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The Pop Reporter is a weekly, customizable electronic magazine that provides summaries and links to research and news reports from around the world on global health and population topics. Choose categories such as HIV/AIDS, Family Planning, Maternal and Child Health, or Youth Health and one or more regions to customize your own e-zine, delivered by your choice of method. Guest commentaries provide unique insight into current research, news, and project results. 

 

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From recent issues

 

If you don't subscribe to The Pop Reporter, here is a sampling of items you missed recently!

 

ADOLESCENT HEALTH RESEARCH

 

Consent and coercion: Examining unwanted sex among married young women in India  

(Research Article; Asia)

(You need Adobe Acrobat Reader to access this document)

http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/journals/3312407.pdf 

International Family Planning Perspectives. 2007 Sep;33(3):124-132. 

Santhya KG | Haberland N | Ram F | Sinha RK | Mohanty SK

 

 

Abstract: Although there is a growing body of research examining the issue of nonconsensual sex among adolescents, few studies have looked at coerced sex within marriage in settings where early marriage is common, or at sex that may not be perceived as forced, but that is unwanted. A cross-sectional study, using both survey research and in-depth interviews, was conducted among 1,664 married young women in Gujarat and West Bengal, India. Descriptive data and multinomial logistic regression were used to identify the prevalence and risk factors for occasional and frequent unwanted sex. Qualitative data were analyzed to examine the context in which unwanted sex takes place. Twelve percent of married young women experienced unwanted sex frequently; 32% experienced it occasionally. The risk of experiencing unwanted sex was lower among women who knew their husband fairly well at the time of marriage, regularly received support from their husband in conflicts with other family members or lived in economically better-off households. Frequent unwanted sex was associated with not yet having had a child or having become pregnant, with lower education and with agreeing with norms that justify wife beating. For married young women, sex is not always consensual or wanted. Further research is required to determine the effects of unwanted sex on sexual and reproductive health outcomes and to help programs develop the best strategies for dealing with coerced sex within marriage.

 

 

FAMILY PLANNING NEWS

 

Scientists develop gene contraception free of hormones 

(News Article; Global)

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2007/oct/17/genetics 

17 Oct 2007 

Sample I, Guardian News

 

 

GENDER and HEALTH RESEARCH

 

Evaluation of adjunctive tests for cervical cancer screening in low resource settings 

(Abstract; subscription needed for full text; Asia)

http://tinyurl.com/27vptj 

Indian Journal of Cancer. 2007 Apr-Jun;44(2):51-55. 

Bhatla N | Mukhopadhyay A | Kriplani A | Pandey RM | Gravitt PE | Shah KV | Iyer VK | Verma Kusum

 

Abstract: Visual inspection of cervix after application of acetic acid (VIA) is an effective screening tool for cervical cancer in low resource settings, but its low specificity leads to high referral rates. Adjunctive testing may overcome this drawback. This pilot study was aimed to assess test performances of VIA, human papillomavirus (HPV) testing and Pap smear, individually and in simulated combinations, to determine the probable best screening option. The setting for the study was a gynecology outpatient department (OPD); the design used was a cross-sectional study. The materials and methods used were one hundred women with complaints of irregular vaginal bleeding or discharge, post coital bleeding or unhealthy cervix on examination underwent Pap smear, HPV testing, VIA, colposcopy and biopsy, if indicated, in this screening order. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) were calculated for each of the tests with a biopsy result of greater than or equal to HSIL taken as the gold standard. Simulated parallel and sequential combinations for VIA/Pap, VIA/HPV and HPV/Pap were calculated and compared with individual test performance. Prevalence of abnormal Pap smears was 5%, VIA positive 51% and HPV positive 16%. Sensitivity and specificity of VIA were 100% and 53.3% respectively. For HPV and Pap tests corresponding figures were 85.7%, 89.7% and 50%, 98.9% respectively. The best simulated combination with a balance of sensitivity and specificity was of VIA followed by HPV testing (sensitivity 85.7%, specificity 95.4%). Addition of HPV testing to VIA can increase the specificity of VIA, thereby reducing the referral rates without compromising the sensitivity of the test.

 

 

MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH NEWS

 

UK pledges 100 million [pounds sterling] to UNFPA to make childbirth safer and promote reproductive health 

(Press Release; Global)

http://www.unfpa.org/news/news.cfm?ID=1048 

18 Oct 2007 

United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)

 

 

MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH RESEARCH

 

Role of information and communication networks in malaria survival 

(Research Article; Global)

http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1475-2875-6-136 

Malaria Journal. 2007 Oct 10;6(1):136. 

Mozumder P | Marathe A

 

Abstract: Quite often symptoms of malaria go unrecognized or untreated. According to the Multilateral Initiative on Malaria, 70% of the malaria cases that are treated at home are mismanaged. Up to 82% of all malaria episodes in sub-Saharan Africa are treated outside the formal health sector. Fast and appropriate diagnosis and treatment of malaria is extremely important in reducing morbidity and mortality. Data from 70 different countries is pooled together to construct a panel dataset of health and socio-economic variables for a time span of (1960-2004). The generalized two-stage least squares and panel data models are used to investigate the impact of information and communication network (ICN) variables on malaria death probability. The intensity of ICN is represented by the number of telephone main lines per 1,000 people and the number of television sets per 1,000 people. The major finding is that the intensity of ICN is associated with reduced probability of deaths of people that are clinically identified as malaria infected. The results are robust for both indicators i.e. interpersonal and mass communication networks and for all model specifications examined. The results suggest that information and communication networks can substantially scale up the effectiveness of the existing resources for malaria prevention. Resources spent in preventing malaria are far less than needed. Expanded information and communication networks will widen the avenues for community based "participatory development", that encourages the use of local information, knowledge and decision making. Timely information, immediate care and collective knowledge based treatment can be extremely important in reducing child mortality and achieving the millennium development goal.

 

 

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