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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences
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 …
Integrating Alcohol Risk Reduction Into Htc Services, Population Council
Integrating Alcohol Risk Reduction Into Htc Services, Population Council
Reproductive Health
This brief describes how screening for alcohol abuse and hosting long-term support groups through HIV testing and counseling centers (HTC) is one way to decrease high-risk sexual and alcohol behaviors among people who have tested for HIV. Findings from program activities funded by Population Council, Liverpool VCT and Support for Addiction Prevention and Treatment in Africa Center (SAPTA) found that screening HTC clients for alcohol abuse and referral to active support and counseling services is feasible. Follow up using SMS is also recommended. However, the lack of a control group in this study may hinder drawing direct causality between the …
Increasing Access To Family Planning (Fp) And Reproductive Health (Rh) Services Through Task-Sharing Between Community Health Workers (Chws) And Community Mid-Level Professionals In Large-Scale Public-Sector Programs: A Literature Review To Help Guide Case Studies, James R. Foreit, Sarah Raifman
Increasing Access To Family Planning (Fp) And Reproductive Health (Rh) Services Through Task-Sharing Between Community Health Workers (Chws) And Community Mid-Level Professionals In Large-Scale Public-Sector Programs: A Literature Review To Help Guide Case Studies, James R. Foreit, Sarah Raifman
Reproductive Health
This literature review covers case studies related to community-based distribution of family planning programs, and community health worker (CHW) programs that included family planning and other reproductive health services. It offers essential processes and implications for additional operations research which look at constraints and factors critical to introducing new program procedures or strengthening existing ones.
Female Genital Mutilation Practices In Kenya: The Role Of Alternative Rites Of Passage. A Case Study Of Kisii And Kuria Districts, Habil Oloo, Monica Wanjiru, Katy Newell-Jones
Female Genital Mutilation Practices In Kenya: The Role Of Alternative Rites Of Passage. A Case Study Of Kisii And Kuria Districts, Habil Oloo, Monica Wanjiru, Katy Newell-Jones
Reproductive Health
This research was undertaken by the Population Council to better understand female genital mutilation (FGM) as currently practiced by the Kuria and Kisii communities in Kenya. The study investigated current attitudes and practices in relation to FGM, awareness and attitudes toward the alternative rite of passage (ARP), and factors which encourage individuals to make decisions to abandon FGM. The findings show that FGM is still a celebrated public event among the Kuria, whereas in Kisii, it is a private family affair. The study suggests that the success of ARP as an approach to abandoning FGM is strongly dependent on the …
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 …
Making Hiv Services More Responsive To Young Children And Infants In Nyanza, Monica Wanjiru
Making Hiv Services More Responsive To Young Children And Infants In Nyanza, Monica Wanjiru
Reproductive Health
Health workers in Kenya often miss opportunities to discuss pediatric HIV with clients and to track exposed children in order to initiate treatment. To address this problem, the Population Council’s APHIA II Operations Research Project collaborated with the Christian Health Association of Kenya, Catholic Relief Services, and the Kendu Adventist Hospital to improve HIV testing and treatment services for children at the hospital. The project recommended that pediatric HIV services be strengthened and included as an essential service at all levels of healthcare facilities in order to reach more children, including as one of the roles of the community health …
Service Improvements And Community Education Lead To Increase In Uptake Of Hiv Services For Infants And Young Children, Population Council
Service Improvements And Community Education Lead To Increase In Uptake Of Hiv Services For Infants And Young Children, Population Council
Reproductive Health
The Population Council’s APHIA II Operations Research Project in Kenya collaborated with Kendu Adventist Hospital and the Christian Health Association to launch a study to examine the effect of improved services and awareness-creation on the uptake of HIV testing and treatment services for children and infants exposed to HIV. The study showed that community education and improvements in individual case tracking can increase the proportion of infants exposed to HIV who are tested for HIV and put on appropriate treatment. The policy brief recommends that health facilities streamline services to ensure that as many exposed infants as possible are identified …
Strengthening The Delivery Of Comprehensive Reproductive Health Services At The Community Level In Kenya, Population Council
Strengthening The Delivery Of Comprehensive Reproductive Health Services At The Community Level In Kenya, Population Council
Reproductive Health
The Population Council APHIA II Operations Research Project collaborated with the Ministry of Public Health and Sanitation to improve the quality of services offered by community-based midwives in two districts in Western Kenya, to prepare them to offer more comprehensive maternal services through antenatal, obstetric, postpartum, and newborn care. The study found that community midwives can tremendously increase clients’ access to essential maternal health services and other reproductive health services. Therefore Ministry of Health and its partners should scale up community midwives’ activities to enable more women access these services. Furthermore, information campaigns are needed to promote the range of …
A Kenyan Perspective On The Use Of Animals In Science Education And Scientific Research In Africa And Prospects For Improvement, Charles Kimwele, Duncan Matheka, Hope Ferdowsian
A Kenyan Perspective On The Use Of Animals In Science Education And Scientific Research In Africa And Prospects For Improvement, Charles Kimwele, Duncan Matheka, Hope Ferdowsian
Experimentation Collection
Introduction: Animal experimentation is common in Africa, a region that accords little priority on animal protection in comparison to economic and social development. The current study aimed at investigating the prevalence of animal experimentation in Kenya, and to review shortfalls in policy, legislation, implementation and enforcement that result in inadequate animal care in Kenya and other African nations. Methods: Data was collected using questionnaires, administered at 39 highly ranked academic and research institutions aiming to identify those that used animals, their sources of animals, and application of the three Rs. Perceived challenges to the use of non-animal alternatives and common …
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 …
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 …
Expanding Safe Spaces, Financial Education, And Savings For Adolescent Girls In Kenya, Karen Austrian
Expanding Safe Spaces, Financial Education, And Savings For Adolescent Girls In Kenya, Karen Austrian
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
Almost 1 billion people around the globe live in urban informal settlements, or “slums.” In Kenya, 60 percent of Nairobi’s nearly 3 million inhabitants live in slum areas characterized by high levels of poverty and HIV. Kibera is the largest of these slums. Life is particularly perilous for adolescent girls in slums, as they make their transition to adulthood. Girls are several times more likely than their male age-mates to become infected with HIV, and sexual initiation for girls often occurs in the context of violence and coercion. Poverty is a driving force behind these and other vulnerabilities. As described …
Addressing Sexual Violence And Hiv Risk Among Married Adolescent Girls In Rural Nyanza, Kenya, Chi-Chi Undie
Addressing Sexual Violence And Hiv Risk Among Married Adolescent Girls In Rural Nyanza, Kenya, Chi-Chi Undie
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
Married adolescent girls form a large segment of Kenyan youth, yet they are largely overlooked by researchers and program managers concerned with the lives of adolescents. In settings such as Nyanza Province, Kenya, rates of HIV infection are extremely high, and evidence is increasing in some settings that girls who are married are much more likely to be infected, compared with their unmarried sexually active counterparts. Research indicates that the risk of HIV infection following forced sex is likely higher than following consensual sex. Finding ways to tackle sexual violence and HIV infection simultaneously has therefore become a major public …
Integrating Tuberculosis Case Finding And Treatment Into Postnatal Care, Charity Ndwiga, Harriet Birungi, Chi-Chi Undie, Shiphrah Kuria, Joseph Sitienei, Sam Ochola
Integrating Tuberculosis Case Finding And Treatment Into Postnatal Care, Charity Ndwiga, Harriet Birungi, Chi-Chi Undie, Shiphrah Kuria, Joseph Sitienei, Sam Ochola
Reproductive Health
Under the USAID funded FRONTIERS program, the Population Council conducted a study in six health facilities in Western Kenya that demonstrated that screening for TB within an antenatal care (ANC) setting is feasible and acceptable among the service providers. However, a major challenge remains: although TB detection is encouraged among ANC clients within the maternal and child health clinics in the country, providers in these settings fail to appreciate the need for a continuum of care from pregnancy through to the postnatal period. In order to address this gap, the APHIA II Operations Research Project developed and tested an intervention …
Safe And Smart Savings Products For Vulnerable Adolescent Girls In Kenya And Uganda: Results From The Uganda Pilot Evaluation, Karen Austrian
Safe And Smart Savings Products For Vulnerable Adolescent Girls In Kenya And Uganda: Results From The Uganda Pilot Evaluation, Karen Austrian
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
This presentation was given at the Global Youth Economic Opportunities Conference in Washington DC, USA in 2011. It looks at results from a Uganda Pilot Program to provide financial education among girls and increase asset building in the form of Girls Savings Programs. Results from this study saw that savings programs build social, health, and economic assets for girls.
Using Community Health Workers Can Lead To Positive Sexual Behavior Outcomes Among People Living With Hiv, Population Council
Using Community Health Workers Can Lead To Positive Sexual Behavior Outcomes Among People Living With Hiv, Population Council
Reproductive Health
This operations research summary reports on the use of community health workers (CHWs) in Kenya to influence sexual behavior outcomes of people living with HIV/AIDS. Results of the Population Council’s APHIA II project indicate that using community-based health workers to provide information and counsel people living with HIV as well as make referrals for antiretroviral therapy can lead to increased uptake of ART among those eligible but not on treatment, and to positive sexual behavior outcomes. HIV prevention and care programs should therefore work with CHWs to increase the reach and impact of their activities.
"Knowing Myself First": Feasibility Of Self-Testing Among Health Workers In Kenya, Sam Kalibala, Waimar Tun, William Muraah, Peter Cherutich, Erick Oweya, Patricia Oluoch
"Knowing Myself First": Feasibility Of Self-Testing Among Health Workers In Kenya, Sam Kalibala, Waimar Tun, William Muraah, Peter Cherutich, Erick Oweya, Patricia Oluoch
HIV and AIDS
Report of a study exploring the feasibility and acceptability of free HIV home self-testing among health workers in Kenya, within the range of other HIV testing options available.
Élargir L'Accès Des Adolescentes Aux Espaces Sécurisés, À L'Éducation Financière Et Aux Produits D'Épargne Au Kenya, Karen Austrian
Élargir L'Accès Des Adolescentes Aux Espaces Sécurisés, À L'Éducation Financière Et Aux Produits D'Épargne Au Kenya, Karen Austrian
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
Près d'un milliard de personnes vivent dans des implantations urbaines sauvages et informelles, à savoir des «bidonvilles». Au Kenya, 60% des quelques 3 millions d’habitants de Nairobi vivent dans des taudis caractérisés par des niveaux élevés de pauvreté et de VIH. Kibera est le plus grand de ces bidonvilles. La vie est particulièrement dangereuse pour les adolescentes dans les bidonvilles, car elles font leur transition vers l'âge adulte. Les filles sont davantage susceptibles que les garçons du même âge d'être infectées par le VIH, et l'initiation sexuelle des jeunes filles se produit souvent dans le contexte de violence et de …
Operationalizing And Scaling Up Hiv/Rh Referrals In Kenya: The Way Forward, Aphia Ii Or Project In Kenya
Operationalizing And Scaling Up Hiv/Rh Referrals In Kenya: The Way Forward, Aphia Ii Or Project In Kenya
Reproductive Health
This policy brief describes the APHIA II Operations Research Project through which the Population Council and Kenya’s Ministry of Health (MOH) developed and tested an approach to systematically link HIV-positive family planning (FP) clients to treatment and care services. Key activities included provider training and testing of a referral package which showed how, where, when, and who is to make and receive referrals. This referral package consisted of a directory listing all facilities in the vicinity available for services including HIV counseling and testing, FP, STIs, tuberculosis, and well-child checks; and referral forms directing clients to appropriate receiving clinics. The …