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The Pop Reporter®

Volume 6, Number 38
25 September 2006

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FAMILY PLANNING/REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH RESEARCH

Utilization of family planning services in the governorate of Zarqa, Jordan
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Middle East)
Journal of Transcultural Nursing. 2006 Oct;17(4):365-374.
Hasna FS
Quantitative and qualitative methods were used to explore family planning use in four clinics with different models of provision in Zarqa Governorate in Jordan. Findings show that family planning provision is still fragmented and "techno-patriarchal" in Jordan. Strengthening coordination mechanisms between the service sectors and addressing men are important strategies to increase family planning use that are transferable to other countries of the Middle East and the developing world.



The Cochrane Fertility Regulation Group: Synthesizing the best evidence about family planning
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Global)
Contraception. 2006 Oct;74(4):280-286.
Helmerhorst FM | Belfield T | Kulier R | Maitra N | O'Brien P | Grimes DA
By the end of 2005, the Fertility Regulation Group of the Cochrane Collaboration had published 32 systematic reviews; however, because of suboptimal trial quality, firm conclusions could be made in only five reviews. The finding that most trials of oral contraceptives were conducted by pharmaceutical companies raises concerns about potential commercial bias. Of necessity, most information about fertility regulation effectiveness and adverse effects comes from observational studies, which vary widely in quality.

FAMILY PLANNING/REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH NEWS

Romania: Fewer abortions, birth rate on the rise after 15 years of family planning
(News Article; Europe)
21 Sep 2006
Bucharest Daily News
One of every three sexually active Romanian women aged 15 to 44 now uses a modern method of birth control — a major change compared to 1990, when less than 10 percent of Romanian women used modern, reliable contraceptives. Fewer women today rely on abortion for family planning, while birth rates have remained steady and have even begun to rise. Maternal mortality rates, especially those for mortality resulting from abortion, are falling. This is the main conclusion of the conference for Romanian family planning professionals held in Bucharest.



Philippines: Caraga needs to increase CPR, says POPCOM chief
(News Article; Asia)
20 Sep 2006
Philippine Information Agency
"Caraga will have to increase its contraceptive prevalence rate (CPR) by five percent per year to achieve 68 percent CPR and three total fertility rate (TFR) by 2010," said Director Camilo Pangan of the Commission on Population (POPCOM) during the regional data dissemination forum on the 2005 Family Planning Survey and 2000 Census-Based Population Projections. According to the survey, only half of married women aged 15 to 49 years old practice family planning.



Mozambique: There hasn't been adequate emphasis on family planning
(News Article; Sub-Saharan Africa)
19 Sep 2006
IPS News
The problem of limited access to contraceptives is taking center stage at an African Union meeting in Maputo September 18-22, 2006. Health experts have been holding talks in the Mozambican capital about a plan of action that seeks to provide comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services across the continent. This comes ahead of a gathering of AU ministers of health, who are expected to adopt the plan.



France to support contraception in Niger
(News Article; Sub-Saharan Africa)
20 Sep 2006
AngolaPress
France has decided to support a program for women's access to contraceptives in seven districts in Niger, Cyril Wissocq, an official of the French "Equilibres et Populations" non-governmental organization said in Paris.

FAMILY PLANNING/REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH LAW AND POLICY

Bridging the divide: Global lessons from evidence-based health policy in Mexico
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Central America and the Caribbean)
The Lancet. 2006 Sep 9;368(9539):954-961.
Frenk J
This paper examines the main features of the Mexican health care reform experience. Because of its high degree of social inequality, Mexico's health system copes with a double burden of disease, whereby malnutrition and common infections coexist with non-communicable diseases and injury. With half of its population uninsured, Mexico was facing an unacceptable situation: a large number of families became impoverished by expenditures in health care and drugs. The reforms introduced a new scheme called Popular Health Insurance (Seguro Popular) to gradually protect the 50 million Mexicans who had until now been excluded from formal social insurance.

HIV/AIDS RESEARCH

Factors associated with HIV infection in adolescent females in Zimbabwe
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Sub-Saharan Africa)
Journal of Adolescent Health. 2006 Oct;39(4):596.e11–596.e18.
Gavin L | Galavotti C | Dube H | McNaghten AD | Murwirwa M | Khan R | St Louis M
This study identified factors associated with HIV infection among adolescent females in Zimbabwe and appropriate prevention strategies for this vulnerable population. Adolescent females in Zimbabwe who are married, not attending school and/or are unemployed, are at heightened risk for HIV infection. Interventions that improve their educational and employment opportunities, strengthen school-based prevention services, foster more equitable gender attitudes, and make marriage safer by, for example, promoting knowledge of partners' serostatus before marriage, may reduce their risk.



Oral contraception and unprotected sex with occasional partners of women HIV-infected through injection drug use
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Europe)
AIDS Care. 2006 Oct;18(7):795-800.
Carrieri MP | Rey D | Serraino D | Tremolieres F | Mechali D | Moatti JP | Spire B | The Manif 2000 Study Group
This study aimed to assess the impact of oral contraception on unsafe sexual behaviors with occasional partners in women HIV-infected through injection drug use. Unprotected sex with occasional partners was independently associated with oral contraception, reporting only one occasional partner and antiretroviral treatment. No significant association was found between unprotected sex and CD4 level or plasma viral load. Risk reduction counseling and interventions are needed to promote either the use of dual contraception or, alternatively, that of the female condom.



The role of collectives in STI and HIV/AIDS prevention among female sex workers in Karnataka, India
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Asia)
AIDS Care. 2006 Oct;18(7):739-749.
Halli SS | Ramesh BM | O'Neil J | Moses S | Blanchard JF
This paper evaluates the role of female sex worker (FSW) collectives in the state of Karnataka, India, regarding their facilitating effect in increasing knowledge and promoting change towards safer sexual behavior. A higher degree of collectivization was associated with increased knowledge and higher reported condom use. Collectivization seems to have a positive impact in increasing knowledge and in empowering FSWs to adopt safer sex practices. While these results are encouraging, they may be confounded by social desirability, selection, and other biases.



Preventing HIV infection among injecting drug users in high risk countries: An assessment of the evidence
(Summary Report; Global)
Washington, DC, Institute of Medicine, 2006.
The sharing of contaminated injecting equipment has become a driving force behind the global AIDS epidemic and is the primary mode of HIV transmission in many countries, particularly throughout Eastern Europe, the Commonwealth of Independent States, and significant parts of Asia. In some cases, HIV is spreading rapidly from drug users to their partners through sexual transmission, and from drug users and their partners to newborns. This report discusses several key approaches that can reduce the use and injection of illegal drugs, and also curb other drug- and sex-related risk behavior that increases the risk of HIV infection. The report provides evidence-based recommendations regarding drug dependence treatment, sterile needle and syringe access, and outreach and education.



Utilization of contraception and abortion and its relationship to HIV infection among female sex workers in Tashkent, Uzbekistan
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Asia)
Contraception. 2006 Oct;74(4):318-323.
Todd CS | Alibayeva G | Sanchez JL | Bautista CT | Carr JK | Earhart KC
This study aimed to describe reported contraceptive and abortion utilization and their relationship to HIV infection among female sex workers (FSWs) in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Of 448 participants, the majority (86.2%) used contraception; 39.6% reported inconsistent use. Inconsistent contraceptive use is common and may be a predictor of HIV infection among Tashkent FSWs. Factors preventing consistent contraceptive use may be related to HIV risk and require further study in this population.



Factors associated with postpartum physical and mental morbidity among women with known HIV status in Lusaka, Zambia
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Sub-Saharan Africa)
AIDS Care. 2006 Oct;18(7):812-820.
Collin SM | Chisenga MM | Kasonka L | Haworth A | Young C | Filteau S | Murray SF
This study investigated factors associated with postpartum physical and mental morbidity among women in Lusaka, Zambia with particular reference to known HIV status. Postpartum physical morbidity was associated with HIV status, parity greater than or equal to 5 and age less than 20 years. Neither antenatal nor postpartum mental morbidity, as indicated by a self-reporting questionnaire 20-item (SRQ-20) score greater than or equal to 7, were associated with HIV status or with postpartum physical morbidity in this population.





Community attitudes towards sexual activity and childbearing by HIV-positive people in South Africa
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Sub-Saharan Africa)
AIDS Care. 2006 Oct;18(7):772-776.
Myer L | Morroni C | Cooper D
This study surveyed women at health clinics in South Africa to investigate community attitudes towards sexual activity and reproduction by HIV-infected individuals. Slightly less than half of women interviewed (43%) thought that people living with HIV/AIDS should remain sexually active if they choose, while 13% said that people living with HIV/AIDS should have children if they wish to do so. These findings suggest that the sexual and reproductive health rights of HIV-infected women and men may be an important target as part of efforts to reduce HIV/AIDS-related stigma.



Effects of infant sex on mother-to-child transmission of HIV-1 according to timing of infection in Zimbabwe
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Sub-Saharan Africa)
AIDS. 2006 Oct 3;20(15):1981-1984.
Piwoz EG | Humphrey JH | Marinda ET | Mutasa K | Moulton LH | Iliff PJ | the ZVITAMBO Study Group
This study examined the relationship between sex and the risk of intrauterine, intrapartum and postnatal HIV transmission among 4495 infants born to HIV-infected mothers in Harare, Zimbabwe. Intrauterine transmission was 8.6%, and consistent with other studies was higher among girl than boy infants. Unlike previous studies, this study indicated no independent effect of infant sex on intrapartum or breastfeeding-associated HIV transmission. Sex-specific postnatal prevention strategies are not warranted in this population.

HIV/AIDS NEWS

Taiwan: New HIV/AIDS vaccines ready for clinical trials
(News Article; Asia)
20 Sep 2006
BiotechEast
Taiwan has shown the capability to produce HIV/AIDS vaccines, with locally-developed products now ready for clinical testing on humans, according to AIDS specialist Dr. David Ho. Touted by Ho as safe and effective, the HIV/AIDS vaccines were developed from research at Academia Sinica under Ho's leadership and further developed by Taiwan's Development Center for Biotechnology (DCB), a non-profit research institute and industry service provider.



ARVs to reverse mental illness for HIV-infected
(News Article; Sub-Saharan Africa)
22 Sep 2006
SABC News
Remarkable new research shows that antiretrovirals (ARVs) can reverse mental illness in HIV-infected patients. HIV-infection can cause mental illness through the central nervous system, and nearly 40% of AIDS sufferers in South Africa have major depression, but there is hope.



India: Kashmir grapples with growing AIDS
(News Article; Asia)
18 Sep 2006
Daily India
Jammu and Kashmir has a new problem to contend with now — a sharp rise in HIV/AIDS cases. While officials claim there are 745 such cases in the insurgency-hit state, unofficial estimates peg the number at 25,000. In 1999, there were only two cases reported, writes Grassroots Features. The northern state lies in a low prevalence risk zone, with the infection rate among the high-risk groups (STD-infected) at 0.95 percent and among the low-risk groups at 0.06 percent.



South Africa: HIV/AIDS crisis dominates COSATU congress
(News Article; Sub-Saharan Africa)
19 Sep 2006
SABC News
The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) has called for an urgent meeting between the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) and Napwa to resolve their differences, while the government has accepted that HIV and AIDS is real and spreading within society and can only be fought through a joint initiative.



Kazakstan: Government to toughen fight against HIV/AIDS
(News Article; Asia)
20 Sep 2006
Reuters AlertNet
The Kazakh government is expected to approve a new programme worth over US $50 million to combat the spread of HIV/AIDS. "This is a [four-year] program to fight the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the country with the overall amount worth 6.7 trillion Kazakh tenge [$53.16 million]," Alexander Kossukhin, national program officer with the Joint United Nations Programe on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), said from the Kazakh commercial capital of Almaty.



African broadcasters pump up the volume on AIDS
(News Article; Sub-Saharan Africa)
22 Sep 2006
Reuters South Africa
African television and radio stations are planning an on-air campaign in 24 countries to build hope and awareness in the face of the AIDS pandemic, which has hit Africa harder than any place else on earth. The aim is to restore confidence in young people who have developed a defeatist attitude toward a disease that kills 2 million people each year in sub-Saharan Africa.

MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH RESEARCH

Countdown to 2015: Tracking intervention coverage for child survival
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Global)
The Lancet. Online access September 18, 2006.
Bryce J | Terreri B | Victora C | Mason E | Daelmans B | Bhutta ZA | Bustreo F | Songane F | Salama P | Wardlaw T
This is the first report of the Child Survival Countdown, a worldwide effort to monitor coverage of key child-survival interventions in 60 countries with the world's highest numbers or rates of child mortality. Only seven countries are on track to meet the Millenium Development Goals in child survival, 39 countries are making some progress, although they need to accelerate the speed, and 14 countries are cause for serious concern. Results show that tremendous efforts are urgently needed to achieve the MDG for child survival.



Countdown to 2015: Tracking donor assistance to maternal, newborn, and child health
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Global)
The Lancet. 2006 Sep 23;368(9541):1077-1087.
Bryce J | Terreri N | Victora CG | Mason E | Daelmans B | Bhutta ZA | Bustreo F | Songane F | Salama P | Wardlaw T
This study provides global estimates of official development assistance to maternal, newborn, and child health in 2003 and 2004. Donor spending on these activities was estimated to be US$1990 million in 2004. The current level of assistance to maternal, newborn, and child health is inadequate to provide more than a small portion of the total resources needed to reach the Millenium Development Goals for child and maternal health. If commitments are to be honored, global aid flows will need to increase sharply during the next 5 years.



Effect of multiple birth on infant mortality in Bangladesh
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Asia)
Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health. 2006 Oct;42(10):630-635.
Hong R
This study examined the relationship between high-risk infants of multiple births and infant mortality in Bangladesh. Results indicate that children born in multiple births were more than six-times as likely to die during infancy as those born singletons. Receiving prenatal care and access to safe drinking water are associated with lower risk. This evidence suggests that improving maternal and child health at the community level, screening for high-risk pregnancies, and making referral services for these conditions more accessible to the rural women and children would improve child survival in Bangladesh.

MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH NEWS

Nepal successful in cutting infant mortality rate: UNICEF
(News Article; Asia)
19 Sep 2006
ZeeNews
UNICEF has identified Nepal as one of seven countries which have successfully cut infant mortality by two thirds in the last one and a half decades. Nepal is on track to cut infant mortality by two thirds, despite the ongoing conflict in the country, according to a report published by UNICEF. Reasons include campaigns to eliminiate neonatal tetanus and measles, more effective treatment for pneumonia and diarrhea, and regular Vitamin A supplements.



Decreased infant mortality in Afghan villages
(Press Release; Asia)
20 Sep 2006
ReliefWeb
Afghanistan has one of the highest infant mortality rates in the world. Operation Mercy's staff has been teaching "BLiSS" (Birth Life Saving Skills) to village women and men for more than a year in northern Afghanistan. As a result of the training, fewer mothers and babies are dying during delivery.



Uganda to use DDT to try and prevent 120,000 malaria deaths a year
(News Article; Sub-Saharan Africa)
20 Sep 2006
Deutsche Presse Agentur
The Ugandan government is considering the use of the DDT pesticide starting in June 2007 in an attempt to combat malaria, which costs Uganda 120,000 lives a year. Health officials told a news conference that about 23 percent of deaths in the East African country are caused by malaria, adding that spraying DDT would help reduce the country's infant mortality rate from the current 88 out of 1,000 births to 10.



India: Infant mortality on the rise in Krishnagiri district
(News Article; Asia)
17 Sep 2006
The Hindu
Despite concerted efforts by the Government to tackle malnutrition and anemia, the infant mortality rate (IMR) in Krishnagiri district has increased when compared with other districts in India. Though the number of female infanticide cases has come down in the district, IMR is on the rise due to lack of sustained awareness campaigns and proper antenatal check up.

MEN'S HEALTH RESEARCH

Wealth and sexual behaviour among men in Cameroon
(Research Article; Sub-Saharan Africa)
BMC International Health and Human Rights. 2006 Sep 11;6(1):11.
Kongnyuy EJ | Wiysonge CS | Mbu RE | Nana PN | Kouam L
This study examined the association between wealth and sexual behavior in Cameroon. Men in the richest third of the population were less likely to have used a condom during last sex and more likely to have had at least two concurrent sex partners in the last 12 months. Wealthy men in Cameroon are also more likely to start sexual activity early and have both multiple concurrent and lifetime sex partners. These unsafe sexual behaviors may explain the higher HIV prevalence among wealthier men in the country.

MEN'S HEALTH NEWS

Australia: The inconceivable truth about a male pill
(News Article; Oceania)
20 Sep 2006
The Bulletin
Australian researchers are playing a leading role in research on the male pill, but doubts remain as to whether men can be trusted to remember to take it. A team at Monash Institute of Medical Research is looking for molecules found only in sperm, and only in men after puberty. Certain proteins in sperm could be targeted by specific drugs to make them ineffective. Another team at Sydney's ANZAC Research Institute is doing work based on hormonal implants or injections to switch off sperm production, just as the women's pill suppresses ovulation. The treatment is reversible, allowing men to be fertile again within months. In both approaches, a final product is still 5 to 10 years away; and the final outcome may not be a case of men popping a daily pill as many women do.



Fiji: Sexual norms changing fast
(News Article; Oceania)
Fiji Times
With the increase in reported cases of HIV/AIDS in Fiji and the high proportion of those infected being males, it is important to identify the factors influencing the sexual risk behavior of Fijian males. Statistics over the past 20 years showed that more than 80 percent of reported cases of sexually transmitted infection are to Fijian males and the highest proportion infected are those between the ages of 24-35.



Schering AG and Organon to continue research in male fertility control separately
(Press Release; Global)
19 Sep 2006
PR NewsWire
Schering AG and Organon announced today that they will continue research in male fertility control separately. Both companies described the collaboration as constructive, but came to the conclusion that the administration route investigated in the trial, which combined an annual implant with three monthly injections, would not likely result in a product that would be acceptable for widespread everyday use. Both companies remain committed to research in male contraception and will build on the knowledge gained from the collaboration to seek improvements in how such a contraceptive can be better administered.

POPULATION RESEARCH

India’s population reality: Reconciling change and tradition
(Summary Report; Asia)
(You need Adobe Acrobat Reader to access this document)
Population Bulletin. 2006 Sep;61(3):3-23.
Haub K | Sharma OP
India has more people than Europe, or Africa, or the entire Western Hemisphere. India’s annual increase of about 19 million contributes far more to annual world population growth than any other country. India’s population, which passed the 1 billion mark in 2000, will exceed that of China before 2030 to become the world’s most populous country, a distinction it will almost certainly never lose. This report presents a demographic portrait of the diverse country of India in the early years of the 21st century and offers insight into the forces driving continued growth.



Inequality and mortality: Long-run evidence from a panel of countries
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Global)
Journal of Health Economics. Online access September, 8 2006.
Leigh A | Jencks C
This study investigated whether changes in economic inequality affect mortality in rich countries. To answer this question, the study used tax data on the share of pretax income going to the richest 10% of the population of various countries between 1903 and 2003. They found that the income share of the top decile is negatively related to life expectancy and positively related to infant mortality. The data does not suggest that changes in the income share of the richest 10% affect homicide or suicide rates.

POPULATION NEWS

India: Eagle's eye: Gender imbalance growing
(Editorial; Asia)
21 Sep 2006
Central Chronicle
The 2001 Indian census showed that the country has only 927 girls per 1000 boys, as opposed to 945 girls per 1000 boys in 1991, revealing an adversely increasing gender imbalance and generally worsening conditions for girls. Abortion of female fetuses continues to be a common practice in India even though it is illegal. The more prosperous states have a wider imbalance of sex ratio.



Bangladesh: Globalisation results in greater labour migration
(News Article; Asia)
21 Sep 2006
Financial Express
Globalization has meant more people moving to find work. Rapid migration is underway in Asia as workers seek to find jobs in countries with high economic growth. Although the migration trend has allowed a vast number of skilled and unskilled workers to find jobs, decreasing regulation of the labor market, growth in the informal sector, and emergence of new exploitation has also emerged. Women laborers face discrimination, exploitation, and abuse due to their undocumented status.



Woman's place no longer at home in S.Korea textbooks
(News Article; Asia)
18 Sep 2006
Reuters
South Korea is set to cleanse gender stereotypes from its school textbooks, where women have long been depicted as housekeepers and men as the breadwinners. The government said that it would also encourage bigger families to boost the country's sagging birth rate. The new books will promote working mothers and fathers who help at home, and will show families that have more than one child.

WOMEN'S HEALTH RESEARCH

Women's right to health and the Millennium Development Goals: Promoting partnerships to improve access.
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Global)
International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2006 Sep;94(3):207-215.
Shaw D
The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) represent a commitment made by UN member states in September 2000. The UN General Assembly recognized that gender equality and women's empowerment are central to achieving sustainable development. However, reproductive and sexual health was not explicitly articulated in the original MDGs and indicators. This was a serious omission, as globally women are more disadvantaged than men. However, a clear link exists between the MDGs and the reproductive and sexual health of women, who cannot contribute to sustainable development unless their right to health is met through improved access.



Results from the Estonian postmenopausal hormone therapy trial
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Europe)
Maturitas. 2006 Sep 20;55(2):162-173.
Veerus P | Hovi SL | Fischer K | Rahu M | Hakama M | Hemminki E
This study compared the health effects of oral continuous combined hormonal therapy with a placebo and non-treatment among healthy Estonian women. After a follow-up period from two to five years, no association was found between hormonal contraception use and coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, and total cancer. There was a small protective effect for bone fractures.

WOMEN'S HEALTH NEWS

India: Public hearing brings out women's tales of woe
(News Article; Asia)
19 Sep 2006
Daily India
The status of women and maternal health care is poor in most parts of Rajasthan, India. Pregnant women have to be physically carried long distances to reach roads that take them to the nearest primary health center. Child marriage is rampant despite a legal ban. Infant mortality is at 93 deaths per 1,000 live births, compared with a national average of 60. Less than a third of women are literate. The Rajasthan Women's Commission recently held a public hearing in the state's Tonk district to hear testimony about these issues and others related to the status of women.



Nigeria: Possibility of semen aggravating cancer dispelled
(News Article; Sub-Saharan Africa)
14 Sep 2006
Nigerian Tribune
The use of condoms prevents sexually transmitted infections. However, the possibility of condoms helping to prevent semen aggravating cervical cancer leaves many questions unanswered. In the journal Nature, a new study concluded that semen can aggravate cervical cancer because it contains a huge dose of hormones that boost blood vessel growth, including cancerous growth, in a woman’s womb or mouth of the womb. A Nigerian expert, however, said no such case or effect has been seen in developing countries like Nigeria.



Uganda: DRB bounces back to Parliament
(News Article; Sub-Saharan Africa)
22 Sep 2006
The Monitor
The Ugandan Parliament has resolved to reconsider the Domestic Relations Bill. It will be returned to the House either before the end of 2006 or early 2007. The proposed law is an amalgamation of all domestic-related legislation including laws on marriage, divorce, separation, inheritance and property rights. The Bill also addresses women's property rights in marriage and women's right to negotiate sex on the grounds of health, sets the minimum age of marriage at 18, prohibits female genital mutilation, and criminalizes widow inheritance.

YOUTH HEALTH RESEARCH

Do perceptions of friends’ behaviors affect age at first sex? Evidence from Cebu, Philippines
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Asia)
Journal of Adolescent Health. 2006 Oct;39(4):570-577.
Upadhyay UD | Hindin MJ
This research explores the effect of perceptions of friends’ romantic and physical behaviors on adolescent sexual behavior. Boys and girls, who at ages 14 to 16 years perceived that their friends had ever had boyfriends/girlfriends, dated, held hands, kissed, petted, or had sex, were significantly more likely to have experienced that behavior by ages 17 to 19 years. These results demonstrate the important role of peers in light of competing influences in adolescents’ lives.



Menstrual irregularity from hormonal contraception: A cause of reproductive health concerns in minority adolescent young women
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; North America)
Contraception. 2006 Sep;74(3):214-219.
Clark LR | Barnes-Harper KT |Ginsburg KR | Holmes WC | Schwarz DF
This study identified teen concerns and misperceptions about the menstrual-related side effects of hormonal contraception (HC) through focus groups. Participants raised concerns about menstrual-related side effects, believing that these side effects were evidence of possible negative effects of HC on their reproductive health. Although these side effects are of little medical consequence, adolescent patients may be ascribing great significance to these effects and may be declining to use these methods because of this fear and misperception.

YOUTH HEALTH NEWS

Egypt: Sex and the city
(News Article; North Africa)
21 Sep 2006
Al-Ahram Weekly
Sexuality is a complex topic, largely taboo in Egyptian society, even though it is behind 59 percent of divorces. Few people are comfortable addressing it, especially in public. Kalam Kebeir (Serious Talk) — Egypt's first ever sex education TV program — took the country by storm when it was launched recently.



On China's airwaves, a discourse on sex ed
(Feature Article; Asia)
20 Sep 2006
Boston Globe
Capital Life Radio's number one rated show, "Tonight's Whisperings," gives listeners advice on sex, a subject that remains taboo in much of China, even as magazines, music videos, and the Internet promote sex to the country's youth. Adults, many of whom came of age during the Cultural Revolution, have struggled to keep up. The result is a growing gap between how teens behave and what older generations are doing to educate them about sex.



No-condom policy leaves Ugandans at high risk
(Editorial; Sub-Saharan Africa)
21 Sep 2006
The Badger Herald (Madison, WI)
Badger Herald columnist Adam Lichtenheld writes about his experiences working for ASK Africa, an initiative promoting HIV/AIDS awareness and education in Ugandan primary and secondary schools. He discusses the Bush Administration’s efforts to promote abstinence as the primary approach to sex education in American schools and the impact of this policy in Uganda.

SPECIAL REPORTS/PROFILES/RESOURCES

Revised recommendations for HIV testing of adults, adolescents, and pregnant women in health-care settings
(Report; North America)
(You need Adobe Acrobat Reader to access this document)
MMWR. 2006 Sep 22;RR14:1-17.
Branson BM | Handsfield HH | Lampe MA | Janssen RS | Taylor AW | Lyss SB | Clark JE
Related News Article: CDC backs HIV test for all between 13-64
U.S. health officials now recommend regular, routine testing for the AIDS virus for all Americans ages 13 to 64, saying an HIV test should be as common as a cholesterol check. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's new guidelines are aimed at preventing the further spread of the disease and getting needed care for an estimated 250,000 Americans who do not yet know they have it.

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