Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health: The INFO Project

Your knowledge-sharing resource on family planning and reproductive health

Shopping Basket

The Pop Reporter®

Volume 6, Number 35
5 September 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

Patterns of oral contraceptive pill-taking and condom use among adolescent contraceptive pill users
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; North America)
Journal of Adolescent Health. 2006 Sep;39(3):381-387.
Woods JL | Shew ML | Tu W | Ofner S | Ott MA | Fortenberry JD
Imperfect oral contraceptive pill (OCP) regimen adherence may impair contraceptive effectiveness. The purpose of this study was to describe daily adherence patterns of OCP use, to analyze OCP protection on an event level basis, and to examine pill-taking and condom use during method transitions.





Testosterone gel combined wiith Depomdroxyprogesterone acetate is an effective male hormonal contraceptive regimen and is not enhanced by the addition of a GnRH antagonist
(Abstract; Global)
Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. Online access August 29, 2006
Page ST | Amory JK | Anawalt BD | Irwig MS | Brockenbrough AT | Matsumoto AM | Bremner WJ
The authors hypothesized that testosterone (T) transdermal gel (T gel) could be combined with a depot formulation of the progestin, depomedroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) to conveniently, rapidly and reversibly suppress spermatogenesis. In the trial, all men had dramatic suppression of spermatogenesis; 90% of subjects became severely oligospermic, a rate comparable to implantable and injectable T+progestin combinations. There were no serious adverse events and there were minimal changes in weight, serum lipids and PSA.



Make better use of provider time
(Report; Global)
(You need Adobe Acrobat Reader to access this document)
Washington, DC, Population Council, 2006. (FRONTIERS Program Brief No. 7)
Janowitz B
Faced with an increasing demand for reproductive health services as well as stagnant funding, program managers need to examine the productivity and costs of service provision in public health clinics. This Program Brief focuses on provider time use and how programs can make better use of existing labor resources. Increasing providers' productivity, defined as time spent with clients, can enhance the financial sustainability of programs and improve services for clients. (12 p.)





Preliminary report of treatment with oral contraceptive pills for intermenstrual vaginal bleeding secondary to a cesarean section scar
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Global)
Fertility and Sterility. 2006 Aug;86(1):477-479.
Tahara M | Shimizu | Shimoura H
Related News Article: Oral contraceptives curb bleeding after C-section
Uterine scar has been reported as a possible cause of intermenstrual bleeding in women with previous cesareans. Researchers evaluated the effectiveness of combined hormonal therapy (estrogen and progesterone tablets containing 0.5 mg of norgestrel and 0.05 mg of ethynyl estradiol) in patients with recurring vaginal bleeding after cesarean section. Several cycles of the hormonal therapy eliminated the problem of abnormal vaginal bleeding, and the patients were satisfied with the treatment.





Ethnic variations in sexual activity and contraceptive use: National cross-sectional survey
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Europe)
Contraception. 2006 Sep;74(3):224-233.
Saxena S | Copas AJ | Mercer C | Johnson AM | Fenton K | Eren B | Nanchahal K | Macdowall W | Wellings K
Overall, fewer women from the UK's four main ethnic minority groups reported recent sexual activity, compared with white women. Among sexually active women, contraceptive use was significantly lower in all ethnic minority groups than in white women, but this pattern differed according to marital status.

FAMILY PLANNING/REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH NEWS

South Africa: Female condom usage on the rise
(News Article; Sub-Saharan Africa)
30 Aug 2006
Independent Online
Female condom usage seems to be rising in South Africa, its second largest market in the world. The female condom has been around for nearly a decade, and in South Africa - which globally has among the highest incidence of HIV and Aids with some 5.5 million people living with the disease - forms a focal point of government's national HIV and AIDS programme.



Kenyan Catholics support condoms more than other faith groups
(News Article; Sub-Saharan Africa)
25 Aug 2006
Kenya London News
A majority of Catholics in Kenya now support the use of condoms in this East African country where 1/3 of the population is reportedly Catholic, and 1/5 of citizens are suffering from HIV/AIDS, according to the Nation. A report released by the Steadman Group indicates that Catholics more than any other faith group support the use of condoms for contraception and preventing sexually transmitted diseases, especially HIV/AIDS.




Philippines: DOH assures safety of modern family planning methods
(Press Release; Asia)
31 Aug 2006
Phillippine Information Agency
Contrary to popular beliefs, modern family planning methods are completely safe and could even aid in solving the country’s perennial problems on poverty, education and pollution.



Uganda: 'Family planning poorly covered'
(News Article; Sub-Saharan Africa)
31 Aug 2006
New Vision
Low press coverage of reproductive health care has had a negative effect on promotion of family planning issues in the country.

FAMILY PLANNING/REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH LAW AND POLICY

The changing face of foreign assistance: New funding paradigms offer a challenge and opportunity for family planning
(Feature Article; Global)
(You need Adobe Acrobat Reader to access this document)
PAI Research Commentary. 2006 Sep;1(8):1-9.
Vogel CG
New foreign assistance strategies that aim to encourage ownership by recipients while still effectively reducing poverty are laudable. They offer the hope of increased financial support to overall global development—a bigger pie—but they also pose significant challenges to the family planning field: Will it be able to keep a slice of that pie?

HIV/AIDS RESEARCH

A brief individualized computer-delivered sexual risk reduction intervention increases HIV/AIDS preventive behavior
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Global)
Journal of Adolescent Health. 2006 Sep;39(3):404-410.
Kiene SM | Barta WD
This study reports the development and evaluation of a computer-delivered, theory-based, individually tailored HIV risk-reduction intervention. As compared to the control group (a nutrition education tutorial), participants who interacted with the computer-delivered HIV/AIDS risk reduction intervention exhibited a significant increase in risk reduction behavior. Specifically, participants reported a greater frequency of keeping condoms available and displayed greater condom-related knowledge at a four-week follow-up session; among sexually active participants, there was a significant increase in self-reported condom use.



Acceptability of community and health facility-based directly observed treatment of tuberculosis in Tanzanian urban setting
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Sub-Saharan Africa)
Health Policy. 2006 Oct;78(2-3):284-294.
Wandwalo E | Makundi E | Hasler T | Morkve O
This research assessed the acceptability of community and health facility-based direct observation of treatment (DOT) of tuberculosis (TB) patients in Temeke district. The results indicate that DOT options were acceptable to patients. Community-based DOT is a viable option and can complement and strengthen the existing health facility-based DOT, especially in countries like Tanzania where the health system is overwhelmed with increasing number of TB and HIV/AIDS patients.



Etiology of chronic diarrhea in antiretroviral-naive patients with HIV infection admitted to Norodom Sihanouk Hospital, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
(Research Article; Asia)
Clinical Infectious Diseases. 2006 Oct 1;43(7):925-932.
Chhin S | Harwell JI | Bell JD | Rozycki G | Ellman T | Barnett JM | Ward H | Reinert SE | Pugatch D
In this article, the authors present a case-control study involving 40 HIV-infected patients with chronic diarrhea and 40 HIV-infected patients without diarrhea. Stool samples were examined for parasites and a potential pathogen was found in 30 case patients (75%) and 29 control subjects (72.5%). The prevalence of pathogens was extremely high but did not differ significantly between the case patients with diarrhea and the control subjects without diarrhea. Further studies are needed to examine factors associated with Cryptosporidium carriage and the natural history of asymptomatic infection.



Psychosocial aspects of immune thrombocytopenia and secondary human immunodeficiency virus-related pediatric immune thrombocytopenia in the Republic of South Africa.
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Sub-Saharan Africa)
Pediatric Blood and Cancer. 2006 Aug 24;47(S5):692-693.
Wainwright RD | Poyiadjis S | Naidu G | Mackinnon D
Developing countries with an uncontrolled AIDS epidemic have new challenges to meet in immune thrombocytopenia (ITP). Secondary ITP, HIV related, becomes an increasing problem, which has many aspects that need addressing, including medical, effective counseling, psychosocial and unresolved management issues. Assistance in developing treatment guidelines is urgently needed.



American histoplasmosis in developing countries with a special focus on patients with HIV: Diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis
(Research Article; North America | South America)
Current Opinion in Infectious Diseases. 2006 Oct;19(5):443-449.
Couppie P | Aznar C | Carme B | Nacher M
Histoplasmosis due to Histoplasma capsulatum var capsulatum is a frequent systemic fungal infection in the Americas. Disseminated histoplasmosis is an AIDS-defining infection. The association of tuberculosis and histoplasmosis is frequent in HIV patients and presents diagnostic and therapeutic challenges that may be difficult to resolve in resource-poor settings.

HIV/AIDS NEWS

HIV rate in Uganda rising again
(News Article; Sub-Saharan Africa)
29 Aug 2006
Check E, New Vision Online
Hard-earned gains in the fight against AIDS may be eroding in Uganda, according to data presented at the concluded sixteenth International AIDS Conference in Toronto, Canada.



South Africa: AIDS taking startling toll among SA women
(News Article; Sub-Saharan Africa)
30 Aug 2006
Davis R, The Herald Online
More than 330,000 South Africans have died of AIDS over the past year, the Medical Research Council (MRC) told members of Parliament‘s science and technology portfolio committee in Cape Town yesterday. HIV prevalence in the age group 20 to 24 were about 25 percent among women, compared to 10% among men.




Zambia: Bridging the gap between traditional and western medicine
(Feature Article; Sub-Saharan Africa)
28 Aug 2006
IRIN News
Zambia's HIV/AIDS pandemic is helping to bridge the divide between traditional healers and practitioners of western medicine.



Belize: National Policy of HIV officially launched
(News Article; Central America and the Caribbean)
29 Aug 2006
Godwin J, Channel 5 News Belize
After years of country wide consultations, local officials have drafted Belize's first National Policy on HIV and AIDS. The document will play a crucial role in curbing the spread of the deadly disease.



Experts warn of HIV in Jakarta
(News Article; Asia)
31 Aug 2006
Collison K, The Jakarta Post
The rate of HIV/AIDS infection is so high in Jakarta that three major hospitals have to treat 25 new patients every month, according to Zubairi Djoerban, chairman of the Indonesian AIDS Society.



Jamaica: Row over HIV testing - JEF, Medical Association square off on policy
(News Article; Central America and the Caribbean)
30 Aug 2006
Sterling Y
The Jamaica Employers' Federation (JEF) insists on the right of employers to demand that workers undergo HIV/AIDS tests as a condition of employment.





Swaziland: Critics slam findings on female sexual activity
(News Article; Sub-Saharan Africa)
28 Aug 2006
IRIN News
Swazi women have more sexual partners than men, a new study has found. Critics of the controversial finding claim that women are driven by poverty into sex for gifts and money.




India: Shocking burials for HIV/AIDS people in Mizoram
(News Article; Asia)
30 Aug 2006
India eNews.com
The practice of wrapping corpses in polythene bags and burying people who have died of HIV/AIDS in the Christian majority northeastern Indian state of Mizoram has outraged people living with the virus.

MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH RESEARCH

State of the world's mothers 2006: Saving the lives of mothers and newborns
(Report; Global)
(You need Adobe Acrobat Reader to access this document)
Westport, CT, Save the Children, May 2006
Save the Children
Related News Article: The best and worst places to become a mother
Every year, 60 million women in the developing world give birth at home, without a skilled person to help them. Approximately 4 million newborns die each year from disease or complications of childbirth before they have seen a month of life, and more than 3 million are stillborn. This report reveals which countries are making the most progress in saving the lives of newborns, and which are lagging behind. It examines the ways investments in health care, nutrition, education and communication can make a difference. It also points to low-cost, low-tech solutions that could save the vast majority of these young lives.



Epidemiology of complications of male circumcision in Ibadan, Nigeria
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Sub-Saharan Africa)
BMC Urology. 2006 Aug 25;6(1):21.
Okeke LI | Asinobi AA | Ikuerowo OS
The authors carried out this study in order to shed some light on the problem of neonatal circumcision injuries. The patients were made up of 370 children attending an infant welfare clinic for immunization over a period of 3 months. Complications of circumcision occurred in 20.2% of the children. The authors suggest that training should be organized to adequately retrain all practitioners of circumcision on the safe methods available.



The social shaping of childhood vaccination practice in rural and urban Gambia
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Sub-Saharan Africa)
Health Policy and Planning. 2006;21(5):373-391.
Cassell J | Leach M | Fairhead J | Small M | Mercer C
This paper explores vaccination demand in urban and rural areas of The Gambia. A survey of 1600 mothers found a high level of social demand for vaccination. For most rural mothers, strong social networks encouraged routine clinic attendance. However, patterns of schedule non-completion are found amongst poorer urban mothers. These findings point to the need for health education dialogue grounded in mothers' own understandings and for particular policy attention to improving the clinic experiences of vulnerable social groups in rapidly expanding urban areas.



Risk factors for neonatal mortality in rural areas of Bangladesh served by a large NGO programme
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Asia)
Health Policy and Planning. Online access August 30, 2006.
Mercer A | Haseen F | Huq NL | Uddin N | Khan MH | Larson CP
This paper reports on a study of neonatal deaths in 12 areas of Bangladesh served by a large NGO programme. The study aimed to identify the main factors associated with neonatal mortality in these areas. The main risk factors for neonatal death among 122 singleton babies were complications during delivery, prematurity, care for a sick neonate from an unlicensed 'traditional healer,' care not sought at all, or having a previous sibling not vaccinated against measles. This study indicates the need for identification of babies at high risk of mortality and early postpartum interventions.

MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH NEWS

UN tackles obstetric problem in developing countries
(Feature Article; Global)
31 Aug 2006
Clift E, Toward Freedom
The World Health Organization estimates that more than two million women are living with obstetric fistula with an additional 50,000 to 100,000 new cases occurring annually. These figures are based on women seeking treatment; in fact, they may be grossly underestimated. With surgical intervention, the success rate for fistula repair is as high as 90 percent. But most women in the developing world cannot afford US$300 for surgery, even where facilities exist to provide it.



India: Drop in child mortality rate in five states: Survey
(News Article; Asia)
28 Aug 2006
Zeenews.com
There has been a substantial drop in infant mortality, as well as an overall improvement in some health and family welfare indicators in five Indian states, according to the National Family Health Survey.



Nigeria: Challenges of maternal health in Northern states
(News Article; Sub-Saharan Africa)
28 Aug 2006
Amalu C, Vanguard
Complications of pregnancy and childbirth are a leading cause of death and disability among women of reproductive age in developing countries. For every woman who dies, approximately 20 more suffer injuries, infection and disabilities in pregnancy or childbirth. The risks of childbirth are even greater for women who have undergone female genital mutilation, with an estimated 2 million girls mutilated every year. Nigeria's six states in the north - Bauchi, Borno, Kaduna, Kano, Kastina and Zamfara - have the highest rate of maternal morbidity in Nigeria.





UN official praises Vietnam’s child healthcare achievements
(News Article; Asia)
1 Sep 2006
Thanh Nien News
Vietnam has made many laudable achievements in improving children’s health and living quality, especially in reducing the under-five child mortality rate, said a United Nations official.

MEN'S HEALTH RESEARCH

Prevalence and determinants of human papillomavirus infection in men attending vasectomy clinics in Mexico
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Central America and the Caribbean)
International Journal of Cancer. 2006 Oct 15;199(8):1934-1939.
Vaccarella S | Lazcano-Ponce E | Castro-Garduno JA | Cruz-Valdez A | Diaz V | Schiavon R | Hernandez P | Kornegay JR | Hernandez-Avila M | Franceschi S
The authors interviewed 779 men who requested a vasectomy in 27 public clinics in 14 states of Mexico to determine the prevalence of genital human papillomavirus (HPV). The prevalence of any type of HPV was 8.7%. HPV prevalence in men was similar to the prevalence found in women of the same age groups. The association between HPV positivity and lifetime number of sexual partners in the present low-risk male population is one of the strongest ever reported in studies in men. Condom use and circumcision were associated with a strong reduction in HPV prevalence.



Assessment of needs of men for decision support on male sterilization
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Global)
Patient Education and Counseling. Online access July 26, 2006
Balde A | Legare F | Labrecque M
Men facing a decision about undergoing a vasectomy or not and 11 physicians who perform vasectomy were interviewed to assess the sources of difficulty in this decision-making process. On the day of their vasectomy, only 1.9% (95% confidence interval 0.5–4.8%) of men had unresolved decisional conflict. However, most men scored poorly on their knowledge test mean score (58.2 ± 13.5%). Men facing the decision about having a vasectomy or not would benefit from a decision support intervention that would address conflicting information and clarification of values.

POPULATION RESEARCH

Adolescent pregnancy in West Turkey. Cross sectional survey of married adolescents
(Abstract; Europe)
Saudi Medical Journal. 2006 Aug;27(8):1177-1182.
Ozsahin A | Zencir M | Gokce B | Acimis N
This research was conducted to determine both the fertility characteristics of married adolescent women in Denizli province center and correlates of adolescent pregnancy. Approximately 6.4% of the adolescents were married, 4.9% had been pregnant as an adolescent, 76.7% had been pregnant one or more times, and 4.8% had delivered a baby. The majority of the married adolescent women in the research group (57.2%) did not use any method of family planning, followed by 15.7% who used an intrauterine device. Age, lower degree of education (less than 8 years) and unemployment were identified as risk factors for adolescent pregnancy. The results of this study suggest that the frequency of adolescent pregnancy in the region is higher compared with other countries.

POPULATION NEWS

Pakistan: Population growth rate drops down to 1.8% in 2006
(News Article; Asia)
26 Aug 2006
PakTribune
Underlining the critical role played by population control in the development process, Pakistan's Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz announced that the population growth rate has declined from 3.5% in the 1980’s to 1.8% this year and the government is working to further reduce it to 1.3% per annum by the year 2020.



India: Hum do, hamare do - Only with a boy
(Feature Article; Asia)
30 Aug 2006
Sharma R, The Times of India
Statistics of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) 2005-2006 in the state of Gujarat in India reveal that about 95 per cent of women are happy with the size of their family only if both their children are sons. But over 50 per cent of families with two daughters felt their families were not yet complete and wanted to have more children. And Gujarat already has an skewed sex ratio of 878 girls per 1,000 boys.



Philippines: Population growth in N. Oriental rate down
(News Article; Asia)
29 Aug 2006
Sun Star Dumaguete
The population growth rate in Negros Oriental has gone down in the last five years amid the strong opposition of the Catholic Church to birth control.



Population explosion threatens to trap Africa in poverty
(News Article; Sub-Saharan Africa)
26 Aug 2006
The Hindu
Uganda leads population growth as world's poorest nations are set to triple in size. There are 27.7 million people in Uganda, but by 2025 the population will almost double to 56 million. In 44 years its population will have grown by nearly as much as China's. Across much of sub-Saharan Africa the population is expanding so quickly that the demographic map of the earth is changing.






Medical experts tackle global health gap
(News Article; Global)
1 Sep 2006
NZZ Online
Health experts from around the world are exploring ways to improve access to treatment and care in poorer countries at a major three day conference in Geneva. The conference is attended by around 1,000 participants from 80 countries.



South Korea: Busan seeking to increase birth rate
(News Article; Asia)
31 Aug 2006
DongA.com
Busan, the city with the lowest fertility rate in South Korea, has announced plans to encourage childbirth. The metropolitan government will designate some bus seats exclusive for pregnant women. Banks are expected to benefit a household with more than three children by offering them higher deposit rates.

WOMEN'S HEALTH RESEARCH

Congo: Visual inspection as a cervical cancer screening method in a primary health care setting in Africa
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Sub-Saharan Africa)
International Journal of Cancer. 2006 Sep 15;119(6):1389-1395.
Sangwa-Lugoma G | Mahmud S | Nasr SH | Liaras J | Kayembe PK | Tozin RR | Drouin P | Lorincz A | Ferenczy A | Franco EL
The feasibility and performance of visual inspection for cervical cancer screening in Kinshasa, Congo was examined. Our results show that VIA and VILI performed by nurses and physicians are slightly more sensitive but less specific than Pap cytology across multiple combinations of test and lesion thresholds. Given their lower cost and easy deployment, visual inspection methods merit further assessment as cervical cancer screening methods for low-resource countries.



Defining women's health: A dozen messages from more than 150 ethnographies
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Global)
Medical Anthropology Quartlerly. 2006 Sep;20(3):345-78.
Inhorn MC
Anthropology has much to offer in terms of defining and understanding women's health from the perspective of women themselves. This article summarizes a dozen major messages about women's health that emerge from the ethnographic literature, now consisting of more than 150 volumes. These volumes are listed in the article, and some primary examples are described as representative of anthropology's contribution to knowledge production in women's health.





Literature review: Afghanistan women's health crisis, health service delivery, and ethical issues for international aid
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Asia)
Health Care for Women International. 2006 Sep;27(8):748-759.
Turner H
Difficulties in establishing health services in Afghanistan revolve around fundamentalist Islamic ideas and ongoing violence. Humanitarian assistance has been provided, with international aid agencies having to weigh the ethical responsibilities they hold and one agency tragically facing the violent loss of its own staff. Easy answers are not in the literature, merely an opportunity to understand, consider, and take action about what is facing women in Afghanistan and those who try to help.

WOMEN'S HEALTH NEWS

Semen 'worsens cervical and womb cancers'
(News Article; Global)
1 Sep 2006
Guardian Unlimited
Related Abstract; subscription needed for full text: Seminal plasma promotes the expression of tumorigenic and angiogenic genes in cervical adenocarcinoma cells via the E-series prostanoid 4 receptor
Women who have cervical and womb cancers should insist their sexual partners use condoms to reduce the risk of the diseases worsening, scientists said today. The advice followed the discovery by scientists that a chemical compound found in semen could fuel the growth of both types of cancer.





A fear of offending African men is the worst of reasons for inaction on AIDS
(Commentary; Global | Sub-Saharan Africa)
20 Aug 2006
Tinsley B, The Independent (London, UK)
Tinsley argues that if we are serious about defeating HIV, then we must also defeat the customs and myths that make the battle against the virus so difficult in Africa, in particular some attitudes about women.




Sudanese immigrant tries to help women
(Feature Article; North Africa)
1 Sept 2006
Stanton A, Azcentral.com
Lilian Riziq founded the South Sudan Women's Empowerment Network for personal reasons. The 38-year-old said she was whipped and incarcerated for defying Islamic law by keeping her head uncovered. Riziq fled the country 10 years ago, moving to the United States in 2001.

YOUTH HEALTH RESEARCH

Predictors of timely initiation of gynecologic care among urban adolescent girls.
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; North America)
Journal of Adolescent Health. 2006 Aug;39(2):183-191.
McKee MD | Fletcher J | Schechter CB
Researchers found that most sexually active girls have not told a clinician that they are sexually active and many have not had counseling related to sexual health. Delay between sexual debut and initial pelvic exam is substantial for low-income urban girls, and often occurs in reaction to pregnancy or STI.



Adolescent adjustment over six years in HIV-affected families
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; North America)
Journal of Adolescent Health. 2006 Aug;39(2):174-182.
Rotheram-Borus MJ | Stein JA | Lester P
Researchers found that time-limited, family based intervention with adolescents of parents with HIV (PWH) demonstrated both direct and indirect benefits lasting into early adulthood, especially in decreasing substance use, and identifies key risk factors for problematic adjustment, including the death of a PWH.

YOUTH HEALTH NEWS

Cause and effect: Mexico gets serious about fighting teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease
(Editorial; Central America and the Caribbean)
29 Aug 2006
Houston Chronicle
After years of church and government encouraging huge families, Mexico's government saw the light on population control 40 years ago. Thanks to family planning clinics, free birth control, and education, Mexican families' average family size dropped from seven children in 1968 to two today. Now President Vicente Fox's government wants to reduce teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. The program's centerpiece is comprehensive sex education for youngsters.



Kenya: Fighting for children
(Feature Article; Sub-Saharan Africa)
28 Aug 2006
Okoth D, East Africa Standard
A new wave of violence against children is sweeping through Kenya. This has prompted the government, non-governmental organisations, and the private sector to launch a massive campaign to counter the vice. Since January this year, 1,179 children have been harmed in Nairobi alone.



I had sex to anger my father - Teen mom
(Feature Article; Sub-Saharan Africa)
31 Aug 2006
Mchunu N, Independent Online from The Mercury
When Amanda decided to have sex for the first time at 16, she was angry and wanted to punish her father for keeping her away from her mother. Now aged 17 and the mother of a baby girl, Zinhle, the grade 11 pupil at a Durban school says her life has been changed by the pregnancy.

SPECIAL REPORTS/PROFILES/RESOURCES

Operations research to improve financial sustainability in three Bolivian NGOs
(Report; South America)
(You need Adobe Acrobat Reader to access this document)
Washington, DC, Population Council, 2006.
Mérida M | Arce J | Moscoso D | Ramirez C | Riveros P | Bratt J
FRONTIERS worked with three Bolivian NGOs (Prosalud, the Center for Research, Education and Services or CIES, and the Association of Rural Health Programs or APSAR) to improve their ability to conduct research on market analysis and cost recovery. Following a workshop on cost studies, staff from the three NGOs designed operations research studies to help with decisions on planning and cost recovery. Study findings showed that cost recovery varied from high (Prosalud, 83-109%) to low (CIES, 38-46%) and very low (APSAR, 10-25%), depending on the service. All three studies focused on alternative options to client fees, including developing new services or market approaches (Prosalud), controlling costs (CIES), and continued donor support (APSAR). (22 p)

---

"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!

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