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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences
Reproductive Tract Infections: A Guide For Programme Managers, Sarah Hawkes, Anjali Nayyar, Johannes Van Dam, Kevin R. O'Reilly, Bidia Deperthes, Dinesh Agarwal
Reproductive Tract Infections: A Guide For Programme Managers, Sarah Hawkes, Anjali Nayyar, Johannes Van Dam, Kevin R. O'Reilly, Bidia Deperthes, Dinesh Agarwal
Reproductive Health
Reproductive tract infections (RTIs) including sexually transmitted infections represent a silent worldwide pandemic that adversely impacts the reproductive health (RH) of women and men. Various community- and hospital-based studies in India have provided insights into the magnitude of the problem. The International Conference on Population and Development (1994) emphasized integration of RH services to meet the needs of men and women especially with prevention and management of RTIs/STIs. The emergence of HIV and the identification of STIs as a risk factor for the spread of HIV have further lent a sense of urgency for a programmatic response to address this …
The Case For Microbicides: A Global Priority, Kathy Attawell
The Case For Microbicides: A Global Priority, Kathy Attawell
HIV and AIDS
The HIV/AIDS epidemic continues to spread, undermining development, reversing health gains, and exacerbating poverty. It will be some time before a vaccine is available and accessible, thus there is an urgent need to identify additional prevention options, in particular a method that women control, which could save millions of lives. This report from the Population Council and International Family Health presents the case for microbicides—products used vaginally to prevent infection from HIV and other STIs in women and their sexual partners—and discusses recent progress and developments, outstanding challenges, and the action required to ensure that products will be made available …
Diverse Realities: Understanding Sexually Transmitted Infections And Hiv In India, Sarah Hawkes, K.G. Santhya
Diverse Realities: Understanding Sexually Transmitted Infections And Hiv In India, Sarah Hawkes, K.G. Santhya
Reproductive Health
Sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV, currently have high salience on the health care agendas of many countries, including India. Strategies for their control are ideally based on a number of well-recognised principles. These include: assessments of the burden of disease; the availability of interventions at policy and programme levels, to influence behaviour change and technical ‘solutions’; and the calculated cost-effectiveness of these interventions. In the case of India, data to inform these principles are often lacking in the case of STI control. In this paper we have reviewed the evidence base for STI control in the Indian context. The …
Kenya Update: Frontiers Adolescent Reproductive Health Project, Frontiers In Reproductive Health
Kenya Update: Frontiers Adolescent Reproductive Health Project, Frontiers In Reproductive Health
Reproductive Health
The Kenya Adolescent Reproductive Health Project (KARHP) was launched in October 1999 in Busia and Vihiga districts as a three-year operations research study to determine the feasibility, cost, and effectiveness of implementing systematic interventions that address the reproductive health (RH) needs of adolescents aged 10–19 years. This USAID-funded project is part of the Population Council’s Frontiers in Reproductive Health Program’s global operations research. PATH (Program for Appropriate Technology in Health) is implementing the project, in collaboration with the Ministries of Health, Education, and Home Affairs, Heritage, and Sports. The objective of the study is to establish the effectiveness of interventions …
South Africa: Providers Should Encourage Sexually Active Youth To Use Condoms, Frontiers In Reproductive Health
South Africa: Providers Should Encourage Sexually Active Youth To Use Condoms, Frontiers In Reproductive Health
Reproductive Health
To assess the effectiveness of youth centers in reaching adolescents with reproductive health information, life skills, and services, the Reproductive Health Research Unit in KwaZulu Natal and the Population Council conducted an assessment of 12 youth centers and their affiliated peer education programs. The centers were run by the KwaZulu Natal Department of Health, the loveLife program, and the Youth and Adolescent Reproductive Health Program. Researchers also examined young people’s use of condoms as protection against pregnancy and HIV/AIDS. Data sources for this study, conducted in 2000, were an inventory of youth center services, interviews with center staff and clients, …
Zambia: Peer Educators Can Promote Safer Sex Behaviors, Frontiers In Reproductive Health
Zambia: Peer Educators Can Promote Safer Sex Behaviors, Frontiers In Reproductive Health
Reproductive Health
Zambian adolescents are at high risk of unwanted pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and HIV infection due to early sexual initiation, low use of contraceptives and condoms, and other high-risk sexual behaviors. During 1996–1998, CARE Zambia and the Population Council conducted a study to test community-based approaches to improve adolescent sexual and reproductive health. CARE Zambia talked to adolescents in four communities outside Lusaka. Using participatory learning and action techniques, researchers identified factors leading to high-risk sexual behaviors, including lack of economic, recreational, and educational opportunities for youth. This information helped to design the study. Two interventions—condom distribution by peer …
Zambia: Los Educadores Juveniles Pueden Promover Comportamientos Sexuales Más Seguros, Frontiers In Reproductive Health
Zambia: Los Educadores Juveniles Pueden Promover Comportamientos Sexuales Más Seguros, Frontiers In Reproductive Health
Reproductive Health
Los adolescentes de Zambia corren un alto riesgo de embarazos no deseados, infecciones de transmisión sexual (ITS) e infección por el VIH debido a la iniciación sexual temprana, el bajo uso de anticonceptivos y condones, y otros comportamientos sexuales de alto riesgo. Durante 1996–98, CARE Zambia, con el apoyo del Population Council, realizó un estudio para probar estrategias comunitarias para mejorar la salud sexual y reproductiva de los adolescentes. CARE Zambia habló con los adolescentes de cuatro comunidades ubicadas fuera de Lusaka. Los investigadores identificaron, mediante técnicas de aprendizaje y acción participativos, un gran número de factores que producen comportamientos …
Hiv And Partner Violence: Implications For Hiv Voluntary Counseling And Testing Programs In Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, Suzanne Maman, Jessie K. Mbwambo, Margaret Hogan, Gad P. Kilonzo, Michael D. Sweat, Ellen Weiss
Hiv And Partner Violence: Implications For Hiv Voluntary Counseling And Testing Programs In Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, Suzanne Maman, Jessie K. Mbwambo, Margaret Hogan, Gad P. Kilonzo, Michael D. Sweat, Ellen Weiss
HIV and AIDS
This study explored the links between HIV infection, serostatus disclosure, and partner violence among women attending a VCT clinic in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Men and women both perceive HIV testing as a way to plan for the future but are motivated to undergo testing by a number of different individual, relationship, and environmental factors. The women in our study described more barriers to HIV testing than did men, and women who have communicated with their partners about VCT before seeking services are significantly more likely to share their HIV test results than those who have not talked with their …
Assessing The Potential Demand For And Effectiveness Of Integrating Sti/Hiv Management Services With Zimbabwe National Family Planning Council's Clinic-Based Family Planning Services, Baker Ndugga Maggwa, Ian Askew, Hazel M.B. Dube, Caroline S. Marangwanda, Sithokozille Simba, Ahmed Latif
Assessing The Potential Demand For And Effectiveness Of Integrating Sti/Hiv Management Services With Zimbabwe National Family Planning Council's Clinic-Based Family Planning Services, Baker Ndugga Maggwa, Ian Askew, Hazel M.B. Dube, Caroline S. Marangwanda, Sithokozille Simba, Ahmed Latif
Reproductive Health
HIV/AIDS is a threat to individual lives and the national economies of many sub-Saharan African countries, despite efforts to contain its spread. The region also suffers from high levels of other reproductive tract infections (RTIs), some of which increase the risk of sexual transmission of HIV. The control of RTIs is therefore seen not only as an important reproductive health care strategy, but as a key strategy in reducing the spread of HIV/AIDS. Most national health care programs in the region are actively seeking cost-effective ways of implementing an RTI management program that would reduce and prevent RTIs and HIV. …
Reproductive Decisionmaking In The Context Of Hiv/Aids In Ndola, Zambia, Naomi Rutenberg, Ann E. Biddlecom, Frederick A.D. Kaona
Reproductive Decisionmaking In The Context Of Hiv/Aids In Ndola, Zambia, Naomi Rutenberg, Ann E. Biddlecom, Frederick A.D. Kaona
Reproductive Health
Family planning (FP) programs are increasingly being considered as a logical focal point for STD and HIV/AIDS prevention services because they serve large numbers of women at risk, address the sensitive issue of sexual behavior and fertility control, and the methods for preventing unwanted pregnancy and disease can be the same. FP programs, by providing contraceptive methods, are currently one of the few sources of assistance in the sub-Saharan African region for preventing perinatal transmission of HIV, while the promotion of barrier methods contributes to the prevention of heterosexual transmission. Given this potential, research is needed to understand how the …
The Female Condom In Zimbabwe: The Interplay Of Research, Advocacy, And Government Action, Population Council
The Female Condom In Zimbabwe: The Interplay Of Research, Advocacy, And Government Action, Population Council
HIV and AIDS
During the past decade, a significant increase in reported cases of HIV/AIDS in Zimbabwe prompted the government, local organizations, and international donors to intensify prevention efforts. As part of this response, in November 1996 Zimbabwe’s National AIDS Coordinating Programme invited Population Services International to launch a social marketing program to promote the female condom, making this protective device widely available for the first time in Africa. After an acceptability study showed that Zimbabwean men and women liked using the female condom, leaders of these organizations encouraged public discussion and media attention, which helped pave the way to approval and introduction …
Demand For And Cost-Effectiveness Of Integrating Rti/Hiv Services With Clinic-Based Family Planning Services In Zimbabwe, Baker Ndugga Maggwa, Ian Askew, Caroline S. Marangwanda, Sithokozille Simba, Hazel M.B. Dube, Rick Homan, Barbara Janowitz, Ahmed Latif, Peter R. Mason
Demand For And Cost-Effectiveness Of Integrating Rti/Hiv Services With Clinic-Based Family Planning Services In Zimbabwe, Baker Ndugga Maggwa, Ian Askew, Caroline S. Marangwanda, Sithokozille Simba, Hazel M.B. Dube, Rick Homan, Barbara Janowitz, Ahmed Latif, Peter R. Mason
Reproductive Health
The current spread of HIV/AIDS poses a major threat to individual lives and national economies in many sub-Saharan African countries. The region also has some of the highest levels of other reproductive tract infections (RTIs) in the world. Some of these RTIs increase the risk of sexual transmission of HIV infection. Thus, the control of RTIs is seen not only as an important reproductive health care strategy to alleviate symptoms of infection and long-term gynecological, obstetric, and neonatal complications, but also as a key strategy in reducing the spread of HIV/AIDS. As a result, all national health care programs in …
Integrating Sti And Mch/Fp Services, Population Council
Integrating Sti And Mch/Fp Services, Population Council
Reproductive Health
The integration of STI and HIV/AIDS information and services into existing MCH/FP programs has been strongly supported in recent years, following recommendations from the 1994 Cairo ICPD. Moreover, it is now widely accepted that early detection and management of STIs can reduce the incidence of HIV infection. Thus, there are powerful incentives to increase efforts to broaden the capacity of MCH/FP programs to provide STI prevention and management information and services for their clients, both as a comprehensive reproductive health service and as a preventive measure for reducing the transmission of HIV. As described in this brief, the Africa OR/TA …
Migration, Sexual Behavior And Hiv Diffusion In Kenya, Martin Brockerhoff, Ann E. Biddlecom
Migration, Sexual Behavior And Hiv Diffusion In Kenya, Martin Brockerhoff, Ann E. Biddlecom
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
The association of migration with the spread of AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa is well documented, yet the social and behavioral mechanisms underlying this relationship remain poorly understood. Using data from the 1993 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey, this paper examines whether migrants are more likely than nonmigrants to have multiple recent sexual partners and not to use condoms with those partners. Results indicate that migation is a critical factor in high-risk sexual behavior and that its importance varies by gender and by the direction of movement. Independent of marital and cohabitation status, social milieu, awareness of AIDS, and other crucial …
Dual Protection In An Integrated Community-Based Program: A Case Study Of Tanzania Family Health/Ministry Of Health Project In Mbeya, Grace Mbekem, Jane Chege
Dual Protection In An Integrated Community-Based Program: A Case Study Of Tanzania Family Health/Ministry Of Health Project In Mbeya, Grace Mbekem, Jane Chege
Reproductive Health
One of the most pressing challenges for health programs in most sub-Saharan African countries is effectively addressing the increasing prevalence of HIV/AIDS. Recent evidence suggests that controlling sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) through undertaking preventive measures, early diagnosis, and treatment significantly slows the spread of HIV/AIDS. In regard to STI/HIV, Maternal and Child Health (MCH) and Family Planning (FP) clients are described as “low risk” groups. However, in a number of sub-Saharan African countries, the reported levels of STDs are significantly high enough to justify use of limited resources to target this group for STD services. MCH/FP programs have begun to …
Community-Based Aids Prevention And Care In Africa—Dissemination Of Phase I Findings: Report Of Five National Workshops, Population Council
Community-Based Aids Prevention And Care In Africa—Dissemination Of Phase I Findings: Report Of Five National Workshops, Population Council
HIV and AIDS
Given the constraints faced by the health care infrastructure in responding to the AIDS crisis in sub-Saharan Africa, and the limitations of traditional educational approaches in motivating people to modify their sexual behavior within the African context, community-based efforts at AIDS prevention, and care of those affected, are the first lines of defense against the disease. Thus, they deserve greater scrutiny, to learn from the experiences and to continue and expand their efforts. The “Community-Based AIDS Prevention and Care in Africa: Building on Local Initiatives” project is being carried out by the Population Council with support from Glaxo Wellcome. The …
Community-Based Aids Prevention And Care In Africa: Case Studies From Five African Countries, Ann Leonard
Community-Based Aids Prevention And Care In Africa: Case Studies From Five African Countries, Ann Leonard
HIV and AIDS
The Population Council carried out a three-year project entitled “Community-Based AIDS Prevention and Care in Africa: Building on Local Initiatives.” Given the constraints faced by the health care infrastructure in responding to the AIDS crisis and the limitations of traditional educational approaches in motivating people to modify their sexual behavior, in the African context community-based AIDS prevention and care of those affected are the first line of defense against the infection. This project was developed to explore efforts by organizations in Africa dealing directly with the consequences of AIDS, to understand the essential components of effective community-based efforts for AIDS …
The Development Of Microbicides: A New Method Of Hiv Prevention For Women, Christopher J. Elias, Lori L. Heise
The Development Of Microbicides: A New Method Of Hiv Prevention For Women, Christopher J. Elias, Lori L. Heise
HIV and AIDS
A critical review of current epidemiological trends and social science research demonstrates that there is an urgent need for expanding the range of female-controlled HIV prevention methods. Existing efforts to control the spread of HIV infection primarily through the encouragement of a reduction in the number of sexual partners, widespread condom promotion, and the control of other sexually transmitted infections are inadequate for many of the world's women. Underlying gender power inequities severely limit the ability of many women to protect themselves from HIV infection, especially in the absence of a prevention technology they can use, when necessary, without their …