Articles
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Heterogeneous Condom Use in Contemporary Russia
/ Theodore P. Gerber and Danielle Berman
Using data from a panel survey of a representative probability sample of
Russian households, we examine how individual traits, locality, and
“sex-event context” are associated with condom use in contemporary
Russia. At the individual level, age has negative effects and measures
of risk orientation have positive effects on the probability of condom
use; for women, education has positive effects and Muslim belief has
negative effects. Condom use is higher among residents in Moscow and St.
Petersburg and lower (for women) among rural residents. Most
importantly, the same individuals make different choices about condom
use from one sex event to the next, and their choices are systematically
related to the nature and duration of their relationship to their
partner, as well as to their partner’s age. Condom use is prevalent in
casual encounters and in those involving new partners or commercial sex
workers. Coupled with the strong effects of age for both partners, this
pattern represents good news regarding the potential for the spread of
HIV in Russia. Other findings are more worrisome: HIV awareness and
knowledge of condoms’ effectiveness in blocking transmission of the
virus do not influence condom use at all, and married people are
relatively unlikely to use condoms even in extramarital encounters and
especially in long-term affairs. Accordingly, interventions should
target older Russians who are married and have sex with long-term
nonspousal partners. (Studies in Family Planning 2008; 39[1]: 1–17) (offsite
link*)
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The Effects of Unintended Pregnancy on Infant,
Child, and Parental Health: A Review of the Literature / Jessica D.
Gipson, Michael A. Koenig, and Michelle J. Hindin
This article provides a critical review of studies assessing the effects
of unintended pregnancy on the health of infants, children, and parents
in developed and developing countries. A framework for determining and
measuring the pathways between unintended pregnancy and future health
outcomes is outlined. The review highlights persistent gaps in the
literature, indicating a need for more studies in developing countries
and for further research to assess the impact of unintended pregnancy on
parental health and long-term health outcomes for children and families.
The challenges in measuring and assessing these health impacts are also
discussed, highlighting avenues in which further research efforts could
substantially bolster existing knowledge. (Studies in Family Planning
2008; 39[1]: 18–38) (offsite
link*)
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Refining the Criteria for Stalled
Fertility Declines: An Application to Rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa,
1990–2005 / Tom A. Moultrie, Victoria Hosegood, Nuala McGrath,
Caterina Hill, Kobus Herbst, and Marie-Louise Newell
Stalled fertility declines have been identified in several regions
across the developing world, but the current conceptualization of a
stalled fertility decline is poorly theorized and does not lend itself
to objective measurement. We propose a more rigorous and statistically
testable definition of stalled fertility decline that can be applied to
time-series data. We then illustrate the utility of our definition
through its application to data from rural South Africa for the period
1990–2005 collected from a demographic surveillance site. Application of
the approach suggests that fertility decline has indeed stalled in rural
KwaZulu-Natal, at about three children per woman. The stall, some 20
percent above the replacement fertility level, does not appear to be
associated with a rise in wanted fertility or attenuated access to
contraceptive methods. This identification of a stalled fertility
decline provides the first evidence of such a stall in southern Africa,
the region with the lowest fertility levels in sub-Saharan Africa.
(Studies in Family Planning 2008; 39[1]: 39–48) (offsite
link*)
Reports
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Women’s Acceptance of Intimate Partner
Violence within Marriage in Rural Bangladesh / Sidney Ruth Schuler
and Farzana Islam
Violence against women perpetrated by husbands and male partners occurs
worldwide, and an increasing number of surveys indicate that it is
widely condoned. This article presents findings from a 2002 survey
conducted in six rural villages in Bangladesh suggesting that an
extremely high proportion of women believe that husbands’ use of
violence against their wives is acceptable. To investigate the
reliability and the psychosocial underpinnings of these survey findings,
we also examine data from 110 in-depth interviews and 14 small group
discussions. The results suggest that although most abused women in the
study had resigned themselves to accept a certain level of violence,
they did not condone it, and many abused women said that perpetrators of
violence should be punished, and in some cases the punishments they
suggested were harsh. We conclude by raising questions regarding the
meaning of responses to commonly used questions intended to measure
women’s attitudes toward intimate partner violence and by discussing
policy implications. (Studies in Family Planning 2008; 39[1]: 49–58)(offsite
link*)
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Hospital Policies and Practices Concerning Normal
Childbirth in Jordan / Mary Sweidan, Ziyad Mahfoud, and Jocelyn
DeJong
We investigated reported policies and practices of normal delivery in
Jordanian hospitals to assess whether these practices are evidence-based
and whether women are given choices in delivery. Staff at a nationally
representative sample of 30 hospitals were interviewed using a
semistructured questionnaire. The surveyed hospitals were found to be
well equipped to deal with obstetric emergencies, and many follow
evidence-based procedures. The internal evaluation system, however,
typically is based on team feedback, and 20 percent of hospitals
reported having no internal evaluation procedure. Some unnecessary
procedures, including pubic shaving and enemas, are frequently
practiced. Women are restricted in their movement during labor, and the
lithotomy position is usually adopted for delivery; the majority of
hospitals report strapping women in the delivery position. Most
hospitals do not allow social support during labor and delivery.
Measures are needed to encourage the best evidence-based practices
regarding normal childbirth, including better evaluation. Jordanian
women need much more information about their delivery options so that
they can exercise their preferences wherever possible. (Studies in
Family Planning 2008; 39[1]: 59–68) (offsite
link*)
Commentary
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Social Marketing: No Longer a Sideshow /
Philip D. Harvey
(Studies in Family Planning 2008; 39[1]: 69–72) (offsite
link*)
Data
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Bolivia 2003: Results from the Demographic and Health Survey (offsite
link*)
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Nigeria 2003: Results from the Demographic and Health Survey (offsite
link*)
Book Reviews (offsite
link*)
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Saul Halfon
The Cairo Consensus: Demographic Surveys, Women's Empowerment, and
Regime Change in Population Policy
Reviewed by Barbara B. Crane
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Dudley L. Poston, Jr., Che-Fu Lee, Chiung-Fang Chang, Sherry L. McKibben,
and Carol S. Walther, editors
Fertility, Family Planning, and Population Policy in China
Reviewed by Guangyu Zhang
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William G. Axinn and Lisa D. Pearce
Mixed Method Data Collection Strategies
Reviewed by Enid Schatz
* Journal subscribers will be able to access a PDF
of the article online; nonsubscribers will be given access after paying
a fee.
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