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Evaluation Of The Long-Term Impact Of The Tostan Programme On The Abandonment Of Fgm/C And Early Marriage: Results From A Qualitative Study In Senegal, Nafissatou J. Diop, Amadou Moreau, Helene Benga Jan 2008

Evaluation Of The Long-Term Impact Of The Tostan Programme On The Abandonment Of Fgm/C And Early Marriage: Results From A Qualitative Study In Senegal, Nafissatou J. Diop, Amadou Moreau, Helene Benga

Reproductive Health

In 1998–99, a village empowerment program was implemented in the Thiès/Fatick and Kolda regions of Senegal by the nongovernmental organization Tostan, to mobilize communities to hold public declarations in support of abandoning harmful traditional practices, including female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) and child marriage. The information presented in this report indicates that many did end the practices following a public declaration, however, the lack of follow-up in the field and the absence of support mechanisms pose a large obstacle. Nevertheless, the program achieved significant results: knowledge of life skills resulting in positive changes and a shift in the perception of FGM/C …


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 Jan 2008

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. …


Using Systematic Screening To Integrate Health Services In India And Senegal: Pilot Study Versus Scale-Up Results, James R. Foreit Jan 2008

Using Systematic Screening To Integrate Health Services In India And Senegal: Pilot Study Versus Scale-Up Results, James R. Foreit

Reproductive Health

This study examines the effectiveness of using systematic screening to integrate health services in India and Senegal. First, a pilot study of relatively small-scale experiments was undertaken to determine if systematic screening for unmet needs for health services could increase the number of preventive care services clients receive at healthcare visits. FRONTIERS then participated in the scale-up to test the effect of different supervision and training strategies on the frequency of provider screening. Results show that systematic screening may have the potential to produce important increases in the number of services provided in many developing country settings at the pilot …


Strengthening Emergency Contraception In Nepal, Mahendra Pd. Shrestha, Sharif M.I. Hossain, M.E. Khan Jan 2008

Strengthening Emergency Contraception In Nepal, Mahendra Pd. Shrestha, Sharif M.I. Hossain, M.E. Khan

Reproductive Health

A national workshop on emergency contraception was organized in Nepal by the Family Health Division within the Ministry of Health in 2004, with technical assistance provided by the FRONTIERS program of the Population Council. Among many conclusions from the workshop, one recommendation was that emergency contraceptive pills (ECP) should be introduced through the government family planning program to assist in reducing unwanted pregnancies. Based on the Population Council’s past experiences with introducing and mainstreaming ECP services in Bangladesh and India, a phase-wise introduction of ECP in Nepal was recommended. The project findings suggest that Nepalese women continue to face an …


Sexual And Gender Based Violence In Africa: Literature Review, Population Council Jan 2008

Sexual And Gender Based Violence In Africa: Literature Review, Population Council

Reproductive Health

This report provides details of a literature review that is intended to inform partners in the Population Council–coordinated regional network that aims to develop a multisectoral and comprehensive response to sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) in Eastern, Central, and Southern Africa. The first section defines the terminology used throughout the review, and discusses the prevalence and consequences of SGBV, considers the implications of the disproportionate programmatic focus on adult women survivors, and explores approaches to managing child and male survivors of sexual violence. The second section presents regional policies and programming relating to the medical and psychosocial management of survivors. …


Empowering Communities To Make Pregnancy Safer: An Intervention In Rural Andhra Pradesh, Dipa Sinha Jan 2008

Empowering Communities To Make Pregnancy Safer: An Intervention In Rural Andhra Pradesh, Dipa Sinha

Reproductive Health

Recognizing that multiple factors are responsible for adverse pregnancy-related outcomes, a community-based intervention was implemented in Mominpet, in Andhra Pradesh, India in collaboration with the M.V. Foundation, a nongovernmental organization. The intervention focused on improving maternal health outcomes by raising awareness and building family and community support for pregnant women; involving pregnant women’s families, notably their husbands, in pregnancy-related care; and supporting pregnant women to access health services. This report describes the experience and outcomes of the intervention. In particular, it explores the extent to which the intervention was effective in increasing community support for safe motherhood on the one …


Helping Youth Prevent Hiv: An Evaluation Of The Straight Talk Program In Uganda, Susan E. Adamchak, Karusa Kiragu, Cathy Watson, Medard Muhwezi, Tobey Nelson Sapiano, Ann Akia-Fiedler, Richard Kibombo, Milka Juma Jan 2008

Helping Youth Prevent Hiv: An Evaluation Of The Straight Talk Program In Uganda, Susan E. Adamchak, Karusa Kiragu, Cathy Watson, Medard Muhwezi, Tobey Nelson Sapiano, Ann Akia-Fiedler, Richard Kibombo, Milka Juma

HIV and AIDS

Mass media initiatives are being implemented globally to provide information and foster HIV preventive behavior, however there has been limited evaluation of these efforts in sub-Saharan Africa. The Straight Talk (ST) program in Uganda has targeted youth with HIV and reproductive health (RH) information for over a decade. Evaluation results show positive associations between exposure to ST media and a number of key outcomes among youth, including sexual behavior, knowledge, and attitudes. In 2005–06, the Horizons Program conducted the first impact evaluation of the ST program in Uganda to document its effects on young people. This brief focuses on the …


'Dare To Be Different': Enhancing Life Skills Education For Hiv Prevention In South African Schools, Tobey Nelson Sapiano, Nathi Sohaba, Eka Esu-Williams Jan 2008

'Dare To Be Different': Enhancing Life Skills Education For Hiv Prevention In South African Schools, Tobey Nelson Sapiano, Nathi Sohaba, Eka Esu-Williams

HIV and AIDS

In South Africa, approximately 5.5 million people are living with HIV. One of the main strategies the South African Government has used to build HIV prevention awareness and promote behavior change among young people is school-based life skills education. Since 2000, the Horizons Program has conducted research exploring the impact of life skills education and other school-based HIV prevention activities on young South Africans. In contrast to the high HIV prevalence among youth ages 15–24, estimated to be over 10 percent, prevalence for youth ages 10–14 is estimated at just over 1 percent. People aged 10–14 are particularly receptive to …


Patterns And Implications Of Male Migration For Hiv Prevention Strategies In Karnataka, India, Niranjan Saggurti, Ravi K. Verma, Pranita Achyut, Saumya Ramarao, Anrudh K. Jain Jan 2008

Patterns And Implications Of Male Migration For Hiv Prevention Strategies In Karnataka, India, Niranjan Saggurti, Ravi K. Verma, Pranita Achyut, Saumya Ramarao, Anrudh K. Jain

HIV and AIDS

Karnataka is one of the high HIV prevalence states in India. Results from the National Family Health Survey indicate that 0.69 percent of adults aged 15–49 were infected with HIV in 2005–06. According to sentinel surveillance system data, HIV prevalence among pregnant women receiving antenatal care (ANC) in Karnataka was 1.3 percent. Further, 18 of the state's 27 districts have recorded HIV prevalence of more than 1 percent among pregnant women receiving ANC in sentinel sites. Strong male migration patterns are evident in some of the state’s high HIV prevalence districts. According to the 2001 census, Karnataka ranks fourth in …


L’Introduction De L’Identification Systématique Pour Réduire Les Besoins Non Satisfaits En Santé : Manuel Du Manager, Ricardo Vernon, James R. Foreit, Emma Ottolenghi Jan 2008

L’Introduction De L’Identification Systématique Pour Réduire Les Besoins Non Satisfaits En Santé : Manuel Du Manager, Ricardo Vernon, James R. Foreit, Emma Ottolenghi

Reproductive Health

Ce manuel est conçu pour aider les décideurs, les gestionnaires, les superviseurs et les prestataires de programmes à introduire le dépistage systématique dans leurs services de santé. Le dépistage systématique peut améliorer la santé des femmes en répondant à de multiples besoins non satisfaits en matière de services de santé reproductive et autres. Ce manuel fournit : les activités nécessaires à la mise en œuvre du dépistage systématique ; comment sélectionner les installations, les services à dépister et qui sera dépisté ; l'élaboration, l'adaptation et le prétest systématiques d'une liste de contrôle de dépistage ; des conseils pour les agents …


Senegal: Education And Public Declarations Contribute To Tostan's Success, Population Council Jan 2008

Senegal: Education And Public Declarations Contribute To Tostan's Success, Population Council

Reproductive Health

In 1998, the nongovernmental organization Tostan implemented a village empowerment program in southern and western Senegal to help communities, especially women, improve living and health conditions in their villages, and to mobilize villages to hold public declarations supporting abandonment of harmful practices, particularly female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) and child marriage. The program included modules on hygiene, literacy and numeracy, human rights, and children’s and women’s health. The Tostan approach has since been implemented more broadly in Senegal and in Burkina Faso, Guinea, and Sudan. In 2005–06, FRONTIERS evaluated the long-term impact of the program, focusing on the abandonment of FGM/C …


Kenya: Training Can Enhance Providers' Management Of Fgm/C And Willingness To Advocate Against The Practice, Population Council Jan 2008

Kenya: Training Can Enhance Providers' Management Of Fgm/C And Willingness To Advocate Against The Practice, Population Council

Reproductive Health

In 2004, FRONTIERS collaborated with UNICEF on a study of female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) in Kenya’s Somali community and on ways of managing maternal care for cut women. The study showed that the health-care system in North Eastern Province, where many Somalis live, is ill prepared to deal with women who have been cut, particularly infibulated women who are pregnant or delivering. The study recommended improving providers’ ability to counsel and treat pregnant cut women as part of an overall improvement of maternal care, and strengthening providers’ role as behavior change agents within communities. In 2005, FRONTIERS launched an intervention …


Dominican Republic, Haiti, Nicaragua: Promoting Family Planning During The Postpartum Period Can Increase Contraceptive Acceptance, Population Council Jan 2008

Dominican Republic, Haiti, Nicaragua: Promoting Family Planning During The Postpartum Period Can Increase Contraceptive Acceptance, Population Council

Reproductive Health

The World Health Organization recommends that women receive information on family planning (FP) during antenatal care (ANC), immediately after birth, and during postpartum and well-baby care. However, few studies have assessed the effect of information during each of these stages on women’s use of contraceptive methods. Data collected by FRONTIERS in the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Nicaragua have been analyzed to answer this question. Use of maternal care services, exposure to FP information, and use of postpartum contraception varies among countries. All women interviewed in the Dominican Republic attended ANC services and delivered in a facility; ANC use and institutional …


Africa Regional Sexual And Gender-Based Violence Network Consultation: Technical Exchange And Planning Meeting, Population Council Jan 2008

Africa Regional Sexual And Gender-Based Violence Network Consultation: Technical Exchange And Planning Meeting, Population Council

Reproductive Health

In March 2008, the Population Council brought together members of the Africa Regional Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) Network for a South-South technical exchange meeting. The objectives were to identify best practices from existing programs, provide an evidence base for new programming, and develop mechanisms for South-South technical assistance. As detailed in this report, discussions covered the medical, legal, and psychosocial issues associated with SGBV prevention and response activities. Participants identified the following: Protocols and guidance documents are essential for ensuring comprehensive, quality response at all levels. Enabling access and utilization of the full range of medical services remains …


Assessing Routine Health Information System In Selected Paiman Districts By Using Lot Quality Assurance Sampling (Lqas) Technique, Pakistan Initiative For Mothers And Newborns (Paiman) Jan 2008

Assessing Routine Health Information System In Selected Paiman Districts By Using Lot Quality Assurance Sampling (Lqas) Technique, Pakistan Initiative For Mothers And Newborns (Paiman)

Reproductive Health

The Pakistan Initiative for Mothers and Newborns (PAIMAN) is a five-year project funded by USAID. Its goal is to reduce maternal and newborn mortality in Pakistan through viable initiatives and capacity building of existing programs and structures within health systems and communities to ensure improvements and supportive linkages in the continuum of health care for women from the home to the hospital. PAIMAN is compiling data from three data sources and making efforts to improve the functioning of these Health Information Systems (HISs) for efficient management of health services at the district level through generation of quality data and their …


Exploring Positive Women's Lives In Namakkal District, India, P. Kousalya, Deepika Ganju Jan 2008

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 …


Kenya And Ethiopia: Community And Religious Leaders Are Effective Advocates For Hiv Testing For Young Couples, Population Council Jan 2008

Kenya And Ethiopia: Community And Religious Leaders Are Effective Advocates For Hiv Testing For Young Couples, Population Council

Reproductive Health

Early marriage is common for girls in much of sub-Saharan Africa. A common belief is that marriage protects them from HIV, but studies show that married girls are at much higher risk from HIV and from maternal morbidity and mortality. FRONTIERS conducted operations research in Ethiopia and Kenya to assess the acceptability and feasibility of community-based interventions to raise awareness of the HIV risks of early marriage and promote the use of HIV counseling and testing (C&T) services by couples. The studies were an initial phase in a planned four-year intervention; this brief reports on the feasibility of the approach. …


Meeting The Family Planning Needs Of Postpartum Women, Ricardo Vernon Jan 2008

Meeting The Family Planning Needs Of Postpartum Women, Ricardo Vernon

Reproductive Health

The first days, weeks, and months after a delivery represent a period of substantial information and service needs for both mother and child, including treatment of hemorrhage and infections, breastfeeding information and support, nutritional complements and micronutrients, immunizations for children and mothers, counseling for managing intimate partner violence and depression, and, most importantly, contraception. In areas of high HIV prevalence, contraceptives and antiretroviral therapy are especially critical elements of postpartum care. Yet despite its strategic importance, few organizations have made it a priority to address women's reproductive health and fertility needs during the year following delivery. The situation is compounded …


Dominican Republic, Haiti, Nicaragua: Women Living With Hiv Have Unmet Family Planning Needs, Population Council Jan 2008

Dominican Republic, Haiti, Nicaragua: Women Living With Hiv Have Unmet Family Planning Needs, Population Council

Reproductive Health

Women living with HIV in the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Nicaragua are marginalized in many ways, including their access to family planning (FP) services. Making FP services accessible to persons living with HIV (PLWH) is one of four key strategies that WHO promotes in its comprehensive approach to prevent HIV infections in infants and young children. This strategy also increases the coverage and quality of FP services among a population commonly underserved and at high risk of unplanned pregnancy. Expanded access to antiretroviral therapy in many developing countries has improved the life expectancies and health of many PLWH who are …


Multisectoral Youth Rh Interventions: The Scale-Up Process In Kenya And Senegal, Stephanie Joyce, Ian Askew, Anta Fall Diagne, Nafissatou J. Diop, Humphres Evelia Jan 2008

Multisectoral Youth Rh Interventions: The Scale-Up Process In Kenya And Senegal, Stephanie Joyce, Ian Askew, Anta Fall Diagne, Nafissatou J. Diop, Humphres Evelia

Reproductive Health

As in many developing countries, young people in Kenya and Senegal (aged 10–20) account for about 25 percent of the population. To ensure their future contribution to their countries, it is of vital strategic importance to safeguard their welfare. Rapid social change in both countries exposes youth to sexual and reproductive health (RH) risks, including unintended pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections including HIV, and sexual violence. Beginning in 1999, the Population Council’s FRONTIERS program conducted operations research studies that tested the feasibility, acceptability, and cost of a public-sector, multisectoral intervention to enhance young people’s RH knowledge and behavior. Study findings showed …


Profile Of Abortion Seekers In Ghana And Their Decision-Making Processes, Philomena Nyarko, Cletus Adohinzin, Saumya Ramarao, Placide Tapsoba, Ayorinde Ajayi Jan 2008

Profile Of Abortion Seekers In Ghana And Their Decision-Making Processes, Philomena Nyarko, Cletus Adohinzin, Saumya Ramarao, Placide Tapsoba, Ayorinde Ajayi

Reproductive Health

In 2006, a consortium of agencies, including the Population Council, came together to provide technical and financial support to the Government of Ghana in the rollout of comprehensive abortion care (CAC) services. The consortium collaborated with the government in expanding women’s access to modern family planning and CAC. The consortium’s program, Reducing Maternal Mortality and Morbidity (R3M), aims to reduce unwanted pregnancy and severe complications and deaths caused by unsafe abortion. The formative research in this report was undertaken to provide a profile of beneficiaries, their needs for information and services, their decision-making process in seeking care, and the quality …


Sexuality Education For Youth In Maharashtra: Yes Or No?, International Institute For Population Sciences (Iips) Jan 2008

Sexuality Education For Youth In Maharashtra: Yes Or No?, International Institute For Population Sciences (Iips)

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Serious reservations have been expressed in Maharashtra about the sexuality component of programs intended to build awareness of safe and healthy behaviors for school-going youth. This policy brief answers: Is there a need for sexuality education in school and out-of-school in Maharashtra? Are the concerns expressed supported by evidence? Evidence was obtained from the Youth in India: Situation and Needs study conducted in Maharashtra, which explored young people’s awareness of sexual and reproductive matters, sexual experiences of youth, parent–child communication on sexual and reproductive matters, and experience and acceptability of sexuality education programs. Parents were asked whether they had discussed …


Parents Matter: How Supportive Parenting Influences The Behaviours Of Youth, Maharashtra, International Institute For Population Sciences (Iips) Jan 2008

Parents Matter: How Supportive Parenting Influences The Behaviours Of Youth, Maharashtra, International Institute For Population Sciences (Iips)

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

In India, policies and programs have increasingly recognized the need to actively engage parents in enabling adolescents to make safe and healthy transitions to adulthood. The design of appropriate strategies to engage parents is, however, hampered by the paucity of evidence available. Little is known about the socialization of daughters and sons, the extent to which socialization practices differ for daughters and sons, and the extent to and ways in which parents communicate sensitive matters to their adolescent children. Similarly, research is limited that sheds light on the role of socialization patterns and parental interaction in influencing young people’s schooling …


Young People's Participation In Civil Society And Political Life In Maharashtra, International Institute For Population Sciences (Iips) Jan 2008

Young People's Participation In Civil Society And Political Life In Maharashtra, International Institute For Population Sciences (Iips)

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Youth participation in civil society and political life is increasingly recognized as an important development objective. The opportunities for participation that young people experience in their communities may influence their development and the types of transitions they make to adulthood. Moreover, behaviors and attitudes relating to community participation that individuals adopt as young people predict lifelong civic affiliations and perspectives. In India, the National Youth Policy 2003 has underscored the role of India’s youth in political decision-making, and has argued for greater representation of youth in appropriate bodies as well as more extensive youth participation in program design and implementation. …


Romance And Sex Before Marriage Among Young Women And Men In Maharashtra, International Institute For Population Sciences (Iips) Jan 2008

Romance And Sex Before Marriage Among Young Women And Men In Maharashtra, International Institute For Population Sciences (Iips)

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Premarital partnerships among youth are widely discouraged in India. Indeed, there is a widespread perception that youth do not find opportunities to mix and form romantic relationships, and that premarital sex is negligible. These kinds of perceptions are often cited to argue against the provision of sexuality or family life education and sexual and reproductive health services to unmarried young people. While several small studies have noted that sizable proportions of young people, particularly young men, are sexually active before marriage, the lack of rigorous evidence on the levels and patterns of intimate partnerships among youth continues to hamper the …


Education And Transition To Work Among Youth In Maharashtra, International Institute For Population Sciences (Iips) Jan 2008

Education And Transition To Work Among Youth In Maharashtra, International Institute For Population Sciences (Iips)

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

The extent to which India will be able to successfully harness its demographic dividend depends significantly on the situation of its youth, notably on the levels of education and market-oriented skills they attain. In many states, youth have made progress on these fronts. Youth in Maharashtra have made considerable strides in terms of educational attainment, yet it is not clear that they are prepared for the challenges they will face in a globalized world. Looking at the current educational and employment situation of youth in Maharashtra, this policy brief argues that significant investments in terms of appropriate policies and programs …


Factsheet: Youth In India: Situation And Needs Study—Key Indicators, 2006-2007: Bihar, International Institute For Population Sciences (Iips) Jan 2008

Factsheet: Youth In India: Situation And Needs Study—Key Indicators, 2006-2007: Bihar, International Institute For Population Sciences (Iips)

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This factsheet provides selected key indicators for the state of Bihar, drawn from the Youth in India: Situation and Needs Study (Youth Study) 2006–07. The main goal of the Youth Study was to provide information on the situation of youth in India and the life choices available to them on a broad range of sexual and reproductive health issues, including both behaviors and their antecedents, through a population-based study. Findings are expected to inform evidence-based programming to address the health and other needs of young people. The subnational Youth Study was undertaken in six states: Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, …


Identifying Sources Of Adolescent Exclusion Due To Violence: Participatory Mapping In South Africa, Nora Kenworthy, Kelly Hallman, Judith A. Diers Jan 2008

Identifying Sources Of Adolescent Exclusion Due To Violence: Participatory Mapping In South Africa, Nora Kenworthy, Kelly Hallman, Judith A. Diers

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Adolescents in post-apartheid South Africa lead lives that are filled with new opportunities yet overshadowed by rampant violence and crime. The presence of multiple and simultaneous forms of violence and the systemic lack of safety are experienced most acutely by adolescents—in particular, adolescent girls. High levels of violence and crime within the community are coupled with violence within the home and schools. The Population Council’s Transitions to Adulthood Program examines the particular factors that shape adolescents’ life chances and choices. In South Africa, Council researchers have studied how economic literacy and life skills education affect young men and women who …


Reforming Marriage Practices In Bangladesh, Sajeda Amin Jan 2008

Reforming Marriage Practices In Bangladesh, Sajeda Amin

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Marriage customs in Bangladesh vary by region complicating national-level efforts to eliminate some of the more harmful practices, such as early marriage and dowry demands, that undermine the status of women. Efforts to reform marriage must consider economic concerns, social traditions, and social activism. Early marriage—often involving girls as young as 10—has been widely recognized in Bangladesh and elsewhere as a human rights offense. The current legal age at marriage is 18 for women and 21 for men, yet age restrictions are difficult to enforce because Bangladesh lacks an official birth registration system that can verify age. By studying the …


Burkina Faso: Political Will, Law Enforcement, And Educational Campaigns Appear To Be Reducing Fgm/C, Population Council Jan 2008

Burkina Faso: Political Will, Law Enforcement, And Educational Campaigns Appear To Be Reducing Fgm/C, Population Council

Reproductive Health

In 2006, FRONTIERS collaborated with the National Committee Against the Practice of FGM/C on an analysis of recent trends in female genital mutilation/circumcision (FGM/C) in rural and urban Burkina Faso. The study, conducted to help develop policies and programs for FGM/C abandonment in Burkina Faso and more widely in Africa, had three components: a description of the institutional, political, and programmatic environ­ment in Burkina; a secondary analysis of data from existing studies; and an assessment of the community’s perceptions and behavior regarding FGM/C, as well as the factors that contribute to abandonment or continuation of the practice. For the policy …