Women's Health Commons^™

Routine Screening For Intimate Partner Violence: A Guide For Trainers, Odongo Odiyo, Chi-Chi Undie, Margaret Mak'anyengo

Reproductive Health

This the first regional document devoted to building the capacity of providers to respond to intimate partner violence (IPV). The training guide is a follow-on initiative to the 6th Best Practices Forum in Health of the East, Central and Southern Africa (ECSA) Health Community, held in August 2012. This Forum brought to the fore research findings from the region centering on the acceptability and feasibility of IPV screening, and culminated in the passage of a resolution by Health Ministers that prescribes the integration of gender-based violence screening into healthcare settings in the ECSA region. This training guide responds to this …

Monitoring And Evaluating Fgm/C Abandonment Programs, Jacinta Muteshi-Strachan, Carolyne Njue

Reproductive Health

No abstract provided.

Effectiveness Of A Community-Based Sgbv Prevention Model In Emergency Settings In Uganda: Testing The 'Zero Tolerance Village Alliance' Intervention, Chi-Chi Undie, Harriet Birungi, Francis Obare, George Odwe, Jane Harriet Namwebya, Paul Orikushaba, Prosmolly Ayebale, William Onen, Fiona Nicholson, Rachel Chisinga-Francis, Peter Netshabako, Anne Katahoire, David Apollo Kazungu, Darlson Kusasira, Zahra Mirghani, Joanina Karugaba

Reproductive Health

Although sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) is recognized as a growing problem in emergency settings, and the highest number of forcibly displaced people in recorded history were reported by UNHCR in 2015, evaluations of primary SGBV prevention models in these contexts have remained sparse. This study assessed the effectiveness of implementing a community-based SGBV prevention—the ‘Zero Tolerance Village Alliance’ intervention—in Western Uganda. The study demonstrated that the model is an effective means of fostering SGBV prevention in emergency settings. It proved to be particularly effective in: moderating negative gender attitudes and beliefs related to SGBV; positively changing perceptions of community …

Introducing Contraceptive Methods In Low-Resource Settings: New Opportunities In Kenya, Population Council

Reproductive Health

This factsheet outlines the Delivering Contraceptive Vaginal Rings project, awarded by USAID to the Population Council in October 2013 to foster the introduction of two contraceptive methods. The objectives of this project are to: 1) improve availability and affordability of a three-month Progesterone Vaginal Ring for postpartum breastfeeding women, and 2) facilitate regulatory approval and introduction of a one-year contraceptive vaginal ring containing Nestorone® and ethinyl estradiol—a long-acting method for non-breastfeeding women that is in the late stages of development. The factsheet identifies milestones achieved and new opportunities in Kenya to implement activities in the year ahead.

Screening For Sexual And Gender-Based Violence In Emergency Settings In Uganda: An Assessment Of Feasibility, Chi-Chi Undie, Harriet Birungi, Jane Harriet Namwebya, Wossen Taye, Lilian Maate, Margaret Mak'anyengo, Anne Katahoire, David Apollo Kazungu, Darlson Kusasira, Zahra Mirghani, Joanina Karugaba

Reproductive Health

Sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) is a global predicament to which over a third of women worldwide are exposed. Its negative consequences for reproductive, maternal, adolescent, and mental health are well-documented, however there is sparse evidence for the feasibility of SGBV screening interventions in emergency contexts. Employing a descriptive case study design, this study assessed the feasibility of implementing SGBV screening and referral protocols within health facilities in the emergency setting in Western Uganda. Providers from two health facilities were trained to screen female clients routinely for current exposure to intimate partner violence and lifetime exposure to nonpartner sexual violence. …

Evidence To End Fgm/C Research Programme: Presentation At The Sixtieth Session Of The Un Commission On The Status Of Women, Jacinta Muteshi-Strachan

Reproductive Health

No abstract provided.

Assessing Maternal And Newborn Health Commodities In Bangladesh, Population Council

Reproductive Health

The UN Commission on Life-Saving Commodities for Women and Children aims to increase access to 13 commodities in 50 countries. As part of this global effort, the Population Council conducted a landscape analysis in Bangladesh to review policies, guidelines, availability, and use of these commodities. The landscaping exercise had two objectives: 1) to provide a comprehensive description of maternal and newborn health (MNH) commodity issues from policy to point of care; and 2) to engage stakeholders in rolling out the UN Commission recommendations. Based on its findings the analysis recommends: stronger advocacy with pharmaceutical companies to manufacture a single loading …

Introducing Contraceptive Methods In Low-Resource Settings: New Opportunities In Nigeria, Population Council

Reproductive Health

This factsheet outlines the Delivering Contraceptive Vaginal Rings project, awarded by USAID to the Population Council in October 2013 to foster the introduction of two contraceptive methods. The objectives of this project are to: 1) improve availability and affordability of a three-month Progesterone Vaginal Ring for postpartum breastfeeding women, and 2) facilitate regulatory approval and introduction of a one-year contraceptive vaginal ring containing Nestorone® and ethinyl estradiol—a long-acting method for non-breastfeeding women that is in the late stages of development. The factsheet identifies milestones achieved and new opportunities in Nigeria to implement activities in the year ahead.

Introducing Contraceptive Methods In Low-Resource Settings: New Opportunities In Senegal, Population Council

Reproductive Health

This factsheet outlines the Delivering Contraceptive Vaginal Rings project, awarded by USAID to the Population Council in October 2013 to foster the introduction of two contraceptive methods. The objectives of this project are to: 1) improve availability and affordability of a three-month Progesterone Vaginal Ring for postpartum breastfeeding women, and 2) facilitate regulatory approval and introduction of a one-year contraceptive vaginal ring containing Nestorone® and ethinyl estradiol—a long-acting method for non-breastfeeding women that is in the late stages of development. The factsheet identifies milestones achieved and new opportunities in Senegal to implement activities in the year ahead.

A Systematic Review Of The Treatment And Management Of Pre-Eclampsia And Eclampsia In Nigeria, Karen Kirk, Ishita Chattopadhyay

Reproductive Health

Throughout the development of a pregnancy, there are many opportunities when pre-eclampsia and eclampsia (PE/E) can be prevented, detected, and managed; based on the literature, certain gaps exist along this continuum of care. To fully appreciate the enormity of the problem at the country level, the Population Council conducted a systematic review of published papers on PE/E in Nigeria from 2000–15 in order to understand the key challenges, gaps, and interventions related to the prevention and treatment of PE/E. In order to have the most impact, this report recommends a multi-level set of interventions that increase community awareness of symptoms …

Formative Research On Assessing Barriers To Fistula Care And Treatment In Nigeria, Charlotte E. Warren, Rachel Agbonkhese, Salisu Mohammed Ishaku

Reproductive Health

This report documents results of a systematic study of peer-reviewed and “grey” literature which identified studies relevant for understanding barriers to accessing obstetric fistula (OF) care in developing countries. To more comprehensively and holistically understand these barriers in Nigeria and potential enabling factors for alleviation, this study explored the perspectives of those involved in both identifying fistula and accessing care, such as family members and other community stakeholders including patriarchs, matriarchs, community leaders, and other opinion leaders. It also examines the cultural patterns, myths, and perspectives related to OF and how they influence women’s willingness and capacities to access surgical …

Barriers To Fistula Repair In Uganda: A Formative Study, Population Council

Reproductive Health

This brief describes a formative research study conducted in Uganda by the Population Council, building on the results of a systematic review, to better understand the barriers and enabling factors for fistula repair care delivery and access. Understanding how Ugandan women living with fistula decide to seek care, identify and reach medical centers, and receive adequate and appropriate care is integral and continues to influence the design of a larger implementation pilot. This study focuses on Fistula Care Plus project-supported treatment facilities where fistula camps are routinely held. Results show that while it is difficult to measure the relative influence …

Fact Sheet—How Does Quality Of Care Relate To A Rights-Based Approach To Family Planning Programs?, Jan Kumar

Reproductive Health

Because policymakers are challenged by numerous, overlapping definitions of quality of care, with uncertainty about which to adopt, there is a need for common understanding of each construct and its contribution to family planning (FP). This factsheet describes several definitions of quality in health care that are widely accepted. It concludes that improving and assuring quality of care is a legal, ethical, and practical imperative, and is instrumental in achieving outcomes that benefit women, children, and programs. If donors embrace, fund, and hold governments accountable to the fullness of a rights-based approach for FP with an explicit focus on assuring …

Measuring Quality Of Care: A Review Of Previously Used Methodologies And Indicators, Katherine Tumlinson

Reproductive Health

Despite successful efforts to increase financial and geographic access to family planning services in many parts of the developing world, large numbers of women with a desire to delay or limit future pregnancies are not using contraceptive methods. Several multi-country, large-scale facility surveys incorporate indicators for measuring the quality of family planning service delivery. These facility surveys use data collection tools such as facility audits, provider and client questionnaires, and third party observation guides. A limited body of research indicates that the validity of these tools is low, however, while large variations in analytical approaches inhibit use of existing literature …

Fact Sheet—Measuring Quality Of Care: A Review Of Methodologies And Indicators, Katherine Tumlinson

Reproductive Health

Broad support for the promotion of high-quality service delivery in family planning (FP) programs is rooted in the publication in 1990 of a formal framework outlining its essential elements. This framework, developed by Judith Bruce of the Population Council, defines FP service delivery quality through six critical elements: choice of methods, information provided to clients, interpersonal relations, provider competence, follow-up mechanisms, and appropriate range of services offered. This factsheet argues that despite widespread endorsement of the Bruce framework and development of standardized data collection instruments, obstacles to accurate measures of quality of care remain. It concludes that further discussion within …

Adolescents In Bangladesh: Programmatic Approaches To Sexual And Reproductive Health Education And Services, Sigma Ainul, Ashish Bajracharya, Laura Reichenbach

Reproductive Health

There is a gap in knowledge and understanding of effective adolescent sexual and reproductive health (ASRH) programming in Bangladesh, especially programming at scale. Initiatives to address ASRH have been implemented at different times by both the Government of Bangladesh and NGOs, but these activities have often been fragmented and are not well documented or evaluated, making it difficult to know what worked well and what did not. This policy brief presents selected findings from a comprehensive review and analysis of ASRH programming in Bangladesh, carried out by the Population Council’s Evidence Project, with financial support from USAID/Bangladesh, as part of …

Evaluation De La Mise En Oeuvre Et Des Réalisations De L’Approche 3d Au Sein Du Plan D’Action National De Planification Familiale (Panpf) Au Sénégal—Technical Brief, Population Council

Reproductive Health

Leader dans le domaine de la Planification Familiale (PF) en Afrique de l’Ouest francophone, le Sénégal a entrepris diverses initiatives pour atteindre ses objectifs, dont l’élaboration du Plan d’Action National de Planification Familiale (PANPF) 2012–15, basé sur l’Approche 3D (Démocratisation, Démédicalisation, Décentralisation). Au moment où il arrivait à terme, et que l’élaboration d’un nouveau plan était envisagée, il était nécessaire de documenter l’approche, sa mise en œuvre, et ses réalisations. Le Population Council a mené cette étude en collaboration avec la Direction de la Santé de la Reproduction et de la Survie de l’Enfant du Ministère de la Santé et …

Scaling Up Family Planning In Zambia—Part 1: Assessment And Feasibility Of Maintaining An Innovative Program, Benjamin Bellows, Mary Nambao, Luigi Jaramillo, Roz Fanaiayan, Mardieh Dennis, Karen Hardee

Reproductive Health

To support the Government of Zambia in addressing its reproductive health challenges and in meeting its goals for 2020, the United Kingdom Department for International Development funded a four-year effort to support public sector contraceptive expansion under the Scaling Up Family Planning (SUFP) Project, led by Abt Associates. Launched in 2012, and with a focus on hard-to-reach areas and youth and expanding access to long-acting reversible contraceptives, SUFP was a technical assistance program designed to strengthen the ability of the public sector to provide services to meet the country’s FP2020 goals. SUFP focused on capacity building, infrastructure strengthening, behavior change …

Scaling Up Family Planning In Zambia—Part 2: The Cost Of Scaling Up Family Planning Services, David Collins, Colin Gilmartin

Reproductive Health

This costing study is Part 2 of a broader implementation research study designed to establish the feasibility of integrating successful interventions and lessons from the Scaling Up Family Planning (SUFP) project into Zambia’s health system at the conclusion of the project, and to contribute to the global learning on scaling up family planning services. The main contribution of the costing study was to examine the cost implications in determining the scope and pace of scale up. Challenges experienced during the project reportedly included lack of equipment and limited space in some facilities, government staff shortages, and irregular access to supplies …

Understanding Demand For Family Planning And Reproductive Health Services Through The Indian National Health Insurance Scheme In Uttar Pradesh, Arupendra Mozumdar, Kumudha Aruldas, Aparna Jain, Laura Reichenbach, Robin Keeley, M.E. Khan

Reproductive Health

The Indian National Health Insurance Scheme, Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY), was launched by the Ministry of Labour and Employment in 2008 to promote equitable access to health services through the private and public sectors. This scheme is intended to offer economically disadvantaged families living below the poverty line in urban and rural areas access to a pre-specified package of health services including: general surgery, general medical care, pediatric care, gynecological care, family planning (FP) and other reproductive health (RH) services, dental, ophthalmology, urology, neurosurgery, and oncology. Almost eight years into the program, this is an opportune time to examine …

Utilization Of National Health Insurance For Family Planning And Reproductive Health Services By The Urban Poor In Uttar Pradesh, India, Arupendra Mozumdar, Kumudha Aruldas, Aparna Jain, Laura Reichenbach, Robin Keeley, M.E. Khan

Reproductive Health

In 2008, the Government of India launched the National Health Insurance Scheme, Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY), to enable families living below the poverty line in both urban and rural areas to access a range of private health services. The available evidence suggests several limitations and barriers that may affect the utilization of RSBY services and warrants a more in-depth examination of the contexts of family planning/reproductive health (FP/RH) services. The Population Council, under the Evidence project, conducted a study among the urban poor to: 1) determine RSBY awareness and barriers to enrollment; 2) identify barriers and facilitating factors to …

Delivering Contraceptive Vaginal Rings To Breastfeeding Women, Population Council

Reproductive Health

The Progesterone Vaginal Ring (PVR) is a user-controlled contraceptive that helps breastfeeding women safely and effectively space, delay, or limit their next pregnancy. The Population Council and partners developed the PVR to help address the unmet need for contraception among breastfeeding women. The ring provides a convenient option that adds choices for new mothers and promotes optimal infant nutrition and health. This two-page brief provides fast facts for advancing nutrition and infant health with the PVR.

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 …

A Model For Providing 24-Hour Normal Delivery Services At Union Health And Family Welfare Centers In Bangladesh, Md. Noorunnabi Talukder, Ubaidur Rob, A.K.M. Zafar Ullah Khan, Forhana Rahman Noor, Afsana Fatema Noor

Reproductive Health

In rural areas of Bangladesh, emergency obstetric care services are available at the upazila level and above. At lower levels, Union Health and Family Welfare Centers (UHFWCs) located in the proximity of women’s homes provide normal delivery services. Recently, the Directorate General of Family Planning (DGFP) undertook an initiative to provide 24-hour normal delivery services in newly upgraded UHFWCs. The Population Council, with financial support from UKaid is providing technical assistance to the DGFP to implement an operations research study to test the effectiveness of this model. This brief presents an overview of the project, describes the implementation of project …

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 …

Creating A Community Of Practice To Prevent Suicide Through Multiple Channels: Describing The Theoretical Foundations And Structured Learning Of Pc Cares, Lisa Wexler, Diane Mceachern, Gloria Difulvio, Cristine Smith, Louis F. Graham, Kirk Dombrowski

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

It is critical to develop practical, effective, ecological, and decolonizing approaches to indigenous suicide prevention and health promotion for the North American communities. The youth suicide rates in predominantly indigenous small, rural, and remote Northern communities are unacceptably high. This health disparity, however, is fairly recent, occurring over the last 50 to 100 years as communities experienced forced social, economic, and political change and intergenerational trauma. These conditions increase suicide risk and can reduce people’s access to shared protective factors and processes. In this context, it is imperative that suicide prevention includes—at its heart— decolonization, while also utilizing the “best …

Abortion In Brazil - Todo Mundo Faz: An Analysis Of Social Movements And Social Support For The Liberalization Of Brazil’S Abortion Law In Salvador, Brazil, Maria Camila Caicedo

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study analyzed the current actions of feminist movements, black women’s movements, and other advocacy groups that have a stake in the current debate for the legalization of abortion in Brazil. The purpose of the study was to assess the current political avenues for approaching the legislative body available to marginalized groups who are disproportionately affected by the criminalization of abortion. It was built upon a comprehensive review of existing literature, which found very little information on the actions of feminist movements and black women’s movements in Northeast Brazil. The study was conducted over the course of four weeks in …

La Santé Maternelle À Antsiranana Selon La Médicine Occidentale Et La Médicine Traditionnelle : Une Étude Des Traitements Opposés Pour Les Femmes Enceintes, Lauren Nguyen

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Dans un pays comme le Madagascar, où des coutumes traditionnelles et le lien avec les ancêtres demeurent une grande partie de la culture, l’introduction des aspects « occidentales » présente un peu du désaccord. Cela est vu avec l’introduction de la médecine « occidentale », et le choix que font des Malagasy pour leurs soins médicaux. Spécifiquement dans le secteur de la médecine, la tension entre des pratiques occidentales et des pratiques traditionnelles est significative.

La présence des guérisseurs traditionnels et de la médecine traditionnelle sur l’île existait bien avant l’introduction de la médecine occidentale. Bien que de plus en …

Ouch, That Hurts: Childbirth-Related Pain Management And The Inappropriate Replacement Of Traditional Obstetrical Knowledge In Kumaon, Uttarakhand, India, Sabrina Zionts

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Throughout India, obstetrical knowledge and practice has been developed and passed down by generations of women. In many Indian societies, traditional birth attendants, or dais, remain the gatekeepers of childbirth-related knowledge. Yet with the push towards institutional delivery, traditional knowledge and practices are being increasingly replaced with modern and Western ones. While the trend of hospital deliveries has yielded positive health outcomes, its socio-cultural consequences remain unclear. Situated in Uttarakhand’s Kumaon Himalayas, this study employs a bio-social framework and begins to reveal these consequences. Using labor pain management as an entry point, this study argues that the push towards institutional …

Burundi Program Implementation Workshop, 3–5 June 2014: Link Up Meeting Report, Population Council, Alliance Burundaise Contre Le Sida

HIV and AIDS

Link Up is a global consortium of international and local nongovernmental organizations led by the International HIV/AIDS Alliance. Link Up aimed to improve the sexual and reproductive health and rights of young people in Bangladesh, Burundi, Ethiopia, Myanmar, and Uganda who are living with HIV or are affected by the HIV pandemic. At a workshop held in Burundi, 3–5 June 2014, the Population Council, Alliance Burundaise contre le SIDA, and local partners in Burundi identified successful activities, highlighted important challenges and best practices, and found innovative ways to improve Link Up programming. This document contains a selection of the most …