Family Health International's (FHI) latest issue of Network, its quarterly
health bulletin, is now online.  Here is a brief summary of the articles it
contains, followed by links to the issue on the Web:

Network: Contraception and Chronic Conditions
Vol. 19, No. 2, Winter 1999

Major chronic diseases or conditions affect many people worldwide, and have
important implications for making contraceptive choices.  A chart included
in this issue summarizes how specific chronic diseases influence method
choice.

Introduction: Chronic Conditions Influence Method Decisions

Chronic medical conditions commonly found in many countries include
hypertension, diabetes, epilepsy, serious headaches, malaria and other
tropical diseases.  Providing quality reproductive health services to people
with chronic conditions involves several important considerations.

Chronic Diseases and Contraceptive Use

A chart summarizes how specific chronic diseases influence contraceptive
decisions.  Hormonal contraceptives may affect diseases or may be less
desirable options in some cases.  Other methods, however, may not be as
effective in preventing pregnancy.

Tropical Diseases Can Harm Pregnancy

Malaria and other tropical diseases can harm a pregnancy, and the diseases
can be worsened by pregnancy.  While tropical diseases seldom affect the use
of contraceptive methods, a few concerns merit special attention, especially
those involving anemia.  A concise description of major tropical diseases
affecting reproductive health is included.

Five Common Conditions

Common chronic diseases or conditions that can affect contraceptive method
choice are hypertension, diabetes, sickle cell disease, headaches, and
epilepsy.  "Chronic Diseases and Contraceptive Use" summarizes in a chart
how these and other conditions influence method decisions.

Disabled Have Many Needs for Contraception

The reproductive needs of people with physical disabilities are usually
given low priority, perhaps due to the incorrect assumption that disabled
people are not sexually active.  Important medical issues associated with
contraceptive use include the quality of the disabled person's circulatory
system, degree of physical sensation, manual dexterity, whether a
contraceptive method could worsen the condition, and possible interaction
between a method and medication.

Mental Disabilities Affect Method Options

Many factors involving a psychiatric condition or mental retardation
influence contraceptive decisions.  For example, how a hormonal
contraceptive affects mental conditions or interacts with drug therapy must
be considered.

Good Counseling Vital For Clients with STDs

Counseling for people infected with a sexually transmitted disease (STD)
helps them comply with treatment and understand their contraceptive choices,
and encourages them to notify partners.

Recent FHI Research: Pregnancy Checklist Improves Method Access

A simple checklist can be an effective tool for ruling out pregnancy at
family planning clinics where laboratory testing for pregnancy is not
available or too expensive.  In these clinics, the checklist can increase
timely access to contraceptives and thereby reduce the likelihood of an
unplanned pregnancy.

Read the full text of Network 19-2 on FHI's Web site at:
English: http://www.fhi.org/en/fp/fppubs/network/v19-2/index.html
<http://www.fhi.org/en/fp/fppubs/network/v19-2/index.html>
French: http://www.fhi.org/fr/networkf/fv19-2/index.html
<http://www.fhi.org/fr/networkf/fv19-2/index.html>
Spanish: http://www.fhi.org/sp/networks/sv19-2/index.html
<http://www.fhi.org/sp/networks/sv19-2/index.html>

Many other FHI publications are also available in full-text versions in
English, Spanish and French on our Web site: http://www.fhi.org.
<http://www.fhi.org/>

FHI is committed to helping women and men have access to safe, effective,
acceptable and affordable family planning methods to ensure that they
achieve their desired number and spacing of children; preventing the spread
of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs); and improving
the health of women and children.

David Hock
Senior Information Projects Coordinator
Family Health International
e-mail: [log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]>