Early marriage, marital relations and intimate partner violence in Ethiopia.
CONCLUSIONS: Initiatives addressing the earliest child marriages should focus on girls who have left or never attended school. Given the vulnerability of girls married before age 15, programs should pay special attention to delaying very early marriages. PMID: 23584463 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] (Source: International Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health)
Source: International Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health - December 2, 2014 Category: Global & Universal Tags: Int Perspect Sex Reprod Health Source Type: research

Social desirability bias in sexual behavior reporting: evidence from an interview mode experiment in rural Malawi.
CONCLUSIONS: The method used for collecting relationship and sexual behavior data may influence the reported prevalence of some key behaviors, particularly among males. Further research is needed to improve methods of collecting sensitive data. PMID: 23584464 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] (Source: International Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health)
Source: International Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health - December 2, 2014 Category: Global & Universal Tags: Int Perspect Sex Reprod Health Source Type: research

Predictors of sexual debut among young adolescents in Nairobi's informal settlements.
CONCLUSIONS: Study findings underscore the importance of school attendance, family dysfunction, parental supervision and self-esteem in driving sexual behavior in this age-group. Further studies are warranted to elucidate how these factors can be addressed in prevention programs for young adolescents. PMID: 23584465 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] (Source: International Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health)
Source: International Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health - December 2, 2014 Category: Global & Universal Tags: Int Perspect Sex Reprod Health Source Type: research

Understanding global trends in maternal mortality.
CONCLUSIONS: Although the estimated annual rate of decline in the global MMR in 1990-2008 (2.3%) fell short of the level needed to meet the MDG 5 target, it was much faster than had been thought previously. Targeted efforts to improve access to quality maternal health care, as well as efforts to decrease unintended pregnancies through family planning, are necessary to further reduce the global burden of maternal mortality. PMID: 23584466 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] (Source: International Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health)
Source: International Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health - December 2, 2014 Category: Global & Universal Tags: Int Perspect Sex Reprod Health Source Type: research

International family planning fellowship program: advanced training in family planning to reduce unsafe abortion.
Authors: Dalton VK, Xu X, Mullan P, Danso KA, Kwawukume Y, Gyan K, Johnson TR Abstract Maternal mortality remains a huge problem in the developing world, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa.1 According to the World Health Organization, efforts intended to decrease maternal deaths need to recognize and address unsafe abortions as a significant contributor to the high rates of maternal mortality found in developing countries.2,3 In Africa, where abortions are highly restricted, 680 women die per 100,000 abortions, compared with 0.2-1.2 women per 100,000 in developed countries, where most abortions are legal.4. ...
Source: International Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health - December 2, 2014 Category: Global & Universal Tags: Int Perspect Sex Reprod Health Source Type: research

The influence of intrafamilial power on maternal health care in Mali: perspectives of women, men and mothers-in-law.
CONCLUSION: Interventions focusing on women or couples may be insufficient to advance women's reproductive health in patriarchal societies such as Mali. Future research and programmatic efforts need to address gender norms and consider the influence of other family members, such as mothers-in-law. PMID: 23895882 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] (Source: International Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health)
Source: International Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health - December 2, 2014 Category: Global & Universal Tags: Int Perspect Sex Reprod Health Source Type: research

Use of dual protection among female sex workers in Swaziland.
CONCLUSIONS: Inconsistent or no condom use among nonbarrier contraceptive users underscores the need to incorporate HIV prevention into family planning interventions, particularly among female sex workers who have children and noncommercial partners. PMID: 23895883 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] (Source: International Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health)
Source: International Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health - December 2, 2014 Category: Global & Universal Tags: Int Perspect Sex Reprod Health Source Type: research

Acceptability and feasibility of mifepristone-misoprostol for menstrual regulation in Bangladesh.
CONCLUSIONS: Mifepristone-misoprostol can be safely offered within existing menstrual regulation services in urban and periurban areas in Bangladesh and is highly acceptable to women. Providers' initial concerns diminish with increased experience with the method. PMID: 23895884 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] (Source: International Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health)
Source: International Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health - December 2, 2014 Category: Global & Universal Tags: Int Perspect Sex Reprod Health Source Type: research

The incidence of induced abortion in Malawi.
CONCLUSIONS: Unsafe abortion is common in Malawi. Interventions are needed to help women and couples avoid unwanted pregnancy, reduce the need for unsafe abortion and decrease maternal mortality. PMID: 23895885 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] (Source: International Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health)
Source: International Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health - December 2, 2014 Category: Global & Universal Tags: Int Perspect Sex Reprod Health Source Type: research

The mystery of missing female children in the Caucasus: an analysis of sex ratios by birth order.
CONCLUSION: Sex-selective abortion appears to be common in Azerbaijan and Armenia. Family planning and legal interventions are needed to address this issue. PMID: 23895886 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] (Source: International Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health)
Source: International Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health - December 2, 2014 Category: Global & Universal Tags: Int Perspect Sex Reprod Health Source Type: research

The cost of postabortion care and legal abortion in Colombia.
CONCLUSIONS: Provision of postabortion care and legal abortion services at higher-level facilities results in unnecessarily high health care costs. These costs can be reduced significantly by providing services in a timely fashion at primary-level facilities and by using safe, noninvasive and less costly abortion methods. PMID: 24135043 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] (Source: International Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health)
Source: International Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health - December 2, 2014 Category: Global & Universal Tags: Int Perspect Sex Reprod Health Source Type: research

Contraception and abortion in a low-fertility setting: the role of seasonal migration.
CONCLUSIONS: Despite their husband's absence, women married to a migrant may have an unwanted pregnancy rate similar to that of women married to a nonmigrant. Improved access to modern contraceptive methods is likely to be positively associated with contraceptive use among women with a nonmigrant husband, but not among those with a migrant husband. PMID: 24135044 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] (Source: International Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health)
Source: International Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health - December 2, 2014 Category: Global & Universal Tags: Int Perspect Sex Reprod Health Source Type: research

Reducing unmet need by supporting women with met need.
CONCLUSIONS: High contraceptive discontinuation in the past has contributed tens of millions of cases of unmet need, and discontinuation among current users will contribute even more cases in the future. Enabling past users with unmet need to resume use and encouraging current users to continue use of the same or another method could be an effective strategy to reduce future unmet need. PMID: 24135045 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] (Source: International Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health)
Source: International Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health - December 2, 2014 Category: Global & Universal Tags: Int Perspect Sex Reprod Health Source Type: research

Effectiveness of a behavior change communication intervention to improve knowledge and perceptions about abortion in Bihar and Jharkhand, India.
CONCLUSIONS: Behavior change communication interventions can be effective in improving knowledge of and perceptions about abortion in settings in which lack of accurate knowledge hinders women's access to safe abortion services. Multiple approaches should be used when attempting to improve knowledge and perceptions about stigmatized health issues such as abortion. PMID: 24135046 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] (Source: International Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health)
Source: International Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health - December 2, 2014 Category: Global & Universal Tags: Int Perspect Sex Reprod Health Source Type: research

Risk and protective correlates of young women's first sexual experiences in Rakai, Uganda.
CONCLUSIONS: Reproductive health interventions should target adolescents and their parents to delay the onset of sexual activity, prevent sexual coercion and encourage condom use. Both adolescents and their parents should be educated about the risks associated with different types of sexual partnerships. PMID: 24135047 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] (Source: International Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health)
Source: International Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health - December 2, 2014 Category: Global & Universal Tags: Int Perspect Sex Reprod Health Source Type: research