Volume 6, Number 49
11 December 2006

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FAMILY PLANNING/REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH RESEARCH

Hormonal contraception and the risk of HIV acquisition
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Global)
AIDS. 2007 Jan 2;21(1):85-95.
Morrison CS | Richardson BA | Mmiro F | Chipato T | Celentano DD | Luoto J | Mugerwa R | Padian N | Sungwal R | Brown JM | Cornelisse P | Salata RA
This research evaluates the effect of COC and DMPA on HIV acquisition and any modifying effects of other sexually transmitted infections among 6109 HIV-uninfected women. Use of neither COCs nor DMPA was associated with risk of HIV acquisition overall, including among participants with cervical or vaginal infections. Absolute risk of HIV acquisition was higher among participants who had herpes simplex virus 2 (HSV-2) than in those who did not have HSV-2. Among the HSV-2-seronegative participants, both COC and DMPA users had an increased risk of HIV acquisition compared with the non-hormonal group.

Continuation rates and reasons for discontinuing TCu380A IUD use in Tabriz, Iran
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Middle East)
Contraception. 2006 Dec;74(6):483-486.
Jenabi E | Alizade SM | Baga RI
This paper reports results from a 60-month study on the use of the TCu380A IUD among 401 women in Tabriz, Iran. Continuation of TCu380A IUD use by women at 1 month, 6 months, 1 year, 2 years, 3 years, 4 years, and 5 years was 98.2, 89.3, 79.3, 68.3, 57.6, 49.5 and 45.0 per 100, respectively. Among women using the TCu380A IUD, the rate of termination due to pain/bleeding was significantly higher than the rate of termination due to other causes. These findings indicate that family planning educators and health care providers should place more emphasis on counseling women desiring IUD insertion and during follow-up.

Sexual and reproductive health for HIV-positive women and adolescent girls: A manual for trainers and programme managers
(Report; Global)
(You need Adobe Acrobat Reader to access this document)
New York, NY, EngenderHealth, 2006.
This manual is designed to provide information and structure for a four-day training and a two-day planning workshop that will enable program managers and health workers in resource-constrained settings to offer comprehensive, nonjudgemental, and quality care and support to HIV-positive women and adolescent girls in the local context. The manual also urges male involvement and promotes a holistic approach to integrated sexual and reproductive health (SRH) counseling and program planning that links SRH and HIV/AIDS services.

Systematic review of contraceptive medicines: Does choice make a difference?
(Report; Global)
(You need Adobe Acrobat Reader to access this document)
Johannesburg, South Africa, University of the Witwatersrand, 2006.
This report is a systematic review of the evidence for whether a policy of providing a wide range of contraceptive methods, as opposed to the provision of a limited range, improves health outcomes such as contraceptive uptake, acceptability, adherence, continuation and satisfaction; reduction of unintended pregnancy; and improved maternal health and wellbeing. [Note: Report is a large file: 4MB.]

Reproductive health knowledge, beliefs and determinants of contraceptives use among women attending family planning clinics in Ibadan, Nigeria
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Sub-Saharan Africa)
African Health Science. 2006 Sep;6(3):155-9.
Moronkola OA | Ojediran MM | Amosu A
The study aimed to assess reproductive health knowledge, beliefs, and influential factors of contraceptives use among women attending family planning clinics in Ibadan, Nigeria. Only 56.0% of the respondents knew when pregnancy can occur, and 31.5% believed that having sex once with a man will not result in pregnancy. In almost all items, over 90.0% of respondents had knowledge of benefits of family planning. Though respondents knew the benefits of family planning, there is the need for continuous education of women about reproductive health and integration of men's participation in family planning programs in Ibadan, Nigeria.

Reproductive health in the 21st century: Two steps forward?
(Editorial; Global)
Journal of Midwifery and Women's Health. 2006 Nov;51(6):395-396.
Murphy PA
This article discusses some major changes in reproductive health over the last 16 years. The release of new methods is discussed, including implants and vaginal rings. Also discussed are the conferences in Cairo and Beijing that emphasized the importance of reproductive health in women's lives.

New approaches to fertility awareness-based methods: Incorporating the Standard Days and TwoDay methods into practice
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Global)
Journal of Midwifery and Women's Health. 2006 Nov - 2006 Dec;51(6):471-477.
Germano E | Jennings V
Two fertility awareness–based family planning methods, the Standard Days Method and the TwoDay Method, meet the need for effective, easy-to-provide, easy-to-use approaches. Women using the Standard Days Method are taught to avoid unprotected intercourse on potentially fertile days 8 through 19 of their cycles to prevent pregnancy. The Standard Days Method is more than 95% effective with correct use. To use the TwoDay Method, women are taught to note every day whether they have secretions. If they had secretions on the current day or the previous day, they consider themselves fertile. The TwoDay Method is 96% effective with correct use.

FAMILY PLANNING/REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH NEWS

Philippines: Employers institute family planning training program
(News Article; Asia)
5 Dec 2006
The Manila Standard
The Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP) wants to help keep the population growth from rising too fast by instituting birth control and responsible parenthood training programs in private companies. ECOP chairman Miguel Varela said the private sector has a responsibility to tackle the problem of unplanned births as it continuously hampers development and productivity in the workplace. "The booming population will ultimately affect our own resources in the long run," Varela said at a media briefing at Makati City.

Philippines: Government-initiated family planning program violates women’s rights, FPOP claims
(News Article; Asia)
5 Dec 2006
Samar News
The Family Planning Organization of the Philippines (FPOP) claims that the government has launched a massive campaign to promote Natural Family Planning. They also state that the promotion of natural methods constricts the rights of women to freely decide the method of their choice.

African examples: Breaking the silence on issues of sexuality
(Interview; Sub-Saharan Africa)
10 Dec 2006
East African Standard
In an interview, Dr Uwemedimo Esiet, a Nigerian public health doctor, stated that only when discussions about sex are not taboo in Africa will diseases such as AIDS, maternal mortality, and sexually transmitted infections become manageable.

HIV/AIDS RESEARCH

Dual infection with HIV and malaria fuels the spread of both diseases in Sub-Saharan Africa
(News Article; Sub-Saharan Africa)
Science. 2006 Dec 8;314(5805):1603-1606.
Abu-Raddad LJ | Patnaik P | Kublin JG
Related News Article: Scientists say malaria fuels AIDS spread in Africa
Mounting evidence has revealed interactions between HIV and malaria in dually infected patients. A model applied to a setting in Kenya with an adult population of roughly 200,000 estimated that, since 1980, the disease interaction may have been responsible for 8,500 excess HIV infections and 980,000 excess malaria episodes. Co-infection might also have facilitated the spread of malaria in areas where HIV prevalence is high. Hence, transient and repeated increases in HIV viral load resulting from recurrent co-infection with malaria may be an important factor in promoting the spread of HIV in sub-Saharan Africa.

The AmRo study: Pregnancy outcome in HIV-1-infected women under effective highly active antiretroviral therapy and a policy of vaginal delivery
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Europe)
BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. Online access December 4, 2006.
Boer K | Nellen JF | Patel D | Timmermans S | Tempelman C | Wibaut M | Sluman MA | van der Ende ME | Godfried MH
This paper explores pregnancy outcomes in HIV-positive and HIV-negative women, and mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) according to mode of delivery under effective highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in 241 women. No children in the study acquired HIV. Seventy-eight percent of HIV-infected women commenced and 62% completed vaginal delivery. The calculated number of caesarean sections needed to prevent a single MTCT was 131 or more. Preterm delivery rates were 18% in women infected with HIV-1 and 9% in controls.

HIV/AIDS and work: Global estimates, impact on children and you, and response
(News Article; Global)
(You need Adobe Acrobat Reader to access this document)
Geneva, Switzerland, International Labor Organization, 2006.
Related News Article: HIV is crippling global workforce,— ILO *Cumulative loss could rise to 45 million by 2010
According to an International Labour Office (ILO) assessment, 24,560,000 labor force participants aged 15 to 64 years were living with HIV or AIDS worldwide in 2005. The vast majority -- nearly 67% -- lived in Africa. There were more than 1 million workers living with HIV/AIDS in five countries: Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe. The ILO calls for action to improve access to ARV treatments to cut mortality rates. Without increased support, it estimates that the cumulative loss to the global workforce from the virus could rise to 45 million by 2010 and almost double again by 2020. [Note: Report is a large file: 7MB.]

Zinc fights diarrhoea in HIV-1-infected children: In-vitro evidence to link clinical data and pathophysiological mechanism
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Global)
AIDS. 2007 Jan 2;21(1):108-110.
Canani RB | Ruotolo S | Buccigrossi V | Passariello A | Porcaro F | Siani MC | Guarino A
Diarrhea-related morbidity is reduced by zinc supplementation in HIV-1-infected children. The mechanisms of this effect are largely undefined. This paper provides evidence for the role of a peptide produced by HIV-1 in the pathogenesis of diarrhea in AIDS patients. In this study the authors showed that zinc directly limits a specific mechanism of HIV-1-related diarrhea. The data support a 'zinc approach' in adjunct to specific antiretroviral therapy in HIV-1-infected children.

HIV/AIDS NEWS

South Africa: UN lauds SA's new AIDS approach
(News Article; Sub-Saharan Africa)
6 Dec 2006
iAfrica
Related News Article: UN hails Manto's sidelining
The government's accelerated effort to contain the impact of HIV/AIDS will move South Africa from a confrontational platform of reactive crisis management to a win-win platform of comprehensive response, according to UNICEF. The comment comes after Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka launched a new national strategic plan to fight the HIV and AIDS epidemic during World AIDS Day. Mlambo-Ngcuka said that the government's plan was to halve the annual toll of new HIV infections by 2011.

Sudan: Darfur at risk of mounting HIV/AIDS epidemic
(News Article; North Africa)
7 Dec 2006
Reuters AlertNet
The United Nations is raising awareness about HIV/AIDS in Sudan but has warned that infection rates may be on the rise in the unstable Darfur region. "There are suggestions that the number of people who have the disease [in Darfur] is increasing," UNAIDS Country Coordinator Musa Bungudu told reporters in the Sudanese capital Khartoum.

Zimbabwe: Zim has most orphans - Unicef
(News Article; Sub-Saharan Africa)
6 Dec 2006
News24
Related News Article: One in 4 Zimbabwe children are AIDS orphans-UNICEF
Zimbabwe has the highest percentage of orphaned children in the world, said UNICEF. 1.6 million of Zimbabwe's children, or one in four, are orphaned, in most cases because of HIV/AIDS. The orphans represent 13% of Zimbabwe's population of about 12 million. "HIV and AIDS have dramatically increased children's vulnerability in recent years to the point where Zimbabwe now has the highest percentage of children who are orphans in the world," said UNICEF's country representative Festo Kavishe.

SADC failing in AIDS fight - Cameron
(News Article; Sub-Saharan Africa)
05 Dec 2006
iAfrica
Good governance in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) was the key to dealing with HIV/AIDS, Judge Edwin Cameron said. "Where there are human rights abuse, we cannot deal properly with AIDS," Cameron said in Johannesburg at the launch of the AIDS Rights Alliance for Southern Africa's (ARASA's) report on HIV/AIDS and human rights in the SADC region.

Stigma hinders Kenya AIDS fight
(Feature Article; Sub-Saharan Africa)
4 Dec 2006
News24
Awareness campaigns have succeeded in reducing Kenya's HIV/AIDS prevalence rate to 6% in 2006 from 10% in the late 1990s, with condom use rising and a decline in the average number of sexual partners, according to a UN report. But HIV-positive Kenyans are often stigmatized by strangers and family alike who remain ignorant about the transmission and symptoms of the disease.

Jamaica: Young people addressing HIV/AIDS discrimination
(News Article; Central America and the Caribbean)
7 Dec 2006
The Jamaica Observer
Twenty-five young people who are either infected or affected by HIV/AIDS produced a series of public service announcements entitled 'Our Own Voices - Youth Fighting HIV'. The messages, which are aimed at promoting the rights of children living with the disease and reducing stigma and discrimination associated with the disease, were launched recently in Jamaica.

Namibia: AIDS triumph
(Feature Article; Sub-Saharan Africa)
Reuters AlertNet. 07 Dec 2006
Namibia may have been ravaged by the HIV/AIDS pandemic, but a government program distributing antiretroviral drugs is now making solid progress. This article talks with a woman who became a household name in the country after her life was saved by the treatment.

Tanzania: Moslem clerics disagree over use of condoms
(News Article; Sub-Saharan Africa)
11 Dec 2006
SomaliNet
The Network of African Islamic Faith-based Organisations, an Islamic faith-based group, recently brought together Moslem clerics from 25 African countries to discuss HIV/AIDS. Representatives failed to reach consensus on the use of condoms in preventing HIV/AIDS at a recent meeting in Zanzibar, Tanzania.

MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH RESEARCH

South African Health Review 2006
(Report; Sub-Saharan Africa)
Durban, South Africa, Health Systems Trust, 2006.
Related Commentary: AIDS article infected with bias
The South African Health Review (SAHR) seeks to reflect on achievements made and challenges and gaps that impact the transformation and strengthening of the South African health system. In 1996, the SAHR posed the question: What has changed for the poor, rural woman or child who presents to the clinic? Ten years on, this 2006 Review attempts to answer that question in some depth with a specific focus on Maternal, Child, and Women's Health.

Effectiveness of childhood vaccination against rotavirus in sub-Saharan Africa: The case of Nigeria
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Sub-Saharan Africa)
Vaccine. 2007 Jan 4;25(2):298-305.
Melliez H | Boelle PY | Baron S | Mouton Y | Yazdanpanah Y
The objective of this study was to assess the effectiveness of routine childhood vaccination for rotavirus in a developing country. The authors constructed a decision tree to compare two alternatives: "no vaccination program" and "vaccination program." The estimates used for disease incidence, vaccine efficacy, and coverage rates were derived from published data. These estimates showed that a vaccine program would prevent 284,000 cases of rotavirus diarrhea annually and 6129 deaths due to the disease.

The cosmetic use of skin-lightening products during pregnancy in Dakar, Senegal: A common and potentially hazardous practice
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Sub-Saharan Africa)
Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygeine. 2007 Feb;101(2):183-187.
Mahe A | Perret JL | Ly F | Fall F | Rault JP | Dumont A
This study evaluated the use and consequences of topical skin lighteners among 99 women during pregnancy. Sixty-eight of the women used skin lighteners during their current pregnancy. The main active ingredients were hydroquinone and highly potent steroids. Women using highly potent steroids, when compared with those who did not, had a statistically significant lower plasma cortisol level and a smaller placenta, and presented a higher rate of low-birth-weight infants. Skin lightening is a common practice during pregnancy in Dakar, and the use of steroids may result in consequences in both mother and her child.

Delivery complications and healthcare-seeking behaviour: The Bangladesh Demographic Health Survey, 1999–2000
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Asia)
Health and Social Care in the Community. Online access December 6, 2006.
Chowdhury RI | Ataharul M | Islam A | Gulshan J | Chakraborty N
This paper examined the factors that influence the use of maternal health services for some selected pregnancy-related complications in Bangladesh by using data from the Bangladesh Demographic Health Survey, 1999–2000. Respondents living in urban areas, who had higher levels of education, lower parity, and more assets visited trained health care providers more often and were more likely to use health care facilities provided by trained personnel. This shows that only people from higher economic or educational groups can afford to seek health care from trained personnel in Bangladesh.

Risk factors for first trimester miscarriage -- Results from a UK-population-based case–control study
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Europe)
BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Online access December 4, 2006.
Maconochie N | Doyle P | Prior S | Simmons R
Related News Article: Thin is not in when it comes to pregnancy
The aim of this study was to examine the association between biological, behavioral, and lifestyle risk factors and risk of miscarriage among 603 women. Previous live birth, nausea, vitamin supplementation, and eating fresh fruits and vegetables daily were associated with reduced risk, as were feeling well enough to fly or to have sex. The results confirm that advice to encourage a healthy diet might help women in early pregnancy reduce their risk of miscarriage. Findings of increased risk associated with previous termination, stress, change of partner, and low pre-pregnancy weight are noteworthy.

Cluster randomised trial of an active, multifaceted educational intervention based on the WHO Reproductive Health Library to improve obstetric practices
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Asia | Central America and the Caribbean)
BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology. 2007 Jan;114(1):16-23.
Gulmezoglu AM | Langer A | Piaggio G | Lumbiganon P | Villar J | Grimshaw J
This research evaluated the effect of an active, multifaceted educational strategy to promote the use of the WHO Reproductive Health Library (RHL) on obstetric practices in hospitals in Mexico City and in Thailand. The strategy to provide health workers with the knowledge and skills to use the RHL to improve their practice led to increased access to and use of the RHL; however, no consistent or substantive changes in clinical practices were detected within 4–6 months after the third workshop.

Reducing global disease burden of measles and rubella: Report of the WHO Steering Committee on research related to measles and rubella vaccines and vaccination, 2005
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Global)
Vaccine. 2007 Jan 2;25(1):1-9.
Muller CP | Kremera JR | Best JM | Dourado I | Triki H | Reef S
A WHO Steering Committee evaluated progress towards control of measles and rubella and provided guidelines for research on both diseases. Global measles vaccination coverage increased from 71% in 1999 to 76% in 2004. However, Africa and Southeast Asia continue to experience endemic transmission and high mortality rates, despite a global mortality reduction of 39% between 1999 and 2003. This report also discussses future control strategies and advantages and drawbacks of global measles eradication. The burden of rubella was assessed in countries without vaccination programs.

MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH NEWS

Philippines: A hush-hush problem
(Editorial; Asia)
7 Dec 2006
INQ7.net
In the Philippines, the most fractured right is that of a child to celebrate his or her first birthday. Out of every 1,000 kids, 27 never make it to their first birthday. And in Muslim Mindanao, infant mortality rate stands at 42. Malnutrition, lack of water, poor sanitation and medical care take their toll. In the southern province of Basilan, for example, 66 out of every 100 infants lack safe water. This article discusses how this problem can be more effectively addressed.

MEN'S HEALTH NEWS

Despite hype, male pill still years away
(Feature Article; Global)
4 Dec 2006
ABC
The quest for a male birth control pill is, in many ways, the search for the holy grail of contraception. More and more people want options that would allow men to share in the burden of preventing pregnancy. A 2005 study showed that nearly 50% of men in the United States would be willing to try a new form of birth control, and up to 72% of men in other countries are interested in new forms of male contraception.

POPULATION RESEARCH

Social, economic, and educational status of the Muslim community in India
(News Article; Asia)
(You need Adobe Acrobat Reader to access this document)
New Dehli, India, Prime Minister’s High Level Committee, 2006.
Related News Article: The Muslim demography of India: Sachar committee report
This report looks at multiple aspects of development among the Muslim community in India, including how demographics and mortality statistics of Muslims compare to the rest of India.

POPULATION NEWS

Singapore's baby crisis worsens
(News Article; Asia)
7 Dec 2006
Today Online
Even the one community that Singapore has traditionally counted on to add to its population has fallen prey to the baby blues. Last year, for the first time, Malays gave birth to fewer babies than were needed to replace their population. The replacement rate has been pegged at 2.1. According to figures released in December 2006, the fertility rate of Malays fell to 2.07. The previous year, it had stood exactly at the replacement level.

Cuba's aging society straining resources
(News Article; Central America and the Caribbean)
7 Dec 2006
Miami Herald
In a nation faced with chronic shortages of everything from housing to food, many women choose to have just one child or none at all. Because Cuba has one of the hemisphere's highest life expectancy rates and lowest birthrates, it finds itself with a dwindling population -- one that in just 13 years will see the number of retired people outnumber the labor force.

Birth rate 'harms poverty goals'
(Feature Article; Global)
8 Dec 2006
BBC
The UN's Millennium Development Goals are "difficult or impossible to meet" without curbing population growth, a UK parliamentary group says. It concludes that a high birth rate in poor nations contributes to poor health and education and environmental damage. The All Party Parliamentary Group on Population, Development and Reproductive Health will publish this report in late December 2006.

Kenya: Kimunya says poverty is caused by population growth
(News Article; Sub-Saharan Africa)
5 Dec 2006
Capital FM
Kenyan Finance Minister Amos Kimunya has said that Kenyans should aim at reducing population growth to less than 2% to reduce poverty. Speaking at the opening of a Joint Review Workshop on Population and MDG’s, Kimunya said the country should emulate other nations such as Singapore, India, and China, where population growth is less than 2%.

WOMEN'S HEALTH RESEARCH

Preventing cervical cancer in low resource settings: From research to practice
(Report; Global)
(You need Adobe Acrobat Reader to access this document)
Baltimore, MD, JHPIEGO, 2006.
This report summarizes a regional conference on cervical cancer prevention hosted by JHPIEGO, an affiliate of the Johns Hopkins University, in collaboration with Chulalongkorn University and with the support of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Held from 4 to 7 December 2005 in Bangkok, Thailand, the conference reviewed the evidence for approaches to preventing cervical cancer and explored strategies for scaling up interventions in the field. The overall goal of the conference was to move evidence-based interventions for preventing cervical cancer into common practice.

Basic, women's health, and mental health among Internally Displaced Persons in Nyala Province, South Darfur, Sudan
(Research Article; North Africa)
American Journal of Public Health. Online access November 30, 2006.
Kim G | Torbay R | Lawry L
This paper assessed basic health, women's health, and mental health among 1274 Sudanese internally displaced women in South Darfur. A majority of respondents had access to rations, shelter, and water. Sixty-eight percent used no birth control, and 53% reported at least 1 unattended birth. Eighty-four percent were circumcised. Women also expressed limited rights regarding marriage, movement, and access to health care. Humanitarian aid has relieved a significant burden of this displaced population's basic needs. However, mental and women’s health needs remain largely unmet.

Somali and Oromo refugee women: Trauma and associated factors
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; North America)
Journal of Advanced Nursing. 2006 Dec;56(6):577-587.
Robertson CL | Halcon L | Savik K | Johnson D | Spring M | Butcher J | Westermeyer J | Jaranson J
This paper identified the demographic characteristics and association of trauma experience and health and social problems among Somali and Oromo women refugees living in the United States. Results indicated high overall trauma and torture exposure, and associated physical, social, and psychological problems. Women with large families reported higher counts of reported trauma and torture. These findings suggest a need for public health nurses who work with refugee and immigrant populations in the community to develop a more comprehensive understanding of the range of refugee women's experiences.

WOMEN'S HEALTH NEWS

Yemen: Females fight ritual mutilation
(Feature Article; Middle East)
11 Dec 2006
The Australian
Attendees at a women's rights conference in Cairo last month heard that 8000 girls a day fall victim to female circumcision. Up to 50% of Egyptian girls in coastal communities, and 60% in northern Iraq, have been mutilated. The figures are even higher for Ethiopia, with estimates ranging from between 75% and 85%. The conference led to a decree by 20 Muslim scholars and sheiks that female circumcision was not sanctioned by Islam. But that ruling, and those of other scholars who had earlier given the same views, have yet to have an impact on the Muslim world.

YOUTH HEALTH RESEARCH

World development report: 2007: Development and the next generation
(News Article; Global)
(You need Adobe Acrobat Reader to access this document)
New York, NY, The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development and The World Bank, 2006.
Related News Article: Invest more in Bangladesh's youth to reduce poverty
Most policy makers know that young people will influence the future of their nations. But they face dilemmas. When primary school completion has gone up so dramatically, why does illiteracy seem so persistent? Why do large numbers of university graduates go jobless, while businesses complain of the lack of skilled workers? Why do young people start smoking, when there are very visible global campaigns to control it? What is to be done with demobilized combatants, still in their late teens, who can barely read but are too old to go to primary school? These are tough questions without easy answers. But the answers are important for growth and poverty reduction. This World Development Report offers a framework and provides examples of policies and programs to address these issues.

"Smart boys" and "sweet girls" -- Sex education needs in Thai teenagers: A mixed-method study
(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Asia)
The Lancet. 9 Dec 2006-15 Dec 2006;368(9552):2068-2080.
Vuttanont U | Greenhalgh T | Griffin M | Boynton P
The authors investigated knowledge, attitudes, norms, and values of teenagers, parents, teachers, and policymakers in relation to sex and sex education in Chiang Mai, Thailand. They noted that male teenagers aspire to be "smart boys," whose status depends on stories of sexual performance and conquests. Female teenagers, traditionally constrained and protected as "sweet girls," have few life skills to enable them to manage their desires or negotiate in potentially coercive situations. Results of this study suggest approaches to providing more comprehensive sex education in schools.

Bangladesh ARH focused community assessment final report
(Report; Asia)
(You need Adobe Acrobat Reader to access this document)
Baltimore, MD, ACNielsen Bangladesh and Health Communication Partnership, 2006.
The Bangladesh Center for Communication Programs (BCCP) developed a toolkit on adolescent reproductive health for youth educators. The toolkit was tested in a year-long pilot intervention that involved six local NGOs. As part of this pilot study, two surveys were conducted of adolescents and their parents in both the intervention sites and selected comparison sites. These surveys were used to measure the changes in reproductive health-related knowledge, attitudes and behaviors resulting from the pilot intervention. This report presents the key findings from these surveys.

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

Khader YS, Price J, John L, and Abueita O. Oral contraceptives use and the risk of myocardial infarction: a meta-analysis. Contraception. 2003 Jul;68(1):11-17
This meta-analysis of oral contraceptive use in relation to myocardial infarction is based on 19 case-control studies and 4 cohort studies that met pre-stated inclusion criteria. Current oral contraceptive (OC) users have an overall adjusted odds ratio (OR) of myocardial infarction (MI) of 2.48 compared to never-users. The risk of MI for past OC users is not significantly different from that for never-users, overall OR = 1.15.

Link to CIRE evidence: http://www.infoforhealth.org/cire/cire_pub.pl?cire_input=COC.IHD..2142.2791.Y
Link to POPLINE record: http://db.jhuccp.org/ics-wpd/exec/icswppro.dll?AC=CHANGE_DISPLAY&XC=/ics-wpd/exec/icswppro.dll&BU=http%3A%2F%2Fdb.jhuccp.org%2Fics-wpd%2Fpopweb%2F&TN=popline&SN=AUTO12671&SE=1233&RN=0&MR=50&TR=0&TX=0&

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Volume 6, Number 4911 December 2006