Reproductive Health Matters articles from May 2003

Reproductive Health Matters archives from May 2003

Integration of sexual and reproductive health services: a health sector priority.(international)(Editorial)
May 1, 2003... PROPOSALS for making sexual and reproductive health services both integrated and comprehensive were initially put forward by women's health advocates some 20 years ago, and in the past decade have been accepted into mainstream thinking by many...

Low use of rural maternity services in Uganda: impact of women's status, traditional beliefs and limited resources.(study)(includes statistical tables)
May 1, 2003... Abstract: In Uganda, lack of resources and skilled staff to improve quality and delivery of maternity services, despite good policies and concerted efforts, have not yielded an increase in utilisation of those services by women or a reduction...

Integration of post-abortion care: the role of township medical officers and midwives in Myanmar.(study)
May 1, 2003... Abstract: Complications of unsafe abortion are a significant cause of maternal morbidity and mortality in Myanmar, and are recognised by the Ministry of Health as a priority. The Department of Health developed a strategy to address the problem...

Integrating reproductive health services in a reforming health sector: the case of Tanzania.(study)
May 1, 2003... Abstract: Universal access to comprehensive reproductive health services, integrated into a well-functioning health system, remains an unfulfilled objective in many countries. In 2000-2001, in Tanzania, in-depth interviews were conducted with...

Incorporating sexual and reproductive health care in the medical curriculum in developing countries.(study)(Commonwealth Medical Association Trust)
May 1, 2003... Abstract: Medical educators have a responsibility to train physicians and other health professionals in the core competencies needed to improve the sexual and reproductive health of their communities. Yet sexual and reproductive health care is...

Reproductive health care in the Netherlands: would integration improve it?(study)
May 1, 2003... Abstract: Since the 1994 ICPD, relatively little attention has been given to constraints in improving reproductive health programmes in industrialised countries. The Netherlands is known for its low rates of unwanted pregnancy, safe and...

The impact of decentralisation on sexual and reproductive health services in Ghana.(study)
May 1, 2003... Abstract: This paper analyses the impact of decentralisation on the political organisation, management and provision of sexual and reproductive health services in Ghana. It draws on qualitative research and interviews with key informants from...

The need for family planning and safe abortion services among women sex workers seeking STI care in Cambodia.(study)(includes statistical tables)
May 1, 2003... Abstract: In Cambodia, clinics established for the prevention and management of sexually transmitted infections [STIs) in women sex workers do not address other reproductive health services. The aim of this study was to assess the need for more...

Decentralisation and its implications for reproductive health: the Philippines experience.(study)(includes tables)
May 1, 2003... Abstract: Decentralisation is one of the most common health sector reforms initiated in developing countries in the 1980-90s. Although decentralisation is often politically driven, it can significantly improve health sector performance....

The human face of decentralisation and integration of health services: experience from South Africa.(study)
May 1, 2003... Abstract: This paper explores the processes of policy-making, budgeting and service implementation in three provinces of South Africa, drawing on interviews with health managers at different levels of government. It illustrates how the process...

Sex, studies or strife? What to integrate in adolescent health services.(study)
May 1, 2003... Abstract: If health services for adolescents are to be successfully integrated into the existing health care system, they will need to reach out to meet the needs that adolescents themselves perceive as salient. This paper describes a study...

Expanding safer sex options: introducing the female condom into national programmes.(study)(includes statistical table)
May 1, 2003... Abstract: Although the female condom has been introduced into over 90 countries since 1997, it has only been accepted in sexual and reproductive health programmes as a mainstream method in a few. This paper describes introductory strategies...

Implementing Reproductive and Child Health services in Rural Maharashtra, India: a pragmatic approach.(study)
May 1, 2003... Abstract: The Government of India has been providing limited maternal and child health services through its Family Welfare programme, but this system is characterised by weaknesses that include inefficient work schedules; non-availability of...

Expanding access to emergency contraception: the case of Brazil and Colombia.(International Planned Parenthood Federation Western Hemisphere Region)
May 1, 2003... Abstract: Emergency contraception was proven effective nearly 30 years ago yet remains greatly under-utilised. In the Latin American and Caribbean region, it would serve the goals of reducing unwanted pregnancy, unsafe abortion and related...

Using accountability to improve reproductive health care.(Issues In Current Policy)
May 1, 2003... Abstract: Accountability is best understood as a referee of the dynamics in two-way relationships, often between unequal partners. The literature on accountability distinguishes between political, fiscal, administrative, legal and...

A framework for developing reproductive health policies and programmes in Nepal.(Issues In Current Policy)
May 1, 2003... Abstract: Based on experience in Nepal from 1996-2001, this paper presents a six-element framework to support governments in poor countries in developing and implementing reproductive health programmes. The six elements of the framework are:...

Restructuring the health system: experiences of advocates for gender equity in Bangladesh.(Issues In Current Policy)
May 1, 2003... Abstract: This paper illustrates how advocates for gender equity succeeded in influencing the restructuring of the health system in Bangladesh in the mid-1990s but failed to influence its implementation. Using published and unpublished...

Developed countries neglect poverty and social development.(Law and Policy)(International Conference on Financing for Development)
May 1, 2003... The goal of the International Conference on Financing for Development held in Monterrey, Mexico last year was to devise a strategy to eradicate poverty, strengthen economic growth and promote sustainable development. However, talk of greater...

Addressing health inequalities.(Law and Policy)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... A focus on health inequalities with the aim of promoting equity in health and health services is growing apace in the developed world. Yet views on the differences in health between populations can sometimes betray a lack of clarity about when...

Guidelines for public-private partnerships in health.(Law and Policy)(London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, United Kingdom)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Partnerships between the private and public sectors have expanded over the past decade and will continue to do so. Although such links may be broadly welcomed, there is considerable potential for conflicts of interest which can affect areas...

Argentina: new National Programme of Sexual Health and Responsible Parenthood.(Law and Policy)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... A new National Programme of Sexual Health and Responsible Parenthood was passed in October 2002 in Argentina and will be established within the National Ministry of Health. It will include sexual education in schools nationally and free access...

China amends one-child policy.(Law and Policy)
May 1, 2003... According to China's revised one-child policy, families with unauthorised births will have to pay a "social compensation fee" instead of a fine. The new measure is meant to reflect the collective cost rather than punish individual couples for...

Philippines reproductive health programme blocked.(Law and Policy)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... A Reproductive Health Care Programme has been proposed in the Philippines parliament that would educate women about their reproductive rights and provide them with accurate information, including on family planning. However, the bill is...

Women's reproductive rights under attack in Peru.(Law and Policy)
May 1, 2003... Following the release of a congressional report exposing forced sterilisations in Peru during the Fujimori presidency, (1) conservative officials in the Peruvian government are seeking to ban sterilisation, the fourth most popular birth control...

Nine-year-old Nicaraguan girl has an abortion amid controversy.(Law and Policy)
May 1, 2003... A nine-year-old Nicaraguan girl who became pregnant after she was raped in Costa Rica was refused a second trimester abortion there as, under Costa Rican law, abortion is not permitted after 12 weeks. The family returned home to Nicaragua and...

Namibian Health Minister says no to abortion.(Law and Policy)(Libertina Amathila)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... The Abortion and Sterilisation Act of 1975 in Namibia outlaws abortion in most circumstances. Attempts to pass a draft Abortion and Sterilisation Bill in 1996 were shelved because of pressure from church groups and other antiabortionists. Now...

Canberra: first territory to decriminalise abortion in Australia.(Law and Policy)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... After nearly a decade-long campaign, the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), which contains the capital Canberra, became the first federal territory in Australia to remove abortion from its criminal code. The bill decriminalising the procedure...

Peruvian woman goes to UNHRC for justice.(Law and Policy)(United Nations Human Rights Committee)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Peruvian law allows abortion for therapeutic reasons, yet a Peruvian women diagnosed with an anencephalic baby at 14 weeks of pregnancy was forced to carry it to term and breastfeed it until its inevitable death four days later. The Centre for...

Women to be punished for antenatal sex tests in India.(Law and Policy)(National Committee on Empowerment of Women)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Amendments to the Pre-Natal Diagnostics Techniques Act 1994 mean that mothers in India can now receive up to three years imprisonment and a fine of Rs 50,000 if they undergo a fetal sex determination test. This change in the law, supported by...

Adverse effects, compensation and the role of the courts.(Law and Policy)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... An action against three pharmaceutical companies by women who had suffered thromboembolisms which they claimed were caused by third-generation oral contraceptives lost their case recently in a UK High Court. It had been agreed that the action...

Kenya struggles with child prostitution.(Law and Policy)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Worldwide, an estimated one million children are forced into prostitution each year, while the total number of prostituted children could be as high as 10 million. Kenya reports 10,000 to 30,000 child prostitutes, although experts claim the...

Wanting "a baby like me": ethics and freedom in reproductive decision-making.(Law and Policy)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Prompted by a deaf lesbian couple who deliberately sought to have a deaf child via in vitro fertilisation with the sperm of a deaf man, this article discusses ethics and freedom in reproductive decision-making. The women had a right to...

Increased contraceptive use worldwide.(Service Delivery)(United Nations Population Division)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... The UN Population Division has published data from 1997 from 153 countries on current contraceptive use for women of reproductive age who are married or in a consensual union with a spouse or regular partner. Contraceptive use increased...

Contraceptive supplies threatened by inadequate funding.(Service Delivery)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... The number of contraceptive users in developing countries is expected to reach 764 million by 2015, 212 million more than in 2000. The three main sources of funding for contraceptives in developing countries are donors, governments and users...

Involving young people in programmes for young people.(Service Delivery)
May 1, 2003... An exercise comparing the views of young people and professionals about effective interventions to reduce the frequency of teenage pregnancy showed a stark difference in views between the two. Young people emphasised the importance of...

Low dual protection use among South African family planning users.(Service Delivery)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... A study involving over 500 men and women family planning users at public health facilities in South Africa revealed a low level of dual protection use, consistent with previous studies. Use of dual protection aims to prevent both unwanted...

Public-private partnership for antenatal care proposed in Hong Kong.(Service Delivery)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... A pilot scheme has begun between the public Prince of Wales Hospital and the private Union Hospital in Hong Kong to encourage patients to seek antenatal care in the private sector while keeping open the option of giving birth in a public...

More US women choosing medical abortion.(Service Delivery)(National Abortion Federation)(United States)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... A National Abortion Federation (NAF) survey of its members in the US indicates that 73% offer medical abortion services, and the majority of them said that the proportion of women choosing medical abortion (mifepristone + misoprostol) has been...

Difficulty in measuring views of service users in quality of care evaluations.(Service Delivery)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Assessing the opinions of health service users plays an increasingly important part in quality evaluations, but how best to measure this? A study in South Africa analysed findings from 14 focus group discussions (FGDs) and 337 exit interviews...

Artificial pelvis educates all.(Service Delivery)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... The use of a pelvic simulator to train medical and non-medical staff in pelvic examinations and IUD insertion helps them to gain both confidence and skill in the procedures, prior to carrying them out on women. The simulator has also been...

Breastfeeding breaks the rules.(Service Delivery)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... A mother was forbidden to breastfeed in Hong Kong's central library because it broke a "no food or drink" rule. (1) In Australia, a member of parliament who was breastfeeding in the chamber of the Victoria state legislature was ejected for...

Using research to advocate and implement policy change.(Research)
May 1, 2003... As the Mwanza STD trial demonstrates, it is essential that researchers consider the potential policy implications of their findings, instead of focusing solely on the technical aspects. Researchers need to be aware of the contexts in which...

Mifepristone may also treat serious health conditions.(Research)(U.S. Food and Drug Administration)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... The approval of mifepristone for medical abortion by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1998 boosted research into its potential other uses. The drug's therapeutic potential stems from its ability to act against the hormones cortisol,...

Switching off the genes that trigger cervical cancer.(Research)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Over 90% of human cervical cancers are positive for human papillomavirus (HPV) and two genes from the virus are known to drive the abnormal cell proliferation that occurs. Using short interfering RNA sequences which block the messages from...

Association between parity, oral contraceptive use and cervical cancer.(Research)(International Agency for Research on Cancer)
May 1, 2003... Pooling of data by the International Agency for Research on Cancer from case-control studies of invasive cervical cancer (eight studies) and carcinoma in-situ (two studies) from four continents found that high parity and long-term use of...

No link found between ovarian stimulation for infertility treatment and ovarian cancer.(Research)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Concerns have been expressed about the longterm health implications of ovarian stimulation treatment for infertility, and questions raised about whether it would increase the risk of breast, uterine and ovarian cancers. A recent study found no...

Gold standard for sperm fertility.(Research)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... In a major step towards understanding male infertility, scientists have developed a "gold standard" for fertile sperm. By analysing the complex genetic fingerprint of sperm cells, they identified about 3,000 individual messenger RNA for fertile...

No clear message about hormone replacement therapy.(Research)
May 1, 2003... Work on the aetiology of coronary heart disease in women has been dominated by the idea that oestrogen has a protective role in premenopausal women, and that hormone replacement should maintain that protection. However, the evidence against...

Developing country researchers poorly represented in leading medical journals.(Research)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... A survey of five international peer-reviewed medical journals--Lancet, BMJ, New England Journal of Medicine, JAMA, and Annals of Internal Medicine--found that the proportion of space given to articles about developing countries is low....

Prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV and saving mothers' lives.(HIV/AIDS)(Africa)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Programmes to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT) which focus only on short-term treatment strategies to protect infants perinatally run the risk of mothers dying young, drug resistance to future treatment in mothers who survive...

Canadian doctors endorse universal HIV-testing for pregnant women.(HIV/AIDS)(Canadian Medical Association)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... The Canadian Medical Association endorsed routine HIV testing of pregnant women in 2002 and passed a resolution calling on provincial governments and health authorities to adopt a universal HIV screening policy for pregnant women, with an...

Standard treatment regimens effective enough for preventing MTCT.(HIV/AIDS)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... A multi-country study has revealed that for pregnant women already taking highly active antiretroviral therapy, short-course intrapartum nevirapine treatment does not further reduce mother-to-child-transmission of HIV. In a controlled trial,...

Campaign to stop manufacture of nonoxynol-9 condoms and lubricants.(HIV/AIDS)(Global Campaign for Microbicides)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Research has shown that nonoxynol-9 (N-9) can increase the risk of HIV infection if used frequently and with anal sex. (1) The use of N-9 in lubricants and on condoms is no longer recommended, especially for anal sex. Even a low dose of N-9 can...

Integrated strategy has reduced HIV prevalence in Uganda.(HIV/AIDS)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Uganda's success in reducing HIV prevalence rates during the 1990s is due to an integrated, three-pronged behaviour change strategy. The components include delay in first sex among young people, reduction in the number of sexual partners, and...

Male community-based distributors can increase condom distribution.(HIV/AIDS)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Worldwide, an estimated six to nine billion male condoms are used annually. Experts estimate that in order to provide adequate protection against STDs and HIV/AIDS, 24 billion male condoms should be used annually. As the drive to promote condom...

Safe Abortion: Technical and Policy Guidance for Health Systems.(Publications)(Brief Article)(Book Review)
May 1, 2003... Forthcoming 2003 In October 2000, at the UN Millennium Summit, all countries agreed on the need to improve maternal health as one of the key Millennium Development Goals. Globally, approximately 13% of all maternal deaths are due to...

Transforming Health Systems: Gender and Rights in Reproductive Health.(Publications)(Brief Article)(Book Review)
May 1, 2003... 2002 Designed for health managers, this excellent course curriculum focuses on improving participants' understanding of gender and fights so that they can plan more effective reproductive health programmes and services. The curriculum has...

Making Decisions about Contraceptive Introduction: a Guide for Conducting Assessments to Broaden Contraceptive Choice and Improve Quality of Care.(Publications)(Brief Article)(Book Review)
May 1, 2003... 2002 This field guide is written for programme managers, policymakers and national leaders on the value of a strategic approach to the introduction of contraceptives into health service delivery systems. It provides detailed information on...

Selected Practice Recommendations for Contraceptive Use.(Publications)(www.who.int/reproductive-health)(Brief Article)(Book Review)
May 1, 2003... 2002 This is an evidence-based guideline on contraceptive methods and when they are medically appropriate. Its 23 recommendations were drafted by a WHO working group, and and cover when a women can start different types of contraceptives,...

Towards Comprehensive Women's Health Programmes and Policy.(Publications)(Brief Article)(Book Review)
May 1, 2003... Renu Khanna, Mira Shiva, Sarala Gopalan (editors), 2002 The Women and Health Initiative (WAHI) in India grew out of the perceived failure of primary health care to address gender issues and the specific health needs of women. It began in...

Engendering International Health: the Challenge of Equity.(Publications)(Brief Article)(Book Review)
May 1, 2003... Gita Sen, Asha George, Piroska Ostlin (editors), 2002 The fourth volume in the series Basic Bioethics, this book brings together the work of leading researchers on gender equity in international health. The basic premise of this volume is...

The Gender and Reproductive Health Research Initiative: Mapping a Decade of Reproductive Health Research in India.(Publications)(Brief Article)(Book Review)
May 1, 2003... 2002 This series of six annotated bibliographies and two critical reviews examines the body of reproductive health research in India from a gender perspective, and identifies gaps in research and unexplored issues in the following areas:...

Restructuring Health Services: Changing Contexts and Comparative Perspectives.(Publications)(www.zedbooks.demon.co.uk)(Brief Article)(Book Review)
May 1, 2003... Kasturi Sen, 2003 This collection of papers reviews the rapidly changing context in which the financing of health care and the role of globalisation and privatisation are taking place. Health scholars and policymakers from both...

Abortion and Common Sense.(Publications)(Brief Article)(Book Review)
May 1, 2003... Ruth Dixon-Mueller, Paul KB Dagg, 2002 At a time when the concept of reproductive rights is being challenged by conservatives and religious fundamentalists, here is a commonsense, fact-based account of how and why women have abortions....

Expanding the Role of Mid-level Providers in Safe Abortion Care.(Publications)(Brief Article)(Book Review)
May 1, 2003... 2002 This publication is about training and supporting mid-level health providers to deliver abortion services, including nurses, midwives, clinical officers and physician assistants, who are more numerous, more geographically dispersed...

Making Safe Abortion Accessible: a Practical Guide for Advocates.(Publications)(Book Review)(Brief Review)
May 1, 2003... Charlotte E Hord, 2001 This guide is full of easy-to-follow, practical advice on making abortion services safer and more accessible. It includes sections on how to establish working partnerships, ways of influencing public opinion, and...

Can Vietnam's Family Planning Collaborators Improve Grassroots Reproductive Health Services?(Publications)(Brief Article)(Book Review)
May 1, 2003... Tuan Anh Nguyen, Heidi Bart Johnston, 2002 In recent years, Vietnam has implemented a family planning programme that has successfully reduced fertility. However, there are still high rates of unwanted pregnancy and abortion, probably due to...

Post-Abortion Care Supervisory Aid and Evaluation Tool.(Publications)(Book Review)(Brief Review)
May 1, 2003... Critical Issues in Reproductive Health, 2000 This easily modifiable Excel file is intended for data collection and analysis, and contains a checklist to guide the evaluation of facility readiness and provider performance for facility-based...

"What About Us?" Bringing Infertility Into Reproductive Health Care.(Publications)(Brief Article)(Book Review)
May 1, 2003... Quality/Calidad/Qualite, 2002 This publication focuses on an infertility programme in India that treats both men and women. The programme is based in a clinic that is linked to a local women's group where educational and gender awareness...

Violence Against Women.(Publications)(www.icomp.org.my)(Brief Article)(Book Review)
May 1, 2003... Innovations, Vol. 9, 2001 This volume of the Innovations series looks at integrated in-terventions to address violence against women in Kenya, Malaysia, Thailand and Bolivia. Some of the interventions are carried out by NGOs, others by the...

The Watchdog.(Publications)(newsletter of the Youth Coalition, a Canadian-based international coalition of young people)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... The Watchdog is the quarterly newsletter of the Youth Coalition, a Canadian-based international coalition of young people promoting adolescent and youth sexual and reproductive rights in Canada and internationally. The summer 2002 issue...

ADOLesson: Young People's Voices.(Publications)(Brief Article)(Book Review)(Brief Review)
May 1, 2003... 2002 This booklet is about young people's sexual and reproductive health and rights. It is composed of the life stories of eight young people from around the world, discussing teen pregnancy, sex education, religion, peer pressure, safe...

Prospects for the Public Health Approach to the Prevention and Care of Sexually Transmitted Infections in Countries of Eastern Europe and Central Asia.(Publications)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... 2002 Measures implemented in the mid- to late-1990s to address the rise of sexually transmitted infections in the newly independent states of Eastern Europe and Central Asia may be responsible for the recent overall decline in STIs there....

Tanzania Fistula Survey 2001.(Publications)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Maggie Bangser, 2002 Many women across the world live with the shame and isolation of vesico-vaginal fistulae. This survey of fistula care in Tanzania shows that although repairs are done in a number of hospitals, many women do not have...

Women's Health and Medical Education.(Publications)(Periodical Review)
May 1, 2003... The American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology 2002;187(3), Part 2, focuses on how and why women's health and gender-based competencies should be woven into the fabric of undergraduate medical education. It discusses appropriate components...

Female Fertility and the Body Fat Connection.(Publications)(Brief Article)(Book Review)
May 1, 2003... Rose E Frisch, 2002 This book show how and why body fat in women influences the onset of menstruation and menopause, and the reproductive system and fertility. The author takes the reader through her quest over the years to prove her...