News Around the World

Other News

Teens do not define oral sex as sexual activity

Teenagers do not consider anything other than vaginal intercourse as sex said Sara Seims, president of the Alan Guttmacher Institute (AGI), which is presently undertaking a study, results of which will be due in December. However the study shows "dramatic increases" in the frequency of oral herpes and gonorrhea of the pharynx diagnosed in teenagers. Twist magazine recently surveyed 10,000 girls online, over half of whom were under 14 years. Eighty per cent said they were virgins and 25 per cent of these said they had engaged in oral sex. Influences contributing to such an increase are thought to include earlier maturation, especially in girls, discussion of oral sex in the media, belief that there is no risk of pregnancy and disease, instant gratification without emotional attachment and the fact that Clinton, questioned on the Monica Lewinsky scandal, had said that oral sex is not sex. According to experts, teenagers are also told to abstain but insufficient information is provided about what they are abstaining from.

USA Today (via Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report)   November 2000

Japanese women receive insemination by fathers-in-law

Some Japanese women with infertile husbands are choosing to be artificially inseminated with sperm from their fathers-in-law, the Washington Post reports. This procedure has divided the medical community in Japan. Last week a doctor was brought before an ethics violation board whose challenge resulted in a proposal to make such a procedure acceptable. Fertility problems in Japan are rarely discussed openly. Anonymous donors are permitted to donate sperm, but not eggs. Insemination with donor sperm is unusual and treated as secret. Those opposing the use of fathers-in-law sperm are concerned that the child would know the donor. Meanwhile, American experts express concern about such a crossing of generations. This current dispute has resulted in the creation of a committee in the Health and Welfare Ministry, which is debating new rules for artificial insemination.

Washington Post, Popmedia  November 2000

Rhythm Method "Far Less Reliable"

The rhythm method of contraception is far less reliable than even its users realise, US experts have warned, according to the Daily Mail. Researchers say there is simply no way to predict a single day safely when intercourse will not result in pregnancy. The study, published in the latest issue of the British Medical Journal, has found that that the theory at the heart of the practice, that women have a "fertile window" each month when sex should be avoided if they do not wish to get pregnant, is a dangerous myth. The research team, led by Dr Allen Wilcox from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences in Durham, North Carolina, said, "Abstinence on specific days of the menstrual cycle remains a method of family planning for many couples worldwide. "But our data suggest that there are few days of the menstrual cycle during which some women are not potentially capable of becoming pregnant -- including the day they may expect their next menses to begin."

The Daily Mail  November 2000

New male contraceptive expected within 10 years

A birth control implant or injection for men could be on the UK market within five to ten years according to Prof. John Guillebaud. This method of male contraception combines an androgen injection and progesterone pill and is currently undergoing Phase III trials. Prof Guillebaud feels however that men will not take a male pill and sees the next step as using the injection or the implant without the pill. Women will be able to supervise men by checking the implant under the skin or ensuring the injection is received. Prof Guillebaud feels that such methods will allow men to play a full role in contraception. He sees it mainly being used by men in “ long term, stable relationships”.

BBC News (via Kaiser daily Reproductive Health Report) November 2000

New Biodegradable Female Condom

Trials are being carried out on a new biodegradable female condom. This new condom, called Janesway, is a cotton panty with a latex center. The latex portion covers the whole genital area and extends into the vagina while the panty serves as a holder. The design allows for a greater coverage area of the woman, than a male condom allows a man. Such a design is expected to help lower the rate of Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) transferred outside the area of the male condom. Janesway was received with much enthusiasm at the US National Women and HIV Conference, the African HIV Conference, and the Geneva World Health Organization (WHO) Conference. Led by Associate Cynthia Davis, an advocate of HIV/STI prevention in the U.S., the study will aim to determine and promote acceptability of the Janesway design. It will cover Nigeria, Senegal, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Mexico, Puerto Rico, South Africa and the Caribbean.

Soundings Fall/Winter 2000, WE!  November 2000

Latin America and Caribbean Facing Growing AIDS Epidemic

A five-day forum, Forum 2000, on Aids in Latin America and the Caribbean is being hosted in Rio de Janeiro. The key theme is the South-South cooperation as an integral part of an effective Aids response with particular emphasis on a strategy to bring down the prices of Aids drugs. The United Nations has said that Latin America and the Caribbean must address controversial issues such as gay sex and condom use in order to tackle the growing Aids epidemic. The Caribbean has the second highest rate of HIV infection following sub-Saharan Africa, while Andean countries are among those least affected by HIV infection. It is estimated that in Haiti over 5 per cent of adults are living with HIV, and in the Bahamas the adult prevalence is more than 4 per cent. The Aids epidemic in Latin America is very diverse, with both heterosexual and homosexual transmission. Brazil has been highlighted as an example to the rest of the region as having become a world leader in the fight against Aids with a free drug distribution programs and condom ads. In 1985 Brazil had one of the highest HIV rates in the world. Initiating effective prevention programs, the crisis was tackled openly by working closely with nongovernmental organizations and local officials.

UNAIDS Press Release 2000, Reuters  November 2000

One in Six parents shirks sex education in the United Kingdom

One in six parents has not discussed sex with their teenage children despite 90 per cent believing that mothers and fathers should have main responsibility for sex education, according to a survey out today, the Guardian reports. The survey of more than 2,000 people, conducted for the sexual health charity Marie Stopes International, found that a quarter of parents with a 15-year-old child have not broached the subject of sexually transmissible infections. One in 20 parents does not intend to discuss sex with their children at all. Parents who had not talked to their children said they felt embarrassed about the subject. And one in five said they did not feel equipped with the information they needed in order to talk to their children. A third of under 16s in the United Kingdom are sexually active.

Guardian October 2000

Telephone Sex is Promoted in the Fight Against Aids in Russia

Russia’s ‘National Center for the Fight Against Aids’ has launched a campaign in an effort to stem the continual increase in HIV infections. Advertisements were placed in newspapers recommending ‘telephone sex’ as an alternative to high risk sexual encounters. It is estimated that there are between 300,000 and 400,000 people with HIV in Russia. A lack of funding has prevented many from receiving treatment.

Agence France-Presse/Russia Today  October 2000

New Research for Aids Vaccine New Research for Possible Aids Vaccine

Researchers at Harvard Medical School and Merck, US drugs group, have made a breakthrough in the development of an Aids vaccine. Instead of using the virus itself, HIV genes were used to stimulate immunity. A DNA vaccine injected into rhesus monkeys revealed a boost in the immune system, preventing infected animals from developing the disease. All vaccinated monkeys were subsequently injected with a strain of HIV and remained healthy for the 140-day trial, whilst those not vaccinated died. Researchers have stressed that developing an Aids vaccine for humans is still a long way off, in spite of such encouraging results.

Financial Times; The Independent  October 2000

Durex Global Sex Survey

According to the 5th annual Durex global sex survey , Americans are the world's sexual leaders experiencing sex for the first time at the youngest average age, 16.4, and most often, 132 times per year. 18,000 people aged 16 to 55 in 27 countries participated in the survey. Consistent with past findings, the age of first sex is still quite young. Those surveyed ages 16-20 report having lost their virginity at 16 as opposed to the 25-34 group at age 18. The world average of sexual partners is 8.2, France and the US surpassing that number with 16.7 and 11.7 sexual partners respectively. Globally it is the youngest group surveyed that is far more likely to listen and adopt the safer sex message as 92 per cent of this 16-20 age group throughout the world is actively practicing safe sex methods. Respondents over 45 ranked last in awareness and use of contraception for prevention pregnancy and spread of disease.

Individual.com; Durex Consumer Products  October 2000

US Policymakers to be briefed on lack of reproductive health programs for boys

Next month, an interdisciplinary task force from the US Urban Institute will release a study reflecting the paucity of effective reproductive health programs for health (in the United States) the Washington Post reports. The group will argue that young men must know how to "foster healthy intimate relationships, prevent and control sexually transmitted diseases, prevent unwanted pregnancies, as well as learning how to become responsible fathers." The report also highlights a particular programs that works successfully: a joint programs by IPPF-member Planned Parenthood, a community center, and the local YMCA. The programs --Teens on Track -- is an after-school mentoring programs in New Jersey.

Washington Post  October 2000

South Africa teachers raping pupils

A new survey by the Medical Research Council (MRC), reports that the number of rapes of girls under 15 years in South Africa has doubled in the last decade. Cases are severely under-reported to the police - 50,000 cases last year - but the MRC says the figure is nine times higher. In 33% of cases, schoolteachers were the rapists, in 25% of cases, relatives and in 10% of cases, a friend of the family was responsible. Schoolgirls said that they were threatened with failure at school if they did not submit to sexual abuse. The education ministry announced that those teachers involved would be instantly dismissed. Concerns about retaliation prevent schoolgirls going to the police. The police are often dismissive anyway. South Africa has one of the highest rates of rape and child abuse in the world. The rates of rape of girls and boys under seven are sharply higher due to the belief that they will be free from the Aids virus.

The Guardian  October 2000

British Government encourages teenage girls to treasure their virginity

The British Government will spend up to $90 million to convince teenage girls that it is alright to be a virgin. The campaign aims to reduce teenage pregnancies by introducing teenage “co-ordinators” in every health authority. They will offer advice and support on contraception and sexually transmitted infections. For boys the focus will be on condom use. Teenagers will be encouraged not to give into peer pressure. A $3 million magazine advertising blitz with the slogan Sex, Are you thinking about it enough? is also part of the campaign, which is said to be inspired by the American “Zip-It” campaign, which promotes abstinence. Britain presently has the highest teenage pregnancy rate in Europe.

Daily Mail, The Daily Telegraph, The Independent  October 2000

Italy Approves Emergency Contraception

The Italian Health Ministry approved the sale of the emergency contraception pill Norlevo 10 days ago, the Washington Post reports. The ministry said the pill, which will be available in Italian pharmacies with a doctor's prescription this month, "prevents ovulation but is not abortive." While "hailed" by supporters as an alternative to abortion and teenage pregnancies, the Vatican "condemned" the decision. Saying the decision was an appeal to women who oppose abortion but accept contraception, Monsignor Elio Sgreccia, (the Vatican's leader on bioethical issues) said, "In reality, the fertilized egg is an embryo and an embryo is an individual human being. Therefore, blocking the implantation in the uterus is the same as suppressing it. Morally, it's the same thing as surgical abortion".

Washington Post, Kaiser Daily Reproductive Health Report  October 2000

Russian Births Beset With Problems

More than two-thirds of births in Russia are marred by complications, and every second newborn discharged from a maternity clinic is suffering health problems, medical officials said yesterday. The number of normal births declined from 45.3 percent in 1992 to just 30 percent last year, said the head of the statistics department of Russia's Academy of Medical Science. She attributed the decline to the spread of heavy drinking and drug use, complications caused by sexually transmitted diseases, and the nation's overall worsening health. A lack of medical equipment in clinics, inadequate prenatal care and parents' disorders also mean that 53 percent of newborns discharged from maternity clinics are already suffering from a chronic ailment or a disease requiring prolonged treatment, she added. Russia's population is also shrinking at an unprecedented rate for an industrialized country, from 148 million three years ago to slightly more than 145 million now, said the head of the Academy's research center and maternity clinic. Most countries in Europe have a low birth rate, but in Russia it is combined with a staggeringly high death rate, which reportedly reached 14.7 per 1,000 people last year; unlike in the rest of Europe, Russia's declining birth rate is a result of economic hardship.

Associated Press via Newsedge Corporation  October 2000

*Half of All new HIV infections in the US among Under-25s

Half of all new HIV infections in the United States are estimated to occur among young people under the age of 25, a new report says. Youth and HIV/AIDS 2000: A New American Agenda, has been released by the White House and highlights the impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic on young people. The Kaiser Family Foundation released preliminary findings from a new national survey of teens on HIV/AIDS. Most teens say HIV/AIDS is a serious problem they are personally concerned about. But more than two thirds wouldn't know where to go to get tested. Preliminary findings can be found at the hyperlink below.

Kaiser Family Foundation  October 2000

Annan Draws Attention to "Demographic Revolution"

"One in 10 persons is over the age of sixty. By 2050, this proportion will have doubled to one in five," said UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan on Saturday, in marking the International Day of the Older Person. "One of the major challenges of the new century is for us all, as a global community, to adapt to this demographic revolution," he said, adding that public policy should reflect the economic and social needs for a rapidly ageing world.

UN Wire  October 2000

Sex Education On-Line in China

The China Family Planning Association has agreed to a partnership with Dotlove.com - a pop-culture sex education web site launched three years ago by ex-Disney employee Leslie Kenny. With on-line polls and quizzes, questions answered by physicians and sexologists, and uncensored bulletin boards, the website has proved a huge success, clocking up some 3 million page hits a month. Ms Kenny has never advertised the year-old site in mainland China, yet nearly half of the site’s visitors are from there. A quarter are from Hong Kong, 20 per cent from USA and India and the remaining 10 per cent from South East Asia and Taiwan. So far the Chinese family planning group has not criticized or tried to censor the site’s frank features or chat rooms.

International Herald Tribune  September 2000

Saudi Arabian women face "extreme forms of discrimination and restriction on their basic human rights"

Despite an encouraging emerging debate on women's rights in Saudi Arabia, women still face extreme forms of discrimination and restriction on their basic human rights." Amnesty International has said in its report "Gross human rights abuses against women" released yesterday. The report details different patterns of human rights violations suffered by women as a result of policies and practices cemented by customs and fatawa (religious edicts ). Discrimination against women touches virtually all aspects of their lives including family life, decision making, employment, education and the justice system, the report says, adding that it impacts upon and compounds the wide range of human rights violations commonly reported in Saudi Arabia.

Amnesty International release September 2000

Sex Workers in China Linked to Increasing Rates of HIV / STDs

HIV and STD rates are increasing by an average 30 per cent a year in China and experts say the government is slow to respond to the problem, the Detroit Free Press reports. The Chinese Ministry of Health stated that STD rates have skyrocketed by almost 40 per cent this year, with the increase reaching 60 per cent in some Chinese provinces. Experts agree that one of the major causes of the high transmission rates of syphilis, gonorrhea and other STDs is sex work, which is "rampant" throughout the country, according to the report. Other causes include an increasingly mobile population, a "dismal level of sex education for young people," and a lack of education for sex workers. Some officials continue to teach abstinence as the "only appropriate means" of preventing STDs. The Chinese government is providing "paltry" resources to correct the problem, the report says. Only $360,000 was allocated this spring to train doctors, establish new clinics and educate the country's 1.3 billion people about STDs. Chinese AIDS researcher Zeng Yi is quoted as predicting that HIV/AIDS could become a "national disaster" unless the government increases funding and testing for the disease.

Detroit Free Press; Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report  September 2000

Higher Female Representation in Japanese Parliament

Thirty-five female parliamentarians were elected in the Japanese House of Representatives at the general election in July, making female representation 7.5 per cent as compared to the 5 per cent of before. It is widely thought that this rise was due to the increased prominence of issues such as social welfare, education and environment in the election process. This rise in the numbers of female parliamentarians is expected to sharpen the focus on issues such as the prevention of domestic violence, child prostitution and pornography.

IPPF September 2000

Japan "Ignoring Women Trafficking"

Human Rights Watch is charging the Japanese government with turning a blind eye to Thai women being trafficked for a growing sex industry in the county, reports the Earth Times News Service. A six-year investigation by Human Rights Watch, an organization aimed at protecting human rights around the world, has found that the Japanese government has taken no concrete steps to stamp out the practice, says the group. Thai women are reportedly promised lucrative jobs in Japan by Thai traffickers, but arrive in Japan owing at least $40,000 to their "owners" the group says. The women are often abused and not given the choice to practice safer sex.

Earth Times September 2000

Gender Inequality Is the Focus of UNFPA State of World Population 2000 Report

Ending gender discrimination is an urgent human rights and development priority, says the State of World Population 2000 report, released today by Dr Nafis Sadik, Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund. Dr Sadik presented the report in London today for the last time in her capacity as executive director of the fund; on her appointment in 1987, she became the first woman to head one of the United Nations' major voluntarily-funded programs. The report, which can be accessed at the hyperlink below, examines a broad range of evidence from around the world showing that systematic discrimination against women and girls causes extensive suffering and lost opportunities for both women and men, and holds back efforts to reduce poverty, improve health, stem the spread of HIV/AIDS and slow rapid population growth. "Girls and women the world over are denied access to education and health care," the report says. "Millions are subjected to abuse and violence. Women's legal rights are not protected. Their medical concerns are given less attention than men's are. They are denied opportunities in the workplace and receive less pay than men for the same work." When asked by the media about her feelings at the end of her leadership of UNFPA, Dr Sadik said that she regretted that advocacy could have played a much larger part in past years. "Basic education and health services have not had their right place in the development agenda (in so many countries)," she said. "In hindsight, we should have done so much more advocacy," she said, adding that the aim included influencing economic leaders.

UNFPA September 2000

Vatican's "New Policy" on condoms and HIV/AIDS

The Vatican has signaled that it is considering relaxing its opposition to the use of condoms, report the Daily Mail and the Daily Telegraph in the UK. A senior aide has admitted that condoms may be the "lesser evil" than the spread of HIV/AIDS. "Until a real effort is made (to change their sexual behavior), the prophylactic is one of the best ways to contain the sexual transmission of HIV and AIDS, said Mgr Jacques Suaudeau, a member of the Pontifical Council on the Family, writing in L'Osservatore Romano newspaper. Though not officially a Vatican mouthpiece, the newspaper is regarded as a reasonable gauge of Vatican thinking, and Mgr Suaudeau would have had authorization to publish his article, the Telegraph says.

Daily Mail, Daily Telegraph September 2000

UK 

Dutch baby boom as society adjusts to working mothers   The number of births in the Netherlands is increasing fast since a low of 189,521 births in 1996, the Lancet reports. Last year, there were more than 200,000 births for the first time since 1972 and this year will see an even higher number of newborns. The cause is many fold, says the Dutch Central Bureau for Statistic. First, there is a booming economy with high consumer confidence. (the opposing side of this phenomenon is graphically illustrated in Eastern Europe, where the deteriorating economy has caused the average number of children per woman to decrease from 2.5 in 1980 Romania for example, to 1.3 in 1999. Other causes of the Dutch boom include better conditions for working mothers and an improvement in child daycare services, says the CBS.

The Lancet, Vol. 356  September 2000

Pakistan addresses discrimination, violence against women; Pakistan's military-led government has pledged to end discriminatory laws against women, combat violence against women and promote female literacy, but doing so remains an uphill task, the Associated Press reports. A new national commission has started work this week to end gender discrimination and protect women's rights, Shaheen Sardar, the commission's chief, said from the northern border city of Peshawar, the capital of Pakistan's conservative North-western Frontier Province. Reviewing laws that are particularly harsh toward women and implementing reform will require a lot of hard work and political will, she said in an interview on Sunday. However, the new government has been empowered by Pakistan's Supreme Court to amend the constitution and enforce new laws - without having to secure the approval of a parliament. The parliament has been suspended since last October, when the military seized power in a bloodless coup. The commission includes senior government officials, rights activists and social workers. One of the top items on the commission's agenda is to curb so-called honor killings of women by their relatives. More than 1,000 women were killed in Pakistan last year, either for marrying men against the will of their families or for reasons like talking to a man other than a relative, human rights groups say.

Associated Press  September 2000

Singapore Pays Parents to Have More Children! The Singapore government is to spend millions of dollars to persuade the country's population to have more children. The venture was announced on Sunday by Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong who said the state's future prosperity was threatened unless its population could be augmented by more children and new immigrants. The $1.8 billion package called "Baby Bonus" will reward parents of a second child by putting $300 into a joint savings account and match deposits by the parents of up to $600 a year. The same amount will be paid until the child's 6th birthday. If parents have a third child, benefits will be doubled and mothers will receive two months' fully paid maternity leave. The present fertility rate of 1.5 children per woman is far below the minimum 2.1 level needed to replace the population.

The Times  August 2000

"Not a Moment to Lose" in Japan's battle against domestic abuse; "There is not a moment to lose" in introducing legislation to criminalize wife-beating in Japan, the head of the Council for Gender Equality has said. Wife-beating used to be regarded as a purely domestic matter and police and prosecutors are still reluctant to get involved in such "family disputes", reports the South China Morning Post. But a rise in domestic abuse cases, partly caused by the decade-long economic stagnation, has increased public awareness and brought demands for change. A national survey conducted by the prime minister's office in February found that 15 per cent of married women had suffered physical violence at the hands of their husbands and one-third of those felt the violence was life-threatening. Yet only three per cent of women who suffered abuse said they had sought help from public organizations. Until last year, there were not even any public shelters for battered women. This was Japan's first poll on domestic violence, and it covered 4,500 men and women aged 20 or older.

South China Morning Post August 2000

Teen sex: four surveys confirms that teens are waiting longer; Four US surveys confirm trends toward delayed first intercourse and increased use of contraceptives in the US, says a review in the Alan Guttmacher Institute's Family Planning Perspectives. The surveys focused on a common subset of 15- to 17-year old high school students. The review "Adolescent Sexual Behavior: Estimates and Trends From Four Nationally Representative Surveys" also found a decrease in all males and white males reporting ever having had sexual intercourse. An increase in condom use among males was also found. 

Family Planning Perspectives, Kaiser Reproductive Health Report  July/August 2000

Government targets teenage boys in pregnancy campaign; A new government publicity campaign targeting teenage boys will tell them that they cannot expect to escape financial responsibility for their children. Although they remain exempt while they are in education and dependent on parents, the Child Support Agency (CSA) can request maintenance payments as soon as they start work, if the mothers of their children receive social support payments. The CSA’s powers will be increased by the implementation of new legislation. Figures out earlier this year showed that the number of teenage pregnancies in the UK is still nudging upwards, with more than six per cent of girls between 15-19 becoming pregnant, significantly higher than the rest of the European Union.

 Financial Times August 2000

British Foreign Office to Offer Sanctuary to Women in Forced Marriages; Women forced into marriages against their wills are to be offered new protection by British posts overseas, the Independent reports. Embassy staff will offer confidential interviews to women applying for visas to bring their new husbands to Britain, giving them an opportunity to speak out if they have not consented to the match. Safe houses will be provided for women who fear violence if they return home, and officials will be trained to deal with the problem. This is part of the Government's response to a report on forced marriages, published in June. The report found 100 cases during its year-long investigation and called for new resources and training to deal with the problem. The report has also called for a change in housing law, which sometimes bars victims of forced marriages or domestic violence from emergency accommodation because they are not treated as a priority group.

The Independent August 2000

Half of All Sierra Leonean Refugees Raped During War -- Agency; An estimated 50 per cent of all Sierra Leonean female refugees between 12 and 60 years of age were raped during the war and desperately need psychosocial programs, according to a recent release from Refugees International (RI), an international refugees' advocacy organization. As a result of the widespread rape, many women became pregnant and have had abortions by the anonymous "Black Bag Doctors", the release says. Women resorting to these unauthorized doctors often die from the brutal and unsanitary procedure. In every camp, there are women who survived the sexual violence of the war and struggle to survive sexual violence in the refugee camps. All of these women need counseling, according to RI. In addition to rehabilitation and group dialogue programs, individual counseling is also needed, RI says, adding that in one camp, for example, twenty-two people were so severely traumatized that they often attacked other refugees.

Refugees International Release August 2000

UN reviews Kuwait Human Rights record; The UN has criticized Kuwait's record on human rights and is urging an end to its discrimination against women, the Independent reports. The New-York based organization Human Rights Watch issued a statement yesterday backing the conclusions of the first UN review of Kuwaiti action on one of the main international treaties enshrining human rights, which the Gulf state signed in 1996.. Women in Kuwait do not have the right to vote or run for office despite proposals put forward last year by liberal MPs to grant women political rights.

Independent August 2000

Circumcision Call to Halt HIV in Africa; A leading fertility expert yesterday called for widespread circumcision in sub-Saharan Africa to stem AIDS in the region. Professor Roger Short of Melbourne University has said that circumcision has been shown to have a "major protective effect" against HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases because the foreskin lacks a protective protein layer of keratin, allowing the virus to infect immune cells. "The major protection afforded by male circumcision will mean that Islamic countries like Pakistan, Bangladesh and Indonesia will be less severely affected by AIDS than their uncircumcised neighbors, he said. He added that the virus spread south from west central Africa (where it is believed to have originated in the 30s and not north because of the practice of circumcision, first adopted by the ancient Egyptians. However, he admitted that his theory had come under "vitriolic attacks" by those who regarded circumcision as a form of ritual mutilation.

Daily Telegraph August 2000

Swaziland officials to stop miniskirts in schools; Swaziland government officials recently announced a ban on girls aged 10 and older wearing miniskirts in school. The ban is designed to prevent sexual relationships between teachers and their female students and thus help to curb the spread of HIV, they said. A ministry official said the ban will be easier to enforce in schools than an earlier 1969 law banning miniskirts in all of Swaziland, as it was difficult to enforce dress codes in public. Schoolgirls face expulsion if they breach the ban. The President of the Human Rights Association of Swaziland, however, has protested. "It is very embarrassing that members of parliament can think such things .. we would rather they banned such silly behavior," said Vulindlela Msibi.

Reuters July 2000

Female Condoms Can Increase Consistency of Barrier;  In a 919-woman study, a majority of women used the female condom as their preferred method of contraception, a University of Alabama, (US) has found, according to a report in the June issue of Family Planning Perspectives. "The female condom appears to have played a role in allowing inconsistent users of the male condom to achieve high protection rates by mixing condom types over time," write the researchers. "Thus the female condom may be particularly useful ... to promote safer sex within emotionally stable relationships."         

Reuters Medical News, Family Planning Perspectives 2000 -  June 2000

Microbicide Setback Followed by Gates Donation; IMAP Hopeful for Future The Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) has called for commitment to finding a microbicide against HIV, despite the negative results of recent trials of the spermicide nonoxynol-9 (N-9). Test results released on 13 June revealed that the product, marketed under the trade name "Advantage S" in the United States and China, was not only ineffective against HIV but actually harmful as a microbicide. "We were dismayed to find out that the group using the N-9 gel had a higher rate of HIV infection than the group using a placebo," said Dr Joseph Perriens, who heads the UNAIDS microbicide effort. Nonoxynol-9 is the most popular spermicidal agent used in various forms of contraceptive spermicide products such as cream, film, foam, jelly and suppositories, and as a complementary component in the lubricant of barrier methods of contraception, such as the male condom. Microbicides are chemical substances which kill viruses and bacteria when applied vaginally or rectally before sexual intercourse. The makers of nonoxynol, however, have questioned the study, alleging that researchers have "mishandled" the clinical trials. Columbia Laboratories Inc, is arguing that participants were permitted to use the product at unsafe dosages, as many as up to 20 times a day, instead of the maximum four safe dosages a day. In the meantime, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation announced a $25 million grant yesterday to be used to expand and accelerate development and clinical testing of new non-irritating microbicides to protect women against sexually-transmitted diseases including AIDS. "Given the failure of products containing N-9 to protect women against sexually-transmitted diseases ... the need to develop new, non-irritating women-controlled vaginal products becomes even more urgent," said a release from the CONRAD Program's Consortium for Industrial Collaboration in Contraceptive Research, which received the Gates grant. While the IPPF International Medical Advisory Panel is concerned over the gravity of the N-9 setback, it remains hopeful that better alternatives will be found in the near future. "We especially welcome support such as the Gates grant in the face of lost battles such as the N-9 situation," said IPPF's Medical Manager, Dr. Carlos Huezo-Toledo.             

  UNAIDS Release, Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, Washington Post July 2000

Male contraceptive Pill to be available in five years Scientists say that a male contraceptive pill which is completely effective and has no unpleasant side effects could be on the market within five years, the Guardian reports. A team working at Edinburgh University claim to have achieved complete success in international trials, unlike previous attempts which were hampered by severe side effect such as high blood pressure, weight gain and a loss of sex drive. Professor David Baird of Edinburgh University's center for reproductive biology has described the results as "very encouraging". The pill contains a synthetic steroid, desogestrel, which inhibits sperm production. Its other main ingredient is testosterone, to counteract the loss of sex drive. The results will be formally announced at the World Conference for Gynecologists and Obstetricians in Washington in September. The Scottish Catholic Church, however, has condemned the pill, saying, "as far as we are concerned, any form of artificial contraception is wrong -- a male pill would be as wrong as a female pill."     

 Guardian 17 July 2000

Female Condom Guide Launched in Durban The Female Health Company (FHCO) and the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) have teamed up with the World Health Organization (WHO) to create a new educational guide about The Female Condom. The partners launched the guide at the recent 13th World Aids Conference in Durban. A joint WHO/UNAIDS document, the Guide will help health professionals and community organizations design, implement and monitor the introduction of The Female Condom in a range of different settings. Reflecting field experiences from projects all over the world, the Guide demonstrates how to integrate the Female Condom into existing health programs, including training health providers, communicating to women and men about the Female Condom and facilitating the use of the product. The Female Condom is a transparent polyurethane sheath inserted into the vagina before sexual intercourse, providing protection against both pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases including AIDS, says a FHCO release. The Female Health Company, based in Chicago, USA, owns certain worldwide rights to the Female Condom, including patents that have been issued in several countries including the United States, United Kingdom and Japan. The company's website can be found at the hyperlink below.                    

  Female Health Company Release July 2000                                                                                                         

Links FHCO www.femalehealth.com

Teenagers Need Programs to Help Prevent Repeat Births represent more than one in five births to teenagers, or approximately 110,000 births, according to the Alan Guttmacher Institute. Teenagers who are parenting more than one child are less likely to obtain a high school diploma and are more likely to live in poverty or receive welfare than those who have only one child during adolescence, says an article in the most recent issue of the Guttmacher Report on Public Policy: "Reviving Interest in Policies and Programs to Help Teens Prevent Repeat Births". In particular, programs that adopt an integrated overall health focus, including a strong family planning component, are successful in reducing repeat pregnancy rates. All current and archived articles can be downloaded from the Alan Guttmacher Institute's website at the link below.                                           Young People's Sexual Health Electronic Mailing List    July 2000  

AGI  www.agi-usa.org

Up to 25 per cent of women have experienced forced sex by an intimate partner. In every country where reliable, large-scale studies have been conducted, results indicate that between 10 and 50 per cent of women report they have been physically abused by an intimate partner in their lifetime, according to the World Health Organization's latest Fact Sheet on Violence Against Women. Population-based studies report between 12 and 25 per cent of women have experienced attempted or completed forced sex by an intimate partner or ex-partner at some time in their lives, the fact sheet reports. Interpersonal violence was the tenth leading cause of death for women 15-44 years of age in 1998. 
The Observer June 2000

Drug Companies Under Fire in Durban. Drug companies which refuse to provide cheap AIDS drugs to developing countries have been criticized harshly at the 13th World AIDS Conference which opened yesterday in Durban, South Africa. "AIDS is a holocaust against the poor and the responsibility lies with the drug companies who put their profits before their responsibilities," Zachie Achmat is quoted in the Independent as saying. Achmat is the head of the South African Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) which is campaigning for affordable drugs to be made available to HIV-positive people and those suffering from AIDS-related illnesses. TAC wants World Bank debt relief to be conditional on health care expansion in developing countries. There was "no dialogue" between the pharmaceuticals industry and campaigners at the Durban conference, report other newspapers, including the Financial Times. Harvey Bale, director-general of the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Associations, refused to receive a petition that he said demonized drug companies as "the number one enemy of AIDS patients", the FT reports. In his opening speech, South African president Thabo Mbeki blamed poverty as a primary reason for the AIDS pandemic. He was addressing the 12,000 delegates the conference has drawn. The Independent provides links to AIDS-and-Africa-related websites and can be found at the first hyperlink. Live web casts and updates on the 13th World AIDS conference can be found at the second hyperlink.

                                                                                                                                                                                           The Independent, Financial Times, The Guardian  July 2000

Dutch ship plans to provide abortions. Women living in countries where abortion is illegal may be able to have terminations in a clinic onboard a ship moored in international waters if a planned pilot project is successful later this year -- and if sufficient money is raised to get the project out to sea, The Lancet reports. The idea has been condemned by anti-abortion groups and religious leaders, but Rebecca Gromperts, a Dutch physician who founded the Women on Waves Foundation to support the project said her motive is to offer an alternative to "back street" abortions. According to the World Health Organization, 20 million of the 53 million abortions performed worldwide annually are illegal and unsafe, resulting in the deaths of about 100,000 women. Gromperts said that, according to legal opinion, no law would be broken since the procedures would be carried out in international waters under the Dutch flag and in a Dutch-registered vessel and thus the law of the Netherlands would prevail.                                                                                                                                                                                                         The Lancet  June 2000       

Burden of Ageing in more-developed countries may be greater than anticipated Official estimates of life expectancy in more-developed countries are too conservative, and the predicted burden of a large, elderly population could be worse than expected, according to new US research. Mortality has continued to decline at a remarkably constant rate in the G7 countries over the past 50 years. Assuming this decline will continue, the researchers from Mountain View Research, Los Altos, forecast life expectancy for populations in 2050 and compared them to the official government forecasts. The researchers say that their forecasts are higher than official ones: by up to eight years in Japan, for example. This implies that the elderly population will be larger than official forecasts, with a lower ratio of individuals of working age to those older than 65.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      The Lancet  June 2000

Britain has more teenage abortions than any other country in Western Europe According a new publication on sexual behavior by Penguin Books, Britain has more teenage abortions than any other country in Western Europe. The Penguin Atlas of Human Sexual Behavior, written by Professor Judith Mackay, an adviser to the World Health Organization, is due to be published in July. Her research also states that the US sex industry employs 300,000 child prostitutes, even more than Thailand which employs 200,000.
The Observer June 2000

WHO: Up to 25 per cent of women have experienced forced sex by an intimate partner In every country where reliable, large-scale studies have been conducted, results indicate that between 10 and 50 per cent of women report they have been physically abused by an intimate partner in their lifetime, according to the World Health Organization's latest Fact Sheet on Violence Against Women. Population-based studies report between 12 and 25 per cent of women have experienced attempted or completed forced sex by an intimate partner or ex-partner at some time in their lives, the fact sheet reports. Interpersonal violence was the tenth leading cause of death for women 15-44 years of age in 1998. WHO June 2000 Fact Sheets on Violence Against Women as well as on Female Genital Mutilation Women and HIV/AIDS, Emergency Contraception, Women, Ageing and Health and other issues are available at the link below. For further information, contact the Office of the Spokesperson, WHO, Geneva on 41 (22) 791 2599.
World Health Organization June 2000

New Electronic Publication on Male Circumcision and HIV Prevention The growing evidence that male circumcision is linked to HIV prevention is explored in a new publication by the Horizons Project. Published research on the effects of male circumcision for men living in sub-Saharan Africa shows there is a potential for the practice to be used in preventing HIV infection. In the Horizon report - Male Circumcision and HIV Prevention: Directions for Future Research - international researchers explore the programmatic and research implications of the phenomenon. Meanwhile the IPPF International Medical Advisory Panel (IMAP) has put the issue of male circumcision as a priority for its next meeting. The panel stated: "IMAP has reviewed the available evidence on the role of male circumcision in protecting against HIV infection. The evidence shows that there may be a protective effect but some questions remain unanswered. For instance, whether the protective effect is related to the age at which circumcision is performed. Results from some studies suggest that the protective effect will only occur when the circumcision has been performed before puberty. The biologic explanation for the possible protective effect is not clear. Questions will need to be answered in order to make adequate programmatic recommendations." For a text version of the Horizon report e-mail Cecilia Snyder: csnyder@pcdc.org

IPPF/Management Sciences for Health June 2000

Female Condom Introduced in Ghana The female condom was introduced in Ghana last month, marking the culmination of a venture between the country's Ministry of Health and other international and local organizations. Ghana's first lady Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings stressed the importance of the female condom, saying it offers women control over their reproductive health. "Because of economic, social and gender inequalities, women are ill-placed to get their partners to use male condoms," she said. "Since the female condom is worn by women themselves, it is found to be empowering and is particularly more popular where men are reluctant to use condoms themselves." According to Ghanaian Minister of Health Kwame Danso-Buafo, more than 3,000 medical and non-medical health providers have been trained to offer the female condom.
Female Health Company release/UN Wire June 2000

Diseases turning into silent disasters. While earthquakes and floods capture media headlines and donor dollars, the uncontrolled spread of infectious disease takes the most lives, according to this year's World Disasters Report, released last week by the International Federation of Red Cross and Crescent Societies. The death toll from infectious diseases such as AIDS, malaria and respiratory diseases is 160 times greater than the number killed in last year's natural disasters including the massive earthquakes in Turkey, floods in Venezuela and cyclones in India. "Once a disease like AIDS reaches the kind of proportions we see in sub-Saharan Africa it is no longer a disease, it is a disaster," says Peter Walker, director of disaster policy for the International Federation. "Such a widespread disease destroys the workforce and shatters the economy." This year's report traces the growth of public health disasters from escalating AIDS infections in sub-Saharan Africa, and chronic malnutrition in North Korea, and to the ongoing pubic health and psychological needs that arose from the Kosovo refugee crisis. Funding for developing nations from members of the Organization For Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) sank to the lowest levels since 1991, the reports says, adding that ironically, while infectious diseases claim most lives, they are also the most preventable disasters. The World Disasters Report 2000 can be ordered for US$25 at the e-mail address   below.                                                                                                                                                                     International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies  June 2000                                        Email Contact orders@centralbooks.com

Viagra "is no help to women" Viagra does nothing to help women suffering from sexual dysfunction, researchers revealed yesterday. The first big study of an anti-impotence drug in females concluded that it was no more effective than a placebo. Its manufacturer Pfizer, which funded the study, had hoped the pill would be as successful among them as it is with impotent men. The findings of the study, conducted by the University of British Columbia, are being presented today at a meeting of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology in San Francisco. The survey confirmed smaller preliminary tests.
The Daily Mail May 2000

Women stopped from suing rapists in US federal courts In a set back for women's rights the US Supreme Court yesterday ruled that women who have been sexually assaulted would no longer be able to sue their attackers in Federal Courts. Cases of violence against women will now only be heard in state courts. Earlier Congress had reasoned that federal courts should hear rape cases because of discriminatory stereotypes about rape victims and survivors of domestic violence, state courts were unable to adequately investigate and prosecute some perpetrators of violence against women. However in yesterday’s ruling the Supreme Court decided that Congress had overstepped its power.
International Herald Tribune May 2000

The Pill Celebrates 40 Years of Service to Women Marking 40 years since the oral contraceptive was first introduced, Johns Hopkins University's Population Information Program has issued a review of the use, benefits and risks of the pill. The report says oral contraceptives are now used by more than 100 million women worldwide and are the most popular form of birth control in most countries. The pill is also increasingly used as "emergency contraception" -- to prevent pregnancy after unprotected sex. "A method so widely used merits continuing attention," writes Johns Hopkins researcher Richard Blackburn, the report's lead author. Researchers found that the pill prevents pregnancy almost without fail when taken regularly. It also protects against certain cancers and iron deficiency anemia, which is common and serious in many developing countries. Risks from taking the pill are "much less than the risks of pregnancy and childbearing" in most countries, according to the report. New low-dose pills are also much less likely to cause circulatory system diseases than the original oral contraceptive.
John Hopkins Release/UN Wire May 2000

Young people’s regrets over first sex Young people who have sex before they are 15 often regret it afterwards, according to a large-scale study of the sexual behavior of the age group. The research took place in Scotland prompted by concerns that the proportion of young people having sex before the legal age of consent was increasing. 32 two percent of girls and 27 percent of boys felt sex had happened too early; 13% of girls and 5% of boys felt that it should not have happened at all. A fifth of the girls said they had been under some kind of pressure to have sex both the first time and the most recent time, compared with only 7% and 9% for boys.
The Guardian May 2000

Men Ignorant about Sexually Transmitted Infections Researchers from the Men’s Health Forum have revealed that men in the England are highly ignorant about sexually transmitted infections. The most common sexual infection among men is chlamydia - a bacteria which can cause infertility in women - yet fewer men mentioned chlamydia than any other disease. Only half of the men questioned knew that genito-urinary medicine clinics existed to diagnose and treat sexually-transmitted diseases. One in ten respondents thought they were for treating gum disease. A national campaign has now been launched to try to combat the increase in male sexual infection and encourage men to seek help.
Metro May 2000

The Pill "The Most Major Step Forward for Gender Equity" For the first time in history, women are able to separate the sexual act from reproduction, so they can study and plan careers, said Gloria Feldt on a CNN interview yesterday. Feldt, president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, was speaking on 40 years of birth control pill usage. "Essentially, it's the most major step forward for gender equity, for social justice for women ever in the history of the world," she said, adding that because the hormone levels in the pill today are considerably lower than they were, it is even safer today than it was when it first came out in 1960.
Cable News Network (CNN) 9 May 2000

Raising Taxes on beer Improves Sexual Health A US study on teenage sexual behavior has shown that increasing tax on beer significantly reduces sexually transmitted infections. Data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that a 20 cent tax increase could reduce gonorrhea rates in young people by almost 9 percent. According to Harrell Chesson, author of the study, when teenagers drink, "they are more likely to have sex and they are more likely to have sex without a condom, with multiple partners and with high-risk partners. Drinking influences judgment."
International Herald Tribune 29-30 April 2000