International Family Planning Perspectives articles from December 2007

International Family Planning Perspectives archives from December 2007

In this issue.(Editorial)
December 1, 2007... In many developing countries, parents guard their unmarried daughters carefully from contact with unrelated men, fearing that they may ruin their reputation and bring shame on their family. In India, young women who form premarital...

Child deaths drop below 10 million.(UPDATE)(Author abstract)(Report)
December 1, 2007... For the first time in modern history, the annual number of worldwide deaths of children aged five years or younger has fallen below 10 million. (1) According to survey figures based on national data reported by UNICEF, 9.7 million children died...

Worldwide abortion rate fell between 1995 and 2003.(UPDATE)(Author abstract)(Report)
December 1, 2007... The overall incidence and rate of induced abortion declined worldwide between 1995 and 2003; however, the proportion of all abortions that were unsafe increased. (1) An estimated 42 million abortions occurred worldwide in 2003, down from 46...

Better perinatal care could prevent stillbirths.(UPDATE)(Author abstract)(Report)
December 1, 2007... Low rates of physician attendance of births and of hospital delivery in developing countries may contribute to high rates of stillbirth in those countries, according to a study conducted between March 2005 and December 2006 in Argentina, the...

Kuwaiti women often stop using contraceptives.(UPDATE)(Author abstract)(Report)
December 1, 2007... At least two-thirds of Kuwaiti women discontinue using contraceptive methods within three years of initiation, according to an analysis of data from a nationally representative survey conducted in 1999. (1) Of the 1,502 married women of...

Some people living with HIV engage in risky behaviors.(UPDATE)(Author abstract)(Report)
December 1, 2007... It is not uncommon for HIV-positive men and women in Botswana to have multiple sexual partners and to engage in other risky sexual behaviors, according to a survey of members of HIV-related support groups and clients of antiretroviral therapy...

Women at risk after birth complications.(UPDATE)(Author abstract)(Clinical report)
December 1, 2007... Women who experience severe obstetric complications during delivery have an increased risk of death and mental health problems within the subsequent 12 months, according to findings from a prospective cohort study conducted between November...

Intervention reduces transmission of syphilis.(UPDATE)(Author abstract)(Medical condition overview)
December 1, 2007... A prenatal screening and treatment program in Shenzhen, China, greatly reduced the number of infants with congenital syphilis born in the city. (1) Between January 2003 and December 2005, 418,871 pregnant women were screened for syphilis in 61...

United Nations Population Fund.(IN BRIEF)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... The United Nations Population Fund has published a three-hour distance learning course on population issues, covering topics such as reproductive health, HIV/AIDS, adolescents, maternal mortality, and population and development. The course can...

World Health Organization.(IN BRIEF)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... The World Health Organization has published the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health for Children and Youth (ICF-CY), the first internationally agreed upon classification code for assessing the health of children...

Correlates of premarital relationships among unmarried youth in Pune District, Maharashtra, India.(ARTICLES)(Report)
December 1, 2007... CONTEXT: Although premarital partnerships--whether or not they involve sex--are widely discouraged in India, some youth do form such partnerships. It is important to know more about the nature of and the factors associated with these...

Jamaican and Barbadian health care providers' knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding emergency contraceptive pills.(Report)
December 1, 2007... CONTEXT: Little is known about health care providers' knowledge of, attitudes toward and provision of emergency contraceptive pills in the English-speaking Caribbean, where sexual violence and unplanned pregnancies are persistent public health...

Prevalence of and risk factors for sexual victimization in college women in Chile.(Survey)
December 1, 2007... CONTEXT: To date, no quantitative studies have examined the prevalence or correlates of sexual violence among college students in Chile. METHODS: An anonymous survey with questions on gender-based violence, demographic and socioeconomic...

Family planning policies and their impacts on the poor: Peru's experience.(COMMENT)(Report)
December 1, 2007... Although governments develop family planning policies to guide program design and implementation, these policies can have both intended and unintended consequences. As a result, policies may need periodic revision to achieve the desired...

Introducing sustainable vasectomy services in Guatemala.(SPECIAL REPORT)(Report)
December 1, 2007... The use of contraceptive methods in Guatemala has rapidly increased over the past two decades, from 23% of married or cohabiting women aged 15-49 in 1987 to 43% in 2002. The most frequently used method in the country has been female...

Both individual and community factors influence whether women in rural Mali receive maternal care.(DIGESTS)(Author abstract)(Report)
December 1, 2007... In rural Mali, where few women obtain maternal health care, use of prenatal and delivery services is influenced by both individual and community factors, according to a cross-sectional study of women who had recently given birth. (1) The odds...

In India, visual inspection of the cervix provides a viable alternative to Pap and HPV tests.(DIGESTS)(human papillomavirus)(Author abstract)(Medical condition overview)
December 1, 2007... Visual inspection of the cervix following application of acetic acid is an effective method of reducing the incidence of and mortality from cervical cancer in developing countries, according to findings from a randomized trial conducted in...

Both prenatal and postnatal interventions increase rates of exclusive breast-feeding.(DIGESTS)(Author abstract)(Clinical report)
December 1, 2007... In a randomized controlled study conducted in Singapore, women who received prenatal education and those who received postnatal support were significantly more likely than those who received routine obstetric care only to be breast-feeding...

Filipino youth whose parents have an equitable marriage tend to delay first sex.(DIGESTS)(Author abstract)(Report)
December 1, 2007... Young people in the Philippines are less likely to have sex by age 22 if their parents have a relatively equitable marital relationship, according to findings from a longitudinal, population-based study. (1) However, the specific marital...

In China, women who give birth to girls face an increased risk of postpartum depression.(DIGESTS)(Author abstract)
December 1, 2007... Chinese women enrolled in a cohort study to identify factors associated with postpartum depression were more likely to suffer from the condition if they had given birth to a girl instead of a boy. (1) The risk of depression was also elevated...