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Adolescent pregnancy and childbearing, remain a widespread health-related problem with potential short and long-term consequences. Comprehensive social, economic, environmental, structural, and cultural factors heavily impact on adolescents' sexual and reproductive health and early pregnancy. Health professionals can play a pivotal role in the prevention of unplanned pregnancy. Improved access to family planning, sexuality education in schools, community-based interventions, and policies contribute greatly to reduce the risk of adolescent pregnancy and the adoption of respectful and responsible sexual behaviour. Additionally, health care professionals can support pregnant adolescents in making decisions under these circumstances and provide adequate health care. This review highlights actions that can guide healthcare professionals in empowering young adolescents to become more aware and capable of making informed decisions about their sexual life, health, and future.

Objectives: Most researchers who study the effects of hormonal contraception on menstrual bleeding rely on self-reported data via paper diaries, for which completeness and timeliness have been shown to be poor. The purpose of this exploratory study was to compare the completeness and timeliness of bleeding data collected via paper diaries, text messages or smartphone application (a.k.a "app"). Methods: This was a sub-study of a double-blinded, placebo-controlled randomized trial comparing the effects of a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, naproxen, with placebo when using a copper IUD. Participants tracked bleeding and symptoms over 112 days. Participants tracked bleeding daily using a paper diary as well as with either text messages or a smartphone app. Participants who used paper and the app were also able to record non-bleeding symptoms. Results: Twenty-five participants submitted diaries. Of these participants, 10 completed both paper and app diaries, 7 completed both paper and text messages, 4 completed the paper diary only, 4 completed the app only. Text messages had the most complete data (108 days), followed by the app (96 days) and paper diaries (84 days). The lag time between a bleeding event and the date recording that event was 0.10 days for text, 1.0 days for app, and 4.73 days for paper diaries. Participants using the app reported a median of 33 other symptoms over the study period compared to 7 for the paper diaries. Discussion: Our findings suggest texts demonstrated more complete and timely bleeding data than either paper diaries, or the app. Compared to paper diaries, the app delivered more complete, timely data, and also collected a large set of symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article traces the transnational circulation of socialist reforms in the field of sex education through the work of Monika Krause, a citizen of the German Democratic Republic (GDR) who migrated to Cuba and became the "Cuban Queen of Condoms." For Krause, the overarching goal of sex education was to "teach tenderness" to the people. The socialist state's mission to prepare the population for love, marriage, partnership, and family in Cuba and the GDR involved using complex measures. This paper describes these, contextualizes them in transnational debates, and explains some of the internal reasoning behind their institutionalization. It also explains why looking at state-level efforts to "teach tenderness to the people" matters for a transnational history of sex education.

INTRODUCTION: Long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) is a feasible solution to reduce unintended pregnancy and abortion rates. Nonetheless, the worldwide prevalence of LARC remains low. The LARC uptake depends heavily on healthcare workers because every LARC insertion requires a clinician's visit, and they are a trusted source of contraceptive information. The study is aimed to explore the trend and distributions of global publications related to LARC and healthcare workers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Articles related to LARC and healthcare workers were retrieved from the Scopus database. Eligible publications were limited to research articles, reviews, and conference papers published in the English language with no date restriction. The bibliometric data was analysed using Biblioshiny to obtain distributions in terms of the number of publications, journals, countries, institutions, citations, and keywords. RESULTS: A total of 681 eligible publications related to LARC and healthcare workers were retrieved from the Scopus database between 1967 to 2022. The number of publications was low for the first four decades but increased steadily from 2010 onwards. The leading country in this research area was the United States of America and the majority of the most productive institutions were from this country. Half of the frequently cited publications highlighted healthcare workers' bias, attitude, and practice on LARC provision to clients. CONCLUSION: This bibliometric analysis can guide scholars to understand the global overview of research about LARC and healthcare workers. It may be useful for health practitioners and researchers who are interested in exploring this research area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regarding sex education in the schools primarily as a means of preventing teenage pregnancy creates misunderstanding about the subject and about human sexuality. This approach is likely to: (1) concentrate on junior/senior high students; (2) focus primarily on females; (3) stress biological rather than emotional development; and (4) cause public confusion about the purpose of sex education. (Author/PP)

Background: Access to an on-demand pericoital oral contraceptive pill – used to prevent pregnancy within a defined window around sexual intercourse – could offer women more reproductive agency. A contraceptive with this indication is not currently available in any market. This review aims to understand international user appeal for an on-demand pericoital oral contraceptive pill. Methods: Systematic scoping review, comprising 30 peer-reviewed papers published between 2014–2023. Results: Data from 30 papers reporting on research from 16 countries across five World Health Organisation regions suggests widespread user appeal for on-demand oral contraceptive pills that can be used peri- or post-coitally, especially among women who are younger, more educated or who have less frequent sex. Women of varying age, wealth, employment or relationship status, and with different prior experience of using modern contraceptives, were also interested. Women identified clear rationale for use and preference of these types of product: close alignment with women's sexual lives that comprised unplanned, spontaneous or occasional sex; perceived convenience and effectiveness; discreet use of pills to negotiate contextual circumstances that constrained their reproductive agency. Factors inhibiting use included knowledge barriers and attitudes of service providers, a lack of knowledge and misinformation among end-users, women's dislike of menstrual side effects and myths related to the effects of hormone content on future fertility. Conclusions: Introduction of an on-demand pericoital oral contraceptive pill could expand contraceptive choice for diverse women experiencing unmet need for modern contraception and constrained sexual and reproductive agency. Priorities for future research include: broadening the geographical scope of evidence to include SE Asia and the Pacific, and international rural and peri-urban settings; documenting the perspectives of adolescents and unmarried young people; identifying opportunities for innovation in the supply channels to enhance appropriate, affordable access to on-demand oral contraceptives; and unpacking how to bring new pericoital contraceptives to the market in a variety of international settings. Plain English Summary: Access to an oral contraceptive pill that is used as needed to prevent pregnancy and taken within a defined window around sexual intercourse (i.e. an on-demand pericoital oral contraceptive pill) could offer women more reproductive agency. Though not currently available in any market, our analysis from this review of international literature reveals widespread appeal among women for using this type of contraceptive product. Clear rationale supporting use and preference included: (1) closer alignment with women's sexual lives that comprised desired but unplanned, spontaneous or occasional sex than other contraceptives; (2) perceived convenience and effectiveness, offering benefits over other modern contraceptives; and (3) women feeling able to overcome social values and beliefs that constrained their reproductive agency. There were also barriers to use of this type of product, including knowledge gaps and attitudes of service providers, a lack of knowledge and misinformation among end-users, women's dislike of the side effects, and myths and misconceptions about the impact of the hormone content in pills on future fertility. Introduction of an on-demand pericoital oral contraceptive pill could expand contraceptive choice for diverse women experiencing unmet need for modern contraception and constrained sexual and reproductive agency. Priorities for future research include: broadening the geographical scope of evidence to include SE Asia and the Pacific, and rural and peri-urban settings; documenting the perspectives of adolescents and unmarried young people; identifying opportunities for innovation in the supply channels to enhance appropriate, affordable access to this type of contraceptive; and unpacking how to bring this new contraceptive to the market in a variety of international settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: This paper presents a way to design and conduct interviews, within a sociocultural perspective, for studying information literacy practices in everyday life. Methods: A framework was developed combining a socio-cultural perspective with a narrative interview was developed. Interviewees were invited to participate by talking and using visual tools (deck of cards of information sources, maps, and horizons of information sources). Five young women were interviewed about how they chose contraceptives and how they in the process engaged in information literacy practices. Analysis: A qualitative analysis was carried out, using transcripts of interviews, visual tools supplemented with observations, field notes and transcripts of conversations during counselling meetings before the interviews. Results: The interviews became "empowering" arenas, providing opportunities for interviewees and interviewer to reflect on and ponder over what it means to choose and use a contraceptive. The information literacy practices of evaluating information sources about contraceptives became a part of a story to tell about what it means to be a young woman, expressing oneself as leading a sexually active life. Conclusion: The proposed narrative interview design, in which interviewees are invited to take active part in the interview, proves itself fruitful within a sociocultural perspective. [This paper was published as part of: Proceedings of the Eighth International Conference on Conceptions of Library and Information Science, Copenhagen, Denmark, 19-22 August, 2013.]

Background: The recent commentary article in this journal by Chandra-Mouli et al. speaks of a never-before opportunity to strengthen investment and action on adolescent contraception. We endorse the positive 'can-do' tone of the article, but noticed that at least four issues, which in our view are crucial, merit a comment. Main body: First of all, the article suggests that there is some sort of shared interest, based on a presumed global consensus around the use of contraceptives by adolescents - which is not the case: sexual rights are controversial. Secondly, for real progress in adolescent contraception to occur, we believe it is critical to thoroughly investigate and mention the factors, including political ones, that would need to be overcome. Thirdly, new avenues need to be explored that allow for accurate and positive teaching of adolescents about contraception in socio-cultural and political environments that are ambivalent about the issue. Fourthly, barriers at the global level that we already know of should not be silenced. There is sufficient evidence to call upon donors and international agencies to choose position and stop obstructing women's - including young women's - access to a broad range of contraceptives. The 'She Decides' movement is a heartening example. Conclusion: It is crucial to acknowledge the political dimension of sexual rights. It requires solutions not only at national levels, but also at the global level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Critiques the new sex education movement which attempts to apply sexual liberation to the classroom and counseling. Theorizes that the outcome of this program will be the spread of sexual tolerance, and the institutionalization of the sexual revolution. Includes a commentary by Kirkendall and a reply by Shornack. (Author/JAC)

This paper offers a review of school-based sexuality and relationship education as it relates to gender and sexual minority (GSM) students. Framed by a queer theory lens, the paper examines four main topics: (a) sexual health and relationship risks for GSM youth, (b) comprehensive school-based sexuality education as a protective factor for sexual health and relationship risks, (c) the current availability of relevant sexuality education for GSM students in the United States, and (d) inclusive schools as a social determinant of health. The author advocates for health equity, and offers suggestions for inclusive, comprehensive sexuality and relationship education to provide relevant, accurate, positive information for all students.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore participants' attitudes and receptivity to a #CondomEmoji campaign insofar as investigating whether attitudes and receptivity were important predictors for brand impression and intention to buy. Design/methodology/approach: This study involved 206 research participants who live in Jakarta and Surabaya and who answered online questionnaires to measure attitudes, receptivity to #CondomEmoji advertising, brand impression and intention to buy condoms. Questionnaires were circulated on several social media platforms and instant messaging apps. The participants were asked to watch the #CondomEmoji advertising video before proceeding to fill out the questionnaires. Findings: Research findings suggested that participants mostly held negative attitudes and receptivity to the campaign. Non-sexually active participants were more likely to perceive the advertising as offensive. Attitudes and receptivity were good predictors for brand impression, yet attitude was not significantly attributed to intention to buy condoms. The result was stronger in sexually active participants. Research limitations/implications: Non-sexually active young people need to be more informed about healthy sexual behavior so that they would not feel embarrassed to discuss and ask about sexual behavior. A socially acceptable condom-use advertising campaign needs to be conducted to lessen the resistance of conservative audiences. Originality/value: This paper offers an insight into how conservative audiences may respond to social-media-based campaign of safer sex.

In the current era of more extreme political and religious views coming into the mainstream, this paper investigates whether party affiliation is associated with the concept of religious morality more than political ideology. To answer this research question, we construct an empirical scale of religious morality based on data from opinion polls, which remain among the most efficient and widespread survey methods to capture psycho-social data at large scales. Classification models, using ideology and religious morality as predictors, respectively, were compared on their performance in predicting party affiliation. Response data on just four questions from a national opinion poll were used to demonstrate the viability of constructing a parametric scale using item response modeling approaches. Results show that even with 'small data', a measurement-based and data-driven approach can produce classification models that are both statistically precise and accurate. Finally, we discuss the findings and the implications for both politics and psycho-social measurement.

This paper describes the process of engaging young people in a user centred, co-design strategy to define their perfect condom. Our aims were 1) to find a way to destigmatise discussions about sexuality and contraception and 2) to provide information about what characteristics a perfect condom might embody for adolescents. We used arts-based methods to introduce creativity and enjoyment into discussing sensitive topics related to sexual and reproductive health, which is often avoided in relation to youth and usually nuanced by themes of risk and danger. Using theories of objects becoming things through their sociality, we explored what a condom could be to young people through our method of embedding the condom design process into narratives of young people's lives and integration of these ideas into the development of a next-generation condom.

Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) still raises serious concerns for adolescents' sexual health in west-African developing countries. To this extent, promoting contraception use among sexually active adolescents is a major key to addressing this problem. Yet, the rate of contraception use by adolescents remains surprisingly low in these countries. Using the Demographic Health Survey of Burkina Faso (2014) and Nigeria (2013), this paper examines the influence of school education on contraception use among sexually active male and female adolescents aged 15-19 in Burkina Faso and Nigeria. The standard estimates using Probit regressions suggest that achieving a primary school education increases the probability of a sexually active adolescent to use contraception by 8.26 percentage points (Burkina Faso) and 17.2 percentage points (Nigeria). This effect increases to 20.3 percentage points (Burkina Faso) and 34.7 percentage points (Nigeria) for adolescents with a secondary or higher school education. However, these baseline estimates are biased because adolescents' decision to engage into sexual activity is not random. In light of this, a Heckman Correction Model (HCM) has been applied to account for this selection bias. The results show that the Probit regressions underestimate the effect of education on adolescents' likelihood to use contraception in Burkina Faso and overestimate this effect in Nigeria. In fact, compared to adolescents with no school education, HCM estimates show that adolescents with primary and secondary (or higher) school education have respectively 10.2 and 24.4 percentage points more in the use of contraception in Burkina Faso and 15.1 and 34 percentage points in Nigeria. Together, these results suggest that the exposure to school education increases contraception use among the adolescents in both Burkina Faso and Nigeria.

BACKGROUND: With the recent US Food and Drug Administration approval of a combination oral contraceptive that causes a withdrawal bleed every 3 months instead of monthly, avoidance of menstruation through extended or continuous administration (>28 days of active pills) of combined oral contraceptives may become more commonplace for reasons of personal preference rather than limited to treatment of menstrual-associated medical disorders. METHODS: The review aimed to compare contraceptive efficacy, compliance, continuation, satisfaction, bleeding profiles, and menstrual symptoms of combined oral contraceptives with continuous dosing (>28 days of active pills) versus traditional cyclic dosing (21 days of active pills and 7 days of placebo). We searched five computerized databases as well as reference lists of relevant articles for randomized controlled trials (RCT) using continuous or extended combined oral contraceptives for contraception. Two reviewers independently extracted data from eligible articles. RESULTS: Six RCT met inclusion criteria and were of good quality. Contraceptive efficacy and compliance were similar between groups. Discontinuation overall, and for bleeding problems, was not uniformly higher in either group. When studied, participants reported high satisfaction with both dosing regimens. Five out of the six studies found that bleeding patterns were either equivalent or improved with continuous-dosing regimens. The continuous-dosing group had greater improvement of menstrual-associated symptoms (headaches, genital irritation, tiredness, bloating, and menstrual pain). CONCLUSIONS: The variations in pill type and time-interval for continuous dosing make direct comparisons between regimens unfeasible. To allow for comparisons, future studies should choose a previously researched pill and dosing regimen. More attention needs to be directed towards participant satisfaction and menstruation-associated symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purposes of this paper are: to assess how comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) is implemented in schools in the World Health Organisation's European Region; and to investigate the evidence supporting its effectiveness. Data were collected in 2016-2017, using a validated questionnaire sent to representatives of governmental and nongovernmental institutions in 25 countries of the WHO European Region. The results demonstrated that, in nine countries, sexuality education can be classified as comprehensive; in ten countries it is non-comprehensive; in four countries there is no programme in place; and two countries were excluded from the analysis. In contrast to non-comprehensive sexuality education programmes, CSE programmes address a wider range of topics, including the social, emotional and interpersonal aspects of sexuality. Furthermore, teachers are more often trained to deliver sexuality education and participatory teaching methods are widely used. CSE programmes are more valued by pupils as a source of information on sexuality, based on national survey results. The availability of CSE programmes coincides with more effective contraceptive use and lower teenage fertility rates. However, more rigorous research is needed to establish a causal relationship between CSE and adolescent sexual and reproductive health indicators.

This paper explores the use of withdrawal as a harm reduction approach to adolescent pregnancy prevention and its association with condom use. Data come from a baseline survey of a randomised controlled trial to test the effectiveness of FLASH, a sexual health education curriculum. Study participants completed electronic self-report surveys in health classes in their first or second year of high school (age range 14.1-17.9, mean 15.3 years). One-hundred and ninety-one students (12% of full sample) reported engaging in vaginal intercourse in the 3 months prior to the survey; of these, 66.0% reported using withdrawal as a birth control method, without significant differences by race, gender, region or birth control beliefs. Withdrawal was often used in combination with condoms (55.5%), periodic abstinence (40.0%) and birth control pills (13.4%). The effectiveness of withdrawal and its prevalence suggest an opportunity to reflect on how withdrawal is taught -- moving from avoiding its use to a harm reduction approach to help sexually active youth avoid risk, reduce risk and reduce potential harm associated with sexual behaviours. Rather than focusing on withdrawal as risky, youth-serving professionals should acknowledge young people's efforts to prevent pregnancy and recognise the social and relational contexts of contraceptive choices.

Research addressing the sexual health and reproductive rights of pregnant teenagers and teenage mothers is growing, although attention to the sexual well-being of young mothers who are already in school remains limited. This omission places teenage mothers at risk, who may be susceptible to repeated pregnancies that may compromise their well-being and educational outcomes. By drawing on a qualitative study, we focus on young mothers' sexual relationships and their knowledge and choice of contraceptive methods, as well as their accessibility to them. In this paper, we ask how sexual and reproductive well-being is constructed in relation to knowledge, choice and accessibility to contraceptive methods. While the study found that schooling was constructed as vital to economic empowerment, teenage mothers' aspirations were compromised by limited contraceptive knowledge and choices, and enduring patterns of gender inequalities within relationship dynamics. Effective interventions require attention to a comprehensive understanding of sexual health, which includes a focus on gender and relationship dynamics, as well as knowledge of and access to contraceptive methods. Accessibility to all methods of contraceptive use remains vital in all health centres. Community health workers need to engage better with young mothers so as to support their reproductive well-being.

Background: Contraceptive use by women with learning disabilities differs from that of nondisabled women of a similar age. Women with learning disabilities start contraception earlier and often use it when they are not sexually active. Hence, there is a need to hear directly from these women about their experiences of contraceptive decision-making. However, accessing women to discuss a sensitive topic such as contraception poses significant challenges to researchers. Materials and Methods: The study was qualitative in nature and involved conducting semi-structured interviews with 19 women. This paper reports on the methodological challenges and findings from the project which have wider implications for research on sensitive topics with hard-to-reach groups. It reflects critically on the challenges of accessing women with learning disabilities to participate in research on contraception. Results: Twelve of the 19 participants in our project were recruited through two organisations. Working in partnership with organisations that had a keen interest in the research and endorsed it at senior level enabled us to overcome recruitment challenges. However, working in this way raised gatekeeping issues that impacted upon data collection and may have affected our substantive findings. Conclusions: Working in partnership with organisations can be an effective and practical way of recruiting participants that researchers may otherwise find hard to reach. However, organisational partnerships can be hard to develop and take time. We argue that it is important to reflect openly and honestly about the methodological and ethical issues that may arise when working closely with organisations in sensitive research.

Peripartum cardiomyopathy is an idiopathic cardiomyopathy presenting with heart failure secondary to left ventricular systolic dysfunction towards the end of pregnancy or in the months following delivery, where no other cause for heart failure is identified. Outcome varies from full recovery to residual left ventricular systolic dysfunction and even death. Many women return to their physician to acquire information on their long-term prognosis, to seek medical advice regarding contraception, or when planning a subsequent pregnancy. This position paper summarizes current evidence for long-term outcome, risk stratification of further pregnancies and overall management. Based on the best available evidence, as well as the clinical experience of the European Society of Cardiology Study Group on Peripartum Cardiomyopathy members, a consensus on pre- and postpartum management algorithms for women undergoing a subsequent pregnancy is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper draws on findings from an analysis of interviews with young people aged 14-18 years, to explore the peer influences in young people's informal social networks which can affect their access to sexual health services. The research focuses on the social meanings of a C-Card condom distribution scheme in North East England. Such schemes are widespread in the UK as a way of providing access to condoms and sexual health advice for young people in health and community settings. Focusing on one aspect of a broader study, the paper outlines the important social, emotional and practical resources provided by young people's chosen friendship groups in the process of acquiring a C-Card, which offers a route to accessing sex and relationships advice and condoms. Informal peer networks inform attitudes and expectations which can influence gendered patterns of behaviour. Through a focus on the educational possibilities of the C-Card scheme, the study suggests a need to revisit the dynamics of young people's peer relationships and harness their potential to influence sexual attitudes and behaviour in positive ways, rather than simply seeing these always as a source of negative pressure.

In this position paper, the American College of Physicians (ACP) examines the challenges women face in the U.S. health care system across their lifespans, including access to care; sex- and gender-specific health issues; variation in health outcomes compared with men; underrepresentation in research studies; and public policies that affect women, their families, and society. ACP puts forward several recommendations focused on policies that will improve the health outcomes of women and ensure a health care system that supports the needs of women and their families over the course of their lifespans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examined the role of male partners in modern contraceptive use by women across clusters in South Africa. Its main objective was threefold. First, the present paper sought to test whether South African married women's modern contraceptive use is related to the influence of their husbands or male partners. Second, it examined whether modern contraceptive use is similar within clusters. Third, it tested whether group effects are spatially dependent among neighbouring clusters. It used the recent Demographic and Health Survey for South Africa as the data source to carry out the empirical analysis. On the one hand, the results confirm a positive and significant relationship between South African married women's modern contraceptive use with their partners' secondary education level, irrespective of the cluster in which they reside. On the other hand, the hypothesis that spatial dependence of random effects is not confirmed, leading to the conclusion that space only matters when it comes to spatial heterogeneity or group effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sexual health promotion and Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) are influenced by interrelated social and cultural factors, particularly in a rural setting. This paper reports on findings from interviews with young people when asked about experiences and perspectives accessing RSE and sexual health services in a small rural Australian town. Fifteen young people (16-24 years) participated in semi-structured focus groups and interviews. Data was analysed and coded with four key themes emerging: relevant and credible sexual health education; make it easy; GP accessibility; and discreet condom supply. The findings of this study have practical implications when addressing community level sexual health and RSE needs.

INTRODUCTION: There are important changes in the health care needs of women presenting to general practice in New Zealand, which prompted an evaluation of postgraduate training needs of general practitioners (GPs) who care for women in the community. AIM: To evaluate the perceived relevance of the curriculum of Otago University postgraduate programmes in women's health to GPs' work profile to identify any need for curricular change. This study was also performed to investigate the need for refresher courses or a Master's degree in obstetrics, gynaecology and women's health. METHODS: In total, 426 GPs and GP trainees who had completed the postgraduate Certificate and Diploma programmes in women's health were invited to complete an online survey. The survey consisted of multiple-choice questions with five-point Likert scale ratings to rate the relevance of papers to general practice, and options for free-text comments. RESULTS: There were 86 responses (20.2% response rate) and we analysed 73 (17.1%). Curriculum modules related to gynaecological care were rated as more relevant than obstetric and newborn care. GPs suggested more training in contraception and management of infertility, abnormal uterine bleeding and pelvic pain including procedural skills such as insertion of long-acting reversible contraceptives, implants and intrauterine devices. An interest in a refresher course was indicated by 76.6% of GPs. DISCUSSION: GPs recognised the need for enhanced training in women's gynaecological care. Revision of the postgraduate women's health curriculum and development of new refresher courses will enable GPs, trainees and prospective GPs to improve their care for women in the community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A systematic review and narrative synthesis to determine the effectiveness of contraception service interventions for young people delivered in health care premises was undertaken. We searched 12 key health and medical databases, reference lists of included papers and systematic reviews and cited reference searches on included articles. All retrieved literature was screened at title and abstract levels, and relevant articles were taken through to full paper appraisal. Data relating to study design, outcomes and quality were extracted by one reviewer and independently checked by a second reviewer. We included interventions that consisted of contraceptive service provision for young people, and also interventions to encourage young people to use existing contraceptive services. The searches identified 23 studies that met the inclusion criteria. The papers focused on: new adolescent services, outreach to existing services, advanced provision of emergency contraception, condom/contraceptive provision and advice and repeat pregnancy prevention. The literature in general is not well developed in terms of good quality effectiveness studies and key outcome measures. However, it is possible to make recommendations in terms of outreach versus targeted young people's services in health care settings, advanced provision of emergency contraception and long-acting reversible contraception to prevent repeat adolescent pregnancy.

Objective: This study aimed to understand the gaps in college students' knowledge regarding sexual health information. Participants: A sample of 242 participants enrolled in an introductory college course participated in this study in the Fall 2009 semester. Methods: Students participated in 1 of 2 brief interventions and wrote a response paper about their experience. The papers were analyzed using conventional content analysis for information that was new to participants by looking for key words that suggested learning took place. Results: The findings indicated that the majority of participants learned new information. Most learning occurred regarding sexually transmitted infections (ie, types, symptoms, prevalence, treatment, testing) and correct condom use. There were also demographic differences regarding reported new information. Conclusions: Findings can be used to develop future sex education programs for college students by providing college educators with an understanding of where students lack knowledge of sexual health.

This study addresses the issue of the sexual needs of ethnic minority groups in the UK. Using focus group discussions with health service users and third-sector providers, it explores the perception of sex education by Black African communities living in a culturally diverse area in East London, focusing specifically on participants' understanding of safe sex, personal experiences in receiving health information, and the relevance of health-promotion messages to their health, social and cultural needs. The paper focuses on the views of the older population group, many of whom are parents; all were born and brought up outside the UK. The paper identifies a number of factors influencing the perception of sex education and health-promotion messages by study participants and discusses some complex interrelationships between the traditions and cultural norms surrounding their lives in Africa and the European context within which they find themselves today. We examine potential links between the levels of cultural adaptation and the perception of sex education in schools and clinical settings, and discuss implications of these perceptions for policy and practice.

Objective: Bleeding data in contraceptive trials are often collected using daily diaries, but data quality may vary due to compliance and recall bias. Text messaging is a widespread and promising modality for data collection.Study Design: This trial randomized participants 1:1 to use text messages or paper diaries to report on bleeding experienced during the 90 days after intrauterine device (IUD) insertion. Participants chose either the copper T380A or the 52-mg levonorgestrel IUD. Our primary outcome was number of days of reported bleeding data. We hypothesized that data gathered with daily text messages would have fewer missing values than paper diaries. Intention to treat analyses used the rank-sum test to compare medians.Results: Two hundred thirty women enrolled, and randomization yielded groups similar in baseline characteristics. Twenty percent of participants provided no bleeding data; of these, 77% were assigned to paper diaries. With 90 days of reporting, approximately 20% in each group provided complete bleeding data. The text group reported a median of 82 days [interquartile range (IQR) 40-89] and the paper group reported a median of 36 days (IQR 0-88) (p≤.001). The number of responses received decreased gradually over the 90-day period but was always higher in the text group. Women who had attained higher levels of education did well regardless of data collection modality, while response rates of text messages were greater among those with a high school education or less (p<.01).Conclusions: Participants reporting bleeding via text messages provided more complete data than women using paper diaries.Implications: Depending on resources and population of interest, text messages may be a useful modality to improve data collection for patient-reported outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The paper seeks to explore sexual behaviours and reproductive health knowledge among in-school young people with disabilities (PWD) in Ibadan, Nigeria. Design/methodology/approach: In the paper a structured questionnaire was administered to 103 randomly selected PWD, aged ten to 25, from four integrated secondary schools in Ibadan. The data were collected through face-to-face interview. Five categories of disability included were hearing and speech, sight, speech, intellectual, and physical disabilities. Findings: The paper finds that 57 percent of the sample were females and 43 percent were males. Of the 36 (35 percent) respondents who were sexually active, 17 did not give a definite reason for their sexual initiation, nine were influenced by peers, five were "experimenting" with sex, four were raped, while one person began sexual activity for monetary gains. A total of 17 percent of the respondents had either procured abortion or been involved in the procurement of abortion for a sexual partner. In total 28 percent of the sample reported ever being raped. In total, 43 percent had been fondled, kissed, or caressed, against their wishes. Knowledge of contraceptives was reported by 40 percent. A total of 23 percent had never used condoms, while 6 percent were consistent condom users. Half of the respondents had heard about HIV/AIDS, 9 percent had tested for HIV, while 16 percent reported previous episodes of sexually transmitted infections. In total, 70 percent did not know where they could access reproductive health services. Originality/approach: The paper shows that there is an urgent need to develop specific programs for young people with disabilities, especially for those in schools, to address knowledge and behaviour issues regarding reproductive health and HIV/AIDS. (Contains 2 tables.)

This paper observes that an ironic tension occurs in the discussion of controversial issues in some Catholic schools. One technique that teachers use in response to student disagreement with the official Church view on a controversial issue like contraception, homosexuality, or female ordination is to present Church teaching but then suggest that students follow up at home with their parents for further information. While this technique is promising to some degree, it sits uneasily against the remarks that some Catholic education commentators make regarding deficiencies in the home regarding student formation and socialization in the faith. The discussion acknowledges some advantages in this technique, but ultimately concludes that it is flawed because it sidesteps the school's responsibility to promote higher-order religious thinking and undermines the home-school-Church partnership by placing the responsibilities of families and parishes into schools. (Contains 7 footnotes.)

Objective: Men's engagement in family planning has become part of the global health agenda; however, little is known about the training manuals health practitioners' use and how these manuals describe and explain men's roles within a family planning context. Design: To further understand engagement, this paper examines how training manuals written for health practitioners describe and define men's participation within family planning. Setting: The training manuals were written for UK health practitioners and covered men's contributions to family planning. Method: Discourse analysis was used to examine the three training manuals focused upon. Results: Three main discourses were identified: 'contraception is a woman's responsibility', 'men disengage with health practitioners' and 'men are biologically predisposed to avoid sexual responsibility'. Conclusion: Together, these three discourses function to marginalise men in family planning, constructing them as detached accessories that lack the ability to engage.

This paper explores how opposite sides of the abortion debate employ a discourse of endangerment to mobilise political support for their ideologies about black women's bodies. I examine the role of black women within that rhetorical strategy through various rhetorical artefacts. To analyse these artefacts, I employ the theoretical framework of ideological or ideographic criticism. This framework helps us see how the artefacts used by both pro and anti-choice movements 'condition' the audience not merely to adopt a set of 'beliefs and behavior, but a vocabulary of concepts that function as guides, warrants, reasons, or excuses for behavior and belief.' Though the two sides of the abortion debate differ in their overt political views, they turn out to share an implicit ideology about black women. This ideology prevents the voices of black women from being heard and valued in a debate that is nonetheless focused on black women's bodies.

This paper details findings from an evaluation of a gender-transformative sexual and reproductive health and rights group education programme facilitated with young men aged 15-24 years in South Africa. A total of 475 young men participated in the group education programme. A self-administered pre- and post-questionnaire survey was conducted with a sample of the participants, and focus group discussions were facilitated. A total of 265 young men completed both the pre and post-questionnaires. Findings from the surveys as well as the focus group discussions showed positive changes in gender equitable attitudes, contraception and condom use. Results indicate that the young men who participated in the group education learned to identify harmful gender norms and actively questioned these constructs both within their personal lives and in the broader community. The intervention enabled some participants to envision alternative versions of masculinity and femininity, thus enabling them to adopt a new way of being, with transformed attitudes concerning household and gender roles.

From its beginning in 1885, the Hull House was beacon for social progress and urban reform. Founders Jane Addams and Ellen Gates Starr recruited talented, passionate partners from diverse fields to address issues from street sanitation to education in Chicago's immigrant communities. Among residents' many projects, their involvement in the "social hygiene" movement for sex education and contraception is perhaps the least recognised, in part because the Hull House did not save materials directly related to these services. As a result, the professional activities of Hull House residents Drs Rachelle Yarros and Alice Hamilton reveal a productive relationship between the Hull House and the social hygiene movement. Part of their critical work was to dismantle the cultural association of contraceptives and sex education with "fallen women" and reframe these services as necessities for maternal health. The papers of their professional organisations chronicle their delicate efforts to challenge assumptions about reproductive healthcare while preserving Victorian ideals about sex as a private, procreative endeavour strictly between married, monogamous people. Rachelle Yarros was particularly active, producing a dearth of literature on sexual health, teaching classes on the subject, and overseeing the opening of Chicago's first public birth control clinics. Each of these advancements, including the birth control clinic, was available on Hull House grounds. By capitalising on the financial and medical resources available to them as physicians and reformers, Yarros and Hamilton achieved significant gains in women's healthcare and initiated a national conversation about sexual health as a human right.

This paper describes the development of a Dutch online programme called "Long Live Love+" focusing on positive, coercion-free relationships, contraception use, and the prevention of STIs, using the Intervention Mapping (IM) approach. All six steps of the approach were followed. Step 1 confirmed the need for a sexual health programme targeting young people aged 15 and over enrolled in higher level secondary education. Step 2 resulted in the production of a series of matrices-of-changes, including detailed programme objectives at the behavioural and the psycho-social level. Step 3 involved the selection of relevant methods and applications. Step 4 consisted of programme development, resulting in a sexual health programme with online and offline components, and including interactive exercises. Step 5 focused on adoption and implementation and included the production of a detailed teacher manual. Step 6 involved detailed planning for the process and effect evaluation and included interviews with teachers and focus group discussions with students to evaluate their experiences of the programme. The inclusion of a linkage group--and especially the inclusion of teachers in the development of the programme--turned out to be essential in terms of developing a programme in line with their context and needs.

While the fertility effects of improving teenagers' access to contraception are theoretically ambiguous, most empirical work has shown that access decreases teen fertility. In this paper, we consider the fertility effects of access to condoms--a method of contraception not considered in prior work. We exploit variation across counties and across time in teenagers' exposure to condom distribution programs in schools. We find that access to condoms in schools increases teen fertility by about 12 percent. The results suggest that the effects of condom access varied significantly across different programs; the positive fertility estimates are driven by communities where condoms are provided without mandated counseling. Programs that mandated counseling have zero or negative fertility effects, but estimates on these counties are less robust across specifications.

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In Bauchi State, northern Nigeria, communities recognise short birth interval (kunika in the Hausa language) as harmful, but family planning is a sensitive topic. This paper describes the development of a culturally safe way to communicate about kunika in a conservative Muslim setting. The objective was to co-design culturally safe communication material, based on local knowledge about short birth interval, to share with women and men in households. Six community co-design groups of women and six of men (total 96 participants) reviewed summaries of their previously created maps of perceived local causes of kunika, categorised as frequent sex, family dynamics and non-use of contraception. They advised how these causes could be discussed effectively and acceptably with women and their husbands in households and suggested storylines for three short video docudramas about the prevention of kunika. The research team created the docudramas with a local producer and fieldworkers piloted their use in households. The design groups advised that communication materials should focus on child spacing rather than on limitation of family size. Even sensitive issues could be covered. People would not change their sexual behaviour but could be advised to use contraceptives to prevent kunika. The groups approved the final videos and six focus groups of visited women and men reported they were acceptable and helpful. Community co-design of communication about kunika was feasible and led to videos about a sensitive topic that were acceptable to ordinary men and women in communities in Bauchi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. Ethiopia has made significant efforts to enhance family planning services despite variations in the community's use of modern contraception in different parts of the country. Various studies have reported the proportion and determinant factors of adolescents' contraceptive uptake in Ethiopia. These studies are not consistent in terms of size, scope, and geographic coverage, and the results need to be systematically collated to inform policies. Therefore, this review was aimed at analyzing the findings of those primary studies to obtain more representative evidence of adolescents' contraceptive uptake in Ethiopia. Methods. Five databases (MEDLINE via PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, ScienceDirect, and CINAHL) were searched for papers published from January 2000 up to June 2022 in English. Of thirty eligible studies, eight papers were included in this meta-analysis. Between-study heterogeneity was evaluated by the forest plot and inconsistency index ( I 2 ). A random-effects model was used to calculate the pooled estimates of adolescents' contraceptive uptake. Results. The overall pooled proportion of adolescents' contraceptive uptake was 40% ( I 2 = 99.70 , p ≤ 0.001 ; 95 % CI = 19 , 61). Adolescents' usage of contraception was influenced by a number of factors: individual-, sociocultural-, knowledge- (about contraceptive methods), and healthcare service-related factors. Individual-related factors include the educational status of adolescents, being of young age, and the income status of adolescents' families. Sociocultural-related factors comprise discussion with the family/relatives, parent disapproval and pressure from partners, and being married or having a partner. Healthcare service-related factors include the availability of youth clubs and inconvenient service hours for SRH services. Knowing contraceptive methods and SRH services was also positively associated with adolescents' contraceptive utilization. Conclusions. The proportion of adolescents who used contraception in Ethiopia was 40%. Adolescents' use of contraceptives was influenced by a variety of factors: individual-, sociocultural-, healthcare-, and knowledge-related factors. Hence, integrated interventions targeted at tackling barriers to contraceptive uptake may be helpful to improve adolescents' contraceptive utilization in Ethiopia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Ugandan government has been criticised on several grounds for its abstinence-only policies on sexuality education directed towards young people. These grounds include the failure to recognise the multiple realities faced by young people, some of whom may already be sexually active. In the study reported on this paper, students' perceptions of relationships and sexual practices were analysed to obtain an understanding of how young people construct and negotiate their sexual agency in the context of abstinence-only messages provided in Ugandan secondary schools and at the wider community level. Ten in-depth interviews and six focus group discussions were conducted with students aged 15-19 years (N = 55) at an urban co-educational secondary school. Data were transcribed verbatim and analysed using grounded theory. Findings show that students engage in sexual activity despite their belief that contraception is ineffective and their fears for the consequences. Students' age, gender, financial capital and perceived sexual desire further increase risk and vulnerability. To improve their effectiveness, school-based sexuality education programmes should support students to challenge and negotiate structural factors such as gender roles and sociocultural norms that influence sexual practices and increase vulnerability and risk.

This paper reviews Family Court of Australia cases concerning performing hysterectomies on premenarchal women who have an intellectual disability, with specific reference to relevant Australian legislation. The paper discusses the implications for women who have an intellectual disability, which may have international applicability. (Author/JDD)

Presents a call for papers on sexual and reproductive health to be published in "The Lancet." Reference to the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development; Report that sexual and reproductive ill-health still accounts for almost 20 percent of the burden of ill-health for women and 14 percent for men; Lack of safe and effective contraception for couples in developing countries; Prevalence of unwanted pregnancy and abortion; Prevalence of sexually transmitted infections, viral infections, and HIV infections; Impact of sociocultural factors on reproductive health; Availability of the oral contraceptive pill and the emergency contraception pill; Report that unsafe sex is the second most important risk factor leading to disease, disability, or death in the poorest countries.