Transition to Adulthood
Opportunities and Constraints for Adolescent Girls and Boys in Pakistan
A recent Population Council publication provides the first comprehensive picture of the lives of young people in Pakistan. Nearly 30 million people in Pakistan are between the ages of 10 and 19 years: the largest group of adolescents in the country's history. Until recently, however, little was known about the circumstances of adolescents in Pakistan. "This publication is a watershed," says Zeba A. Sathar, a Pakistan-based Council Program Associate.
Aging
Cultural Factors May Affect Personal Health Assessments
When researchers survey older people they commonly ask, "How would you rate your current health? Would you say that it is excellent, very good, good, fair, or poor?" The question, referred to as self-assessed health, has been shown in various studies to provide a relatively accurate gauge of a person's actual health. But, what conditions determine people's judgments of their own health? Are the determinants of health similar in different countries? Are levels of self-assessed health similar in different countries after accounting for objective measures of health? Population Council demographer Zachary Zimmer and his colleagues explored the complexities of self-assessed health among elderly people in the Philippines, Taiwan, and Thailand.
Biomedical Research
Nonoxynol-9 Rapidly Exfoliates Rectal Epithelium
New findings suggest that products containing the spermicide nonoxynol-9 (N-9) may increase the risk of HIV infection when used during rectal intercourse. David M. Phillips, of the Population Council's Center for Biomedical Research, and his colleagues found that N-9 caused the rapid shedding of epithelium when applied rectally. Surveys in the United States have shown that 41 percent of men who have sex with men try to use products containing N-9 as lubricants during rectal sex. This practice stems in part from a belief that such products may protect against HIV infection. While there is some evidence in support of this idea, there is also some evidence that N-9 may enhance HIV transmission.
Women's Health
Integrating Reproductive Health and Primary Care
The Reproductive Health Working Group, a research team established at the Population Council's Cairo office, recently conducted an intervention in collaboration with the Egyptian Ministry of Health and Population to address the medical needs of rural Egyptian women. The researchers created a framework for a holistic approach that integrated reproductive health and primary care and applied it at three primary care centers in Giza. They also assessed the influence of the intervention on quality of care and demand for services.
Family Planning
Investigating Informed Choice in Peruvian Clinics
In order for family planning clients to make informed choices about contraceptive methods, clinicians need to determine their clients' wishes and provide them with a selection of appropriate methods. Moreover, providers must detail side effects that might result from each method and instruct clients on how to use the chosen method. Urban family planning providers in Peru have stated that short counseling sessions resulting from case overload in clinics prevents them from giving clients complete information. Population Council researchers tested this claim by investigating the exchange of information in Peruvian clinics using women trained to act as clients.
Reproductive Health
Does HIV Affect Reproductive Choices in Zambia?
Do people alter their reproductive behavior in response to HIV/AIDS in settings where infection is prevalent? Are there ways that reproductive health and family planning services can help people make choices to reduce the risk of perinatal and heterosexual transmission of HIV/AIDS? Naomi Rutenberg, Population Council senior program associate, and her colleagues investigated these questions in Ndola, Zambia.
Entire issue (PDF, 428 KB)
