Search

BACKGROUND Natural disasters and epidemics can strain already-fragile health systems, diverting resources away from essential sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services, threatening supply chains, and adversely impacting access to health facilities. OBJECTIVE To describe how natural disasters and epidemics affect multiple dimensions of SRH service delivery and outcomes, and identify potential approaches to facilitate resumption of services. SEARCH STRATEGY Key words searched in Google Scholar, PubMed, and Scopus. SELECTION CRITERIA Studies published in English between 2005 and 2020 covering events in low- and middle-income countries. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS This review was developed and reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) 2009 checklist. The initial electronic database searching yielded 64 345 studies, but after screening 13 studies were included in the final review. MAIN RESULTS Across contexts, disruptive events worsened the availability of and women's access to SRH services, contributed to decreased utilization of SRH services, and often resulted in lower use of family planning, particularly methods requiring facility-based interaction. CONCLUSION SRH in disaster response plans must be prioritized, as women often lose access to these essential services at a time when they are at their most vulnerable. Evidence regarding effective interventions and policies is lacking.

This study assessed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the number of new contraceptive acceptors in Senegal overall and by method. Monthly service data from March 2019 to December 2020 were extracted for the number of new contraceptive users of IUDs, implants, injectables, and oral contraceptive pills (OCPs). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and interrupted time series analysis for trend analyses overall and by the contraceptive method. Following the announcement of the first COVID-19 case in Senegal in March 2020, there was an immediate significant decrease in the number of new acceptors overall, and for new users of implants and injectables. From March-December 2020, the trend in monthly new family planning acceptors increased overall, mainly driven by significant increases in new IUD and implant acceptors. Compared to the period before the onset of COVID-19, there was a statistically significant shift from shorter-acting methods (OCPs, injectables) to long-acting reversible methods (IUDs, implants). Despite the immediate adverse impact of COVID-19-related restrictions, the number of new acceptors rebounded, trends in the number of new monthly acceptors significantly increased, and there was a significant shift to longer-acting methods.

Background Improved access to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services and information is essential for supporting adolescents and youth in making informed decisions and optimizing each young person’s outcomes related to their SRH, health and well-being and countries’ current and future social and economic development. Mobile phones offer opportunities for young people to privately access SRH content and to be linked to SRH services. The objective of this study was to develop the content for an SMS (short message service or “text message”) platform jointly with adolescents and youth in three regions in Peru (Lima, Ayacucho and Loreto) as part of the ARMADILLO (Adolescent/Youth Reproductive Mobile Access and Delivery Initiative for Love and Life Outcomes) Study. Methods Content development was done in three stages. During Stage 1, we held community consultations with 13–17 year old adolescents, 18–24 year old youth and professionals who work with young people through the education and health sectors (“adult advisers”) to identify and rate SRH topics of interest through group free- and guided-brainstorming activities and an individual written sharing activity. During Stage 2, the team developed the preliminary domains, sub-domains and content for the SMS platform. During Stage 3, we held focus groups with adolescents to validate the SMS content, including both individual scoring of and group feedback for each SMS. Group feedback asked about their general impressions and understanding and their thoughts about the language and usefulness of the SMS. Results A total of 172 adolescents and youth ages 13–24 and 20 adult advisers participated. Adolescents and youth brainstormed and rated SRH topics and sub-topics that led to the initial structure for the SMS platform, with 9 domains, 25 sub-domains and 146 draft SMS. Adolescents provided high scores for the SMS, with all sub-domains receiving average scores of 3.0 or higher (out of 4.0) for the SMS included. Adolescents also provided suggestions to optimize content, including improvements to unclear messages, resulting in SMS with adolescent-friendly content in simple, straightforward language. This process also revealed that adolescents lacked knowledge and had misconceptions related to contraceptive methods. Conclusion This study details the systematic process used to develop relevant and accessible SRH information through a participatory approach. We document critical information about what young people know and how they think, enabling us to understand their perspective and literally speak their language. Results also provide future directions for programmatic, research and policy efforts with young people, in particular around gender norms, interpersonal violence, and access to SRH information and services, in similar settings.

The Coronavirus disease pandemic has disrupted reproductive health services including decline in the use of pre-coital contraceptives. However, evidence of its impact on the use of emergency contraceptives, often, post-coital methods, is limited in the emerging literature, hence this study. Data on total number of emergency contraceptive users from January 2018 to February 2020 (pre-pandemic) and March to December 2020 (during the pandemic) were extracted from the Ghana Health Service District Health Information Management System. Interrupted Time Series analysis was used to estimate the impact of the pandemic on the trend of emergency contraceptive use, adjusting for serial autocorrelation and seasonality. The results showed a gradual upward trend in emergency contraceptive use before the pandemic, increasing at a rate of about 67 (95% CI 37.6–96.8; p = 0.001) users per month. However, the pandemic caused a sudden spike in the use of emergency contraceptives. The pandemic and its related restrictions had an immediate effect on the use of emergency contraceptives, increasing significantly by about 1939 users (95% CI 1096.6–2781.2; p = 0.001) in March 2020. Following March 2020, the number of emergency contraceptive users continued to increase by about 385 users per month (95% CI 272.9–496.4; p = 0.001). The evidence shows that use of emergency contraceptives, often used as post-coital methods for unprotected sex was not negatively impacted by the pandemic. In fact, it is the opposite. Hence, in planning for similar situations attention should be given to the distribution of post-coital contraceptive methods.

IntroductionInfertility is increasingly recognised as a global public health issue for women and men that merits further investigation to support policy and programming. While research in high-income settings has examined the consequences of infertility and access to services, there has been limited synthesis of how individuals experience infertility in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). This protocol describes a systematic review that will synthesise qualitative evidence on experiences of infertility among women and men in LMICs.Methods and analysisThe review will follow the Enhancing transparency in reporting the synthesis of qualitative research (ENTREQ) guidelines for reporting on qualitative evidence syntheses. The study team will search for published literature in PubMed, CINAHL and Scopus and PsycINFO databases and review available grey literature. Using Covidence software, two independent reviewers will conduct title and abstract screening based on inclusion and exclusion criteria, followed by full-text reviews and extraction by a larger team. Quality will be appraised using an adapted version of the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme guidelines. We will conduct thematic synthesis to characterise individual experiences and related factors at the individual, interpersonal, community and health system levels. We will develop a conceptual framework to describe evidence on experiences of infertility in LMICs and to help inform interventions across settings.Ethics and disseminationThis protocol has been internally approved as exempt by the Institutional Review Board of the Population Council, as it does not involve contact with human subjects or personally identifying data. Results of the review will be published in a peer-reviewed journal and will be used to inform future infertility research and programming in LMICs.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42021227742.

Background Our study investigates the associations between women’s autonomy and attitudes toward the acceptability of intimate-partner violence against women (IPVAW) and maternal health-care utilization outcomes. Methods We combine data from 113 Demographic and Health Surveys conducted between 2003 and 2016, which give us a pooled sample of 765 169 mothers and 777 352 births from 63 countries. We generate composite scores of women’s autonomy (six-point scale with reference: no contribution) and acceptability of IPVAW (five-point scale with reference: no acceptance) and assess the associations between these measures and women’s use of antenatal care services and facility delivery in pooled and unique country samples. Results A change in a woman’s autonomy score from ‘no contribution to any decision-making domain’ (a composite autonomy score of 0) to ‘contribution to all decision-making domains’ (a score of 6) is associated with a 31.2% increase in her odds of delivering in a facility and a 42.4% increase in her odds of receiving at least eight antenatal care visits over the course of her pregnancy. In contrast, a change in a woman’s attitude towards acceptability of IPVAW from ‘IPVAW is not acceptable under any scenario’ (a score of 0) to ‘IPVAW is acceptable in all scenarios’ (a score of 5) is associated with an 8.9% decrease in her odds of delivering in a facility and a 20.3% decrease in her odds of receiving eight antenatal care visits. Conclusions Our findings suggest that strong and significant associations exist between autonomy, acceptability of IPVAW and utilization of maternal health-care services.

Perceived infertility is an understudied phenomenon in low‐ and middle‐income countries, where biomedical infertility can have severe consequences, particularly for women. We conducted a nationally representative survey of Ghanaian women, estimated the prevalence of and reasons for perceived infertility, and assessed factors associated with higher levels of perceived infertility using a partial proportional odds model. Among 4,070 women, 13 percent believed they were “very likely” to have difficulty getting pregnant when they wanted to, 21 percent believed this was “somewhat likely,” and 66 percent believed this was “not at all likely.” Reasons for perceived infertility varied by whether the respondent was currently seeking pregnancy. In multivariable analysis, several factors were associated with higher levels of perceived infertility, while unexpectedly, women who reported ever using contraception were less likely to report perceived infertility. Acknowledging the need to address infertility globally and understanding the role of perceived infertility are important components in supporting people's ability to decide whether and when to have children.

Purpose We developed and validated a measure that assesses the latent construct of sexual and reproductive empowerment among adolescents and young adults. A specific measure for this group is critical because of their unique life stage and circumstances, which often includes frequent changes in sexual partners and involvement from parents in decision-making. Methods After formative qualitative research, a review of the literature, and cognitive interviews, we developed 95 items representing nine dimensions of sexual and reproductive empowerment. Items were then fielded among a national sample of young people aged 15–24 years, and those who identified as sexually active completed a 3-month follow-up survey. We conducted psychometric analysis and scale validation. Results Exploratory factor analysis on responses from 1,117 participants resulted in the Sexual and Reproductive Empowerment Scale for Adolescents and Young Adults, containing 23 items captured by seven subscales: comfort talking with partner; choice of partners, marriage, and children; parental support; sexual safety; self-love; sense of future; and sexual pleasure. Validation using logistic regression demonstrated that the subscales were consistently associated with sexual and reproductive health information and access to sexual and reproductive health services measured at baseline and moderately associated with the use of desired contraceptive methods at 3-month follow-up. Conclusions The Sexual and Reproductive Empowerment Scale for Adolescents and Young Adults is a new measure that assesses young people’s empowerment regarding sexual and reproductive health. It can be used by researchers, public health practitioners, and clinicians to measure sexual and reproductive empowerment among young people.

Exposure to groundwater arsenic via drinking water is common in certain geographies, such as parts of India, and causes a range of negative health effects, potentially including adverse reproductive health outcomes.We conducted an ecological analysis of self-reported rates of stillbirth, recurrent pregnancy loss, and infertility in relation to groundwater arsenic levels in India. We used a gridded, modeled dataset of the probability of groundwater arsenic exceeding 10 μg/L (World Health Organization drinking water limit) to calculate mean probabilities at the district level (n = 599 districts). A spatial integration approach was used to merge these estimates with the third India District-Level Health Survey (DLHS-3) conducted in 2007-08 (n = 643,944 women of reproductive age). Maps of district level arsenic levels and rates of each of the three outcomes were created to visualize the patterns across India. To adjust for significant spatial autocorrelation, spatial error models were fit.District-level analysis showed that the average level of stillbirth was 4.3%, recurrent pregnancy loss was 3.3%, and infertility was 8.1%. The average district-level probability of groundwater arsenic levels exceeding 10 μg/L was 42%. After adjustment for sociodemographic factors, and accounting for spatial dependence, at the district level, for each percentage point increase in predicted arsenic levels exceeding 10 μg/L increased, the rates of stillbirths was 4.5% higher (95% confidence interval (CI) 2.4-6.6, p 0.0001), the rates of RPL are 4.2% higher (95% CI 2.5-5.9, p 0.0001), and the rates of infertility are 4.4% higher (95% CI 1.2-7.7, p=0.0001).).While arsenic exposure has been implicated with a range of adverse health outcomes, this is one of the first population-level studies to document an association between arsenic and three adverse reproductive pregnancy outcomes. The high levels of spatial correlation suggest that further and targeted efforts to mitigate arsenic in groundwater are needed.

Objective We explore the patterns of adolescents' need for contraception in 46 low- and middle-income countries. Methods Using data from the Demographic and Health Surveys, we estimate the prevalence of never-use, ever-use and current contraceptive use of sexually active adolescent girls ages 15–19. We use weighted fixed-effects meta-analytic techniques to estimate summary measures. Finally, we highlight country profiles of adolescent contraceptive use. Results More than half (54.4%) of sexually active or girls in unions report never using contraception, while 13.3% report having used contraception but not currently doing so. Nearly a third report currently using a contraceptive method: 24.6% are using a modern short-term method, 2.5% are using a most effective method, and 5.2% are using a traditional method. Conclusions We find significant heterogeneity across countries as well as within countries based on adolescents needs for spacing, limiting and method preference. With more than half of sexually active adolescents having never used contraception, the potential for unwanted pregnancies is high. Implications While there is no single strategy to address adolescents' contraceptive needs, country programs may want to consider the heterogeneity of adolescents' risks for unintended pregnancy and tailor programs to align with the profile of adolescents in their settings.

Incidence of depressive disorders and symptoms increases during the transition to adulthood. The parenting relationship is a potential target for interventions to reduce risk for depression in offspring during this time period, and a four-category typology of parenting styles (authoritative, permissive, authoritarian, and neglectful) has been found to correlate with offspring psychological functioning. The majority of studies, however, have examined this four-category parenting style typology in Western populations. We used the Cebu Longitudinal Health and Nutrition Survey (CLHNS) from the Philippines to assess associations between parenting styles reported by offspring at age 18 and depressive symptoms reported by offspring at age 21 ( N = 1,723). Using adjusted linear regression models, we found that authoritarian and neglectful mothering styles were positively associated with daughters' depressive symptoms, whereas authoritarian mothering was negatively associated with sons' depressive symptoms. Findings suggest both cross-cultural similarities and variability in positive parenting. Results may have implications for family-based depression prevention interventions in the Philippines.

Female genital mutilation (FGM) constitutes a harmful traditional practice that can have a profound impact on the health and well-being of girls and women who undergo the procedure. In recent years, due to international migration, healthcare providers worldwide are increasingly confronted with the need to provide adequate health care to this population. Recognizing this situation the WHO recently developed the first evidence-based guidelines on the management of health complications from FGM. To inform the guideline recommendations, an expert-driven, two-step process was conducted. The first step consisted of developing and ranking a list of priority research questions for the evidence retrieval. The second step involved conducting a series of systematic reviews and qualitative data syntheses. In the present paper, we first provide the methodology used in the development and ranking of the research questions (step 1) and then detail the common methodology for each of the systematic reviews and qualitative evidence syntheses (step 2).

Objectives Physical intimate partner violence (IPV) and STIs, including HIV, are highly prevalent in east Africa. While we have some evidence about women9s experience with physical IPV, little is known about men9s experience with physical IPV, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. Our objective was to examine, in Tanzanian male migrant plantation residents, the prevalence of, and associations among, experience and enactment of physical IPV and prevalent STI/HIV. Methods Data from a cross-sectional survey of male plantation residents (n=158) in northern Tanzania were analysed to estimate prevalence of physical IPV experience and enactment. We assessed associations between IPV and sexual risk behaviours, and serodiagnosis of HIV, herpes simplex virus type-2 (HSV-2) and syphilis. Results Overall, 30% of men had experienced and/or enacted physical IPV with their main sexual partner: 19% of men had ever experienced physical IPV with their main sexual partner; 22% had enacted physical IPV with their main sexual partner. Considering overlaps in these groups, 11% of all participants reported reciprocal (both experienced and enacted) physical IPV. 9% of men were HIV seropositive, 51% were HSV-2 seropositive and 10% were syphilis seropositive—54% had at least one STI. Men who reported reciprocal physical IPV had increased odds of STI/HIV (adjusted OR (AOR) 8.85, 95% CI 1.78 to 44.6); the association retained statistical significance (AOR 14.5, 95% CI 1.4 to 147.0) with sexual risk behaviours included in the multivariate model. Discussion Men9s physical IPV experience and enactment was common among these migrant plantation residents. Men reporting reciprocal physical IPV had significantly increased odds of prevalent STI/IPV, and we hypothesise that they have unstable relationships. Physical IPV is an important risk factor for STI/HIV transmission, and programmatic activities are needed to prevent both.

Background: Many women experience mistreatment during childbirth in health facilities across the world. However, limited evidence exists on how social norms and attitudes of both women and providers influence mistreatment during childbirth. Contextually-specific evidence is needed to understand how normative factors affect how women are treated. This paper explores the acceptability of four scenarios of mistreatment during childbirth. Methods: Two facilities were identified in Abuja, Nigeria. Qualitative methods (in-depth interviews (IDIs) and focus group discussions (FGDs)) were used with a purposive sample of women, midwives, doctors and administrators. Participants were presented with four scenarios of mistreatment during childbirth: slapping, verbal abuse, refusing to help the woman and physical restraint. Thematic analysis was used to synthesize findings, which were interpreted within the study context and an existing typology of mistreatment during childbirth. Results: Eighty-four IDIs and 4 FGDs are included in this analysis. Participants reported witnessing and experiencing mistreatment during childbirth, including slapping, physical restraint to a delivery bed, shouting, intimidation, and threats of physical abuse or poor health outcomes. Some women and providers considered each of the four scenarios as mistreatment. Others viewed these scenarios as appropriate and acceptable measures to gain compliance from the woman and ensure a good outcome for the baby. Women and providers blamed a woman's “disobedience” and “uncooperativeness” during labor for her experience of mistreatment. Conclusions: Blaming women for mistreatment parallels the intimate partner violence literature, demonstrating how traditional practices and low status of women potentiate gender inequality. These findings can be used to facilitate dialogue in Nigeria by engaging stakeholders to discuss how to challenge these norms and hold providers accountable for their actions. Until women and their families are able to freely condemn poor quality care in facilities and providers are held accountable for their actions, there will be little incentive to foster change. Keywords: Maternal health, Childbirth, Mistreatment, Quality of care, Qualitative research, Nigeria

Female genital mutilation comprises all procedures that involve partial or total removal of the external female genitalia or injury to the female genital organs for nonmedical reasons. Health care providers for women and girls living with female genital mutilation have reported difficulties in recognizing, classifying, and recording female genital mutilation, which can adversely affect treatment of complications and discussions of the prevention of the practice in future generations. According to the World Health Organization, female genital mutilation is classified into four types, subdivided into subtypes. An agreed-upon classification of female genital mutilation is important for clinical practice, management, recording, and reporting, as well as for research on prevalence, trends, and consequences of female genital mutilation. We provide a visual reference and learning tool for health care professionals. The tool can be consulted by caregivers when unsure on the type of female genital mutilation diagnosed and used for training and surveys for monitoring the prevalence of female genital mutilation types and subtypes.

Highlights • Large projects like CERCA require a preparatory phase and a thorough analysis of the situation at the country level as well as community-specific context information, to which sufficient time and budget should be attributed. • An essential part of community-based intervention and action research is to adapt the monitoring strategy if the interventions are changed and to thoroughly document all activities. • Accepting teenage pregnancies as a complex issue, not only means adapting interventions to this complexity, but also the evaluation design. In the case of the CERCA Project an overall evaluation should have included a component for each activity. • Further, the evaluation rightly addressed the effectiveness of the intervention package but should have extended this to address their acceptability, and factors that helped or hindered their application among all target groups and other stakeholders. • Through the concerted application of a multi-faceted strategy, it is possible to decrease the taboo on adolescent sexuality in a conservative setting., The Community-Embedded Reproductive Health Care for Adolescents (CERCA) Project was implemented in Bolivia, Ecuador and Nicaragua (2011–2014) to test the effectiveness of interventions preventing teenage pregnancies. As the outcome evaluation showed limited impact, a post-hoc process evaluation was carried out to determine if and how CERCA’s design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation affected the results. We did a document analysis and conducted 18 in-depth interviews and 21 focus group discussions with stakeholders and beneficiaries. Transcripts were analyzed using directed content analysis. Data showed that CERCA sensitized stakeholders and encouraged the discussion on this sensitive issue. In terms of design, a strong point was the participatory approach; a weak point was that the detailed situation analysis was completed too late. In terms of implementation, a strong point was that multifaceted activities were implemented; a weak point was that the activities were not pilot tested for feasibility/acceptability and evolved substantially throughout the Project. In terms of monitoring, strong points were that regular monitoring kept the Project on track administratively/financially; a weak point was that monitoring indicators did not change as the intervention package changed. In terms of evaluation, weak points were the substantial attrition rate and narrow focus on adolescents. This study provides recommendations for future projects.

The goal of this project was to systematically review and compile evidence on interventions in low- and middle-income countries, which targeted three adverse health-related outcomes for young people (ages 10–24): (1) early pregnancy and repeat pregnancy; (2) child marriage; and (3) sexually transmitted infections including human immunodeficiency virus. We searched the gray and published literature to identify interventions and developed a scoring system to assess whether these interventions and their evaluations were of high quality. The three review articles in this volume focus on behavioral outcomes and provide a summary of interventions and evaluations that were both successful and unsuccessful in their impact on the targeted outcomes. This commentary provides the details of the methodology that are common across all three review articles.

Adolescent pregnancy, particularly unintended pregnancy, can have lasting social, economic, and health outcomes. The objective of this review is to identify high-quality interventions and evaluations to decrease unintended and repeat pregnancy among young people in low- and middle-income countries. PubMed, Embase, PsycInfo, Cinahl Plus, Popline, and the Cochrane Databases were searched for all languages for articles published through November 2015. Gray literature was searched by hand. Reference tracing was utilized, as well as unpacking systematic reviews. Selected articles were those that were evaluated as having high-quality interventions and evaluations using standardized scoring. Twenty-one high-quality interventions and evaluations were abstracted. Nine reported statistically significant declines in pregnancy rates (five cash transfer programs, one education curriculum, two life-skills curricula, and a provision of contraception intervention), seven reported increases in contraceptive use (three provision of contraception interventions, two life-skills curricula, a peer education program, and a mass media campaign), two reported decreases in sexual activity (a cash transfer program and an education and life-skills curriculum), and two reported an increase in age of sexual debut (both cash transfer programs). The selected high quality, effective interventions included in this review can inform researchers, donors, and policy makers about where to make strategic investments to decrease unintended pregnancy during young adulthood. Additionally, this review can assist with avoiding investments in interventions that failed to produce significant impact on the intended outcomes. The diversity of successful high-quality interventions, implemented in a range of venues, with a diversity of young people, suggests that there are multiple strategies that can work to prevent unintended pregnancy.

Background In order to clarify priorities and stimulate research in adolescent health in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), the World Health Organization (WHO) conducted two priority-setting exercises based on the Child Health and Nutrition Research Initiative (CHNRI) methodology related to 1) adolescent sexual and reproductive health and 2) eight areas of adolescent health including communicable diseases prevention and management, injuries and violence, mental health, non-communicable diseases management, nutrition, physical activity, substance use, and health policy. Although the CHNRI methodology has been utilized in over 50 separate research priority setting exercises, none have qualitatively synthesized the ultimate findings across studies. The purpose of this study was to conduct a mixed-method synthesis of two research priority-setting exercises for adolescent health in LMICs based on the CHNRI methodology and to situate the priority questions within the current global health agenda. Methods All of the 116 top-ranked questions presented in each exercise were analyzed by two independent reviewers. Word clouds were generated based on keywords from the top-ranked questions. Questions were coded and content analysis was conducted based on type of delivery platform, vulnerable populations, and the Survive, Thrive, and Transform framework from the United Nations Global Strategy for Women’s, Children’s, and Adolescents’ Health, 2016-2030. Findings Within the 53 top-ranked intervention-related questions that specified a delivery platform, the platforms specified were schools (n = 17), primary care (n = 12), community (n = 11), parenting (n = 6), virtual media (n = 5), and peers (n = 2). Twenty questions specifically focused on vulnerable adolescents, including those living with HIV, tuberculosis, mental illness, or neurodevelopmental disorders; victims of gender-based violence; refugees; young persons who inject drugs; sex workers; slum dwellers; out-of-school youth; and youth in armed conflict. A majority of the top-ranked questions (108/116) aligned with one or a combination of the Survive (n = 39), Thrive (n = 67), and Transform (n = 28) agendas. Conclusions This study advances the CHNRI methodology by conducting the first mixed-methods synthesis of multiple research priority-setting exercises by analyzing keywords (using word clouds) and themes (using content analysis).

We examine the potential effects of selection bias on the association between unwanted births and child mortality from 7,942 women from Matlab, Bangladesh who declared birth intentions in 1990 prior to conceiving pregnancies. We explore and test two opposing reasons for bias in the distribution of observed births. First, some women who report not wanting more children could face starvation or frailty; and if these women are infecund, the remaining unwanted births would appear more healthy. Second, some women who report not wanting more children could have social privileges in acquiring medical services, abortion, and contraceptives; and if these women avoid births, the remaining unwanted births would appear less healthy. We find (1) no overall effect of unwantedness on child survival in rural Bangladesh in the 1990s, (2) no evidence that biological processes are spuriously making the birth cohort look more healthy, and (3) some evidence that higher schooling for women who avoid unwanted births is biasing the observed sample to make unwanted births look less healthy. Efforts to understand the effect of unwantedness in data sets that do not control for complex patterns of selective birth may be misleading and require more cautious interpretation.

World Health Organization recommends that girls, ages 9–13 years, get the human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine. Global Alliance for Vaccines Initiative, which provides low-cost vaccine to eligible countries, requires that an additional intervention to be offered alongside the vaccine. We systematically searched and assessed the published literature in lower- and middle-income countries to identify effective interventions. We conducted systematic searches of four databases: PubMed, EMBASE, Global Index Medicus Regional Databases, and Cochrane Reviews for effective adolescent health interventions that could be delivered with the HPV vaccine in the following areas: (1) iron and folic acid supplementation (iron alone or with folic acid); (2) voucher delivery and cash transfer programs; (3) hand washing and soap provision; (4) vision screening; (5) promotion of physical activity/exercise; (6) menstrual hygiene education; (7) sexual and reproductive health education; (8) human immunodeficiency virus prevention activities; and (9) condom promotion, condom use skill building, and demonstration. We found limited evidence of consistent positive impact. Iron supplementation reduced iron-deficiency anemia and raised serum ferritin levels. Promotion of physical activity lowered blood pressure and reduced weight gain. Sexual and reproductive health and human immunodeficiency virus interventions improved adolescent communication with adults but did not influence behavioral outcomes. Countries should consider locally relevant and proven interventions to be offered alongside the HPV vaccine.

The government of Nepal revised its law in 2002 to allow women to terminate a pregnancy up to 12 weeks gestation for any indication on request, and up to 18 weeks if certain conditions are met. We evaluated the readiness of facilities in Nepal to provide three abortion services, manual vacuum aspiration (MVA), medication abortion (MA) and post-abortion care (PAC), using the service availability and readiness assessment (SARA) framework. The framework consists broadly of three domains; service availability, general service readiness and service readiness specific to individual services (i.e. service-specific readiness). We applied the framework to data from the Nepal Health Facility Survey 2015, a nationally representative survey of 992 health facilities. Overall, we find that access to safe abortion remains limited in Nepal. Of the facilities that reported offering delivery services and were thus eligible to provide safe abortion services, 44.5, 36.0 and 25.6% had provided any MVA, MA or PAC services, respectively, in the 3 months prior to the survey, and

The objective was to determine the levels of maternal morbidity from no complications to near miss and describe factors associated with different levels of morbidity. We conducted an observational study of all women delivering at a tertiary hospital in Accra, Ghana between October 2010 and March 2011. We examined the factors associated with the continuum of maternal outcomes in terms of severity using multinomial logistic regression. Data were extracted from women's maternal care files with the main outcome measures of no complications, non-life threatening complications, potentially life-threatening conditions (PLTC), and near miss as defined by World Health Organization. Our study includes 1,586 women with no complications, 1,205 women with non-life threatening complications, 516 women with PLTC, and 94 near-miss cases. All of the factors associated with PLTC and near-miss cases were similar. None of the socio-demographic variables remained significant in the multivariate analysis comparing different levels of severe morbidity with no complications. Women with no complications shared similar characteristics with women who experienced non-life threatening complications. As compared to women who had no complications, women who had severe morbidity were significantly more likely to have had no antenatal care. Our results underline the concept that morbidity is a continuum and indicate that if the underlying causes of poor maternal health outcomes are addressed, it is likely that changes such as better access to antenatal care will improve health outcomes across the continuum of morbidity. However, by only monitoring near-miss cases and mortality, we underestimate the impact on women who will live with non-life threatening, yet serious maternal morbidities.

Preventing unwanted adolescent pregnancy is key for keeping girls in school, leading to a more productive and healthier workforce in sub-Saharan Africa. Gender norms are an important indicator of the status of women and more conservative gender norms are associated with experiencing domestic violence, and poorer maternal and reproductive health care. This paper examines the association between adolescent childbearing and norms towards wife beating in sub-Saharan Africa, and the role of education in moderating this association. Data come from the most recent Demographic and Health Surveys–nationally representative cross-sectional surveys conducted every 5 years. Country-by-country multivariable logistic regressions were conducted in 25 countries, and country and regional estimates were obtained using meta-analytical techniques. More than half of sub-Saharan African adolescents have a child, with levels ranging from 23 % in Rwanda to 69 % in Niger. Between 12 and 87 % of women believed wife beating is acceptable. In 20 of the 25 countries, women with a birth during adolescence were significantly more likely to believe wife beating is justified [OR = 1.39; 95 % confidence interval (CI) 130–1.39]. After multivariate adjustment, the overall finding remains statistically significant [AOR = 1.09; 95 % CI 105–1:13]. Education attenuates the observed association. Overall, the effects are strongest and most consistent in West Africa. Results suggest that women who have an adolescent birth more likely to hold more conservative attitudes. Working with adolescents to improve their attitudes on relationship expectations and the importance of furthering their education even after a pregnancy could be integrated into life skills and sexual education curricula.

Purpose Childhood exposure to violence in one's family of origin has been closely linked to subsequent perpetration and victimization of intimate partner violence. There is, however, little research on the relationship between witnessing violence and subsequent peer violence. This study investigates the effects of witnessing interparental violence among Filipino young adults on their use and experience of psychological aggression with friends. Methods The data source for this study was the Cebu Longitudinal Health and Nutrition Survey. Recent perpetration and victimization of friend psychological aggression among young adults ages 21–22 years was assessed through self-reports from the 2005 survey; witnessing interparental violence during childhood was assessed through self-reports from the 2002 survey. Multinomial logistic regression was used to examine the effects of witnessing interparental violence on subsequent use and experience of friend psychological aggression. Analyses were stratified by gender. Results About 13% of females and 4% of males perpetrated psychological aggression toward close friends, and about 4% of females and males were victims. Fourteen percent of females and 3% of males experienced bidirectional psychological aggression. About 44% of females and 47% of males had, during childhood, witnessed their parents physically hurt one another. Witnessing maternal and reciprocal interparental violence during childhood significantly predicted bidirectional friend psychological aggression among males. Among females, witnessing interparental violence did not significantly predict involvement with friend psychological aggression. Conclusions Violence prevention programs should consider using family-centered interventions, and apply a gendered lens to their application. Further research on gender differences in friend aggression is recommended.

Objective Ghana, like the rest of West Africa, has very low contraceptive prevalence and is one of a few nations that reports declines in contraceptive use over time based on two of the most recent national surveys. Fear of side effects is a leading cause of non-use of contraception, based on national surveys. The objective of this study was to gain a more holistic understanding of why Ghanaian women are not using contraception. Methods We used focus groups with vignettes to elicit normative beliefs about contraception. We recruited 91 women from three different clinics within Legon Hospital in Accra, Ghana: the antenatal clinic, the student clinic and the child welfare clinic. Focus groups were homogeneous with regard to age group and union status. Results We found that women were most concerned with the menstrual irregularities caused by hormonal methods. In addition, women believed strongly that the hospital was the best place to get contraception as blood tests were needed to match women with the appropriate method. Knowledge of how methods worked and of basic reproductive biology was low. Conclusions Poor knowledge of how to use modern methods combined with myths and misinformation should be the targets of programmes to increase modern contraceptive prevalence in Ghana.

Objective To compare primary indications for cesarean delivery among patients with different female genital mutilation (FGM) status. Methods The present secondary analysis included data from women who underwent trial of labor resulting in cesarean delivery at 28 obstetric centers in six African countries between November 1, 2001, and March 31, 2003. Associations between cesarean delivery indications and FGM status were assessed using descriptive statistics and multivariable multinomial logistic regression. Results Data from 1659 women (480 patients with no type of FGM and 1179 patients with FGM [any type]) were included; cesarean delivery indications were collapsed into five categories (fetal indications, maternal factors, stage 1 arrest, stage 2 arrest, and other). The incidence of a clear medical indication for cesarean delivery did not differ between the groups (P=0.320). Among patients without a clear indication for cesarean delivery, women with FGM were more likely to have undergone cesarean delivery for maternal factors (adjusted relative risk ratio [aRRR] 3.92, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.3–11.71), stage 1 arrest (aRRR 7.74, 95% CI 1.33–45.07), stage 2 arrest (aRRR 6.63, 95% CI 3.74–11.73), or other factors (aRRR 2.41, 95% CI 1.04–5.60) rather than fetal factors compared with women who had no type of FGM. Conclusion Among women with unclear medical indications, FGM was associated with cesarean delivery being performed for maternal factors or arrest disorders., Women living with FGM were more likely to have maternal factors of arrest disorders contribute to undergoing a cesarean delivery for an unclear medical indication.

Background We conducted a systematic review of peer-reviewed literature on youth access to, use of and quality of care of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) commodities through pharmacies. Methods Following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) protocol, we searched for publications from 2000 to 2016. To be eligible for inclusion, articles had to address the experiences of young people (aged 25 years and below) accessing SRH commodities (e.g., contraception, abortifacients) via pharmacies. The heterogeneity of the studies precluded meta-analysis — instead, we conducted thematic analysis. Results A total of 2842 titles were screened, and 49 met the inclusion criteria. Most ( n =43) were from high-income countries, and 33 examined emergency hormonal contraception provision. Seventeen focused on experiences of pharmacy personnel in provision, while 28 assessed client experiences. Pharmacy provision of SRH commodities was appealing to and utilized by youth. Increasing access to SRH commodities for youth did not correspond to increases in risky sexual behavior. Both pharmacists and youth had reservations about the ease of access and its impact on sexual behaviors. In settings where regulations allowing pharmacy access were established, some pharmacy personnel created barriers to access or refused access entirely. Discussion With training and support, pharmacy personnel can serve as critical SRH resources to young people. Further research is needed to better understand how to capitalize on the potential of pharmacy provision of SRH commodities to young people without sacrificing qualities which make pharmacies so appealing to young people in the first place.

Background To investigate the association between type of episiotomy and obstetric outcomes among 6,187 women with type 3 Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). Methods We conducted a secondary analysis of women presenting in labor to 28 obstetric centres in Burkina Faso, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal and Sudan between November 2001 and March 2003. Data were analysed using cross tabulations and multivariable logistic regression to determine if type of episiotomy by FGM classification had a significant impact on key maternal outcomes. Our main outcome measures were anal sphincter tears, intrapartum blood loss requiring an intervention, and postpartum haemorrhage. Results Type of episiotomy performed varied significantly by FGM status. Among women without FGM, the most common type of episiotomy performed was posterior lateral (25.4 %). The prevalence of the most extensive type of episiotomy, anterior and posterior lateral episiotomy increased with type of FGM. Among women without FGM, 0.4 % had this type of episiotomy. This increased to 0.6 % for women with FGM Types 1, 2 or 4 and to 54.6 % of all women delivering vaginally with FGM Type 3. After adjustment, women with an anterior episiotomy, (AOR = 0.15 95 %; CI 0.06–0.40); posterior lateral episiotomy (AOR = 0.68 95 %; CI 0.50–0.94) or both anterior and posterior lateral episiotomies performed concurrently (AOR = 0.21 95 % CI 0.12–0.36) were all significantly less likely to have anal sphincter tears compared to women without episiotomies. Women with anterior episiotomy (AOR = 0.08; 95%CI 0.02–0.24), posterior lateral episiotomy (AOR = 0.17 95 %; CI 0.05–0.52) and the combination of the two (AOR = 0.04 95 % CI 0.01–0.11) were significantly less likely to have postpartum haemorrhage compared with women who had no episiotomy. Conclusions Among women living with FGM Type 3, episiotomies were protective against anal sphincter tears and postpartum haemorrhage. Further clinical and research is needed to guide clinical practice of when episiotomies should be performed.

Objectives This study examined the association between household savings and related economic measures with utilization of skilled birth attendants (SBAs) at last birth among women living in peri-urban households (n = 381) in Ghana and Nigeria. Methods Data were drawn from the 2011–2014 Family Health and Wealth Study. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to estimate the odds of delivery with an SBA for individual and composite measures of household savings, expected financial means, debt, lending, and receipt of financial assistance, adjusting for demographic and reproductive characteristics. Results Seventy-three percent (73 %) of women delivered with an SBA during their last birth (89 %, Ghana; 63 %, Nigeria), and roughly one third (34 %) of households reported having any in-cash or in-kind savings. In adjusted analyses, women living in households with savings were significantly more likely to deliver with an SBA compared to women in households without any savings (aOR = 2.02, 95 % CI 1.09–3.73). There was also a consistent downward trend, although non-significant, in SBA utilization with worsening financial expectations in the coming year (somewhat vs. much better: aOR = 0.70, 95 % CI 0.40–1.22 and no change/worse vs. much better: aOR = 0.46, 95 % CI 0.12–1.83). Findings were null for measures relating to debt, lending, and financial assistance. Conclusion Coupling birth preparedness and complication readiness strategies with savings-led initiatives may improve SBA utilization in conjunction with targeting non-economic barriers to skilled care use.

Study Objective To investigate the experiences and perceptions of adolescents who have experienced a recent pregnancy and undergone a termination of pregnancy. Design A vignette-based focus group approach was used to have adolescents reflect on scenarios that happen to others during an unwanted pregnancy. Setting The study was conducted in public health facilities in the 3 major urban areas of Ghana—Accra, Kumasi, and Tamale. Participants, Interventions, and Main Outcome Measures Adolescents, aged 10-19 years, who had a recent termination of pregnancy were recruited from public health facilities in the 3 sites. Fifteen focus groups were conducted and digitally recorded in English, Twi, Ga, and Dagbani. Transcripts were transcribed and translated, and thematic analysis was used for the analysis. Results Adolescents reported that the characters in the vignettes would feel sadness, depression, and regret from an unintended pregnancy and some male partners would “deny” the pregnancy or suggest an abortion. They suggested some parents would “be angry” and “sack” their children for becoming pregnant while others would “support” them. Parents might send the pregnant girl to a distant friend or grandparents until she delivers to avoid shame and gossip. Health professionals might encourage the pregnant girl or insult/gossip about the girl. Conclusion Adolescent unintended pregnancies in Ghana are met with a range of reactions and these reactions influence the pregnancy choices young women make for continuation or termination of pregnancy.

Background While it is estimated that for every maternal death, 20–30 women suffer morbidity, these estimates are not based on standardized methods and measures. Lack of an agreed-upon definition, identification criteria, standardized assessment tools, and indicators has limited valid, routine, and comparable measurements of maternal morbidity. The World Health Organization (WHO) convened the Maternal Morbidity Working Group (MMWG) to develop standardized methods to improve estimates of maternal morbidity. To date, the MMWG has developed a definition and provided input into the development of a set of measurement tools. This protocol outlines the pilot test for measuring maternal morbidity in antenatal and postnatal clinical populations using these new tools. Methods In each setting, the tools will be piloted on approximately 250 women receiving antenatal care (ANC) (at least 28 weeks pregnant) and 250 women receiving postpartum care (PPC) (at least 6 weeks postpartum). The tools will be administered by trained health care workers. Each tool has three modules as follows:personal history – socio-economic information, and risk-factors (such as violence and substance abuse)patient symptoms – WHO Disability Assessment Schedule (WHODAS) 12-item, and mental health questionnaires, General Anxiety Disorder, 7-item (GAD-7) and Personal Health Questionnaire, 9-item (PHQ-9)physical examination – signs, laboratory tests and results. Discussion This pilot (planned for Jamaica, Kenya and Malawi) will allow for comparing the types of morbidities women experience between and across settings, and determine the feasibility, acceptability and utility of using a modified, streamlined tool for routine measurement and summary estimates of morbidity to inform resource allocation and service provision. As part of the post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) estimating and measuring maternal morbidity will be essential to ensure appropriate resources are allocated to address its impact and improve well-being. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12978-016-0164-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

The year 2016 is a critical year for adolescent sexual and reproductive health (ASRH), when two key global health strategies – the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development1 and the United Nations Global Strategy for Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health2 – are being put into effect. Both strategies will inform and catalyse the collaborative and global efforts on ASRH for the next 15 years. While the goals and targets for these strategies have been agreed upon, the indicators to track the targets are currently being debated. The chosen indicators will have wide-reaching implications for ASRH programming, policy-making and resource allocation at all levels: globally, nationally and locally. As conversations on indicator development continue, we must accurately define what we are and what we are not measuring and acknowledge the limitations of the chosen indicators.

The prevalence of domestic violence and abortion in India is high, yet little is known about the relationship between these experiences. Data from two linked data sets, India’s 1998-1999 National Family Health Survey (NFHS-2) and a follow-up survey in 2002-2003, were analyzed. The analysis examines how the experience of physical violence affects the subsequent uptake of abortion, and how the experience of abortion affects subsequent experience of physical, sexual, and verbal violence. Women who experienced physical violence have significantly higher odds of reporting a subsequent induced abortion, whereas women who had an induced abortion have significantly higher odds of reporting subsequent sexual and verbal violence. There was no significant relationship between domestic violence and spontaneous abortion.

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV, are prevalent among adolescents and can have lasting adverse health consequences. The objective of this review is to identify high-quality interventions and evaluations to decrease STI transmission and related risky behaviors among young people in low- and middle-income countries. PubMed, Embase, PsycInfo, Cinahl Plus, Popline, and the Cochrane Databases were searched without language limitations for articles published through November 2015. Gray literature was searched by hand. Reference tracing was utilized, as well as the unpacking of systematic reviews. Retained articles were those that were evaluated as having high-quality interventions and evaluations using standardized scoring. Twenty-one high-quality interventions and evaluations were abstracted. Three reported declines in STI diagnoses, three reported declines in STI symptoms, six showed declines in risky sexual behavior, seven reported increases in abstinence, 11 found increases in condom use, and five reported increases in health care utilization. There is a wide range of rigorously evaluated high-quality interventions included in this review that can inform researchers, donors, and policy makers about where to make strategic investments to decrease the spread of STIs, including HIV. With the recent advent of biomarkers, researchers can use a gold standard measure to assess intervention impact. The diversity of interventions can allow decision makers to tailor interventions to the context, age range, and gender of the target population.

Child marriage, defined as marriage before the age of 18 years, is a human rights violation that can have lasting adverse educational and economic impacts. The objective of this review was to identify high-quality interventions and evaluations to decease child marriage in low- and middle-income countries. PubMed, Embase, PsycInfo, CINAHL Plus, Popline, and the Cochrane Databases were searched without language limitations for articles published through November 2015. Gray literature was searched by hand. Reference tracing was used, as well as the unpacking of systematic reviews. Retained articles were those that were evaluated as having high-quality interventions and evaluations using standardized scoring. Eleven high-quality interventions and evaluations were abstracted. Six found positive results in decreasing the proportion married or increasing age at marriage, one had both positive and negative findings, and four had no statistical impact on the proportion married or age at marriage. There is wide range of high-quality, impactful interventions included in this review which can inform researchers, donors, and policy makers about where to make strategic investments to eradicate marriage, a current target of the Sustainable Development Goals. Despite the cultural factors that promote child marriage, the diversity of interventions can allow decision makers to tailor interventions to the cultural context of the target population.

To conduct an expert-led process for identifying research priorities in adolescent sexual and reproductive health in low- and middle-income countries.The authors modified the priority-setting method of the Child Health and Nutrition Research Initiative (CHNRI) to obtain input from nearly 300 researchers, health programme managers and donors with wide-ranging backgrounds and experiences and from all geographic regions. In a three-Phase process, they asked these experts to: (i) rank outcome areas in order of importance; (ii) formulate research questions within each area, and (iii) rank the formulated questions.seven areas of adolescent sexual and reproductive health were identified as important: (i) maternal health; (ii) contraception; (iii) gender-based violence; (iv) treatment and care of patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection; (v) abortion; (vi) integration of family planning and HIV-related services and (vii) sexually transmitted infections. Experts generated from 30 to 40 research questions in each area, and to prioritize these questions, they applied five criteria focused on: clarity, answerability, impact, implementation and relevance for equity. Rankings were based on overall mean scores derived by averaging the scores for individual criteria. Experts agreed strongly on the relative importance of the questions in each area.Research questions on the prevalence of conditions affecting adolescents are giving way to research questions on the scale-up of existing interventions and the development of new ones. CHNRI methods can be used by donors and health programme managers to prioritize research on adolescent sexual and reproductive health.Résumé OBJECTIF: Établir un processus, sous la direction d'experts, visant à identifier les priorités de la recherche en matière de santé sexuelle et reproductive chez l’adolescent dans les pays à revenu faible et moyen. MÉTHODES: Les auteurs ont modifié la méthode d'établissement des priorités de l'Initiative pour la recherche en santé et nutrition infantiles (CHNRI) afin d'obtenir la contribution de près de 300 chercheurs, gestionnaires de programmes de santé et donateurs, de formation et d'expérience très diverses, et provenant de toutes les régions géographiques. Dans le cadre d'un processus en trois phases, ils ont demandé à ces experts de: (i) classer les domaines de résultats par ordre d'importance, (ii) formuler des questions de recherche au sein de chaque domaine, et (iii) classer les questions formulées. RÉSULTATS: Sept domaines de la santé sexuelle et reproductive des adolescents ont été identifiés comme importants: (i) la santé maternelle; (ii) la contraception; (iii) la violence sexiste; (iv) le traitement et les soins des patients infectés par le virus de l'immunodéficience humaine (VIH); (v) l'avortement; (vi) l'intégration de la planification familiale et des services liés au VIH et (vii) les infections sexuellement transmissibles. Les experts ont généré de 30 à 40 questions de recherche dans chaque domaine. Pour déterminer le caractère prioritaire de ces questions, ils ont appliqué cinq critères: clarté, capacité de réponse, impact, mise en œuvre et pertinence en termes d'équité. Les classements se basaient sur les scores moyens généraux, dérivés de la moyenne des scores pour les critères individuels. Les experts étaient entièrement d'accord sur l'importance relative des questions dans chaque domaine. CONCLUSION: Les questions de recherche sur la prévalence des maladies qui affectent les adolescents cèdent la place à des questions de recherche sur l'intensification des interventions existantes et le développement de nouvelles interventions. Les méthodes de la CHNRI peuvent être utilisées par les donateurs et les gestionnaires de programmes de santé pour fixer les priorités de la recherche sur la santé sexuelle et reproductive chez les adolescents.Resumen OBJETIVO: Llevar a cabo un proceso dirigido por expertos a fin de identificar las prioridades en la investigación sobre la salud sexual y reproductiva de los adolescentes en países con ingresos bajos y medios. MÉTODOS: Los autores modificaron el método de establecimiento de prioridades de la Iniciativa de Salud del Niño e Investigación Nutricional para conseguir la contribución de casi 300 investigadores, gestores de programas sanitarios y donantes con diversas trayectorias y experiencias y procedentes de todas las regiones geográficas. En un proceso que constó de tres fases, se solicitó a dichos expertos que: (i) clasificaran las áreas de resultados según su importancia; (ii) formularan temas de investigación en cada área y (iii) clasificaran los temas formulados. RESULTADOS: Se identificaron como importantes siete áreas de la salud sexual y reproductiva de los adolescentes: (i) la salud materna; (ii) la anticoncepción; (iii) la violencia de género; (iv) el tratamiento y cuidado de los pacientes con el virus de la inmunodeficiencia humana (VIH); (v) el aborto; (vi) la unificación de la planificación familiar y los servicios relacionados con el VIH y (vii) las infecciones de transmisión sexual. Los expertos crearon entre 30 y 40 temas de investigación en cada área y, con objeto de priorizar dichos temas, aplicaron cinco criterios: claridad, responsabilidad, impacto, aplicación y pertinencia para la equidad. Las clasificaciones se basaron en las puntuaciones medias globales obtenidas al calcular el promedio de las puntuaciones de los criterios individuales. Los expertos coincidieron en la importancia relativa de los temas en cada área. CONCLUSIÓN: Los temas de investigación sobre el predominio de las situaciones que afectan a los adolescentes dan paso a temas que tratan tanto la ampliación de las intervenciones existentes como el desarrollo de nuevas intervenciones. Tanto donantes como gestores de programas sanitarios pueden emplear los métodos de la Iniciativa de Salud del Niño e Investigación Nutricional para establecer las prioridades en la investigación sobre la salud sexual y reproductiva de los adolescentes.ملخص الغرض : إجراء عملية بقيادة خبراء لتحديد أولويات البحوث في الصحة الجنسية والإنجابية لدى المراهقين في البلدان المنخفضة والمتوسطة الدخل. الطريقة : قام المؤلفون بتعديل طريقة تحديد الأولويات الخاصة بمبادرة بحوث صحة وتغذية الطفل (CHNRI) للحصول على إسهامات من حوالي 300 باحث ومدير برنامج صحي ومانح، يتمتعون بخلفيات وخبرات واسعة النطاق ومن جميع المناطق الجغرافية. ومن خلال عملية مكونة من ثلاث مراحل، طلبوا من هؤلاء الخبراء: (1) ترتيب مجالات الحصائل حسب الأهمية؛ (2) صياغة أسئلة البحوث في كل مجال، (3) ترتيب الأسئلة المصاغة حسب الأولوية. النتائج : تم تحديد سبعة مجالات للصحة الجنسية والإنجابية لدى المراهقين بوصفها هامة، وهي: (1) صحة الأمومة؛ (2) وسائل منع الحمل؛ (3) العنف الجنساني؛ (4) علاج المرضى المصابين بعدوى فيروس العوز المناعي البشري ورعايتهم؛ (5) الإجهاض؛ (6) تكامل تنظيم الأسرة والخدمات ذات الصلة بفيروس العوز المناعي البشري؛ (7) الأمراض المنقولة جنسياً. وقام الخبراء بصياغة من 30 إلى 40 سؤالاً بحثياً في كل مجال. ولتحديد أولويات هذه الأسئلة، قاموا بتطبيق خمسة معايير ركزت على الإجابات المحتملة: الوضوح والمساءلة والأثر والتنفيذ والصلة بالإنصاف. واعتمدت التصنيفات على متوسط إجمالي الدرجات التي تم استخلاصها بحساب متوسط الدرجات للمعايير الفردية. واتفق الخبراء بقوة على الأهمية النسبية للأسئلة الواردة في كل مجال. الاستنتاج : تفسح الأسئلة البحثية المعنية بانتشار الحالات التي تؤثر على المراهقين المجال للأسئلة البحثية المعنية بزيادة التدخلات القائمة ووضع تدخلات جديدة. ويمكن استخدام طرق مبادرة بحوث صحة وتغذية الطفل من جانب المانحين ومديري برامج الصحة من أجل تحديد أولويات البحوث المعنية بالصحة الجنسية والإنجابية لدى المراهقين.摘要 目的: 执行专家主导的确定中低收入国家青少年性与生殖健康研究优先级的流程。 方法: 作者修改了儿童健康和营养学研究倡议（CHNRI）的优先级设置方法，以获得来自所有地理区域具有广泛的背景和经验的近300 名研究人员、健康计划管理人员和捐助者的输入。在三阶段流程中，他们要求这些专家：（一）按照重要性排列成果领域顺序；（二）制订每个区域内的研究问题，及（三）按照优先顺序排列制订的问题。 结果: 确定七个重要的青少年性与生殖健康领域：（一）孕产妇保健；（二）避孕；（三）基于性别的暴力；（四）艾滋病毒感染患者的治疗和护理；（五）流产；（六）整合计划生育和与艾滋病毒相关的服务及（七）性传播感染。专家们在各领域中提出30 至40 个研究问题，为了排列这些问题的优先级，他们应用了以五个可能的答案为重点的标准：清晰度、可答复性、影响、实施和权益的相关性。计算各个标准的平均分，得出总平均分，并以此为基础进行级别排序。专家们对每个领域中问题的相对重要性达成强烈共识。 结论: 影响青少年的疾病患病率方面的研究问题正让位于扩大现有干预措施和发展新干预措施的研究问题。捐助者和健康计划管理者可以使用CHNRI的方法排列青少年性与生殖健康研究的优先级。Резюме Цель: Провести экспертную процедуру определения научно-исследовательских приоритетов в области сексуального и репродуктивного здоровья подростков в странах с низким и средним уровнем доходов. Методы: Авторы изменили метод определения приоритетов Инициативы по исследованиям детского здоровья и питания (CHNRI) для получения информации приблизительно от 300 исследователей, доноров и руководителей программ здравоохранения, обладающих обширными знаниями и опытом, со всех географических регионов мира. В ходе трехступенчатой процедуры экспертов просили: (i) оценить целевые области по степени важности; (ii) сформулировать исследовательские вопросы по каждой области и (iii) расставить сформулированные вопросы в порядке приоритетности. Результаты: Семь важных областей сексуального и репродуктивного здоровья подростков были определены как важные: (i) материнское здоровье; (ii) контрацепция; (iii) гендерное насилие; (iv) лечение и уход за пациентами с вирусом иммунодефицита человека (ВИЧ-инфекцией); (v) аборты; (vi) интеграция услуг в сфере планирования семьи и противодействия ВИЧ и (vii) инфекции, передающиеся половым путем. Эксперты сформулировали от 30 до 40 исследовательских вопросов в каждой области и для определения приоритетности вопросов применили пять критериев, основанных на возможных ответах: ясность, ответственность, влияние, исполнение и относительность справедливости. Классификация проводилась на основе обобщенных средних оценок, полученных путем выведения средней величины по отдельным критериям. Эксперты пришли к единому мнению по относительной важности вопросов в каждой области. Вывод: Исследовательские вопросы по преобладанию условий, влияющих на подростков, уступают место исследовательским вопросам по наращиванию существующих проектных мероприятий и разработке новых. Методы CHNRI могут использоваться донорами и руководителями программ здравоохранения для определения приоритетности исследований сексуального и репродуктивного здоровья подростков.

This study examines the relationship between male to female physical domestic violence and contraceptive adoption among women in four economically and culturally distinct areas of India. Data from India’s 1998-1999 National Family Health Survey–2 and a follow-up survey in 2002-2003 for which the same women in four states were reinterviewed are analyzed. The focus of the analysis is on how baseline exposure to physical domestic violence is associated with the intersurvey adoption of contraception. Women who experience physical violence from their husbands are significantly less likely to adopt contraception in the intersurvey period, although this relationship varies by State. This study builds upon previous work by using an indicator of physical domestic violence exposure that is measured before contraceptive adoption, thus allowing the identification of how exposure to violence shapes the adoption of contraception. The results demonstrate that for women living in Bihar and Jharkhand there is a clear negative relationship between physical domestic violence and a woman’s adoption of contraception; this relationship was not found for women in Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu. The results point to the need to include domestic violence screening and referral services into family planning services.

The Philippines has experienced rapid sociodemographic changes in recent years, with implications for young people. This study combines quantitative and qualitative data from Metro Cebu to assess the timing and predictors of young people's partnerships, as well as the context in which these partnerships are occurring. The majority of young people (54%) had premarital sex, though this pattern varied by gender. Wealthier, urban young men, and women with less education and lower reported religiosity, were more likely to have premarital sex. Engagement in risk behaviours was predictive of premarital sex for both males and females. The qualitative data contextualise the circumstances under which young people engage in sex and form partnerships and illustrate how sociocultural norms contribute to gender differences in partnership patterns. Given the 'new' realities of young Filipinos' lives, targeted efforts to support the transition to adulthood are needed to avert potentially adverse life events.

Please cite this paper as: Tuncalp O, Hindin MJ, Souza JP, Chou D, Say L. The prevalence of maternal near miss: a systematic review. BJOG 2012;119:653–661. Background Severe maternal morbidity or ‘near miss’ is a promising indicator to improve quality of obstetric care. Objectives To systematically review all available studies on ‘near miss’. Search strategy Following a pre-defined protocol, our review covered articles between January 2004 and December 2010. We used a combination of the following terms: near miss morbidity, severe maternal morbidity, severe acute maternal morbidity, obstetric near-miss, maternal near miss, obstetric near miss, emergency hysterectomy, emergency obstetric hysterectomy, maternal complications, pregnancy complications, intensive care unit. Selection criteria Nearly 4000 articles were screened by title and abstract, and 153 articles were retrieved for full text evaluation. There were no language restrictions. Data collection and analysis Data extraction was performed using an instrument that included sections on study characteristics, quality of reporting, prevalence/incidence and the definition and identification criteria. Univariate analysis and meta-analysis for sub-groups were performed. Main results A total of 82 studies from 46 countries were included. Criteria for identification of cases varied widely. Prevalence rates varied between 0.6 and 14.98% for disease-specific criteria, between 0.04 and 4.54% for management-based criteria and between 0.14 and 0.92% for organ-based dysfunction based on Mantel criteria. The rates are higher in low-income and middle-income countries of Asia and Africa. Based on meta-analysis, the estimate of near miss was 0.42% (95% CI 0.40–0.44%) for the Mantel (organ dysfunction) criteria and 0.039% (95% CI 0.037–0.042%) for emergency hysterectomy. Our meta-regression results indicate that emergency hysterectomy rates have been increasing by about 8% per year. Authors’ conclusions There is growing interest in the application of the maternal near-miss concept as an adjunct to maternal mortality. However, in the literature published before 2011 there was still important variation in the criteria used to identify maternal near-miss cases. The World Health Organization recently published criteria based on markers of management and of clinical and organ dysfunction which would enable systematic data collection on near miss and development of summary estimates. Comparing the rates over time and across regions, it is clear that different approaches are needed to lower the rates of near miss and that interventions must be developed with the local context in mind.

This research examines whether members of HIV affected couples are more likely to change their abstinence and condom intentions than members of HIV- couples during couple voluntary counseling and testing (VCT). A total of 1260 couple VCT clients in Ethiopia were asked about their sexual risk behavior intentions for the next two months after pre-test and post-test counseling. Multinomial logistic regression was used to determine whether the couple's HIV status was associated with changed intentions to abstain or use condoms between pre-test and post-test. Individuals belonging to male HIV+ serodiscordant couples (aRRR = 7.98, p < 0.001), female HIV+ serodiscordant couples (aRRR = 5.85, p < 0.001), and HIV+ concordant couples (aRRR = 3.12, p = 0.05) were more likely to have increased their intentions to abstain or use condoms in the next two months than individuals in HIV- concordant relationships. The couple's HIV status was not associated with decreased intentions to abstain or use condoms in the next two months. Counseling for all HIV affected couples should include practical information on obtaining and using condoms. This includes HIV affected couples who intend to abstain from sex, whether for a short or long period of time, so that they are prepared to have protected sex if their intentions change.

In Ethiopia, most HIV-affected couples are in serodiscordant relationships and must weigh any childbearing desires against the risk of transmitting the virus to a partner or child. This analysis investigates the relationship between HIV diagnosis and fertility intentions among couple voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) clients in Ethiopia and whether this relationship differs between men and women. Data come from the Ethiopia Voluntary Counseling and Testing Integrated with Contraceptive Services (VICS) study, which collected information from men and women attending VCT at eight public sector health facilities in the Oromia region of Ethiopia. VCT clients were asked about their fertility intentions before (pre-test) and after (post-test) receiving their HIV test results. Sex-stratified logistic regression was used to find characteristics, such as the couple's HIV status, associated with ceasing to desire children between pre-test and post-test versus desiring children at both time points. Women belonging to serodiscordant couples were much more likely to cease desiring children than women in HIV-concordant couples, regardless of whether the woman (aOR=11.08, p0.001) or her partner (aOR=9.97, p=0.001) was HIV+. Only HIV+ men in serodiscordant relationships were more likely to stop desiring children than men in HIV-concordant couples (aOR=12.10, p0.001). Serodiscordant couples would benefit from family planning services or referrals during VCT to help meet their reproductive needs.