map key areas for a research agenda addressing issues of HIV/AIDS, gender, and conflict. Consideration is also given to how HIV prevention and mitigation activities in times of conflict, transition, and the post-conflict reconstruction and development phase might best serve vulnerable populations. In the worst instance, failure to achieve some consensus on the best way forward might contribute to reduced attention by the international community and donors to civilian populations' vulnerability to HIV infection during times of conflict.

Mandatory pre-marital HIV testing in Nigeria: the public health and social implications
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Sub-Saharan Africa)
AIDS Care. Online access July 20, 2006.
Uneke CJ | Alo M | Ogbu O
Researchers determined the prevalence of HIV infection among individuals referred from faith-based organizations (FBOs) in south-eastern Nigeria for mandatory pre-marital HIV screening. No significant difference was observed in the association between HIV infection and gender. The highest prevalence of HIV infection (8.9%) was recorded among individuals in the 21–30 years age category, while the least HIV infection prevalence (5.3%) was observed among persons above 40 years old. There was no significant difference in the association between HIV infection and age. Mandatory pre-marital HIV screening could generate social stigmatization and infringement of the fundamental human rights of infected individuals.

HIV-disclosure in the context of vertical transmission: HIV-positive mothers in Johannesburg, South Africa
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Sub-Saharan Africa)
AIDS Care. Online access June 22, 2006.
Varga CA | Sherman GG | Jones A
HIV-disclosure among childbearing women remains poorly understood, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. This paper chronicles disclosure experiences of 31 women attending prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission services in Johannesburg. For most mothers, voluntary disclosure was driven by the desire to ensure adequate infant care and avoid vertical HIV transmission. While most primary disclosure experiences were ultimately constructive, secondary disclosure more likely led to rejection, stigmatization, and the withholding of financial support.

Relationships, partnerships and politics in the lives of the urban poor in AIDS-afflicted Swaziland
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Sub-Saharan Africa)
African Journal of AIDS Research. 2006;5(1):27-39.
Jones L
This paper seeks to better understand how poor urban families caring for children are able to access help from beyond the kinship group in a setting where HIV prevalence has risen to over 40%. Families turned to neighbors, churches, and the work place for assistance. Government and NGO assistance was limited and poorly coordinated at the beginning of the fieldwork, and criteria for selection was unclear to many respondents. A much stronger coordinating role for government officials and the development of public welfare support are seen as critical to alleviate the poverty in which AIDS thrives.

An international public health crisis: can global institutions respond effectively to HIV/AIDS?
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Global)
Australian Journal of International Affairs . 2006 Sep;60(3):400-411.
Doyle JS
The critical questions discussed here are whether global institutions should, can, and will respond effectively to the HIV/AIDS crisis. This analysis finds that the most readily organized and deployed global response will likely involve an alliance of public and private agencies that can escape some of the domestic, political, and organisational constraints inherent in existing HIV/AIDS funding arrangements. Ultimately, newer hybrid arrangements that have emerged recently, like the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, may offer a more enduring global regime to control the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The corollary is that UN agencies alone in their traditional form, hampered by multilateral practicalities, will be less effective.

HIV/AIDS, income loss and economic survival in Botswana
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Sub-Saharan Africa)
AIDS Care. Online access July 10, 2006.
Rajaraman D | Russell S | Heymann J
This qualitative study examines how HIV infection and HIV caregiving affect household income in a population located within Botswana, a country with high HIV prevalence.

Examining HIV/AIDS provider stigma: assessing regional concerns in the islands of the Eastern Caribbean
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Central America and the Caribbean)
AIDS Care. Online access July 20, 2006.
Abell N | Rutledge SE | McCann TJ | Padmore J
Results of a survey of persons associated with HIV/AIDS education, health care, and social service delivery in the Eastern Caribbean are described. Reliable constructs were observed for warmth towards people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHA), comfort in association with them, tendencies to distance from or condemn them, beliefs in viral transmission myths, and perceived capacity to counsel effectively. Most discrimination was directed towards men who had sex with men and intravenous drug users. Providers whose roles were likely to involve touch felt less comfortable around PLHA and more likely to distance from and condemn them than providers whose roles were not. Implications for improved measurement and incorporation of mindfulness techniques in stigma intervention are discussed.

HIV/AIDS NEWS

Gateses to finance HIV vaccine search
(News Article; Global)
20 Jul 2006
The New York Times
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation awarded more than a quarter of a billion dollars to researchers in 19 countries to speed the lagging development of an HIV vaccine. The grants, totaling $287 million, are the largest private investment in making such a vaccine and represent a significant shift in emphasis to large-scale collaborative projects instead of small teams of researchers working independently.

South Africa AIDS infections seen leveling
(News Article; Global | Sub-Saharan Africa)
21 Jul 2006
Associated Press
Just over 30% of pregnant women in South Africa are infected with the AIDS virus, according to a new government report, which estimated that 5.5 million South Africans are living with HIV. The survey, conducted in October 2005 by the Department of Health, said the figures showed little increase over 2004. It said this was a sign that the level of new infections was leveling out.

Creaking health systems hampering AIDS battle - WHO
(News Article; Global | Sub-Saharan Africa)
21 Jul 2006
Reuters
Crumbling health systems and chronic staff shortages are hampering efforts to provide AIDS sufferers with life-saving drugs, according to the head of the World Health Organization's (WHO) HIV division.

Pakistani AIDS campaign reaches out through Islam
(News Article; Asia)
21 Jul 2006
Reuters
Although there are only 3,297 reported cases of HIV/AIDS in Pakistan, the officials in the national AIDS control program reckon the real number of cases at more than 80,000. Pakistan has recruited Muslim clerics in a new campaign to raise awareness of AIDS in order to reach out to tens of thousands of people suffering either in silence or ignorance because of taboos in its conservative Islamic society.

Swaziland: Anti-AIDS text messaging campaign raises hackles
(News Article; Global | Sub-Saharan Africa)
21 Jul 2006
Integrated Regional Information Networks
In one of the biggest demonstrations seen in Swaziland in years, HIV-positive people marched on the offices of the prime minister and the national AIDS council to protest an "insulting" new media campaign. The project by the National Emergency Response Council on HIV/AIDS seems to suggest that HIV is caused by sexual infidelity. It was launched last month without consulting people living with the virus.

South Africa: Soap star on drugs
(News Article; Sub-Saharan Africa)
12 Jul 2006
Integrated Regional Information Networks
In a first for South African television, a popular soap opera is to write an HIV-positive character in the stage of AIDS infection into the story.

HIV+ve population in India has a long way to go in terms of social acceptability: report
(News Article; Asia)
21 Jul 2006
Islamic Republic News Agency
Discrimination is rampant in Indian work places against employees living with HIV or AIDS with a large number being forced to resign or take voluntary retirement, according to the results of a first-of-its-kind study on the socio- economic impact of HIV and AIDS in India, carried out by the National Council for Applied Economic Research and supported by the National AIDS Control Organization and United Nations Development Program.

Tajikistan: HIV/AIDS fuelled by drugs, poverty and ignorance
(Feature Article; Asia)
12 Jun 2006
Integrated Regional Information Networks
Public health workers in Tajikistan are concerned that ignorance about the disease is fuelling infection rates among young people. The growing epidemic is compounded by the country's problems with drugs, unprotected sex, commercial sex workers, migrant workers, general poverty.

Moving toward assured access to treatment in microbicide trials
(Commentary; Global)
PLoS Medicine. 11 Jul 2006;3(7):e153.
Forbes A
Public concern about ethics in HIV-prevention trials intensified in the last 18 months and resulted in the halting of two clinical trials to test the efficacy of tenofovir as a possible method of pre-exposure prophylaxis against HIV infection. The author provides commentary on how to walk the fine line between two competing imperatives: responding to the urgency of the HIV epidemic and maintaining rigorous ethical standards in HIV-prevention trials.

Namibia: AIDS impacts on elderly
(News Article; Sub-Saharan Africa)
19 Jul 2006
The Namibian
A new survery reveals that Elderly Namimbians bear the brunt of caring for orphans and vulnerable children in north-central Namibia.

MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH RESEARCH

A randomized control trial of continuous support in labor by a lay doula
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Global | North America)
Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, & Neonatal Nursing. 2006;35(4):456-464.
Campbella DA | Lakeb MF | Falkc M | Backstrand JR
Researchers compared labor outcomes in women accompanied by an additional support person (doula group) with outcomes in women who did not have this additional support person (control group) in a randomized controlled trial done in the US. Among 600 nulliparous women carrying a singleton pregnancy women in the doula group, they had significantly shorter length of labor, greater cervical dilation at the time of epidural anesthesia, and higher Apgar scores at both 1 and 5 minutes. The authors also indentified a trend toward lower cesarean delivery rates in the doula group.

Millennium development goal 5: a review of maternal mortality at the Kenyatta National Hospital, Nairobi
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Sub-Saharan Africa)
East African Medical Journal. 2006;83(1):4-9.
Oyieke JBO | Obore S | Kigondu CS
During the period under review, there were 27,455 deliveries and 253 maternal deaths giving a maternal mortality ratio of 921.5 per 100,000 live births. Direct obstetric causes accounted for 71% of all maternal deaths with sepsis, haemorrhage, and hypertension being the leading causes. Respiratory tract infections associated with HIV/AIDS infection was the prominent indirect cause. There was poor antenatal clinic attendance with only 28.6% having had any attendance at all. The authors note that antenatal clinic attendance needs to be re-emphasized if an impact is to be realized in curbing maternal mortality; there is also a need for early referrals and encouraging mothers to deliver under skilled care.

Immunisation coverage among children born to HIV-infected women in Rakai district, Uganda: effect of voluntary testing and counselling (VCT)
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Sub-Saharan Africa)
AIDS Care. Online access July 10, 2006.
Mast TC | Kigozi G | Wabwire-Mangen F | Sewankambo N | Serwadda D | Gray R | Wawer M | Black R
To evaluate the impact of maternal HIV-infection on routine childhood immunization coverage, researchers compared the immunization status of children born to HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected women in rural Uganda. The study population was 214 HIV+ and 578 HIV- women with children aged 6 to 35 months previously enrolled in a community study. Researchers concluded that maternal HIV-infection was associated with childhood under-immunization and that this was mediated by a mother's knowledge of her HIV status.

MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH NEWS

Senegal: free treatment for obstetric fistula
(News Article; Sub-Saharan Africa)
19 Jul 2006
Integrated Regional Information Networks
President Abdoulaye Wade has ordered his government to allow free treatment for women suffering from obstetric fistula - often a result of early childbirth that leaves young women incontinent and sometimes shunned by their communities.

Breastfeeding 'kills baby's pain'
(News Article; Global)
16 Jul 2006
BBC
Related Abstract: Breastfeeding or breast milk for procedural pain in neonates
Breastfeeding may be the ultimate natural painkiller for newborn babies. A review of research found that breastfeeding newborns helps relieve the pain from a needle prick used to screen their blood for diseases.

Extra calcium may prevent hypertension problems in pregnant women
(Abstract; Global | North America)
18 Jul 2006
Health Behavior News Service
Related Abstract: Calcium supplementation during pregnancy for preventing hypertensive disorders and related problems
Expectant mothers may be able to prevent potentially serious medical problems in themselves and their babies simply by boosting their daily calcium intake, says a new systematic review. In addition, pregnant women at greatest risk for these problems may benefit most from the extra calcium.

Dying to give life: maternal mortality in Afghanistan
(Feature Article; Asia)
7 Jul 2006
UNFPA
In Badakhshan, a remote region of Afghanistan, for every 100,000 babies born, 6,500 women will lose their lives. Healthcare workers maintain this crisis has as much to do with the low social and nutritional status of its victims as it does with the remote and rugged terrain. In Afghanistan as whole, a woman dies of pregnancy-related causes every 27 minutes of every day.

Uganda: misoprostol will reduce maternal mortality rate
(News Article; Sub-Saharan Africa)
2006 Jul 18
New Vision
It was announced at a workshop in Kampala that the ministry of health plans to have misoprostol registered by the National Drug Authority to help reduce the country's high rates of maternal and infant mortality.

MEN'S HEALTH NEWS

Vasectomy reversals may raise birth defect risk
(News Article; Global | Asia)
21 Jun 2006
HealthDay News
Men who undergo vasectomy reversal may be at significantly higher risk of producing abnormal sperm and possibly even causing birth defects in children, a new study suggests. Researchers at Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand, studied men who had undergone a procedure - such as a vasectomy - that caused sperm to be produced but kept separate from their semen. Studying their ejaculatory fluid, the researchers noted that these men had significantly higher rates of abnormal chromosomes than men who had not undergone such a procedure.

POPULATION RESEARCH

Modelling the demographic impact of HIV/AIDS in South Africa and the likely impact of interventions
(Research Article; Sub-Saharan Africa)
(You need Adobe Acrobat Reader to access this document)
Demographic Research. 2006 Jun 30;14:541-574.
Johnson LF | Dorrington RE
This paper describes an approach to incorporating the impact of HIV/AIDS and the effects of HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment programs into a cohort component projection model of the South African population. The modelled HIV-positive population is divided into clinical and treatment stages, and it is demonstrated that the age profile and morbidity profile of the HIV-positive population is changing significantly over time. HIV/AIDS is projected to have a substantial demographic impact in South Africa. Prevention programs are unlikely to reduce AIDS mortality significantly in the short term. However, more immediate reductions in mortality can be achieved when antiretroviral treatment is introduced.

POPULATION NEWS

Europe tackles baby bust
(Feature Article; Global | Europe)
19 Jul 2006
Associated Press
In an effort to encourage couples to have children, Austria, France, and other European countries have beefed up their benefits for families with children.

WOMEN'S HEALTH NEWS

Women more likely to be perpetrators of abuse as well as victims
(News Article; Global | North America)
13 Jul 2006
University of Florida News
Women are more likely than men to stalk, attack, and psychologically abuse their partners, according to a University of Florida study that finds college women have a new view of the dating scene. In a survey of 2,500 students at UF and the University of South Carolina between August and December 2005, more than a quarter (29%) reported physically assaulting their dates and 22% reported being the victims of attacks during the past year. 32% of women reported being the perpetrators of this violence, compared with 24% of men.

YOUTH HEALTH RESEARCH

Improving female recruitment, participation, and retention among peer educators in the Geração BIZ program in Mozambique
(Report; Sub-Saharan Africa)
Watertown, MA, USA, Pathfinder International, April 2006.
Badiani R | Senderowitz J | Guirao L | Mello M | Bazima M | Hainsworth G | Pacca J
In response to the under-representation of female peer educators in the Geração BIZ Program (GBP), an adolescent sexual and reproductive health program in Mozambique, an operational research study was used to test new strategies for improving recruitment, participation, and retention of female peer educators. The study tested an intervention model to increase the involvement and performance of girls in the GBP. The study started with the hypothesis that a protocol addressing young women’s needs for comfort and security, skills acquisition, support, and mentoring would improve their recruitment, retention, and effective performance in the program. The implementation plan involves four interrelated phases, using qualitative and quantitative data. This report presents results of all four phases.

"Condoms are reliable but I am not": a qualitative analysis of AIDS-related beliefs and attitudes of young heterosexual adults in Budapest, Hungary, and St. Petersburg, Russia
(Abstract; Asia)
Central European Journal of Public Health. 2006 Jun;14(2):59-66.
Takacs J | Amirkhanian YA | Kelly JA | Kirsanova AV | Khoursine RA | Mocsonaki L
This study recruited members of 12 high-risk social networks of young adult men and women (n=66 participants) in two cities, St. Petersburg, Russia, and Budapest, Hungary. In-depth focus groups were conducted with all members of each network, and qualitatively analyzed to examine factors surrounding high-risk sexual behavior. Main themes that emerged were that STDs are less known and less feared than AIDS, HIV risk factors were relatively well known among young adults in both countries but vulnerability is perceived differently.

Engaging communities in youth reproductive health and HIV projects: a guide to participatory assessments
(Programming Guide; Global)
Arlington, VA, USA, Family Health International, 2006.
Zambezi R | Hernandez JJ
This comprehensive guide outlines how to conduct participatory assessments with youth and community members for improved youth reproductive health and HIV prevention. Drawing on YouthNet's experience in Namibia, Tanzania, and Ethiopia, it reviews youth participation, guidelines for training community participants, and suggestions for adapting the methods and tools for use at other project stages.

YOUTH HEALTH NEWS

Survey says adolescents have little knowledge about sexual, reproductive health
(News Article; Sub-Saharan Africa)
20 Jul 2006
Accra Daily Mail
A national survey conducted in Ghana on Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health has revealed that adolescents have little knowledge about how pregnancy occurs.

Calendar of Events

See All Events

October 12, 2006 - October 13, 2006
Scenario building - planning for a future with HIV/AIDS
This workshop is aimed at senior professionals in the private and public sectors and from NGOs. It will guide participants through a methodology of building and using scenarios as well as how to work with existing scenarios.
E-Mail: pnoack@patricknoack.netEvent Location: London, UK

March 10, 2007 - March 11, 2007
African Women's and Youth Conference
E-Mail: ForAfricanWomen@aol.comEvent Location: Dakar, Senegal

"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!

Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health: The INFO Project

Volume 6, Number 2924 July 2006