Volume 6, Number 34
28 August 2006

Pop Reporter Tip: Contact an author! Receiving your Pop Reporter might be just the first step in any research project or educational program you are working on. If you read an interesting abstract or article in The Pop Reporter, but would like to have more information, why not use the e-mail address provided by the journal to contact the author? You could be starting a correspondence that will last a lifetime.

FAMILY PLANNING/REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH RESEARCH

Sexually transmitted diseases treatment guidelines, 2006
(Report; Global)
(You need Adobe Acrobat Reader to access this document)
Atlanta, Georgia, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2006. (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report Vol. 55 No.)
Workowski KA | Berman SM
These guidelines for the treatment of persons who have STDs were developed by CDC after consultation with a group of professionals knowledgeable in the field of STDs who met in Atlanta, Georgia, during April 19–21, 2005. The information in this report updates the Sexually Transmitted Diseases Treatment Guidelines, 2002.

Trends in Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 and Type 2 seroprevalence in the United States
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; North America)
Journal of the American Medical Association. 2006 Aug 23;296(8):964-973.
Xu F | Sternberg MR | Kottiri BJ | McQuillan GM | Lee FK | Nahmias AJ | Berman SM | Markowitz LE
Related News Article: Herpes infections decline: study
The proportion of Americans with the herpes virus has declined, due perhaps to a curb in promiscuity among young people following earlier jumps in rates of infection. The drop in herpes-2 infections was most pronounced among those younger than 40. The virus was reported in 11% of men and 23% of women. Among blacks, 42% tested positive, a decline of 4% since the earlier survey.

FAMILY PLANNING/REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH NEWS

FDA OKs wider access for Plan B pill
(News Article; Global | North America)
24 Aug 2006
Reuters
After a 3-year political battle over wider access to the Plan B or "morning-after" contraceptive pill, FDA officials have decided to allow adult women to buy it without a prescription.

Condoms stay faithful when prevention is the goal
(Feature Article; Global)
21 Aug 2006
The New York Times
This feautre article in The New York Times covers the benefits of condoms as a form of contraception and describes various problems with inconsistent use of the method.

HIV/AIDS RESEARCH

Treatment for adult HIV infection: 2006 recommendations of the International AIDS Society-USA panel
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Global)
Journal of American Medical Association. 2006 Aug 16;296(7):827-843.
Hammer SM | Saag MS | Schechter M | Montaner JS | Schooley RT | Jacobsen DM | Thompson MA | Carpenter CC | Fischl MA | Gazzard BG | Gatell JM | Hirsch MS | Katzenstein DA | Richman DD | Vella S | Yeni PG | Volberding PA
Guidelines for antiretroviral therapy are important for clinicians worldwide given the complexity of the field and the varied clinical situations in which these agents are used. The International AIDS Society–USA panel has updated its recommendations as warranted by new developments in the field.

Empirical observations underestimate the proportion of Human Immunodeficiency Virus infections attributable to sexually transmitted diseases in the Mwanza and Rakai sexually transmitted disease treatment trials: simulation results
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Global | Sub-Saharan Africa)
Sexually Transmitted Diseases. 2006 Sep;33(9):536-544.
Orroth KK | White RG | Korenromp EL | Bakker R | Changalucha J | Habbema JDF | Hayes RJ
Simulations of the Mwanza and Rakai STD treatment trial populations suggest that the proportions of incident HIV infections attributable to curable STD were higher than empirical estimates from the trials.

European philanthropy and HIV/AIDS
(Report; Global | Europe)
(You need Adobe Acrobat Reader to access this document)
Washington, DC, Center for Strategic and International Studies, 2006.
Laugharn P | Lief E
This report by the European HIV/AIDS Funders Group (EFG) is an analysis of information on 2005 HIV/AIDS spending by European foundations, trusts, and charities. It draws on European Foundation Centre (EFC) mapping activities on HIV/AIDS funding and aims to extend and improve on prior reports on this subject. The report provides information to the international community on European philanthropic HIV/AIDS spending, with the object of guiding a true multi-party, multisectoral response to the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

Socioeconomic impact of HIV/AIDS in Ukraine
(Report; Europe)
(You need Adobe Acrobat Reader to access this document)
Washington, DC, World Bank, 2006.
At present, Ukraine's HIV/AIDS epidemic is among the fastest growing in Europe, with officially registered new HIV cases having doubled over 2000-2004. Official data suggest Ukraine may be on the brink of the generalized epidemic phase. In the medium term, the study forecasts that HIV/AIDS will have a significant impact on economic growth, investment and social welfare, life expectancy, and population growth. The longer-term impact could be even more devastating. Prevention and treatment programs must target as a priority young people, women, and the worst-infected regions of Ukraine.

International AIDS assistance: "new" money?
(Report; Global)
(You need Adobe Acrobat Reader to access this document)
Washington, DC, Center for Strategic and International Studies, 2006.
Lief E | Izazola-Licea JA
Funding for HIV/AIDS has been on the rise during the last decade. The question of additionality – the uncertainty as to whether new international financing is genuinely adding to existing international assistance funding – has remained a key concern in the US response to the pandemic. Additionality has also been defined in terms of whether international assistance supplements or supplants what developing countries can and should do for themselves. Seen in either of these ways, a preliminary analysis of newly available data on HIV/AIDS financing in 13 representative developing countries provides encouraging evidence.

HIV counseling, testing, and care of tuberculosis patients at chest clinics --- Guyana, 2005--2006
(Research Article; South America)
Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. 2006 Aug 11;55(31):849-851.
During 2004, Guyana had an estimated adult HIV prevalence of 2.5% and 20% of TB patients were reported to be infected with HIV. In 2000, the Guyana Ministry of Health began providing HIV counseling, testing, and referrals to HIV/AIDS programs at its six public chest clinics; this study examines the efectiveness of the program. Among TB patients, 10% were determined to be HIV infected, while 35% of patients whose HIV-infection status was known were HIV infected. These results indicate both a high rate of HIV infection and the ability of chest clinics to provide HIV-related interventions in resource-limited settings.

Coital bleeding and HIV risks among men and women in Cape Town, South Africa
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Sub-Saharan Africa)
Sexually Transmitted Diseases. 2006 Sep;33(9):551-557.
Kalichman SC | Simbayi LC | Cain D | Cherry C |Jooste S
A community study in South Africa found 21% men and 16% women had recent sexual intercourse during genital bleeding; 75% involved menses and the practice was associated with STIs.

Let's talk about voluntary HIV counselling and testing
(Programming Guide; Global)
(You need Adobe Acrobat Reader to access this document)
United Kingdom, International HIV/AIDS Alliance, 2006.
This toolkit is designed to help NGOs, CBOs, and other civil society organizations responding to HIV/AIDS in developing countries increase their knowledge and improve the quality of their work on voluntary HIV counselling and testing. The resource is intended for use by NGOs and trainers who support such groups and has been designed to be used flexibly, either in capacity building workshops or during technical support visits.

Prevalence of Human Immunodeficiency Virus and sexually transmitted infections and risky sexual behaviors among men visiting gay bathhouses in Taiwan
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Asia)
Sexually Transmitted Diseases. 2006 Aug;33(8):467–473.
Ko NY | Lee HC | Chang JL | Lee NY | Chang CM | Lee MP | Lin YH | Lai KY | Ko WC
This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of HIV and STIs and predictors of risky sexual behaviors among men visiting gay bathhouses in Taiwan. Prevalence rates for chlamydial and gonococcal infections were 7% and 4%, respectively. Irregular use of condoms during oral sex, condom inaccessibility at bathhouses, unprotected sex at public venues, no prior HIV test, and 5 or more visits to bathhouses every month were independently associated with unprotected anal intercourse. Men attending gay bathhouses report engaging in unsafe sex practices and are at substantial risk of acquisition of HIV/STIs.

HIV/AIDS NEWS

Govt under fire as new AIDS protests hit S. Africa
(News Article; Sub-Saharan Africa)
24 Aug 2006
Reuters
Related News Article: South Africa defends AIDS policies
AIDS activists launched protests demanding the dismissal of South Africa's health minister as a new study said the country faced close to 9 million new HIV cases by 2025 if the crisis is not contained.

"Hope spreads faster than AIDS" - Global Fund and partners unveil new fundraising and awareness initiative
(Press Release; Global)
14 Aug 2006
The Global Fund
The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria unveiled a new initiative to raise awareness about AIDS and raise additional funds.

Ghana's gays battle AIDS underground
(Feature Article; Sub-Saharan Africa)
21 Aug 2006
Toronto Star
While the fight against AIDS in the West has always included the gay population, the prevention message has never really reached Africa's gays and lesbians, largely because they are nearly invisible on a continent where homosexuality is mostly illegal.

Sierra Leone: enlisting chiefs in the fight against HIV/AIDS
(News Article; Sub-Saharan Africa)
24 Aug 2006
PlusNews
n Sierra Leone, where poverty is endemic and the overwhelming majority are illiterate, the paramount chief is an elected leader and the main conduit through which information is channelled and circulated. The National AIDS Secretariat (NAS) hopes to harness this influence in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

Uganda: home-based HIV counselling and testing in camps for internally displaced
(Feature Article; Sub-Saharan Africa)
21 Aug 2006
PlusNews
The International Rescue Committee in Northern Uganda has begun operating home-based HIV counselling and testing in 10 camps for internally displaced persons in the Kitgum region.

Sudan: poor services, ignorance hamper HIV/AIDS fight in south
(Feature Article; North Africa)
22 Aug 2006
PlusNews
There are no HIV testing and counselling centers in Bentiu, the main town in southern Sudan's oil-rich Unity State, and statistics are scarce, but that does not mean the disease does not exist.

DRC: combating HIV/AIDS in conflict-ridden South Kivu
(News Article; Sub-Saharan Africa)
18 Aug 2006
PlusNews
Donors have poured millions of US dollars into combating HIV/AIDS in the Democratic Republic of Congo, but the government has yet to provide a comprehensive program, leaving international NGOs and churches to provide care and treatment in the mineral-rich eastern provinces, where 10 years of conflict has all but wiped out health infrastructure.

Rwanda: guarding against HIV in prisons
(Feature Article; Sub-Saharan Africa)
24 Aug 2006
PlusNews
Kigali Central Prison, in the capital of Rwanda, has the nation's highest number of HIV-positive prisoners. Although prisoners do not receive ARVs, the authorities started paying more attention to HIV prevention and counselling about 3 years ago.

MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH RESEARCH

Improving emergency obstetric care in Mozambique: the story of Sofala
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Sub-Saharan Africa)
International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics. 2006 Aug;94(2):190-201.
Santos C | Diante D | Baptista A | Matediane E | Bique C | Bailey P
The project in the province of Sofala was designed to improve access, quality, and utilization of emergency obstetric care (EmOC) by strengthening rural hospitals and health centers. Implementation consisted of attention to infrastructure, human resource development, transportation and communication systems, and management. Access to EmOC improved with an increase of the number of women with obstetric complications who were admitted for treatment in participating facilities tripled, and the proportion of those women dying declined by half.

Breastfeeding plus infant zidovudine prophylaxis for 6 months vs formula feeding plus infant zidovudine for 1 month to reduce mother-to-child HIV transmission in Botswana: a randomized trial: the Mashi Study
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Sub-Saharan Africa)
Journal of the American Medical Association. 2006 Aug 16;296(7):794-805.
Thior I | Lockman S | Smeaton LM | Shapiro RL | Wester C | Heymann SJ | Gilbert PB | Stevens L | Peter T | Kim S | van Widenfelt E | Moffat C | Ndase P | Arimi P | Kebaabetswe P | Mazonde P | Makhema J | McIntosh K | Novitsky V | Lee TH | Marlink R | Lagakos S | Essex M
Researchers sought to compare the efficacy and safety of two infant feeding strategies for the prevention of postnatal mother-to-child HIV transmission. Breastfeeding with zidovudine prophylaxis was not as effective as formula feeding in preventing postnatal HIV transmission, but was associated with a lower mortality rate at 7 months. Both strategies had comparable HIV-free survival at 18 months.

MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH NEWS

Aspirin may ward off recurrent miscarriage
(News Article; Global | Middle East)
22 Aug 2006
Reuters
Related Abstract; subscription needed for full text: A randomized study of thromboprophylaxis in women with unexplained consecutive recurrent miscarriages
For women who have had unexplained recurrent miscarriages, treatment with aspirin or another blood-thinner to prevent blood clots seems to improve their chances of delivering a live infant.

Indian scientist to help reduce infant mortality in Africa: UNICEF
(News Article; North Africa | Sub-Saharan Africa)
22 Aug 2006
MedIndia.com
Seven African countries have partnered with Indian scientist Abhay Bang to learn about and adopt his home-based approach to caring and treating newborn babies to reduce infant mortality in Africa.

MEN'S HEALTH RESEARCH

Domestic violence goes both ways, study finds
(News Article; Global | Oceania)
19 Aug 2006
The New Zealand Herald
Where only one partner in a relationship is violent, it is more likely to be the woman, University of Otago researchers have found. Researcher Kirsten Robertson, of the university's psychology department, said the finding indicated a change of thinking was required on domestic violence. The researchers found that among people in violent relationships, 13.8% of women said they were the sole perpetrators of violence, and only 2.4% of men said they were the only violent one in the relationship. "The problem is our society just accepts female violence - it accepts violence in general," Ms. Robertson said. "But there are always campaigns aimed at stopping male violence - we need to accept no violence." People tended to find female violence amusing. "When asked, 'does a man deserve to be hit', women often laugh. They said they did often deserve it as they did things that wound you up."

Personal safety survey, Australia
(Report; Global | Oceania)
Melbourne, Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2006.
Related News Article: Women just as violent as men: survey
Related Editorial: 'Take back the night' for men as well
On Aug. 10, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) released the results of its first national Personal Safety Survey (PSS, 2005). It is the only national survey by a 'Western' country that analyzes a wide range of violence on the basis of a respondent's sex. Thus, the PSS offers the best snapshot available of the comparative violence experienced by men and women in a society with laws and a culture similar to North America. The results are remarkable. If valid, they have far-reaching implications for how issues of gender and violence should be addressed. The current approach basically views women as victims and men as aggressors. The survey's bottom line: Australian men are twice as likely as women to become victims of physical violence or of threats thereof (11% of men; 5.8% of women). For the population between eighteen and twenty-four years of age, men were almost three times as likely (31% of men; 12% of women). But men were also three times more likely than women to be the perpetrators of violence.

MEN'S HEALTH NEWS

Male contraceptive comes a step closer
(News Article; Global)
26 Aug 2006
The New Zealand Herald
This article highlights advancements in the field of male hormonal contraceptives amid worries that there will be little market and investment for such products.

POPULATION NEWS

Chinese child policy increases gender imbalance
(News Article; Asia)
18 Aug 2006
Reuters
China's one child per family policy has cut the country's birth rate and means men clearly outnumber women in the population.

Population explosion threatens to trap Africa in cycle of poverty
(News Article; North Africa | Sub-Saharan Africa)
25 Aug 2006
The Guardian
Many African countries have extraordinarily high fertility rates that have remained largely unchanged for more than 30 years. In addition, most women lack access to contraception. Taken together, these factors point to a population explosion that has demographers and family planning experts warning that efforts to cut poverty are doomed unless urgent measures are taken.

Global population on the move
(Feature Article; Global)
24 Aug 2006
Voice of America
The world population reached 6.6 billion this year, up from 6 billion in 1999. By 2025, researchers expect nearly 8 billion people will be living on the planet. Ninety-nine percent of those new inhabitants will be in developing countries.

WOMEN'S HEALTH RESEARCH

Preferences between injectable contraceptive methods among South African women
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Sub-Saharan Africa)
Contraception. 2006 Jun;73(6):598-601.
Morroni C | Myer L | Moss M | Hoffman M
This study examines South African women's preferences between depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) and norethisterone enanthate (NET-EN). Among women who knew of both injectables, 46% stated a preference for DMPA (n=365) and 37% stated a preference for NET-EN (n=297). Most women who preferred DMPA thought that it was more effective in preventing pregnancy, while women who preferred NET-EN stated that it was preferable for women who wanted children in the future. These findings suggest that there are misperceptions among women regarding the differences between DMPA and NET-EN.

WOMEN'S HEALTH NEWS

Report: domestic violence widespread in Afghanistan
(Feature Article; Asia)
24 Aug 2006
Voice of America
A new report from UNIFEM -- the United Nations Development Fund for Women -- finds that violence against women in post-Taleban Afghanistan remains widespread, and that much of it continues to go unreported.

AIDS-related anti-violence programs failing: advocacy group
(News Article; Global | North Africa | Sub-Saharan Africa)
18 Aug 2006
Reuters
Nearly half of girls in some African countries are raped, an advocacy group says in a report that sharply criticizes existing programs aimed at curbing violence to help stop the spread of AIDS.

BOOKS/BOOK REVIEWS

The political economy of global population change, 1950–2050
(Book; Global)
New York, NY, The Population Council, 2006.
Demeny P | McNicoll G
Explores the international political dimensions of the population explosion and its aftermath.

Running the obstacle course to sexual and reproductive health: lessons from Latin America
(Book; Global)
Praeger Publishers, 2006.
Shepard B
This text analyzes the political, cultural, and organizational dynamics that influence sexual and reproductive health advocacy and programs in Latin America. Parallels to similar efforts on other continents are included. Four studies illustrate processes of change--and roadblocks to such change--as paradigms are shifted from hierachical programs to human rights-based approaches.

Continuous Identification of Research Evidence (CIRE) Related to Family Planning Guidance

Ellertson C, Evans M, Ferden S, Leadbetter C, and Spears A. Extending the time limit for starting the Yuzpe regimen of emergency contraception to 120 hours. Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2003 Jun;101(6):1168-1171.
The study objectives of this article concern a topic addressed by WHO's Selected Practice Recommendations for Contraceptive Use (SPR) Question: 13. How can a woman take emergency contraceptive pills?

Link to CIRE evidence: http://www.infoforhealth.org/cire_pub.pl?cire_input=..HowECPs.2041.3989.Y

"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 mdadamo@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.

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 3428 August 2006