International Family Planning Perspectives articles from March 2006

International Family Planning Perspectives archives from March 2006

Denial of methods lower with pregnancy checklist.(UPDATE)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... The use of a checklist that helps providers rule out pregnancy can reduce the proportion of women in developing countries who are denied their desired contraceptive method because they are not menstruating at the time of their clinic visit. (1)...

Evidence-based interventions are poorly known, little used.(UPDATE)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Many reproductive health care providers are unfamiliar with important evidenced-based interventions, according to a recent study in northwest Cameroon. (1) In February 2004, researchers surveyed 328 providers (including 54 physicians, 140...

'Best buys' in prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS.(UPDATE)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Mass media campaigns, interventions for female sex workers and STI treatment programs are the most cost-effective strategies developing countries can use to achieve the millennium development goal of halting and reversing the spread of HIV/AIDS...

Tea may be protective against ovarian cancer.(UPDATE)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... The more tea women drink, the lower their risk of ovarian cancer, according to findings from a population-based study in Sweden. (1) In a large cohort of women who were followed for an average of 15 years, those who drank two or more cups of...

Free HIV counseling and testing attracts clients.(UPDATE)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... An HIV service organization in Moshi, Tanzania, increased its average daily number of clients tested and improved the cost-effectiveness of its HIV outreach by offering free counseling and testing. (1) For two weeks in July 2003, the...

Social marketing need not fail after donors withdraw.(UPDATE)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... The withdrawal of donor support does not necessarily mean the end for contraceptive social marketing interventions in middle-income countries. (1) Analyses of Demographic and Health Survey data and retail sales information from the Dominican...

Continuous diaphragm USE acceptable to sex workers.(UPDATE)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Because it is a reusable, female-controlled contraceptive method that may protect against some STIs, the diaphragm could be a useful alternative for female sex workers in resource-poor areas, according to a preliminary 2004 study conducted in...

Prenatal syphilis falls in urban Botswana.(UPDATE)
March 1, 2006... The prevalence of syphilis has decreased sharply among pregnant women in northern Botswana, a finding that could signal a future decline in HIV transmission in the country. (1) According to test results from Botswana's second largest city,...

Adolescents' use of maternal and child health services in developing countries.(ARTICLES)
March 1, 2006... CONTEXT: Because of high levels of early childbearing in developing countries, pregnancy and childbirth are the leading causes of death among women aged 15-19. Use of skilled antenatal and delivery care improves maternal outcomes through the...

Women's position within the household as a determinant of maternal health care use in Nepal.
March 1, 2006... CONTEXT: Although gender inequality is often cited as a barrier to improving maternal health in Nepal, little attention has been directed at understanding how sociocultural factors may influence the use of health care. In particular, how a...

Reasons for condom use among young people in KwaZulu-Natal: prevention of HIV, pregnancy or both?
March 1, 2006... CONTEXT: High levels of HIV/AIDS and unwanted pregnancy among young people are urgent public health problems in South Africa. Studies among youth have generally focused on protection against one or the other of these risks, but not both. ...

Reproductive knowledge, attitudes and behavior among adolescent males in Tehran, Iran.
March 1, 2006... CONTEXT: Iran's culture and religion prohibit sexual contact prior to marriage. Due to the sensitivity of the topic, little is known about the sexual activity of unmarried adolescent males or about their knowledge of, and attitudes toward,...

Gender role beliefs at sexual debut: qualitative evidence from two Brazilian cities.
March 1, 2006... CONTEXT: Culturally based beliefs about gender roles influence women's sexual behavior and their ability to protect themselves from unwanted sexual experiences. Studying the beliefs that influence women's behavior at sexual debut helps...

Community characteristics help shape women's decisions on whether to give birth in a health facility.
March 1, 2006... In Africa, a woman's decision to give birth at a health facility--a choice that may be lifesaving if complications arise--is linked to community factors such as family size, male approval of family planning and level of female schooling. (1) In...

Domestic violence in India is linked to individual and community factors.
March 1, 2006... In the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, where domestic violence is prevalent and women's status is low, indicators of relatively high socioeconomic status at the individual level are associated with reduced levels of physical, but not...

Consistent use of condoms lowers the risk of infection with type 2 herpes virus.
March 1, 2006... The more consistently that sexually active men and women use condoms, the lower their risk of becoming infected with herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2). (1) In a prospective cohort study among individuals at risk for infection, 6% became...

Partner's sexual behavior does not explain elevated HIV risk during pregnancy.
March 1, 2006... The physiological changes that accompany gestation make women more susceptible to acquiring HIV during pregnancy than at any other time. (1) According to a prospective study in Rakai, Uganda, pregnant women have significantly higher HIV...

Bangladeshi men whose father abused their mother are more likely to be violent toward their own wife.
March 1, 2006... Numerous factors affect the likelihood that Bangladeshi women will be physically abused by their husband. (1) In a population-based survey of urban and rural women of reproductive age, the odds of abuse were elevated in both settings among...