Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Adolescents In Bangladesh: A Situation Analysis Of Programmatic Approaches To Sexual And Reproductive Health Education And Services, Sigma Ainul, Ashish Bajracharya, Laura Reichenbach, Kate Gilles

Reproductive Health

The health of Bangladesh’s 29.5 million adolescents, who make up nearly one-fifth of the country’s total population, is critical to the country’s future, but issues surrounding adolescent sexual and reproductive health (ASRH) remain taboo. ASRH initiatives have been implemented by both the Government of Bangladesh and nongovernmental organizations, but with limited coordination, documentation, or evaluation, making it difficult to know what worked well and what did not. This report presents findings from a comprehensive review and situation analysis of ASRH programming in Bangladesh, carried out by the Evidence Project/Population Council, with financial support from USAID/Bangladesh, as part of a larger …

Evaluation Of The Effectiveness Of The Herhealth Model For Improving Sexual And Reproductive Health And Rights Knowledge And Access Of Female Garment Factory Workers In Bangladesh, Md. Irfan Hossain, Abdullah Al Mahmud Shohag, Ashish Bajracharya, Ubaidur Rob, Laura Reichenbach

Reproductive Health

The Population Council, under its USAID-funded Evidence Project, partnered with Bangladesh’s Business for Social Responsibility program to conduct operational research to evaluate the effectiveness of the HERhealth model for improving female factory workers’ health, and to find ways to optimize program inputs and processes to support future scale-up of the intervention. This report presents findings from a pre- and post-intervention quantitative study of female factory workers from 10 factories; a qualitative study with factory managers, service providers, and implementing partners; and self-administered retention assessments of the Peer Health Educators from six factories in Dhaka, Gazipur, and Narayanganj districts. Findings from …

Strengthening School-Based Sexual And Reproductive Health Education And Services In Accra, Ghana, Nancy Termini Lachance, Terence Adda-Balinia

Reproductive Health

This evidence brief presents results of a study aimed to assess the acceptability and feasibility of two proposed solutions for strengthening the content and delivery of in-school sexual and reproductive health (SRH) programs in Ghana. The study was conducted in Nima, a suburb of Accra, where stakeholders agreed there was a need for enhanced SRH services in school. The study explored providing comprehensive in-school SRH education to adolescents using trained psychologists and health workers to deliver and explain comprehensive sexuality education to adolescents and link them as needed to outside services. There was unanimous agreement that adolescent SRH needs are …

Status Of Sexual And Reproductive Health And Rights In Zambia: Comprehensive Sexuality Education And Adolescents Sexual And Reproductive Health, Population Council

Reproductive Health

In 1994, the International Conference on Population and Development affirmed that sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) are human rights. The Government of the Republic of Zambia has fully committed to fulfilling the SRHR of all people by ratifying 11 international instruments of law (seven global and four regional treaties). This brief is Part 2 of a three-part series entitled “Status of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights in Zambia,” reporting on progress, gaps, and existing challenges in SRHR. The brief shows that overall, based on the assessment framework and informed by desk reviews and consultative processes, Zambia is …

Adolescent Friendly Health Corners (Afhcs) In Selected Government Health Facilities In Bangladesh: An Early Qualitative Assessment, Sigma Ainul, Iqbal Ehsan, Tasmiah Tanjeen, Laura Reichenbach

Reproductive Health

With high rates of early marriage, especially among girls, a significant proportion of adolescents in Bangladesh need sexual and reproductive health services (SRH), including contraceptive information. To address this gap and ensure that adolescents throughout the country, including unmarried adolescents, have access to SRH services through public health facilities, the Maternal and Child Health Services Unit of the Directorate General of Family Planning, with financial and technical assistance from development partners, has begun establishing Adolescent Friendly Health Corners (AFHCs) at selected government facilities at district and union levels. The Evidence Project/Population Council was asked to assess the implementation of the …

Acceptability And Feasibility Of Introducing Strengthened School-Based Sexual And Reproductive Health Information And Services In Accra, Ghana, Terence Adda-Balinia, Philip Teg-Nefaah Tabong, Maya Teye, Philip Baba Adongo, Placide Tapsoba, Harriet Birungi

Reproductive Health

An initial study conducted by Population Council under the Strengthening Evidence for Programming on Unintended Pregnancies (STEP UP) project in 2012 assessed the knowledge and reproductive health needs of adolescents living in selected slums in Brong Ahafo and Greater Accra regions with the view of informing an improvement in adolescent sexual health (ASRH) programming in Ghana. The study concludes that stakeholders generally believed there was the need for enhanced adolescent sexual and reproductive health services in school as the present system of delivering these services were not sufficiently addressing ASRH needs. The use of trained psychologists and health workers was …

Rencontre De Partage Sur La Problématique Des Grossesses Non Désirées Chez Les Adolescents/Jeunes Au Sénégal : Compte Rendu De Rencontre, Babacar Mane, Marie-Jesus Buabey, Nafissatou Diop, Patrick Mugirwa

Reproductive Health

En 2015, la Direction de la Santé de la Reproduction et de la Survie de l’Enfant du Ministère de la Santé et de l’Action Sociale (Sénégal), le Population Council, et le bureau régional de Partners in Population and Development Africa, ont co-organisé un atelier de partage des résultats de l’étude “Comprendre les grossesses non désirées au Sénégal—Profil pays.” Ce rapport de rencontre décrit une réunion de suivi en 2016 dont les objectifs étaient d'examiner l'état de faire le point sur la mise en œuvre des recommandations de la rencontre de juin 2015; s’informer de la situation de la santé sexuelle …

Building A National Pro-Choice Alliance In Mexico: Evaluation Of The Alliance Media Campaign To Promote Access To Safe, Free, And Legal Abortion Services, Population Council

Reproductive Health

The Population Council and Alliance partners designed a legal abortion media campaign aimed at informing women in Mexico City of their legal right to a safe, free elective abortion during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. The impetus for the campaign was the apparent lack of knowledge regarding the legality of abortion in Mexico City among low-income, marginalized women of reproductive age combined with the inadequate number of Mexico City Ministry of Health facilities equipped to provide services to women living in an expansive metropolitan area such as Mexico City. This brief presents results of an evaluation that show that …

Are Parents Talking To Adolescents About Sexuality? Evidence From Four Slums In Ghana, Selina F. Esantsi, Francis Onyango, Gloria Quansah Asare, Emmanuel Kuffour, Placide Tapsoba, Harriet Birungi, Ian Askew

Reproductive Health

This evidence brief summarizes the essential information from a part of a larger study that assessed the sexual and reproductive health (SRH) needs of adolescents in four slums in two regions of Ghana. The objective of this brief is to provide evidence to support and facilitate the improvement of parent–adolescent communication on sexuality. This study echoes several other studies by providing evidence that a majority of parents are not opposed to in-school sex education for their children and welcome the idea of empowering themselves (parents) to have productive discussions with their children. Nevertheless, there is a mismatch between the proportion …

Understanding Youth Sexual And Reproductive Health-Seeking Behaviors In Ethiopia: Implications For Youth-Friendly Service Programming, The Evidence Project

Reproductive Health

In Ethiopia, significant attention has been given to improving youth sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services, including the establishment of youth-friendly services (YFS). Yet high rates of child marriage, unmet need for family planning, and adolescent childbearing persist, particularly in rural areas where over 84 percent of the population lives. Reaching rural youth with timely SRH information and services that are relevant to their varying ages and life stages remains a challenge. The Evidence Project is examining the coverage and reach of public and NGO-supported youth SRH services in several rural regions of Ethiopia. As this activity brief notes, the …

Expanding Access To Education For Teenage Mothers In Homa Bay County: What ‘Might’ Work, Chi-Chi Undie

Reproductive Health

No abstract provided.

The Education Sector Response To Early And Unintended Pregnancy (Eup): A Review Of Selected Sadc Countries, Chi-Chi Undie, Harriet Birungi, Francis Obare, Patricia Machawira

Reproductive Health

No abstract provided.

Education Sector Response To Early And Unintended Pregnancy: A Review Of Country Experiences In Sub-Saharan Africa, Harriet Birungi, Chi-Chi Undie, Ian Mackenzie, Anne Katahoire, Francis Obare, Patricia Machawira

Reproductive Health

In Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), early and unintended pregnancy leads to a colossal loss of educational opportunities for girls. Existing studies that show associations between early/unintended pregnancy and school dropout lead to critical questions about how the education sector is responding to the issue in SSA. Conducted from August 2014 to April 2015, this review was devoted to an examination of such responses across six countries: Botswana, Kenya, Malawi, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia. The review focused on several key issues, including: education-sector policies for pregnant students and adolescent mothers; integration of pregnancy prevention into sexuality education curricula; the school environment as …

Strengthening School Health Programming In Nairobi City County, Joyce Mumah

Reproductive Health

No abstract provided.

What Are The Sexual And Reproductive Health Needs Of Adolescents In Ghana’S Slums?, Selina F. Esantsi, Gloria Quansah Asare, Placide Tapsoba

Reproductive Health

To address the need for quality evidence on the sexual and reproductive health (SRH) needs of adolescents in slums, the STEP UP project conducted a study in four slum settings in Ghana. This policy brief highlights key points, including the need for a well-designed, comprehensive sex education curriculum; interventions that address sexual coercion and violence as an integral component of current adolescent reproductive health programs; and the need to involve all stakeholders including parents/guardians and community leaders in addressing adolescent SRH needs. Evidence from the study can be used to improve ASRH programming so that it better meets the needs …

Understanding The Reproductive Health Needs Of Adolescents In Selected Slums In Ghana: A Public Health Assessment, Selina F. Esantsi, Francis Onyango, Gloria Quansah Asare, Emmanuel Kuffour, Placide Tapsoba, Harriet Birungi, Ian Askew

Reproductive Health

Over the past decade, adolescent sexual and reproductive health (ASRH) concerns have increasingly been on the development agenda of the government of Ghana. This concern has been driven by such factors as early age of sexual debut, early childbearing, and prevalence of HIV/AIDS among this subgroup of the population. The overall objective of the study was to generate evidence on the knowledge, perceptions, and practices regarding ASRH among slum communities in Ghana. The findings of the study indicate a need for intensifying efforts to inform and educate adolescents living in the slums about responsible and healthy attitudes toward sexuality, delaying …

Promoting Respectful Maternity Care Resource Package—Implementing Respectful Maternity Care In Kenya, Population Council

Reproductive Health

The Respectful Maternity Care (RMC) Resource Package was developed by the Heshima project as part of the USAID Translating Research into Action (TRAction) project. The resource package is designed to be used by program managers, supervisors, trainers, technical advisors, and others who organize or facilitate RMC training workshops on sexual and reproductive health as well as skills training in emergency obstetric and newborn care. The resource package provides experienced facilitators with background information, materials, instructions, and tips for promoting respectful care in reproductive, maternal, and newborn health services in both facilities and communities. The resource package also includes tools for …

Coping With Unintended Pregnancies: Narratives From Adolescents In Nairobi's Slums, Joyce Mumah, Caroline W. Kabiru, Chimaraoke O. Izugbara, Carol Mukiira

Reproductive Health

This qualitative study examined the challenges faced by adolescents in Kenya with regard to unintended pregnancies and how adolescents in urban slum settlements manage and cope with unintended pregnancies. The study’s findings suggest that high levels of unintended pregnancy among young people in Kenya’s urban slums are linked to myths and misconceptions about contraception. Other findings underscore the fact that many young people lack access to contraception and reproductive health services; indicate that unintended pregnancies are linked to sexual violence; and highlight the need for government to manage the high levels of school dropout as a result of an unintended …

Education Sector Response To Early And Unintended Pregnancy (Eup): A Review Of Country Experiences In East And Southern Africa, Harriet Birungi, Chi-Chi Undie, Francis Onyango

Reproductive Health

No abstract provided.

Analyse Des Besoins Non Satisfaits Au Sénégal, Kazuyo Machiyama, John C. Cleland

Reproductive Health

Cette étude vise à établir l’importance relative d’un manque d’accès et d’attitudes de résistance envers l’utilisation de la contraception dans les strates géographiques et de population du Sénégal. Elle est destinée à informer les décideurs politiques sur la priorité à accorder à la communication pour le changement de comportement ou pour l’amélioration de l’accès/de l’information, et également à aider lors de la conception d’interventions pour réduire les inquiétudes par rapport à la santé et la peur des effets secondaires, tels que la provision d’une gamme de méthodes plus élargie et le counseling amélioré. Plus de la moitié des femmes ayant …

Medical Response To Male Same-Sex Sexuality In Western India: An Exploration Of 'Conversion Treatments' For Homosexuality, Ketki Ranade

Reproductive Health

This report aims to explore the use of conversion therapy by healthcare providers in Western India to treat homosexuals, the criteria used for selecting clients for conversion therapy, the types of therapies employed, and perceived outcomes of such therapies. In contrast to most international guidelines for treatment of homosexuality, conversion therapy still seems to be practiced by many healthcare providers in India. Findings suggest that providers’ attitudes, understanding, and assumptions regarding normative and non-normative sexuality, homosexuality, marriage, procreation, and change or cure of homosexual sexual orientation makes up a complex belief system that has not incorporated some of the latest …

Premarital Sexual Behaviour Among Unmarried College Students Of Gujarat, India, Rachna Sujay

Reproductive Health

The aim of this report is to explore experiences of sexual relations and factors (including, for example, those at the individual, parental, peer, and college levels) associated with premarital sex, safe and otherwise, among college-going male and female students in Gujarat, India. Findings suggest that awareness of sexual and reproductive matters was relatively limited, attitudes to premarital sex typically gendered, and fewer than half of all students had been exposed to sexuality education in school or college. Romantic partnerships and physical intimacy were reported by considerable proportions of male and female students; premarital sex among notable minorities; and unsafe sex, …

Being (Becoming Empowered In Nursing Growth): Training Guide For Nursing Students On Sexuality And Gender, Maryann Washington

Reproductive Health

This training guide was produced as part of a Health and Population Innovation Fellowship administered by the Population Council, India, and aims to help the faculty of nursing students to deliver comprehensive sexuality education effectively and efficiently, to help trainee nurses see the whole picture of sexuality in its matrix of safety, pleasure, reproduction, illness, and health. The package is called ‘BEING’ (acronym for Becoming Empowered in Nursing Growth) as it is assumed that, if delivered well, it could empower nurses’ growth to address these issues.

Exploring The Lives Of Youth In The Bpo Sector: Findings From A Study In Gurgaon, Monisha Vaid

Reproductive Health

This report seeks to fill gaps in information on the lives of unmarried youth in the business process outsourcing (BPO) sector in India. Specifically, it documents young people’s self-efficacy and their connections with their family and peers, as well as their sexual experiences and substance use practices. The findings presented in this report reiterate the fact that BPO employment not only provides young adults with a profitable and challenging work environment, but also has other positive outcomes: many young BPO employees associated their increased independence and self-efficacy to their employment in this sector, many reported close peer networks, and many …

From Pilot To Program: Scaling Up The Kenya Adolescent Reproductive Health Project, Humphres Evelia, Japheth Nyambane, Harriet Birungi, Ian Askew, Rikka Trangsrud, Eva Muthuuri, Irene Chaami, Agnes Odawa, Lucy Musyoka, Susan Mutungi, Margaret Githuiya, Joan Omuruli

Reproductive Health

The Population Council’s Frontiers in Reproductive Health Program and the Program for Appropriate Technology in Heath collaborated with three Government of Kenya ministries—Education; Health; and Gender, Sports, Culture and Social Services—to design and implement the Kenya Adolescent Reproductive Health Project with the goals of: improving knowledge about reproductive health and encouraging a responsible and healthy attitude toward sexuality among adolescents, delaying the onset of sexual activity among younger adolescents, and decreasing risky behaviors among sexually active adolescents. Key findings from the pilot project showed that the three ministries could successfully implement these interventions with high participation among parents and youth. …

Improving Communication Between Parents And Adolescents On Reproductive Health And Hiv/Aids, Nafissatou J. Diop, Alioune Diagne

Reproductive Health

Cette recherche opérationnelle avait pour but d’évaluer la fonctionnalité et l’efficacité d’un modèle d’intervention destiné à prendre en charge les besoins d’informations des adolescent(e)s en matière de santé de la reproduction et cela à travers le renforcement et l’amélioration de la communication entre les parents et les enfants/adolescent(e)s. Les résultats ont montré la faisabilité de mettre en place un programme qui est spécifiquement destiné à améliorer le niveau et la qualité de la communication entre les parents/tuteurs et les adolescent(e)s sur les questions de SR/VIH/SIDA et cela malgré le caractère encore sensible de cette question dans le contexte socioculturel sénégalais. …

Enhancing Utilization Of The Findings From The Youth Reproductive Health Project In Senegal, Nafissatou J. Diop, Anta Fall Diagne

Reproductive Health

This operations research (OR) study focused on providing information appropriate to the cultural context of Senegalese adolescents on a variety of reproductive health issues including: knowledge of the human body; puberty; sexuality; gender roles; different cultural, familial, and peer values regarding sexual and reproductive behavior; contraception; responsible parenthood; STIs and AIDS; and sources of help and services. The study was undertaken in three urban communities in northern Senegal and had an overall positive result on young people's reproductive health knowledge, enhanced community understanding of youth reproductive health needs, and showed that a multisectoral approach is vital to supporting young people’s …

Guía Operativa Para Programas De Educación Sexual Y Servicios De Salud Reproductiva Para Jóvenes, Ofelia Aguilar, Lorena Santos, Marisa Diaz Infante, Rocio Mejia, Ricardo Vernon, Antonieta Martin

Reproductive Health

El presente libro tiene como fin poner al alcance de personas y organizaciones interesadas en establecer políticas y programas de servicios y educación sexual para los jóvenes, una guía basada en el Programa Gente Joven que implementa la Fundación Mexicana para la Planeación Familiar, A.C. (MEXFAM). Consideramos que los componentes y las actividades de este programa pueden ser adaptados en otras latitudes y así enriquecer proyectos orientados al trabajo con jóvenes.

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The purpose of this book is to make available, to people and organizations interested in establishing policies and programs on sexual education and services for young people, a …

Bangladesh: Rh Curriculum Enhances Vocational Students' Knowledge And Behavior, Frontiers In Reproductive Health

Reproductive Health

In 2004, the Population Council’s FRONTIERS Program and the Bangladesh Ministry of Youth and Sports collaborated on an intervention to introduce reproductive health education into government-run vocational-training courses. The training, offered to males and females aged 15–30, includes livestock husbandry, electronics, and secretarial work. The intervention built upon the positive results of the 1999 Bangladesh Youth Reproductive Health Study, which introduced a life-skills curriculum into secondary schools. The interactive reproductive health curriculum was modified to suit older adolescents and youth attending courses at vocational training centers. Topics included reproductive biology, family planning, pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections, critical thinking, and negotiation …

The Resolution Of Unintended Pregnancy Among Female Students At The University Of Ghana, Legon, Angela El-Adas

Reproductive Health

Little has been done to investigate the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of university students regarding unintended pregnancy likely because their middle-class status precludes their being considered a “deprived population.” Female students in tertiary institutions of higher learning are at an age and in a social context that makes them extremely susceptible to unintended pregnancy and the consequences of unsafe abortions. It is necessary to take steps to reduce the incidence of unwanted pregnancy and unsafe abortions among this group of “high risk” women. This study sought to investigate the extent of knowledge that female students at the University of Ghana, …