Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “Reproductive Health”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 1,657 records · Page 92Linked to original sources
PubMed1999

Pakistan: contraceptive prevalence rate up.

Pakistan's low sociodemographic profile has changed dramatically since the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development, said the Minister for Population Welfare and Science and Technology, HE Begum Sayda Abida Hussain, during her statement at the Forum. Based on the population census of 1998, Pakistan has an annual population growth rate of 2.3%, she said. The decline may be attributed to changes in married patterns and a rapid reduction in marital fertility, she added. The contraceptive prevalence rate has gone up from only 2% in the early 1990s to about 27% in 1998. Meeting the demand for reproductive health services, reducing maternal, infant and child mortality, and promoting gender equality are high priorities for her government, she informed the participants in the Forum. In line with this priority, the Government of Pakistan has developed a new population and development policy and is working to improve the education and status of women, lower fertility, increase contraceptive prevalence, and reduce infant and maternal mortality, she told the meeting. Pakistan is expanding reproductive health services in the rural and urban areas through community-based organizations, she said. Some 50,000 women workers now provide counseling and other services to women at their doorstep. Before concluding her address, she called on donors' increased support for ICPD implementation. "The full implementation of the ICPD agenda requires resources that are beyond the capacity of a developing country like Pakistan," she said.

Asia↗
PubMed1997

[Medical and social aspects of the protection of working women's health].

The paper presents statistic data on the Russian females engaged in national economy and its individual industries, results of studies into the reproductive health of working women (their health during pregnancy and nonpregnancy, gynecological morbidity). It also gives data on the relationship of reproductive health with the factors of production.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The potential contribution of sexuality and gender awareness.

To make well-informed decisions about reproductive health, individuals need information about their body, gender and sexuality as well as the communication skills to convey their choices to their family, partners and health care providers. Gender and sexuality are at the core of each individual's identity; understanding and acceptance of these aspects of ourselves is basic to our ability to have healthy relations with self, family and sexual partners. Throughout an individual's life cycle information is needed about gender and sexuality changes according to needs of their age group. A holistic approach to reproductive health is needed, based in the community where people live, in the schools where young people study and in the community health care centers where they receive services.

Awareness↗
PubMed2004

Access to women's health care: a qualitative study of barriers perceived by homeless women.

Homelessness is an escalating national problem and women are disproportionately affected. Nevertheless, few studies have focused on the special circumstances associated with being a homeless woman. For instance, while both genders experience serious barriers to obtaining health care, homeless women face an additional burden by virtue of their sexual and reproductive health needs. The current study was conducted as the first stage of a qualitative/quantitative investigation of homeless women's access and barriers to family planning and women's health care. We interviewed 47 homeless women of diverse ages and ethnic backgrounds. A qualitative approach was initially taken to explore the factors homeless women themselves perceive as barriers to their use of birth control and women's health services, and factors they believe would facilitate their use. Key findings are that health is not a priority for homeless women, that transportation and scheduling can be particularly burdensome for homeless women, and that being homeless leads some to feel stigmatized by health care providers. Despite being homeless, having children was extremely important to the women in our study. At the same time, those interested in contraception confronted significant barriers in their efforts to prevent pregnancies. We conclude with suggested interventions that would make general, gynecological, and reproductive health care more accessible to homeless women.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

Gender and sexual health in clinical practice in Lebanon.

This study examines the readiness of obstetricians/gynecologists (Ob/Gyns) in Lebanon to provide sexual consultation, their degree of comfort when discussing issues of sexual health, and their attitudes regarding assessment, treatment, and referral. Data on these concepts were collected through face-to-face interviews with 286 randomly selected Ob/Gyns. Most Ob/Gyns reported feeling comfortable discussing sexuality during consultations, which they attributed much more to professional experience than to training. Most Ob/Gyns reported giving proper time for management of sexual health issues and follow-up, as these issues are brought up frequently by their women clients. However, results suggest that only one-third (31%) of Lebanese Ob/Gyns nearly always take the initiative in asking patients about their sexual health. Moreover, almost 45% of participating Ob/Gyns did not recognize a strong relationship between reproductive health and sexual functioning. Gender was not found to be an important predictor for any of the indicators measured in the present study. Ob/Gyns in Lebanon are significant consultants on various sexual issues, and they need better postgraduate training, continuing medical education, and access to medical congress resources on the topic of sexuality and its relationship to reproductive health.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMed1992

Lactation, health, and reproduction of dairy cows receiving daily injectable or sustained-release somatotropin.

Seventy-four Holstein cows (26 primiparous) were utilized to compare the efficacy and safety of sustained-release versus daily injectable formulations of recombinant bST. Twenty-four control cows were injected biweekly with oil microsphere; 25 cows were injected biweekly with 350 mg of bST microsphere; and 25 cows were injected daily with 10.3 mg of bST. Injections were initiated between wk 4 and 5 of lactation and continued for 280 d. Administration of bST caused a moderate increase in milk and FCM production and improved the efficiency of feed and energy conversions. Most health-related and reproduction-related variables did not differ among treatment groups. However, incidence of teat and udder disorders and feet and leg problems tended to be higher during the 40-wk injection period for the bST-treated cows than for the control cows. Incidence of GnRH therapy and number of days to first service were higher for daily bST-treated cows than for controls. No differences existed between sustained-release and daily bST-treated cows for any parameters monitored.

Animals↗
PubMed1978

Effects of polybrominated biphenyl on milk production, reproduction, and health problems in Holstein cows.

PBB found in relatively low levels among animals present on a cross-section of Michigan farms during the time PBB was inadvertantly added to dairy feeds had no effect upon these animals' milk production, body weight, weight gain, breeding and reproduction performance, incidence of commonly experienced health problems, calving rate, and the health of their calves. No significant differences in these vital areas could be seen between Michigan animals exposed to PBB and equivalent Wisconsin animals which had not been exposed to PBB when both groups were subjected to equivalent management practices. No pattern of gross of histopathological lesions was seen upon necropsy between test animals and control animals.

Age Factors↗
PubMed2003

Sexual health experiences of adolescents in three Ghanaian towns.

CONTEXT: Ghanaian youth are greatly affected by widespread social change, and their reproductive health needs may differ by social group, age and gender. METHODS: In-person interviews on sexual health issues were conducted with 704 never-married youth aged 12-24 in three Ghanaian towns. The sample included youth who were in school, in apprenticeship programs or in neither school nor apprenticeship programs (unaffiliated). RESULTS: More than half of the respondents had ever had sexual intercourse (52%), with the adjusted odds for females being 1.6 times those for males and the odds for unaffiliated and apprenticed youth being 2.5-3.2 times those for in-school youth. The odds of having had sex in the previous month were elevated for females (2.0) and apprentices (2.7). Both sexes tended to accept violence towards women, with unaffiliated youth showing the highest level of acceptance and in-school youth the lowest. Nearly all respondents (99%) knew of condoms, but fewer than half (48%) could identify any of four elements of correct use; females and sexually inexperienced youth were the least informed. Two-thirds of respondents considered it unacceptable for males to carry condoms, and three-quarters considered it unacceptable for females. Twenty-five percent of males and 8% of females reported having had a sexually transmitted infection. One-third of sexually experienced females reported having ever been pregnant; of those, 70% reported having had or having attempted to have an abortion. CONCLUSIONS: Adolescent reproductive health programs should be targeted to the needs of specific groups.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

The school-linked health center: a promising model of community-based care for adolescents.

PURPOSE: To examine the nature of the linkages between school-linked health centers (SLHCs) and schools; the centers' services, staffing, financing, and other operational details; and the advantages of this model of care. METHOD: Twenty-one SLHCs completed a written survey on a range of operational issues, including types of services provided, staffing patterns, budgets, and populations served in 1995. The researchers conducted on-site interviews with six centers and telephone interviews with 14 centers to obtain more detailed information. RESULTS: Although each SLHC has a unique program design, the study identified characteristics common to all sites. In general, SLHCs provide comprehensive medical, reproductive health, mental health, and health education services designed for adolescents. Staffed with a minimum of an administrator, a primary care provider, a nurse, and an administrative assistant, SLHCs serve students from more than one school as well as out-of-school youth. SLHCs develop formal and/or informal linkages with schools to improve outreach and follow-up services. CONCLUSIONS: The report describes a community-based model of care that is designed to provide affordable, age-appropriate, confidential, convenient care to adolescents, a population that traditionally has been very hard to reach. The SLHCs ability to provide reproductive health care makes it an attractive option for communities trying to prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases among adolescents. To firmly conclude that the SLHC is an effective model for improving adolescent access to services, more research is needed on adolescents' use and nonuse of SLHCs and other models of care; the cost of SLHCs compared to other models of care; and how SLHCs can sustain themselves financially, particularly in a managed care environment.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Use of postpartum health services in rural Uganda: knowledge, attitudes, and barriers.

The purpose of this study was to explore the knowledge, attitudes and barriers to use of postpartum care service among rural communities in Uganda. Study was a part of a larger reproductive health evaluation project, and was cross-sectional in nature utilizing qualitative research methods using the narrative inquiry. Two matched rural communities were used in this study; Semuto in Luwero district, and Lwamaggwa in Rakai district. Fifty key informants who were purposefully selected from each study site were interviewed. They included community leaders, political leaders, health care providers, women leaders and community members. One-on-one interviews were conducted with key community informants using an interview guide. The purpose of the interview was explained to each participant, and written informed consent was obtained before the start of the interview. Respondents were allowed to express their views, opinions and observations on several health issues including postpartum health care services. There was a low level of knowledge about postpartum care services among the respondents of the two communities. There was lack of awareness about postpartum care and it's benefits. The main barriers to use of services were; misconceptions regarding the importance of postpartum care, distance to health facilities, poverty, and health system factors notably; poor facilities, lack of essential drugs, and poor attitudes of health workers. In the effort to improve reproductive health care services, there is an urgent need to improve postpartum services, and make them more accessible and user friendly. The training of providers at all levels is essential, in addition to educating families on the importance of postpartum care services.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Abortion mortality, United States, 1972 through 1987.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of our study was to describe risk factors for legal abortion mortality and the characteristics of women who died of legal abortion complications for the period 1972 through 1987. STUDY DESIGN: We reviewed abortion mortality surveillance data collected by the Division of Reproductive Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and calculated rates by various demographic and reproductive health variables using the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's abortion surveillance data as denominators. Rates are reported as legal abortion deaths per 100,000 abortions. RESULTS: Between 1972 and 1987, 240 women died as a result of legal induced abortions. The case-fatality rate decreased 90% over time, from 4.1 deaths per 100,000 abortions in 1972 to 0.4 in 1987. Women > or = 40 years old had three times the risk of death as teenagers (relative risk 3.0, 95% confidence interval 1.5 to 6.0), and black women and those of other minority races had 2.5 times the risk of white women (relative risk 2.5, 95% confidence interval 1.9 to 3.2). Abortions at > or = 16 weeks were associated with a risk of death almost 15 times the risk of death from procedures at < or = 12 weeks' gestation. Women undergoing currettage procedures for abortion had a significantly lower risk of death than women undergoing other procedures. Whereas before 1977 infection and hemorrhage were the leading causes of death, during 1977 through 1982 anesthesia complications emerged as one of the leading causes of death and since 1983 have become the most frequent cause. CONCLUSIONS: Although legal induced abortion-related deaths are rare events, our findings suggest that more rigorous efforts are needed to increase the safety of anesthetic methods and anesthetic agents used for abortions and that efforts are still necessary to monitor serious complications of abortion aimed at further reducing risks of death associated with the procedure.

Abortion, Legal↗
PubMed1995

Norplant use by adolescents: viewpoints of three stakeholder groups.

PURPOSE: In the months following FDA approval of Norplant, discussions of the controversies surrounding its introduction took place largely in newspaper and magazine articles detailing interviews with legal and health professionals and scientists who developed the device. This qualitative study brings the viewpoints of selected groups of consumers, reproductive health care workers, and local policy makers to the public discussions of Norplant. This article explores one of several themes raised by study participants--Norplant use by adolescents. METHODS: Eighteen different focused group interviews were conducted in California between November 1991 and November 1992. A total of 146 individuals attended--63 consumers, 44 health care providers, and 39 policy makers. Participants included consumers identified as so-called "targets" of Norplant use, individuals providing reproductive health services, and individuals in policy and decision-making roles. RESULTS: Participants in all the focus groups agreed that Norplant should not be used to accomplish social goals or viewed as the answer to society's pressing social and economic problems. There was no agreement, however, on the issue of Norplant use by adolescents. Study participants argued persuasively on both sides of the question, expressing ambivalence concerning the incidence of teenage pregnancies, the longterm health effects of Norplant use on adolescents, and the threat of increased risk of STDs and HIV/AIDS among adolescents using Norplant. CONCLUSIONS: Study findings highlight a critical need for ongoing dialogue among key stakeholder groups to develop an understanding of the diverse values informing the debate. Participants' responses reinforced that decision-making in public health need not only be the jurisdiction of policy makers, elected officials, and others. Ordinary citizens can be part of the task as well by offering insights for practical and ethical solutions to some of our most pressing social issues.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

The effects of environmental hormones on reproduction.

Considerable attention has been given in the past few years to the possibility that man-made chemicals (xenobiotics) in the environment may pose a hazard to human reproductive health. The endocrine-disrupting effects of many xenobiotics can be interpreted as interference with the normal regulation of reproductive processes by steroid hormones. Evidence reviewed here indicates that xenobiotics bind to androgen and oestrogen receptors in target tissues, and to androgen-binding protein and to sex hormone-binding globulin. Although environmental chemicals have weak hormonal activity, their ability to interact with more than one steroid-sensitive pathway provides a mechanism by which their hazardous nature can be augmented. A given toxicant may be present in low concentration in the environment and, therefore, harmless. However, we are not exposed to one toxicant at a time, but, rather, to all of the xenobiotics present in the environment. Therefore, numerous potential agonists/antagonists working together through several steroid-dependent signalling pathways could prove to be hazardous to human reproductive health.

Endocrine System↗
PubMed2005

Beyond reproduction: women's health in today's developing world.

BACKGROUND: The concept of women's health is tethered strongly to reproductive health. At present, international attention and resources are focused on obstetric events and, recently, HIV/AIDS because of the significance of these problems in the least developed nations. This limited concept of women's health, however, is decreasingly relevant to the global community, and needs to be revisited in the light of decreasing fertility and increasing life expectancy in many countries where it was previously applicable. It should be expanded to embrace the full spectrum of health experienced by women, and preventive and remedial approaches to the major conditions that afflict women. Allocation of health service resources should be aligned with the epidemiological realities of these threats to women's health. METHODS: Cause of death data for women aged 15-34 years and 35-44 years were examined for nine less developed countries. Deaths associated with pregnancy and child birth, and HIV were compared with deaths due to three chronic disease categories (cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes). The women's health research literature for developing countries appearing in the American Journal of Public Health and British Medical Journal was also examined. RESULTS: In seven out of the nine countries, among women aged 15-34 years, chronic diseases caused over 20% of deaths, while reproductive causes and HIV together accounted for approximately 10% of deaths, in all countries except in India. Among women aged 35-44 years, in all but India, chronic diseases accounted for over four times the deaths attributable to reproductive causes and HIV. The causes of death were not related to the level of development in these countries as measured by GNI PPP. Papers pertaining to women's health published in public health and medical research journals focused principally on reproduction. CONCLUSIONS: Extending the definition of women's health to include a concern for chronic diseases is critical if the needs of women in less developed nations are to be met. In less developed countries, chronic disease is the most important cause of female death even during childbearing years and for women with young families. Development agencies and private philanthropy must begin to fund the studies that will further refine our understanding of the role of chronic diseases in women's health in the developing world.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

Comparative study on the efficacy and acceptability of two contraceptive pills administered by the vaginal route: an international multicenter clinical trial.

The efficacy and acceptability of two widely used oral contraceptive tablets, one containing 250 mg levonorgestrel and 50 micrograms ethinyl estradiol and the other containing 150 micrograms desogestrel and 30 micrograms ethinyl estradiol, administered by the vaginal route were compared in 1055 women studied over 12,630 woman-months of vaginal contraceptive pill use. This multicenter clinical trial was performed in nine countries of the developing world by the "South to South Cooperation in Reproductive Health," an organization founded by scientists from the Third World working in the area of reproductive health, and the study was developed and coordinated by one of these centers. The findings of this study confirm the efficacy of both these tablets when administered by the vaginal route. Involuntary pregnancy rates at 1 year of 2.78 for subjects in the levonorgestrel group and 4.54 for subjects the desogestrel group showed no statistically significant difference between the two groups. However, total discontinuation rates of 47.01 for subjects in the levonorgestrel group and 56.33 for subjects in the desogestrel group showed a statistically significant difference between the two groups, and discontinuation rates attributable to prolonged bleeding of 0.6 for subjects in the levonorgestrel group and 3.2 for subjects in the desogestrel group were also significantly higher in the group of subjects using the desogestrel vaginal contraceptive pill. Blood pressure remained at admission values throughout treatment. A statistically significant weight increase from admission values occurred in both groups of subjects.

Administration, Intravaginal↗
PubMed2002

Determinants of condom use among young people in urban Cameroon.

To reduce the prevalence of reproductive health problems among adolescents, governmental and nongovernmental organizations in Cameroon are implementing youth-oriented reproductive health programs. To facilitate the design of effective programs to increase condom use, this study examines survey data on the determinants of having ever used condoms and on current condom use with regular and casual partners among unmarried young people in urban Cameroon. While most adolescents have tried condoms at least once, use remains inconsistent. Parental support, personal risk perception, and self-efficacy are found to be associated with higher levels of condom use. Youth-oriented programs seeking to increase the number of new condom users among the young should promote parental support for condom use and enhance young people's perceptions of personal risk. Programs that work to convince the young that their sexual history can put them at risk of HIV infection and that dispel the myth that HIV risk with regular partners is low may serve to increase personal risk perception. Finally, communications programs should aim to increase adolescents' self-efficacy, particularly in terms of their perceived ability to convince partners to use condoms and to use them correctly.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

First Federal Appeals Court finds anti-violence law constitutional.

In a unanimous decision issued on February 13, (1995) a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit upheld the dismissal of two anti-choice challenges to the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act (FACE). The first mid-level federal bench to rule on FACE's validity, the appeals court held that the law "strikes a balance among competing rights holders. It protects those who seek or provide reproductive health services without suppressing robust debate about abortion. Those opposed to abortion or any other reproductive health service retain the freedom to express their deeply-held moral or religious views in a peaceful, non-obstructive way." In mid-June of last year in American Life League v. Reno, U.S. District Court Judge Leonie Brinkema in Alexandria, Virginia, found that FACE did not violate abortion opponents' First Amendment rights. In open court the next month, Judge Brinkema dismissed Woodall v. Reno, which was filed by an abortion opponent in concert with Concerned Women for America. The cases were consolidated on appeal. Attorneys for the plaintiffs have indicated that they will seek U.S. Supreme Court review. Every other federal court to rule on FACE since its May 1994 enactment has also found the measure constitutional.

Abortion, Induced↗
PubMed2004

Increasing access to affordable contraception: a look at the Wisconsin Medicaid Family Planning Waiver.

Approximately half of all pregnancies in the United States are unintended. The purpose of the Family Planning Waiver, a Wisconsin Medicaid program implemented in 2003, is to expand access to contraceptive care and other reproductive health services. The waiver provides women with birth control services and supplies, emergency contraception, routine reproductive health exams, and diagnosis and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases. With greater availability of contraception, the expected outcome is a reduction of unintended pregnancies and subsequent therapeutic abortion, which results in a decreased financial burden to the state, as well as an opportunity for women to experience motherhood when they are emotionally prepared to do so.

Adolescent↗