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Associations Between Fgm/C And Hiv In Ethiopia, The Gambia, Kenya, And Sierra Leone: A Limited Analysis Of Demographic And Health Survey Data, Yetunde A. Noah Pinheiro, Zhuzhi Moore, David Gathara
Associations Between Fgm/C And Hiv In Ethiopia, The Gambia, Kenya, And Sierra Leone: A Limited Analysis Of Demographic And Health Survey Data, Yetunde A. Noah Pinheiro, Zhuzhi Moore, David Gathara
Reproductive Health
Studies investigating the association between male circumcision and HIV have demonstrated the protective effect of male circumcision. In some settings, FGM/C and male circumcision are considered “equivalent” procedures. This working paper presents findings of a study that investigates the effect of FGM/C on the likelihood of HIV infection for women in practicing communities in Ethiopia, Gambia, Kenya, and Sierra Leone.
Creating A Culture Of Evidence Use: Using An Innovative Knowledge Translation Platform To Inform Hiv/Aids Programming For Women And Girls, Jill Gay, Melanie Croce-Galis, Karen Hardee, Amelia Peltz
Creating A Culture Of Evidence Use: Using An Innovative Knowledge Translation Platform To Inform Hiv/Aids Programming For Women And Girls, Jill Gay, Melanie Croce-Galis, Karen Hardee, Amelia Peltz
Reproductive Health
Given that moving evidence from a study to policy, programs, and practice can often take a decade or more, what is the best way to get evidence into the hands of those developing policies and programs to speed its use? Enhancing the use of evidence in policies and programs through an innovative web-based knowledge platform, What Works for Women: Evidence for HIV/AIDS Interventions, resulted in major changes in National Strategic HIV Plans plus Concept Notes submitted to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria in 14 countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. This paper documents how components …
Understanding Married Women's Vulnerability To Hiv Infection In Egypt: An Exploratory Study, Doaa Oraby, Nahla G. Abdel-Tawab
Understanding Married Women's Vulnerability To Hiv Infection In Egypt: An Exploratory Study, Doaa Oraby, Nahla G. Abdel-Tawab
Reproductive Health
This study examines the behavioral, sociocultural, economic, programmatic, and legal factors that aggravate Egyptian women’s vulnerabilities to HIV/AIDS. The study concludes that in low-prevalence settings like Egypt, targeted interventions are the most strategic and cost-effective: for example, HIV awareness-raising with a special focus on the preventive role of consistent, correct condom use, and creating a cadre of peers that could provide psychosocial support and HIV counseling to migrant workers. Furthermore, premarital and antenatal care programs should include HIV awareness-raising and provider-initiated counseling and testing after screening of women to identify those at risk for HIV infection. Concurrently, efforts should be …
Contraceptive Use And Fertility Intentions Among Women Living With Hiv In Kenya And Swaziland, Integra Initiative
Contraceptive Use And Fertility Intentions Among Women Living With Hiv In Kenya And Swaziland, Integra Initiative
Reproductive Health
At the end of 2013, an estimated 35 million people were living with HIV, and sub-Saharan Africa was disproportionately affected. With major efforts directed at expanding access to life-saving antiretroviral therapy in sub-Saharan Africa, many people are living longer with HIV, leading productive and sexually active lives. Unintended pregnancies and the potential of vertical transmission are some of the challenges faced by women living with HIV. Understanding the fertility preferences and reproductive decisions of these women is vital for informing efforts to enable them to achieve these desires effectively and safely. The “Steps to Integration” series provides a guide on …
Cost And Technical Efficiency Of Integrated Hiv And Srh Services In Kenya And Swaziland, Integra Initiative
Cost And Technical Efficiency Of Integrated Hiv And Srh Services In Kenya And Swaziland, Integra Initiative
Reproductive Health
Policymakers and researchers have long hypothesized the potential benefits of integrating HIV prevention, treatment, and care with sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services in settings with generalized HIV epidemics. In addition to improving health and social outcomes, integration of services holds the promise of increasing efficiency of service delivery and maximizing health care resources. Economic theory suggests several potential efficiency advantages at the service and programmatic levels. However, evidence on the unit cost and efficiency gains associated with integration remains scarce. The “Steps to Integration” series provides a guide on how to integrate HIV and SRH services based on findings …
The Effect Of Integrating Hiv Services On Quality Of Postnatal Care, Integra Initiative
The Effect Of Integrating Hiv Services On Quality Of Postnatal Care, Integra Initiative
Reproductive Health
Addressing the postnatal needs of new mothers is a neglected area of care throughout sub-Saharan Africa. Unintended pregnancies during the first 12 months following delivery, and vertical transmission of HIV during labor and delivery, are some of the challenges faced by women during the extended postpartum period. Many women want to delay or avoid another pregnancy, but are not using a modern contraceptive method. Few developing countries ensure that mothers and newborns are assessed early and monitored during the initial six-week period as recommended by WHO, which contributes to discontinuity of services received during pregnancy and delivery and limits linkages …
Peer Mentoring: An Effective Strategy For Integrating Hiv And Srh Services, Integra Initiative
Peer Mentoring: An Effective Strategy For Integrating Hiv And Srh Services, Integra Initiative
Reproductive Health
Mentoring is an innovative approach to improving provider skills without compromising service delivery by harnessing the potential of existing providers. In Kenya, a peer-mentorship approach was designed and tested to improve service providers’ skills, knowledge, and capacity to provide high-quality integrated HIV and SRH services. A central component was to understand providers’ opinions on mentoring, so as to build a practical and sustainable mentorship model. The “Steps to Integration” series provides a guide on how to integrate HIV and SRH services based on findings from the Integra Initiative, managed by the International Planned Parenthood Federation in partnership with the London …
Srh And Hiv Service Integration And Stigma, Integra Initiative
Srh And Hiv Service Integration And Stigma, Integra Initiative
Reproductive Health
Stigma is frequently faced by people living with HIV and those who they are associated with, and is frequently followed by discrimination. The “Steps to Integration” series provides a guide on how to integrate HIV and SRH services based on findings from the Integra Initiative, managed by the International Planned Parenthood Federation in partnership with the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and the Population Council. Issue 3 of the series explores the experience of stigma among clients living with HIV in a variety of settings, both service-based (when seeking family planning, antenatal, and postnatal care services) and facility-based …
Integration Of Sexual And Reproductive Health And Hiv Services, Integra Initiative
Integration Of Sexual And Reproductive Health And Hiv Services, Integra Initiative
Reproductive Health
In sub-Saharan Africa, there is a high rate of unintended pregnancy, particularly among HIV-positive women, and the majority of HIV infections are sexually transmitted or transmitted as a result of pregnancy, childbirth, and breastfeeding. Yet many health facilities do not provide integrated HIV and SRH services. Integration has the potential to increase access and uptake of health services, increase job satisfaction among providers, more effectively distribute facility workloads, and reduce facility costs. The Integra Initiative represents an effort to respond to the need for high-quality evidence on the feasibility, effectiveness, cost, and impact of different models for delivering integrated HIV …
Male Utilization In Integrated Srh And Hiv Services, Integra Initiative
Male Utilization In Integrated Srh And Hiv Services, Integra Initiative
Reproductive Health
Worldwide, men are less likely to seek sexual and reproductive health (SRH) and HIV services than women. This is due to the way in which SRH and HIV services are organized and promoted as well as rigid gender norms and harmful perceptions of what it means to be a man, with far reaching consequences on health and well-being. The “Steps to Integration” series provides a guide on how to integrate SRH and HIV services based on findings from the Integra Initiative, managed by International Planned Parenthood Federation in partnership with the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and the …
Sexual And Reproductive Health Of Women Living With Hiv In Egypt: Unmet Needs And Unfulfilled Dreams, Doaa Oraby, Nahla G. Abdel-Tawab
Sexual And Reproductive Health Of Women Living With Hiv In Egypt: Unmet Needs And Unfulfilled Dreams, Doaa Oraby, Nahla G. Abdel-Tawab
Reproductive Health
The gender profile of the HIV/AIDS epidemic has changed since it emerged 30 years ago when infections were concentrated in key populations of men such as injecting drug users and men who have sex with men. In 2012, women accounted for nearly 50 percent of the estimated 35.3 million people living with HIV/AIDS globally. In the Middle East and North Africa, 44 percent of infected adults are women. The past 30 years have also witnessed remarkable improvements in access to high-quality information and medical services, including services for prevention of mother-to-child transmission of the virus. With care and treatment for …
Exploring Positive Women's Lives In Namakkal District, India, P. Kousalya, Deepika Ganju
Exploring Positive Women's Lives In Namakkal District, India, P. Kousalya, Deepika Ganju
Reproductive Health
This report describes an initiative that was undertaken to document the experiences of HIV-positive ever-married women in Namakkal district, Tamil Nadu, India. The initiative sought to explore the circumstances in which women learned about their HIV status; their feelings on finding out they were HIV-positive; the nature of husband–wife relationships prior to and following disclosure of women’s HIV status; the extent of support or discrimination that women experienced from family members, friends, and neighbors; treatment-seeking behaviors; and women’s perspectives about ways in which the multiple needs of HIV-infected women can be met. Drawing on the testimonies of these women gathered …
Zimbabwe: Cbd Roles Modified To Address Zimbabwe's Hiv/Aids Crisis, Frontiers In Reproductive Health
Zimbabwe: Cbd Roles Modified To Address Zimbabwe's Hiv/Aids Crisis, Frontiers In Reproductive Health
Reproductive Health
In September 1999, the Zimbabwe National Family Planning Council (ZNFPC) and the Population Council initiated a one-year study to assess the performance of ZNFPC’s community-based distribution (CBD) program. A continual decline in the program’s productivity, combined with the expanding HIV/AIDS epidemic, indicated a need to reconsider ZNFPC’s objectives and revise the roles and responsibilities of its full-time, salaried CBD agents. The study examined the productivity, costs, and potential sustainability of the CBD program. Researchers gathered information by reviewing program documents through 1999. They also interviewed program managers, district and community nurses, and community leaders and CBD agents from eight regions. …
Case Finding And Case Management Of Chlamydia And Gonorrhea Infections Among Women: What We Do And Do Not Know, Nicole Haberland, Beverly Winikoff, Nancy L. Sloan, Christiana Coggins, Christopher J. Elias
Case Finding And Case Management Of Chlamydia And Gonorrhea Infections Among Women: What We Do And Do Not Know, Nicole Haberland, Beverly Winikoff, Nancy L. Sloan, Christiana Coggins, Christopher J. Elias
Reproductive Health
As the world grapples with the HIV pandemic, the implementation of the agenda determined by the International Conference on Population and Development (1994) at Cairo, and the matter of providing health services of adequate quality in an ethical, gender-sensitive manner, new questions are arising about how to attend to reproductive tract infections, including sexually transmitted infections (STIs), among women. This paper reviews the results of validation studies of syndromic algorithms, other nonlaboratory clinically based tools, and risk scoring for finding women infected with chlamydia and gonorrhea, particularly among those attending family planning and antenatal clinics in developing countries. The results …
Zimbabwe: Los Métodos De Detección De Itr En Mujeres No Son Cost-Efectivos, Population Council
Zimbabwe: Los Métodos De Detección De Itr En Mujeres No Son Cost-Efectivos, Population Council
Reproductive Health
Las infecciones del tracto reproductivo (ITR) son frecuentes en Zimbabwe. Muchas de estas infecciones aumentan el riesgo de contraer el virus de inmunodeficiencia humana (VIH). En 1998, el Consejo Nacional de Planificación Familiar de Zimbabwe (en inglés, ZNFPC) realizó un estudio de IO para evaluar la viabilidad de integrar el diagnóstico y tratamiento de ITR en su oferta de servicios. La población estudiada estaba constituida por 1,634 clientas de tres clínicas de ZNFPC. Se preguntó a las usuarias si presentaban dolor en la región abdominal inferior, flujo vaginal y otros síntomas de ITR; asimismo, se les examinó para detectar la …
Zimbabwe: Les Méthodes De Dépistage Des Iar Chez Les Femmes Sont Chères Et Inefficaces, Population Council
Zimbabwe: Les Méthodes De Dépistage Des Iar Chez Les Femmes Sont Chères Et Inefficaces, Population Council
Reproductive Health
Les Infections de l’Appareil Reproductif (IAR) sont courantes au Zimbabwe. Beaucoup d’IAR augmentent le risque d’infection au Virus de l’Immunodéficience Humaine. En 1998, le Conseil National de Planification Familiale du Zimbabwe (ZNFPC) a entrepris une recherche opérationnelle afin d’évaluer la faisabilité de l’intégration du diagnostic des IAR et des services de traitement dans son menu de services. La population étudiée consistait en 1634 clientes de trois cliniques du ZNFPC. Chaque cliente a été interrogée sur les douleurs au bas ventre, les pertes vaginales et autres symptômes d’IAR. Elles ont ensuite été examinées pour des signes cliniques d’IAR, et ont subi …
Zimbabwe: Rti Screening Methods For Women Are Not Cost-Effective, Population Council
Zimbabwe: Rti Screening Methods For Women Are Not Cost-Effective, Population Council
Reproductive Health
Reproductive tract infections (RTIs) are common in Zimbabwe. Many RTIs increase the risk of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. In 1998, the Zimbabwe National Family Planning Council (ZNFPC) conducted an operations research study to assess the feasibility of adding RTI diagnosis and treatment to its menu of services. The study population consisted of 1,634 clients at three ZNFPC clinics. Each client was asked about lower abdominal pain, vaginal discharge, and other RTI symptoms; examined for clinical signs of RTIs; and given laboratory tests to confirm the accuracy of diagnosis based upon symptoms and signs. Findings detailed in this brief were …
Youth Centres In Ghana: Assessment Of The Planned Parenthood Association Of Ghana Programme, Evam Kofi Glover, Annabel Erulkar, Joana Nerquaye-Tetteh
Youth Centres In Ghana: Assessment Of The Planned Parenthood Association Of Ghana Programme, Evam Kofi Glover, Annabel Erulkar, Joana Nerquaye-Tetteh
Reproductive Health
The sexual and reproductive health of adolescents has become a major public concern, particularly with the advent of HIV/AIDS. Many organizations have tried to find strategies to reach youth with reproductive health (RH) information and services through various service delivery models. One such model has been the multipurpose youth center approach. Multipurpose youth centers typically include recreational or vocational services as entry points for RH and family planning (FP) information and services. There is some evidence in a variety of African settings (notably Kenya and Zimbabwe) suggesting that these centers are underutilized and not cost-effective. As a result, the Planned …
Workshop Report: Launching Of The Revised Reproductive Health Policy Guidelines And Standards, Division Of Primary Health Care, Kenya Ministry Of Health
Workshop Report: Launching Of The Revised Reproductive Health Policy Guidelines And Standards, Division Of Primary Health Care, Kenya Ministry Of Health
Reproductive Health
The Government of Kenya recently revised its Policy Guidelines and Standards for family planning (FP) and other reproductive health (RH) services to encourage service providers to undertake a more comprehensive approach to service delivery. Some of the recommendations, especially those relating to the integration of STI/HIV/AIDS services into MCH/FP services, and to safe motherhood, include new practices and procedures. A number of research studies have been conducted in Kenya and elsewhere that provide data pertinent to many of these recommendations, and the Division of Primary Health Care (DPHC) used the results to provide a framework within which the guidelines were …
Integration Of Sti And Hiv/Aids With Mch-Fp Services: A Case Study Of The Busoga Diocese Family Life Education Program, Uganda, Joy Mukaire, Florence Kalikwani, Baker Ndugga Maggwa
Integration Of Sti And Hiv/Aids With Mch-Fp Services: A Case Study Of The Busoga Diocese Family Life Education Program, Uganda, Joy Mukaire, Florence Kalikwani, Baker Ndugga Maggwa
Reproductive Health
The Family Life Education Project (FLEP) was started in 1986 by the Busoga Diocese of the Anglican Church of Uganda with assistance from Pathfinder International. The project provides integrated MCH, FP, STD, and HIV/AIDS services to more than 500,000 individuals through 48 clinics and 162 trained village health workers (VHWs). Each clinic serves an estimated 11,000 people living in a sub-Parish. Each sub-Parish has a health subcommittee selected by the community that is responsible for hiring clinic staff, identifying VHWs, and mobilizing resources for clinic staff salaries. Data suggest that the program is reaching a large number of clients through …
Sexual Violence Within Marriage: A Case Study Of Rural Uttar Pradesh, M.E. Khan, John Townsend, Ranjana Sinha, Seema Lakhanpal
Sexual Violence Within Marriage: A Case Study Of Rural Uttar Pradesh, M.E. Khan, John Townsend, Ranjana Sinha, Seema Lakhanpal
Reproductive Health
Until recently the study of sexual behavior, despite being a very important area of human behavior, has remained an untouchable subject. The sensitivity of the subject and difficulties collecting required information discouraged social scientists from venturing into this area of human behavior. However, the advent of AIDS and its rapid spread in India has changed the scenario. Today the study of sexual behavior is an important subject and both national and international agencies, as part of the AIDS control program, are encouraging research on the subject. This paper addresses a totally neglected area, which is sexual coercion within marriage. The …
Reproductive Health Approach To Family Planning, Population Council
Reproductive Health Approach To Family Planning, Population Council
Reproductive Health
This report collects presentations from a panel held on Professional Development Day at the USAID Cooperating Agencies meeting in November 1994. The panel was designed to review key reproductive health elements that relate to family planning, including: reproductive tract and sexually transmitted infections, including AIDS; the prevention and treatment of unsafe abortion; pregnancy, labor, and delivery care; and postpartum care. While there is increasing international consensus that family planning should be broadened to include reproductive health care, it is far from clear as to how this should be done, and which elements should be incorporated. This panel explored some of …