Women's Health Commons^™

Rapport Du Seminaire National [Au Mali] Pour La Definition D'Une Strategie D'Eradication De L'Excision, Population Council

Reproductive Health

This is a report on a workshop for the eradication of female genital mutilation (FGM) held in Bamako, Mali. The workshop presented the results of a literature review on FGM and the actions taken to counter the practice in Mali; provided updates on the activities of six national NGOs working on issues surrounding FGM; and developed a Plan of Action for activities aimed at reducing the practice. The workshop brought together 85 participants, including policy- and decisionmakers from the government, NGOs, and religious groups. The workshop led to the finalization of a national Plan of Action to the Year 2000 …

Condom Availability In New York City Public High Schools: Relationships To Condom Use And Sexual Behavior, Sally Guttmacher, Lisa D. Lieberman, David Ward, Nick Freudenberg, Alice Radosh, Don Des Jarlais

Department of Public Health Scholarship and Creative Works

OBJECTIVES: This study examines the impact of the condom availability program in New York City public high schools by comparing rates of sexual activity and condom use for New York students and similar students in Chicago. METHODS: A total of 7119 students from 12 randomly selected New York schools and 5738 students from 10 Chicago schools participated in a cross-sectional survey. RESULTS: New York students, compared with Chicago students, reported equal rates of sexual activity but higher rates of condom use at last intercourse (odds ratio [OR] = 1.36). For higher-risk students (those with three or more sexual partners in …

Integrando La Sexualidad En La Planificación Familiar: La Experiencia De Tres Proyectos De Vih/Ets En América Latina Y El Caribe, Julie Becker, Elizabeth Leitman, Mahmoud F. Fathalla

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Esta edición de Quality/Calidad/Qualité relata la experiencia de tres asociaciones de planificación familiar afiliadas con la International Planned Parenthood Federation/Western Hemisphere Region que han tratado de incorporar una estrategia de prevención del VIH/SIDA en su esquema de trabajo cotidiano. Se examina cómo BEMFAM/Brasil, ASHONPLAFA/Honduras, y FAMPLAN/Jamaica han logrado una transición hacia una oferta de servicios de planificación familiar más enfocada en los clientes mismos y más explícita en el tratamiento de temas sexuales. En cada uno de los tres países, el personal recibió capacitación especial que no sólo los habilitó para proveer información sobre el VIH/SIDA, sino que también les …

Introducing Sexuality Within Family Planning: The Experience Of Three Hiv/Std Prevention Projects From Latin America And The Caribbean, Julie Becker, Elizabeth Leitman, Mahmoud F. Fathalla

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This edition of Quality/Calidad/Qualité relates the experience of three family planning associations affiliated with the International Planned Parenthood Federation/Western Hemisphere Region that have tried to incorporate an HIV/AIDS prevention strategy into their existing family planning programs and services. It examines how BEMFAM/Brazil, ASHONPLAFA/ Honduras, and FAMPLAN/Jamaica have made a transition toward a range of family planning services more focused on the clients themselves and more explicit in the treatment of sexual themes. In each of the three countries, the staff received special training that not only enabled them to provide information on HIV/AIDS, but also helped them adopt a broader …

Clinic-Based Investigation Of The Typology And Self-Reporting Of Fgm In Egypt, Population Council

Reproductive Health

This clinic-based study of female genital mutilation (FGM) was designed and carried out by the Egypt Fertility Care Society to gather detailed information on the types of FGM practiced in Egypt. The study involved interviews with clinic clients to elicit information about their experience and attitudes concerning FGM, and gynecological examinations by specially trained OB/GYN physicians. In all, 93% of the women in this study were found to have some type of FGM. The study's findings were incorporated in the final report of the 1995 Egyptian Demographic and Health Survey, with the aim of contributing to the scientific understanding of …

Gente Joven: Un Diálogo Sobre La Sexualidad Con Adolescentes Mexicanos, Magaly Marques, John M. Paxman, Judith Bruce

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Este número de Quality/Calidad/Qualité relata la experiencia de Gente Joven, un programa de educacion sexual para adolescentes en Mexico. Gente Joven comenzó reconociendo una realidad: que los problemas relativos a la sexualidad no desaparecen por mucho que tratemos de negar su existencia. A través de los años los dirigentes de Gente Joven han aprendido, y siguen aprendiendo, muchas lecciones sobre como diseñar un programa eficaz para adolescentes. En estas páginas ellos comparten algunas de esas experiencias y el epilogo explora con mayor detalle un tema que Gente Joven ha identificado como su próximo gran desafío: una reconsideración del programa desde …

El Coletivo: Un Colectivo Feminista De Salud Y Sexualidad Femenina En Brasil, Margarita Diaz, Debbie Rogow, Jose Barzelatto

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Este ejemplar de Quality/Calidad/Qualité narra la historia de un grupo de mujeres brasileñas que se formó en 1981 con el convencimiento compartido—no tan extendido entonces como ahora—de que los enfoques convencionales sobre la salud de la mujer y los servicios de planificación familiar estaban dominados por una perspectiva médica incapaz de dar cuenta de la relación entre sexualidad y anticoncepción, y que además restaba poder de las usuarias. Fundaron el Coletivo, que maneja una clínica, un instituto de capacitación, y un programa de educación pública que ha “dado voz” a miles de mujeres, ha proporcionado un liderazgo al gobierno brasileño …

Doing More With Less: The Marie Stopes Clinics In Sierra Leone, Nahid Toubia, Grace Ebun Delano

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This edition of Quality/Calidad/Qualité reports on the Marie Stopes Sierra Leone (MSSL) organization which pursues its goals with compassion and ambition, despite seemingly insurmountable economic hardships. MSSL has established a service model that many programs in richer countries should try to imitate. Several particularly important lessons emerged, including: creative, skillful management, well-organized and flexible financial administration, and human motivation and perseverance can enable an organization to overcome financial difficulties; family planning is an integral part of people's reproductive and general health concerns and can dovetail with concern for development in useful and practical ways; men appreciate being involved in the …

The Coletivo: A Feminist Sexuality And Health Collective In Brazil, Margarita Diaz, Debbie Rogow, Jose Barzelatto

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This issue of Quality/Calidad/Qualité tells the story of a group of Brazilian women who came together in 1981 with the shared belief—not as widely understood then as it is now—that conventional approaches to women's health and family planning services were overly medicalized, incapable of dealing with the relationship between sexuality and contraception, and disempowering to clients. They started the Coletivo which runs a clinic, a training institute, and a public education program that has “given voice” to thousands of women, provided leadership to the Brazilian government and women’s health movement, and has been active in research and international policy affairs. …

Gente Joven/Young People: A Dialogue On Sexuality With Adolescents In Mexico, Magaly Marques, John M. Paxman, Judith Bruce

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This issue of Quality/Calidad/Qualité describes the experience of one adolescent sexuality program, Gente Joven in Mexico. Gente Joven began by acknowledging reality: that the problems related to teenage sexuality will not go away simply by denying their existence. Along the way Gente Joven learned, and is continuing to learn, many lessons about how to build a successful program for adolescents. Here they share their experiences and the Afterword explores in greater depth one particular issue that Gente Joven has identified as its next major challenge: re-examining their work with young people from a gender perspective.

By And For Women: Involving Women In The Development Of Reproductive Health Care Materials, Valerie J. Hull, Barbara L. Ibrahim, Nadia Farah, Blanca Figueroa, Margaret Winn

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

The studies in this issue of Quality/Calidad/Qualité describe three efforts to involve women in the development of reproductive health care materials in different settings in the developing world. In Cairo, a women's health collective produced a comprehensive reference book for women; in Peru, a woman's group, with the extensive involvement of their nonliterate audience, developed a series of illustrated teaching materials; and in the South Pacific, an all-woman production crew produced three motivation and teaching videos developed in response to the expressed needs of Pacific Island women. Despite contrasts in the characteristics of the intended audiences, the development process, and …

Por Y Para Mujeres: Motivando Su Participación En El Desarrollo De Materiales Para La Atención En Salud Reproductiva, Valerie J. Hull, Barbara L. Ibrahim, Nadia Farah, Blanca Figueroa, Margaret Winn

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Los estudios en este número de Calidad/Quality/Qualité describen tres esfuerzos para involucrar a las mujeres en el desarrollo de materiales de atención de salud reproductiva en diferentes escenarios del mundo en desarrollo. En El Cairo, un colectivo de salud de mujeres elaboró un libro comprehensivo de consulta para mujeres; en Perú, un grupo de mujeres, con una gran participación de su audiencia analfabeta, desarrolló una serie de materiales ilustrados para la enseñanza; y en el Pacífico del Sur, un grupo de producción integrado por mujeres, produjó tres videos motivacionales y para la enseñanza, desarrollados como respuesta a las necesidades expresadas …

The Bangladesh Women's Health Coalition, Bonnie J. Kay, Adrienne Germain, Maggie Bangser

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

The Bangladesh Women's Health Coalition (BWHC) represents an important initiative in the movement toward more responsive modes of family planning delivery. In the context of a society where there are strict limits on the social role and physical mobility of most girls and women, BWHC has set itself the ambitious goal of enabling women—no matter what their income or education—to learn how to manage their own reproductive health and the health of their children in a way that enhances their sense of strength and competence. One of the real strengths of BWHC has been its willingness to learn from experience …

Assessment Of Maternal Substance Abuse And Neonatal Exposure, Carol Jean Dauenhauer Giese

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Infants born to adolescent and young adult mothers who abuse substances, are at high risk for chemical dependency and its sequelae. There is a need to identify such infants and their mothers so that intervention will be available to them. The purpose of this study was to develop a systematic approach to evaluate mothers and infants for potential drug use and improve the quality of the nurses decisions.

This research project involves two sub-projects. In Part A, a Substance Abuse Assessment Tool (SAAT) was developed. The hospital nurses used the SAAT March 1, 1990, through April 12, 1990. The incidence …

Festejando A La Madre Y Al Bebé En El Cuarentavo Día El Programa Post-Parto De Sfax, Tunicia, Francine Coeytaux, Beverly Winikoff

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

En esta edición de Quality/Calidad/Qualité se da información sobre un programa de planificación familiar postnatal que se lleva a cabo en el Centro Sfax del Hospital de Tunisia para Maternidad y Recién Nacidos. Este programa, desarrollado conjuntamente por el programa nacional de planificación familiar y por el personal de Maternidad, ha tenido extraordinario éxito en lograr que un mayor número de madres regresen después de seis semanas a su visita postnatal. Durante la visita, el período entre nacimientos se discute; y se ofrecen servicios de planificación familiar como medio importante para lograr tanto la recuperación y la buena salud de …

Celebrating Mother And Child On The Fortieth Day: The Sfax Tunisia Postpartum Program, Francine Coeytaux, Beverly Winikoff

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This edition of Quality/Calidad/Qualité gives information about a postnatal family planning program in the Sfax Center of the Tunisia Maternity and Newborns Hospital. This program, developed jointly by the national family planning program and the Maternity staff, has had extraordinary success in getting more mothers to return after six weeks for their postnatal visit. During the visit, the period between births is discussed; and family planning services are offered as an important means for achieving both the recovery and good health of the mother, as well as the physical and mental development of the infant. The report describes a few …

Cigarette Advertising To Women: Taking Responsibility, Mary Guinan

School of Public Health Faculty Research

A variety of magazines are directed at American women. Some emphasize fashion, while others cover child rearing, homemaking, or gardening; still others stress career, coping with multiple women's roles, or feminism. Almost without exception, women's health concerns are periodically addressed by these magazines. Because women are the target audience, I have always assumed that these publications have women's best interests at heart. Is this a realistic assumption? I'm not sure. I also do not know what influence women's magazines have on women's health behavior, but I think it is substantial. If this is so, then shouldn't we hold these publications …

Evaluation Of The Impact Of A Health Education Program On The Rate Of Recurrent Urinary Tract Infections In A Selected Female Outpatient Population, Lo Lumsden

Community & Environmental Health Theses & Dissertations

The present study attempted to assess the impact of a health education program focused on those preventive measures or avoidance behaviors an individual could incorporate. into daily living to reduce the incidence of urinary tract . infections. An experimental group, consisting of seventeen volunteers was exposed to a health. education program, and then compared to a seventeen member control group. A statistically significant reduction in the incidence of cystitis, occurred within the experimental group after health education intervention. The results were not statistically significant when the experimental post-test was compared with the control post-test.

A Descriptive Study Of Women's Attitudes Towards Obtaining Or Not Obtaining Papanicolaou Smears, Linda J. Shults

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

It was the purpose of this study to identify the attitudes of a selected group of women which influenced their participation in Papanicolaou testing. These attitudes were inferred from the reasons women gave for obtaining the test. The subjects were randomly selected from the telephone book of a medium-sized town in Southern California. The 135 women who participated in the telephone interview were considered to be the respondents in the study.

A review of the literature revealed that through the annual use of the Papanicolaou smear, approximately 11,000 deaths every year from uterine and cervical cancer could be prevented, Attitudes …