International Family Planning Perspectives articles from March 2008

International Family Planning Perspectives archives from March 2008

In this issue.
March 1, 2008... In many developing countries, men are the dominant partner in their relationships, and often make the decisions about whether and when to have sex, whether to use a contraceptive and how many children to have. Cultural beliefs often have a...

Bone loss reversible after injectable use.(UPDATE)(Report)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... The bone loss experienced by women who use injectable progestin contraceptives is totally reversible after cessation of use, according to a study conducted among black and mixed-race clinic clients aged 18-44 in Cape Town, South Africa, between...

Women accept lactational amenorrhea, but few use it.(UPDATE)(Report)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... The proportion of women who practice lactational amenorrhea as a method of postpartum contraception may be far lower than the proportion who intend to use it, according to a study of women who had delivered a healthy baby at a public hospital...

"Skilled" birth attendants may lack needed expertise.(UPDATE)(Report)
March 1, 2008... The competence of skilled birth attendants may not be up to international clinical standards, according to a study of 1,358 providers responsible for deliveries (i.e., doctors, medical students, and professional and auxiliary nurses) at...

STI self-sampling and self-testing in South Africa.(UPDATE)(sexually transmitted infection)(Report)
March 1, 2008... Self-sampling and self-testing for STIs appear to be feasible and acceptable options for women, according to a study conducted in Gugulethu, South Africa. (1) Between September 2003 and August 2004, half of a sample of 626 young women were...

Disinfectant wipes are safe for home deliveries.(UPDATE)(Report)
March 1, 2008... Use of chlorhexidine solution as a disinfectant during home deliveries by traditional birth attendants is well-tolerated and safe, according to a study conducted in a squatter settlement of Karachi, Pakistan, between September 2005 and March...

Routine antenatal HIV testing works in Zimbabwe.(UPDATE)(human immunodeficiency virus)(Report)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Changing clinic procedures to make antenatal HIV testing routine (i.e., something that women have to opt out of instead of opt into) can substantially increase the proportion of women and infants who receive single-dose nevirapine treatment to...

Community health workers can safely give injectable.(UPDATE)(Report)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Community health workers in Africa can administer injectable contraceptives to women outside clinic settings as safely and effectively as can nurses and midwives in health clinics, according to a 2004 study conducted in Naka-songola, Uganda....

Fertility-limiting behavior and contraceptive choice among men in Nepal.(ARTICLES)(Report)
March 1, 2008... CONTEXT: Contraceptive choices among men who want no more children have been little explored in South Asia, particularly in Nepal, where fertility rates have remained high over the last few decades. METHODS: Using the 2001 Nepal Demographic...

Links between sex-related expectations about alcohol, heavy episodic drinking and sexual risk among young men in a shantytown in Lima, Peru.(ARTICLES)(Report)
March 1, 2008... CONTEXT: Alcohol use is frequently identified as a contributor to risky sexual behaviors; however, research results are mixed.Given the conflicting evidence, researchers have focused on other factors, such as expectations about alcohol's...

Women's sexual and reproductive health in post-socialist Georgia: does internal displacement matter?(ARTICLES)(Report)
March 1, 2008... CONTEXT: Persons displaced by armed conflicts, natural disasters or other events are at increased risk for health problems. The Republic of Georgia has a substantial population of internally displaced women who may face elevated risks of STIs...

Changing family formation in Nepal: marriage, cohabitation and first sexual intercourse.(ARTICLES)(Report)
March 1, 2008... CONTEXT: In Nepal, marriage occurs at a relatively young age and arranged weddings are widespread. However, recent changes in the family formation process and the timing of first sexual intercourse suggest that a transformation may be under...

Severity and cost of unsafe abortion complications treated in Nigerian hospitals.(ARTICLES)(Clinical report)
March 1, 2008... CONTEXT: Each year, thousands of Nigerian women have unintended pregnancies that end in illegal abortion. Many such procedures occur under unsafe conditions, contributing to maternal morbidity and mortality. METHODS: In a 2002-2003 survey...

The importance of pleasure.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2008... It was with great pleasure that I read "The Pleasure Deficit: Revisiting the 'Sexuality Connection' in Reproductive Health," by Jenny A. Higgins and Jennifer S. Hirsch [2007, 39(4) 240-247]. It has been some time since I have seen anything in...

South African men who commit gender-based violence are more likely to have transactional sex.(DIGESTS)(Report)
March 1, 2008... In rural South Africa, the strongest predictor of whether a young man has exchanged money or other gifts for sex is whether he has committed intimate partner violence or rape, according to an analysis of data from an HIV prevention trial. (1)...

HIV may not increase risk of stillbirth among women in Sub-Saharan Africa.(DIGESTS)(human immunodeficiency virus)(Clinical report)
March 1, 2008... In Sub-Saharan Africa, a pregnant woman's HIV status is not directly linked to the likelihood that her fetus will be stillborn, data from a randomized trial suggest. (1) Instead, inflammation of the amniotic sac during pregnancy, hemorrhage...

Sub-Saharan Africa is sole exception to the global decline in maternal deaths.(DIGESTS)(Report)
March 1, 2008... Maternal mortality decreased worldwide during a recent 15-year period, but some regions and countries did not experience any meaningful decline, according to a recent analysis. (1) For countries with relevant data, the maternal mortality ratio...

Demonstrating how to use condoms improves youths' knowledge about them.(DIGESTS)(Report)
March 1, 2008... Adolescents aged 15-19 who have seen a demonstration about using condoms are up to five times as likely as their peers who have not seen such a demonstration to know key facts about how to use a condom correctly, according to nationally...

Maternal mortality has declined substantially in rural Bangladesh.(DIGESTS)(Report)
March 1, 2008... Maternal mortality fell by almost two-thirds in Matlab, Bangladesh, between 1976 and 2005, primarily because of improved emergency obstetric care and a decline in abortionrelated mortality, according to a 30-year cohort study. (1) Although...

Guidelines for authors.
March 1, 2008... International Family Planning Perspectives is a peer-reviewed research journal serving researchers, policymakers, program administrators and service providers in developing countries. The journal invites submissions based on qualitative or...