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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences
Prevalence Of Sexually Transmitted Infections Among Men Who Have Sex With Men And Injecting Drug Users And Validation Of Audio Computer-Assisted Self Interview (Acasi) Technique In Abuja, Lagos, And Ibadan, Nigeria: Report Fact Sheet, Enhancing Nigeria's Hiv/Aids Response (Enr) Programme
Prevalence Of Sexually Transmitted Infections Among Men Who Have Sex With Men And Injecting Drug Users And Validation Of Audio Computer-Assisted Self Interview (Acasi) Technique In Abuja, Lagos, And Ibadan, Nigeria: Report Fact Sheet, Enhancing Nigeria's Hiv/Aids Response (Enr) Programme
HIV and AIDS
Most-at-risk populations (MARPS), including men who have sex with men (MSM) and injecting drug users (IDUs), represent only 1 percent of Nigeria’s population yet account for 38 percent of new HIV infections. Despite their elevated risk, MSM and IDUs are less likely than the general population to access HIV prevention and sexual health services because of stigmatization. There is a dearth of data on prevalence of HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among MSM and IDUs because their behaviors make them difficult to be reached programmatically and engaged in research. While the need for HIV and STI prevalence data is …
Focus On Male Youths In Addressing Alcohol And Drug Abuse Risk In The Context Of Hiv Prevention Among Young People, Population Council
Focus On Male Youths In Addressing Alcohol And Drug Abuse Risk In The Context Of Hiv Prevention Among Young People, Population Council
Reproductive Health
Research evidence shows that people who abuse alcohol are more likely to engage in behavior that puts them at risk of HIV infection, including having unprotected sex. In 2010, the Population Council’s APHIA II Operations Research Project collaborated with the Support for Addictions Prevention and Treatment in Africa Centre in Kenya on research to identify factors associated with alcohol and drug use among out-of-school youth in Kibera, to identify specific factors contributing to HIV risk, and to assess the impact of an intervention to link youths with an alcohol and drug abuse problem to counseling and rehabilitation services. A key …
Scaling Up The Integration Of Tuberculosis Screening Into Reproductive Health Services, Aphia Ii Or Project In Kenya
Scaling Up The Integration Of Tuberculosis Screening Into Reproductive Health Services, Aphia Ii Or Project In Kenya
Reproductive Health
The Population Council’s APHIA II Operations Research and Kenya’s Ministry of Health implemented a pilot project in five facilities across Nairobi Province in 2010 with the aim of improving access to care and treatment for tuberculosis (TB) for women during postnatal care (PNC) services. As tuberculosis persists in Kenya, integration of screening and referrals within postnatal care services will increase case detection and treatment for those infected. Integration of TB screening is likely to be scaled up throughout PNC and maternal and child health services in Kenya. Strong linkages between health services, training, and supervision, and simple provider tools will …
Increasing Access To Safe Abortion In Rural Maharashtra: Outcomes Of A Comprehensive Abortion Care Model, Shireen J. Jejeebhoy, A.J. Francis Zavier, Rajib Acharya, Shveta Kalyanwala
Increasing Access To Safe Abortion In Rural Maharashtra: Outcomes Of A Comprehensive Abortion Care Model, Shireen J. Jejeebhoy, A.J. Francis Zavier, Rajib Acharya, Shveta Kalyanwala
Reproductive Health
This assessment of a Comprehensive Abortion Care (CAC) model was conducted by the Population Council on behalf of the Consortium for Safe Abortions in India. The goal of the Consortium is to increase access to legal, safe, and comprehensive abortion services, including post-abortion family planning, in the public health system, and especially among the rural poor. This report describes the CAC model implemented in Aurangabad district, Maharashtra, and examines the extent to which the model improved (a) the availability and quality of abortion services in public sector facilities, and (b) women’s awareness and experiences with regard to abortion services. It …
Community Health Workers Can Effectively Provide Information And Referrals To People Living With Hiv In Their Communities, Population Council
Community Health Workers Can Effectively Provide Information And Referrals To People Living With Hiv In Their Communities, Population Council
Reproductive Health
A number of studies reported high levels of sexually transmitted infections among people living with HIV (PLHIV). Unfortunately, prevention interventions targeting PLHIV in the community are not common in Kenya, and most PLHIV who are not on ART have limited access to prevention information and risk-reduction counseling. The Population Council’s APHIA II Operations Research Project conducted a research project to address these gaps. This study was conducted in 2010 in collaboration with the International Center for Reproductive Health and the National AIDS and STI Control Programme. The findings show that the intervention had a number of positive outcomes and concludes …
Levels, Trends And Determinants Of Contraceptive Use Among Adolescent Girls In Kenya, Francis Obare, Harriet Birungi, Chi-Chi Undie, Monica Wanjiru, Wilson Liambila, Ian Askew
Levels, Trends And Determinants Of Contraceptive Use Among Adolescent Girls In Kenya, Francis Obare, Harriet Birungi, Chi-Chi Undie, Monica Wanjiru, Wilson Liambila, Ian Askew
Reproductive Health
In Kenya, recent trends in contraceptive use among currently married women aged 15–49 years show that after experiencing a stall between 1998 and 2003, the contraceptive prevalence rate (CPR) increased between 2003 and 2008–2009. Although the increase in CPR after 2003 is encouraging, there is limited understanding of how these changes affected adolescents, especially girls, given the unique sexual and reproductive health challenges that they face. This report is based on a secondary analysis of the Kenya Demographic and Health Surveys (KDHS) data to understand the trends, differentials, and determinants of contraceptive use among adolescent girls aged 15–19 years in …
Linking Hiv-Positive Family Planning Clients To Treatment And Care Services In Kenya, Wilson Liambila, Francis Obare, Harriet Birungi, Ruth Wayua Muia, Joyce Wanderi Maina, Mary N. Maina, Christine Awuor, Ibrahim Mohammed
Linking Hiv-Positive Family Planning Clients To Treatment And Care Services In Kenya, Wilson Liambila, Francis Obare, Harriet Birungi, Ruth Wayua Muia, Joyce Wanderi Maina, Mary N. Maina, Christine Awuor, Ibrahim Mohammed
Reproductive Health
A project from the Population Council’s USAID-funded FRONTIERS program found that integrating HIV counseling and testing into family planning (FP) services was feasible and acceptable to clients and providers, and led to significant improvement in the quality of care provided. However, a major limitation was that FP clients who tested HIV-positive were not actively linked to care and treatment services, including antiretroviral treatment, and screening and management of sexually transmitted infections. A new initiative aimed to design and test a referral framework for linking HIV-positive FP clients to treatment and care in selected health facilities; assess the acceptability of the …
Strengthening Union Level Facility For Providing Normal Delivery And Newborn Care Services: Facility Assessment Report, Md. Noorunnabi Talukder, Ubaidur Rob, A.K.M. Zafar Ullah Khan, Amar Krishna Baidya, M. Mostafizur Rahman Khan, Nargis Sultana
Strengthening Union Level Facility For Providing Normal Delivery And Newborn Care Services: Facility Assessment Report, Md. Noorunnabi Talukder, Ubaidur Rob, A.K.M. Zafar Ullah Khan, Amar Krishna Baidya, M. Mostafizur Rahman Khan, Nargis Sultana
Reproductive Health
In Bangladesh, first-level fixed-facility services—provided at the union level through Health and Family Welfare Centers (HFWCs)—are designed to improve maternal and child health by making services available in rural areas. However, most HFWCs do not have the capacity to provide normal delivery services. HFWCs could help women receive free normal delivery services within a convenient distance from their home, if they were strengthened with necessary human resources, infrastructure, and equipment. The Population Council, with financial assistance from the UK Department for International Development (DFID), carried out a policy and research systems study to strengthen union HFWC’s provision of normal delivery …
Community Health Workers And The Media Can Be Effective In Providing Health Information To Married Adolescent Girls In The Community, Population Council
Community Health Workers And The Media Can Be Effective In Providing Health Information To Married Adolescent Girls In The Community, Population Council
Reproductive Health
Past research has found that married adolescent girls in Nyanza Province, Kenya, face higher risks of HIV infection than unmarried but sexually active girls their age in the province and other parts of the country. To address this challenge, the Population Council’s APHIA II Operations Research Project, in collaboration with Well Told Story and the Ministry of Public Health and Sanitation, developed a study to assess the effectiveness of an intervention designed to increase married adolescent girls’ access to comprehensive reproductive health and HIV information and services in Homa Bay and Rachuonyo districts. The study found that using interactive communication …
Strengthening Union Level Facility For Providing Normal Delivery And Newborn Care Services: Workshop Report, Ubaidur Rob, Md. Noorunnabi Talukder, A.K.M. Zafar Ullah Khan
Strengthening Union Level Facility For Providing Normal Delivery And Newborn Care Services: Workshop Report, Ubaidur Rob, Md. Noorunnabi Talukder, A.K.M. Zafar Ullah Khan
Reproductive Health
In Bangladesh, a network of government health facilities providing maternal and child health services has been established. In rural areas, first-level fixed-facility service is provided at the union level through Health and Family Welfare Centers (HFWCs). These facilities are designed to improve maternal and child health by making services available to the people in rural areas, however a full range of reproductive health services for women is not available in those facilities. At present, no evidence exists to support whether or not HFWCs can safely and cost-effectively provide normal deliveries. There is a need for a policy research initiative that …
Sexual And Reproductive Health Needs Of Adolescents Living With Hiv In Kenya, Harriet Birungi, Francis Obare, Jane Harriet Namwebya, Ibrahim Mohammed, Margaret Gitau, Margaret Makumi
Sexual And Reproductive Health Needs Of Adolescents Living With Hiv In Kenya, Harriet Birungi, Francis Obare, Jane Harriet Namwebya, Ibrahim Mohammed, Margaret Gitau, Margaret Makumi
Reproductive Health
The objective of this study was to assess the sexual and reproductive health needs of adolescents living with HIV in Kenya with a view to identifying and developing interventions that integrate these needs within the existing HIV/AIDS treatment, care, and support programs in the country. The study was a result of collaboration between Population Council, APHIA II Rift Valley and Coast (Family Health International), the National AIDS and STI Control Programme, and APHIA II Nairobi and Central (Pathfinder International). Major findings indicate that many of the adolescents living with HIV are vulnerable, and that programmatic gaps exist in addressing the …
Ten Years Of The Kenya Adolescent Reproductive Health Project: What Has Happened?, Humphres Evelia, Monica Wanjiru, Francis Obare, Harriet Birungi
Ten Years Of The Kenya Adolescent Reproductive Health Project: What Has Happened?, Humphres Evelia, Monica Wanjiru, Francis Obare, Harriet Birungi
Reproductive Health
This evaluation by the Population Council’s APHIA II Operations Research Project sought to find out whether the adolescent sexual and reproductive health (ASRH) and HIV/AIDS activities in Kenya had been sustained over a 10-year period when the project was replicated and scaled up to cover seven provinces in the country. The evaluation had three main objectives: 1) to determine the extent to which activities of the Kenya Adolescent Reproductive Health Program (KARHP) have continued at national, provincial, and district levels; 2) to determine whether desired sexual and reproductive health outcomes (knowledge, behavior, and practices) have been sustained among in- and …
Using Youth-Friendly Communication Approaches To Communicate Hiv/Aids With Young People Is Feasible And Acceptable, Population Council
Using Youth-Friendly Communication Approaches To Communicate Hiv/Aids With Young People Is Feasible And Acceptable, Population Council
Reproductive Health
HIV remains a major concern in Kenya among all segments of the population, including adolescents. New ways of delivering HIV information and services are therefore needed, especially to reach young people and encourage them to take up counselling and testing to know their sero-status. The APHIA II Operations Research Project collaborated with the Ministry of Education, Well Told Story, and the National AIDS and STD Control Programme to implement a project to enhance communication in schools about HIV and create demand for early counseling and testing. The project also sought to create a supportive environment in schools for young people …
Assessing Equity Of Access In Programs For Young People, Adam Weiner
Assessing Equity Of Access In Programs For Young People, Adam Weiner
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
Young people aged 10–19 make up almost 20 percent of the population in less developed regions. This vast, highly diverse population faces a variety of threats that could disrupt their healthy transition to adulthood, including early marriage and childbearing, school leaving, violence, exploitation, unemployment, and HIV/AIDS. The majority of youth programs fail to reach the most vulnerable; most programs are only accessible to those with greater levels of social and human capital, such as an education or friendship networks. Promoting Healthy, Safe, and Productive Transitions to Adulthood Brief No. 28 describes how the Population Council, recognizing the need for generating …
Taking Programs For Vulnerable Adolescents To Scale: Experiences, Insights, And Evidence, Martha Brady
Taking Programs For Vulnerable Adolescents To Scale: Experiences, Insights, And Evidence, Martha Brady
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
The international development community’s desire to alleviate poverty and improve health outcomes presents an extraordinary opportunity to transform the lives of young people, particularly girls. Cycles of illiteracy, poor job prospects, and social isolation can be broken but will require concerted efforts to reach large numbers of vulnerable adolescent girls with robust asset-building programs. Scaling-up effective pilot programs will be critical to achieving these goals. While there is an expanding body of research around scaling up health interventions, less is known or documented about scaling up cross-sectoral programs for adolescent girls. Bringing to scale programs directed toward poor, often invisible …
Scaling For Change: Strategic Investment In The Poorest Girls In The Poorest Communities, Judith Bruce
Scaling For Change: Strategic Investment In The Poorest Girls In The Poorest Communities, Judith Bruce
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
No abstract provided.
Young Women: Your Future, Your Money—Workbook For Girls Ages 15–19 In Kenya, Population Council, Microfinance Opportunities
Young Women: Your Future, Your Money—Workbook For Girls Ages 15–19 In Kenya, Population Council, Microfinance Opportunities
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
This workbook was created under the Safe and Smart Savings project, a program to help vulnerable adolescent girls build assets, support networks, and savings. The program combined weekly group meetings facilitated by a female mentor, financial education, health and life skills education, and formal individual savings accounts. The workbook was adapted from “Young Women: Your Future Your Money,” published by Microfinance Opportunities, and is designed to help young girls learn how to save money and gain financial literacy. This version is meant for use by girls ages 15–19 in Kenya. There is an additional workbook designed for girls ages 10–14.
Programs To Address Child Marriage: Framing The Problem, Sajeda Amin
Programs To Address Child Marriage: Framing The Problem, Sajeda Amin
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
Eradicating child marriage has long been on the agenda of the United Nations and of individual countries. Indeed, all countries where child marriage occurs are signatories to international charters and covenants that discourage the practice. Despite these agreements, marriage before age 18—often without the young bride’s consent—persists. Population Council researchers are seeking to prevent child marriage and support married girls in several countries, including Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Egypt, Ethiopia, Guatemala, India, Kenya, Nigeria, and Vietnam. Programs include expanding opportunities (education, livelihoods) for girls, especially those most at risk of early marriage, and working directly with gatekeepers to remove barriers that …
Enhancing The Benefits Of Girls' Livelihood Initiatives, Sajeda Amin
Enhancing The Benefits Of Girls' Livelihood Initiatives, Sajeda Amin
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
As a pioneer in the relatively young field of adolescent livelihood programs, the Population Council has implemented and evaluated a range of projects that test vocational training, savings, financial education, and credit initiatives. Since the 1990s, the Council has documented the importance of adolescents’ livelihoods and worked to adapt adult livelihood models to fit adolescents’ unique needs. While these programs often share common strategies and elements, all Council adolescent initiatives recognize the need to learn from and adapt to the local context. Promoting Healthy, Safe, and Productive Transitions to Adulthood Brief No. 17 reviews the Council’s work on adolescent livelihoods …
On Trade Policies And Wage Disparity In Egypt: Evidence From Microeconomic Data, Chahir Zaki
On Trade Policies And Wage Disparity In Egypt: Evidence From Microeconomic Data, Chahir Zaki
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
This working paper assesses the extent to which trade barriers, including traditional tariff barriers, non-tariff measures, and red tape, affect wage disparity and employment in Egypt. Using a microeconomic dataset, the author assesses to what extent different trade barriers affected wage disparity and employment in Egypt. This disparity is studied in three dimensions: on gender (males vs. females), qualification (blue vs. white collar workers), and regional (urban vs. rural workers). Findings show that both non-tariff measures and red tape barriers have a higher impact than traditional tariffs on wage disparity and that women, urban workers, and blue collar workers are …
The Population Council's Approach: Promoting Healthy, Safe, And Productive Transitions To Adulthood, Population Council
The Population Council's Approach: Promoting Healthy, Safe, And Productive Transitions To Adulthood, Population Council
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
This Promoting Healthy, Safe, and Productive Transitions to Adulthood brief provides an overview of the Population Council’s focus on adolescents that began in the early 1990s. The focus has been accompanied by a commitment to move the field of adolescent research and programs from one often narrowly focused on sexuality, reproductive health, and behavior to the broader social and economic issues that underpin adolescent health and well-being. In 1998, with the publication of The Uncharted Passage—a benchmark review of the situation of adolescent girls in developing countries—the current program of work was launched. The Council’s approach has been characterized by …
Leveling The Playing Field: Building Girls' Sports Programs And Creating New Opportunities, Martha Brady
Leveling The Playing Field: Building Girls' Sports Programs And Creating New Opportunities, Martha Brady
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
From Afghanistan to Zimbabwe, more girls and women are participating in sports than ever before. Even in the most unlikely settings, girls are stepping onto playing fields, joining teams, and participating in ways that were unprecedented a decade ago. The burgeoning interest in girls’ and women’s sports around the globe provides an opportune moment to examine the role of sports in adolescent girls’ lives and build the evidence base for future programming and policy development. This brief reports on the collaboration between Population Council researchers and partners, including sports organizations, women’s groups, international development agencies, and ministries of youth, in …
Equipping Mayan Girls To Improve Their Lives, Jennifer Catino, Alejandra Colom, Marta Julia Ruiz
Equipping Mayan Girls To Improve Their Lives, Jennifer Catino, Alejandra Colom, Marta Julia Ruiz
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
Guatemala’s population is poorer, less educated, faster growing, and more ethnically diverse than most others in Latin America. The country’s fertility and infant mortality rates are among the highest in the region. Nearly half of the Guatemalan population is indigenous, and more than 20 Mayan ethnic groups live in isolated rural areas with limited access to basic services such as water, sanitation, schooling, and health care. Mayan girls are the country’s most disadvantaged group, leading lives characterized by limited schooling, early marriage, frequent childbearing, social isolation, and chronic poverty. The Population Council, in collaboration with local and international partners, launched …
Addis Birhan Project: Working With Boys And Men To Address Young Girls' Social Vulnerability, Annabel Erulkar, Louis Apicella, Abebaw Ferede
Addis Birhan Project: Working With Boys And Men To Address Young Girls' Social Vulnerability, Annabel Erulkar, Louis Apicella, Abebaw Ferede
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
In Ethiopia, the Ethiopia Ministry of Youth and Sports, the Amhara Regional Bureau of Youth and Sports, and the Population Council implemented programs for vulnerable girls. As these programs increased in popularity, demand for support programs arose from husbands. Qualitative, in-depth interviews were undertaken among adolescents, men, and women in the Amhara Region, exploring the roles of men and women, risk-taking behavior, and patterns of HIV and reproductive health vulnerability. Addis Birhan (“New Light”), a program of the Regional Bureaus of Youth and Sports in Amhara and Tigray and the Population Council for rural men in Ethiopia, targets married men …
Supporting Married Girls: Calling Attention To A Neglected Group, K.G. Santhya, Annabel Erulkar
Supporting Married Girls: Calling Attention To A Neglected Group, K.G. Santhya, Annabel Erulkar
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
In the next ten years, if current patterns continue, more than 100 million girls will marry before the age of 18, according to Population Council analyses of United Nations country data. Child marriage—any marriage that occurs before age 18—is considered a human rights violation by international convention. Marriage transforms virtually all aspects of girls’ lives. Typically, girls who marry are moved from their familial home and village, lose contact with friends, initiate sexual activity with someone they barely know, and soon become mothers. In Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, India, Nigeria, and elsewhere, the Council is undertaking research to better understand …
Using Data To Identify And Reach The Most Vulnerable Young People, Adam Weiner
Using Data To Identify And Reach The Most Vulnerable Young People, Adam Weiner
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
Promoting Healthy, Safe, and Productive Transitions to Adulthood Brief No. 10 describes how the Population Council, through workshops and conferences with partners around the world, seeks to promote a better understanding of the adolescent experience and advocates for the development of programs based on evidence. To facilitate fact-based planning, the Council uses valuable sources of data, such as the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS), to generate evidence to support policy analysis and program design. In 2001, the Council produced a series of reports using DHS called “Facts about Adolescents from the Demographic and Health Survey: Statistical Tables for Program Planning” …
Biruh Tesfa Provides Domestic Workers, Orphans, And Migrants In Urban Ethiopia With Social Support, Hiv Education, And Skills, Annabel Erulkar, Belaynesh Semunegus, Gebeyehu Mekonnen
Biruh Tesfa Provides Domestic Workers, Orphans, And Migrants In Urban Ethiopia With Social Support, Hiv Education, And Skills, Annabel Erulkar, Belaynesh Semunegus, Gebeyehu Mekonnen
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
In Ethiopia, the HIV epidemic is increasingly urban and female. An estimated 7.7 percent of the urban population in Ethiopia is HIV-positive, compared with less than 1 percent of the rural population. Nationally, the female-to-male ratio of HIV infection is 3 to 2. Girls who migrate from rural to urban areas may be less protected, more vulnerable to violence and sexual abuse, and less equipped to avoid abusive situations—all of which may increase HIV risk. The Biruh Tesfa (“Bright Future”) program addresses the social isolation of out-of-school adolescent girls aged 10–19, including rural-to-urban migrants, domestic workers, and orphans. Using a …
Summary Of New Lessons: The Power Of Educating Adolescent Girls, Cynthia B. Lloyd
Summary Of New Lessons: The Power Of Educating Adolescent Girls, Cynthia B. Lloyd
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
Over the past 15 years, girls’ education in the developing world has been a story of progress, as noted in Promoting Healthy, Safe, and Productive Transitions to Adulthood Brief No. 33. Interest from the development community has grown steadily in response to evidence documenting the benefits of girls’ schooling, and female education is now a major part of global development commitments. Education helps adolescent girls avoid long working hours and early pregnancies, and lowers risk of HIV/AIDS, and secondary education offers greater prospects of remunerative employment. But according to a 2008 United Nations report, 113 countries failed to reach the …
Young Women: Your Future, Your Money—Workbook For Girls Ages 10–14 In Kenya, Population Council, Microfinance Opportunities
Young Women: Your Future, Your Money—Workbook For Girls Ages 10–14 In Kenya, Population Council, Microfinance Opportunities
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
This workbook was created under the Safe and Smart Savings project, a program to help adolescent girls build assets, support networks, and savings. The program combined weekly group meetings facilitated by a female mentor, financial education, health and life skills education, and formal individual savings accounts. The workbook was adapted from “Young Women: Your Future Your Money,” published by Microfinance Opportunities, and is designed to help young girls learn how to save money and gain financial literacy. This version is meant for use by girls ages 10–14 in Kenya. There is an additional workbook designed for girls ages 15–19.
From Research, To Program Design, To Implementation: Programming For Rural Girls In Ethiopia—A Toolkit For Practitioners, Annabel Erulkar
From Research, To Program Design, To Implementation: Programming For Rural Girls In Ethiopia—A Toolkit For Practitioners, Annabel Erulkar
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
This toolkit describes how to build or improve programs for rural adolescent girls in Ethiopia with a view to increasing the number of programs available and making them relevant and context-appropriate. The toolkit describes a process of program development that is grounded firmly in an evidence base. Chapters begin at a starting point of research to identify and describe girls, followed by program development emanating from data, to implementation guided by ongoing monitoring and evaluation.