Is HIV index testing and partner notification safe for adolescent girls and young women in low- and middle-income countries?

Introduction: While HIV index testing and partner notification (PN) services have the potential to reach adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) aged 15 to 24 and their sexual partners in need of HIV testing services, the potential social harms have not yet been studied. This commentary highlights the risks of this approach, including intimate partner violence (IPV), stigma and discrimination, and outlines an urgent research agenda to fully understand the potential harms of PN for AGYW, calling for the development of mitigation strategies.

Discussion: A substantial evidence base exists demonstrating the feasibility, acceptability and effectiveness of index testing and partner notification for adults aged 18 years and older in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), particularly for men, and for adults who are married/cohabiting and referring a current sexual partner.

Positive Youth Development Programs in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Conceptual Framework and Systematic Review of Efficacy.

Purpose: Positive youth development (PYD) has served as a framework for youth programs in high-income countries since the 1990s and has demonstrated broad behavioral health and developmental benefits. PYD programs build skills, assets, and competencies; foster youth agency; build healthy relationships; strengthen the environment; and transform systems to prepare youth for successful adulthood. The goal of this article was to systematically review the impact of PYD programs in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

Barriers to Intrauterine Device Uptake in a Rural Setting in Ghana.

Long-acting reversible contraception is an underutilized method in low-resource areas. Our study aims to: (a) assess knowledge and attitudes around contraception; (b) identify barriers to intrauterine device (IUD) uptake; and (c) develop interventions to address this gap in contraceptive care. We conducted focus group discussions with pregnant, postpartum, and reproductive-aged women, males, and health care workers in rural Ghana.

Recommendations for scale-up of community-based misoprostol distribution programs.

Community-based distribution of misoprostol for prevention of postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) in resource-poor settings has been shown to be safe and effective. However, global recommendations for prenatal distribution and monitoring within a community setting are not yet available. In order to successfully translate misoprostol and PPH research into policy and practice, several critical points must be considered.

A community-based continuum of care model for the prevention of postpartum hemorrhage in rural Ghana.

Objective: To report on Phase 1 of an operations research study designed to reduce postpartum hemorrhage (PPH)-related morbidity and mortality in rural Ghana.

Methods: Phase 1 of the study-which included a needs assessment, community sensitization, implementation of blood collection drapes, training of service providers, and baseline data collection-comprised preliminary work to prepare for misoprostol distribution in Phase 2. Seventy-four primary healthcare providers were trained on safe-motherhood practices, use of blood collection drapes, and data collection.

Integrating women's human rights into global health research: an action framework.

This article uses Scale of Change theory as a framework to guide global health researchers to synergistically target women's health outcomes in the context of improving their right to freedom, equity, and equality of opportunities. We hypothesize that health researchers can do so through six action strategies. These strategies include (1) becoming fully informed of women's human rights directives to integrate them into research, (2) mainstreaming gender in the research, (3) using the expertise of grass roots women's organizations in the setting, (4) showcasing women's equity and equality in the organizational infrastructure, (5) disseminating research findings to policymakers in the study locale to influence health priorities, and (6) publicizing the social conditions that are linked to women's diseases.

Navigating the challenges of global reproductive health research.

Reproductive health research in low-resource settings poses unique and complex challenges that must be addressed to ensure that global research is conducted with strict adherence to ethical principles, offers direct benefit to the research subjects, and has the potential for adoption of positive findings to the target population. This article addresses challenges to conducting reproductive health research in low-resource settings in the following areas: (1) establishment and maintenance of global collaboration, (2) community partnerships, (3) ethical issues, including informed consent and the role of incentives, (4) staff training and development, (5) data collection and management, and (6) infrastructure and logistics. Particular attention to these challenges is important to ensure that research is culturally appropriate and methodologically sound and enhances the adoption of health-promoting behaviors.

Beyond the "birds and the bees": gender differences in sex-related communication among urban African-American adolescents.

The current study examined gender differences in communication about sex-related topics in a community sample of urban, African-American mothers and adolescents living in impoverished neighborhoods with high HIV rates. One hundred and sixty-two mother-adolescent dyads completed self-report measures of sex-related communication. Youth also reported on their sexual risk.

Increasing parent involvement in youth HIV prevention: a randomized Caribbean study.

This article presents preliminary findings of a randomized HIV prevention study in Trinidad and Tobago in the Caribbean. The study centers on a family HIV workshop aimed at strengthening parenting skills that are empirically linked to reducing adolescent HIV exposure and other sexual risks. These skills include parental monitoring; educating youth about HIV, sex, and other sexually transmitted infections (STI's); and discussing cultural and interpersonal pressures to have sex.

Parental monitoring as a moderator of the effect of family sexual communication on sexual risk behavior among adolescents in psychiatric care.

Authors examined if parental monitoring moderated effects of family sexual communication on sexual risk behavior among adolescents in psychiatric care. Seven hundred and eighteen parents reported upon quality of family discussions about sex-related topics and degree to which they monitor teen behavior. Adolescents reported the frequency of their own safe sex practices.