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Full-Text Articles in International Public Health
Injectable Contraceptives: Perspectives And Experiences Of Women And Health Care Providers In India, Shireen J. Jejeebhoy, A.J. Francis Zavier
Injectable Contraceptives: Perspectives And Experiences Of Women And Health Care Providers In India, Shireen J. Jejeebhoy, A.J. Francis Zavier
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
This report is the result of a study that aimed to shed light on the feasibility and acceptability of making injectable contraceptives more widely available to women in India. The study focused on injectable contraceptive users, new method adopters, and healthcare providers drawn from the facilities of a range of reproductive health. Healthcare providers were, for the most part, in favor of offering injectable contraceptives, however, they argued strongly for certain prerequisites, such as comprehensive and sensitive counseling and effective follow-up. Findings further suggest that there is a demand for injectable contraceptives among women, and that both women and healthcare …
Day Of Dialogue: Sharing Insights And Evidence On The Female Condom In Ghana, Population Council
Day Of Dialogue: Sharing Insights And Evidence On The Female Condom In Ghana, Population Council
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
This report details a female condom meeting hosted by the Population Council in Ghana on November 24, 2008. Twenty-eight participants representing 17 organizations were in attendance. Meeting presentations included: Female Condom for Programs: Historical Overview; Considerations for Female Condom Strategic Planning; FC-2 Female Condoms; The Female Condom in Ghana: Current State of Affairs; Strategic Planning for FC: What Makes Success? A question-and-answer session was included, as was an analysis exercise, in which participants discussed and outlined the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats that should be considered as we move forward with the development of a strategic plan to promote the …
Female-Initiated Prevention: Integrating Female Condoms Into Hiv Risk-Reduction Activities In Kenya, Population Council, Liverpool Vct Care & Treatment
Female-Initiated Prevention: Integrating Female Condoms Into Hiv Risk-Reduction Activities In Kenya, Population Council, Liverpool Vct Care & Treatment
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
The Female Condom (FC) is the only female-initiated prevention product on the market today that provides simultaneous protection against STIs, including HIV, and unintended pregnancy. However, the FC remains limited in supply, not widely available, and underutilized in many settings. Improvements in FC programming are essential to achieve increased uptake and public health impact, and to pave the way for future women’s HIV prevention products. The Population Council’s Female-Initiated Prevention Methods project aimed to stimulate action and generate evidence around FC access through innovative program experimentation. The study was conducted to understand the challenges and opportunities these different access models …
The Female Condom In Ghana: Exploring The Current State Of Affairs And Gauging Potential For Enhanced Promotion, Reshma Naik, Martha Brady
The Female Condom In Ghana: Exploring The Current State Of Affairs And Gauging Potential For Enhanced Promotion, Reshma Naik, Martha Brady
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
The female condom (FC) is the only safe and effective female-initiated method that provides simultaneous protection against unintended pregnancy as well as sexually transmitted infections, including HIV. An exploratory exercise was conducted by the Population Council to gain an understanding of the current and historical landscape of FC procurement, distribution, and programming in Ghana and to explore the viability of enhancing national FC promotion. The exercise revealed that a large-scale launch of the FC occurred in Ghana in 2000 and was largely successful in raising product awareness; however, uptake remained low. Momentum has waned since the initial launch and financial …
Female-Initiated Prevention Methods (Fipm) In Kenya: Focus On The Female Condom, Martha Brady
Female-Initiated Prevention Methods (Fipm) In Kenya: Focus On The Female Condom, Martha Brady
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
As noted in this brief, the female condom (FC) is the only female-initiated prevention product that provides simultaneous protection against pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections, including HIV. Although available for more than a decade, the FC remains limited in supply, not readily available, and underutilized. Obstacles to widespread availability and use are often generalized (e.g., high costs, resistance of partners, or unavailability). With the upcoming second generation of FCs—and ultimately microbicides—being added to female-initiated prevention methods, the need to overcome these impediments with concrete solutions is critical. Government and donor commitment to long-term, sustained supply and program support is essential. …
In Our Own Hands: Swaa-Ghana Champions The Female Condom, Kathleen Cravero, Michelle Skaer, Victoria Ebin, Martha Brady
In Our Own Hands: Swaa-Ghana Champions The Female Condom, Kathleen Cravero, Michelle Skaer, Victoria Ebin, Martha Brady
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
This issue of Quality/Calidad/Qualité describes the vital role played by the Ghana branch of the Society for Women and AIDS in Africa (SWAA) in introducing the female condom, the only female-controlled method for protection from HIV. By addressing issues of gender inequity and communication within relationships, SWAA used the female condom to empower women to regain control of their bodies. Also in this issue are profiles of three other approaches to programming for the female condom from Brazil, South Africa, and Zimbabwe.
Social Networks And Contraceptive Dynamics In Southern Ghana, Mark R. Montgomery, Gebre-Egziabher Kiros, Dominic K. Agyeman, John B. Casterline, Peter Aglobitse, Paul C. Hewett
Social Networks And Contraceptive Dynamics In Southern Ghana, Mark R. Montgomery, Gebre-Egziabher Kiros, Dominic K. Agyeman, John B. Casterline, Peter Aglobitse, Paul C. Hewett
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
There is accumulating evidence that social diffusion processes affect the pace of the adoption of modern contraception in societies undergoing fertility transition. In settings where mortality has declined and many other social and economic changes are underway, decisions about contraception are fraught with uncertainty and risk. In such circumstances, couples may rely on other persons for information and guidance. In this paper, we examine the influence of informal social networks on the contraceptive behavior of reproductive-age women, using longitudinal data collected in six communities in southern Ghana. Our results confirm the hypothesis that adoption of modern contraception is strongly affected …
Obstacles To Contraceptive Use In Pakistan: A Study In Punjab, John B. Casterline, Zeba Sathar, Minhaj Ul Haque
Obstacles To Contraceptive Use In Pakistan: A Study In Punjab, John B. Casterline, Zeba Sathar, Minhaj Ul Haque
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
The principal aim of this study is to assess the strength in Pakistan of a set of hypothesized obstacles to practicing contraception. Our concern is those factors that prevent women from translating a desire to avoid becoming pregnant into contraceptive practice, a common predicament in Pakistan in recent decades. We analyze survey data collected in Punjab province in 1996 that contain unusually detailed measurement of various perceived costs of practicing contraception, as well as focused measurement of fertility motivation. The framework guiding the research specifies six major obstacles to contraceptive use: the strength of motivation to avoid pregnancy, awareness and …
Future Trends In Contraception In The Developing World: Prevalence And Method Mix, John Bongaarts, Elof D.B. Johansson
Future Trends In Contraception In The Developing World: Prevalence And Method Mix, John Bongaarts, Elof D.B. Johansson
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
The main objectives of this study are to review existing methodologies for projecting future trends in contraception, evaluate the validity of the assumptions underlying these projections, propose methodological improvements, and assess the prospects for new methods of contraception in the coming decade. The prevalence of contraception in the developing world has increased dramatically over the past several decades from near zero to around 60 percent in 2000. Demand for contraception can be expected to continue to rise rapidly for the next few decades as population size continues to grow and fertility declines further to near the replacement level. As a …
The Potential Role Of Contraception In Reducing Abortion, John Bongaarts, Charles F. Westoff
The Potential Role Of Contraception In Reducing Abortion, John Bongaarts, Charles F. Westoff
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
Since the 1960s the proportion of couples practicing contraception has risen rapidly, particularly in the developing world, and the mix of methods is now dominated by modern methods. Despite these trends, the incidence of unintended pregnancy remains high mainly because the number of children desired has declined. Worldwide there are almost as many unintended as intended pregnancies each year (not counting miscarriages, which are excluded in this analysis) and more than half of these unintended pregnancies end in abortion. This study examines the potential role of further increases in contraceptive prevalence and effectiveness in reducing abortion rates. The model used …
Spatial Variation In Contraceptive Use In Bangladesh: Looking Beyond The Borders, Sajeda Amin, Alaka Malwade Basu, Rob Stephenson
Spatial Variation In Contraceptive Use In Bangladesh: Looking Beyond The Borders, Sajeda Amin, Alaka Malwade Basu, Rob Stephenson
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
This paper tries to promote a more complete understanding of social change by analyzing spatial patterns of contraceptive use in Bangladesh and the contiguous state of West Bengal in India. The paper takes it’s cue from earlier analysis which found strong evidence of higher contraceptive prevalence in districts of Bangladesh that border Bengali speaking districts on India, as well as from analysis of fertility decline in historical Europe where language played a critical role. Using multilevel analysis to control for variations in individual and household level correlates, mapping districts that deviate considerably from their regional averages, the analysis highlights an …
The Impact Of An Integrated Micro-Credit Programme On Women's Empowerment And Fertility Behavior In Rural Bangladesh, Fiona Steele, Sajeda Amin, Ruchira Tabassum Naved
The Impact Of An Integrated Micro-Credit Programme On Women's Empowerment And Fertility Behavior In Rural Bangladesh, Fiona Steele, Sajeda Amin, Ruchira Tabassum Naved
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
This paper examines the impact of participation in women’s savings and credit groups organized by Save the Children USA on women’s empowerment, contraceptive use, and fertility in a rural area of Bangladesh. The data are drawn from a panel survey conducted in 1993, shortly before the groups were formed, and in 1995 after interventions began. This quasi-experimental design enables us to identify the characteristics of women who chose to join savings groups. The findings show that those who joined tend to more educated and more socially independent than are women who did not. Thus, to control for selection bias, preintervention …
Covert Contraceptive Use: Prevalence, Motivations, And Consequences, Ann E. Biddlecom, Bolaji M. Fapohunda
Covert Contraceptive Use: Prevalence, Motivations, And Consequences, Ann E. Biddlecom, Bolaji M. Fapohunda
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
This paper examines women’s covert use of contraceptives, that is, use without the knowledge of their husbands. Covert use may highlight conflict between husbands and wives about family planning, or it may reflect behaviors that spouses find difficult to discuss together. This study addresses three questions: 1) How is covert use measured in different settings? 2) How prevalent is it? and 3) What are the factors underlying covert use? We examine these questions by drawing on existing studies and detailed survey and qualitative data collected in 1997 in an urban setting in Zambia from married women and a subsample of …
The Onset Of Fertility Transition In Pakistan, Zeba Sathar, John B. Casterline
The Onset Of Fertility Transition In Pakistan, Zeba Sathar, John B. Casterline
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
Recent trends in fertility and contraceptive prevalence indicate that the marital fertility transition in Pakistan, which has been anticipated for three decades, has begun in the 1990s. Before that decade, the total fertility rate had exceeded 6 births per woman for at least three decades, and fewer than 10 percent of married women practiced contraception. The most recent survey data, collected in 1996- 97, show a total fertility rate of 5.3 births per woman and a contraceptive prevalence rate of 24 percent. Underlying this development are macroeconomic trends that have led to widespread economic distress at the household level, and …