International Family Planning Perspectives articles from March 2005

International Family Planning Perspectives archives from March 2005

In this issue.(Editorial)
March 1, 2005... Despite the variety of contraceptives now available, it remains difficult for many women and couples to find a method that suits their needs. Women frequently find it necessary to make tradeoffs between contraceptive efficacy and freedom from...

More girls than boys are HIV-infected at birth.(UPDATE)
March 1, 2005... The risk of prenatal HIV infection is greater among females than among males, according to a study conducted in Blantyre, Malawi, between April 2000 and March 2003. (1) Of the 998 female newborns, 13% were found at birth to be infected with...

Young mothers have high risk of adverse outcomes.(UPDATE)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... In Latin America, teenage mothers have elevated odds of experiencing adverse pregnancy and perinatal outcomes, including maternal death and early neonatal death. (1) In an analysis of data collected by the Perinatal Information System database...

Contraceptive acceptance low after abortion in India.(UPDATE)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Fewer than half of Indian women who have induced abortions are willing to accept a contraceptive method following the procedure, according to a study conducted in 13 Indian states between January 1996 and February 1997. (1) Of the 1,851 women...

Malaria may increase risk of HIV transmission.(UPDATE)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... HIV-infected individuals experience a significant increase in the concentration of the virus in their blood during episodes of malaria, according to a study conducted in rural Malawi between February 2000 and November 2001. (1) Of the initial...

Antiherpes therapy needed in syndromic management.(UPDATE)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... High rates of failure for symptom-based antibiotic treatment of genital ulcer disease may indicate a need for antiherpes therapy, according to data from a study conducted among women attending a health center in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, between...

Five million new HIV infections in 2004.(UPDATE)
March 1, 2005... In 2004, the number of people living with HIV rose to 39.4 million, according to estimates from UNAIDS. (1) Nearly five million people acquired the virus, and the number of people living with the infection rose in every region of the world. An...

Unmet need remains high in the developing world.(UPDATE)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Use of modern contraceptive methods remains low and unmet need for family planning remains high in some of the world's poorest and most populous areas. (1) According to an analysis by the Population Reference Bureau, 19% of married women aged...

Indonesian midwives improve child nutrition.(UPDATE)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Indonesian children whose early years are spent in communities with midwives tend to be taller than other children, most likely because of improved nutrition. (1) In an analysis of data from the 1993 and 1997 waves of the Indonesia Family Life...

Preventing Cervical Cancer Worldwide.(IN BRIEF)
March 1, 2005... In their joint report Preventing Cervical Cancer Worldwide, the Population Reference Bureau and the Alliance for Cervical Cancer Prevention focus on low-cost prevention and treatment of cervical cancer in the developing world. The report is...

In Growing Up Global: The Changing Transitions to Adulthood in Developing Countries.(IN BRIEF)
March 1, 2005... In Growing Up Global: The Changing Transitions to Adulthood in Developing Countries, the National Research Council and Institute of Medicine report that young people in developing countires are spending more of their youth in school and are...

Reproductive Health and the Millenium Development Goals: The Missing Link.(IN BRIEF)
March 1, 2005... Reproductive Health and the Millenium Development Goals: The Missing Link, by Barbara Crossette, examines why no explicit commitment to the reproductive health and rights of women is included in the Millenium Development Goals--a roadmap for...

Confronting the 'sugar daddy' stereotype: age and economic asymmetries and risky sexual behavior in urban Kenya.(ARTICLES)
March 1, 2005... CONTEXT: "Sugar daddy" relationships, which are characterized by large age and economic asymmetries between partners, are believed to be a major factor in the spread of HIV in Sub-Saharan Africa. Information is needed about sugar daddy...

The impact of menstrual side effects on contraceptive discontinuation: findings from a longitudinal study in Cairo, Egypt.
March 1, 2005... CONTEXT: Although many research studies have documented the relationship between menstrual side effects of contraceptives and discontinuation of use, few have sought to identify factors that predispose women to discontinue because of changes in...

Risk perception and condom use among married or cohabiting couples in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
March 1, 2005... CONTEXT: Most HIV prevention efforts focus on premarital and extramarital sexual behavior, but in areas with high HIV prevalence the protective needs of married and cohabiting couples are just as great and often go unmet. Condom use by these...

Correction.(Correction Notice)
March 1, 2005... In "Exploring the Association Between HIV and Violence: Young People's Experiences with Infidelity, Violence and Forced Sex in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania," by Heidi Lary et al. [2004, 30(4):200-206], the byline should list the authors as Heidi...

Factors associated with use of the female condom in Zimbabwe.
March 1, 2005... CONTEXT: Because women can initiate use of the female condom, the method is believed to make it easier for women to protect themselves against sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV infection. Evidence is lacking about factors...

Does 'CNN' (condoms, needles and negotiation) work better than 'ABC' (abstinence, being faithful and condom use) in attacking the AIDS epidemic?(VIEWPOINT)
March 1, 2005... After more than two decades of HIV/AIDS, we have learned a great deal about how it is transmitted, care and treatment options, its global impact, its developmental roots, and what preventive measures are most feasible and effective. Yet it...

For young South Africans, community opportunities may have unexpected links to sexual behavior.(DIGESTS)
March 1, 2005... The educational, employment and recreational opportunities available locally to South African adolescents are associated with their sexual behavior, although not always in expected directions or in the same way for males and females, according...

Odds of penile HPV are reduced for circumcised men and condom users.(DIGESTS)
March 1, 2005... Men who are circumcised and use condoms consistently may have a reduced risk of carrying human papillomavirus (HPV) on their penises. In analyses of data from a public sexually transmitted infection (STI) clinic in the southwestern U.S. city of...

Vitamin A supplementation erases gender disparities in child mortality in Nepal.(DIGESTS)
March 1, 2005... In rural Nepal, a substantial difference in mortality between females and males aged five years or younger was virtually eliminated with community-wide vitamin A supplementation, according to results of a randomized, controlled field trial...

For young Mexican men, having a confidant raises the odds of condom use.(DIGESTS)
March 1, 2005... In Mexico City, unmarried young men who discuss their personal problems with one, two, or three or more confidants are significantly more likely to have used contraceptives for STI prevention at last intercourse than are men without a confidant...

HIV infection elevates Kenyan sex workers' STI risk, which rises further as immunosuppression increases.(DIGESTS)
March 1, 2005... Infection with HIV increases the risk of acquiring other STIs, according to a 10-year prospective study conducted among female sex workers in Kenya. (1) Risks of candidiasis, gonorrhea and genital ulcer disease were significantly higher among...

Women's lack of control in relationships may lead to inconsistent condom use.(DIGESTS)
March 1, 2005... In South Africa, sexually experienced 15-24-year-old females who report low relationship control are more likely to use condoms inconsistently (odds ratio, 2.1) than are those who report high relationship control. (1) Females who have...

Injectable use may increase women's odds of getting chlamydia or gonorrhea.(DIGESTS)
March 1, 2005... The use of progestin-only injectable contraceptives may be linked to an increased risk of chlamydial or gonococcal infection (hazard ratio, 3.6), according to data from women attending two clinics in the eastern United States. (1) In contrast...

Traditional gender roles and intimate partner violence linked in China.(DIGESTS)
March 1, 2005... Chinese women whose beliefs and experiences reflect traditional norms that limit gender equality may be at increased risk of being subjected to intimate partner violence. (1) Forty-three percent of women surveyed at a gynecology clinic said...