Depressive and post-traumatic stress symptoms following termination of pregnancy in South African women: A longitudinal study measuring the effects of chronic burden, crisis support and resilience.

Background: Termination of pregnancy (TOP) remains a controversial issue, regardless of legislation. Access to services as well as psychological effects may vary across the world.

Objectives And Methods: To better understand the psychological effects of TOP, this study describes the circumstances of 102 women who underwent a TOP from two socioeconomic sites in Johannesburg, South Africa, one serving women with few economic resources and the other serving women with adequate resources.

Intervention to influence behaviors linked to risk of chronic diseases: a multisite randomized controlled trial with African-American HIV-serodiscordant heterosexual couples.

Background: The high morbidity and mortality in African Americans associated with behavior-linked chronic diseases are well documented.

Methods: We tested the efficacy of an intervention to increase multiple health-related behaviors in African Americans. In a multisite cluster-randomized controlled trial, groups of African American human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-serodiscordant heterosexual couples in Atlanta (Georgia), Los Angeles (California), New York (New York), and Philadelphia (Pennsylvania) were allocated to an individual-focused health promotion that addressed multiple health-related behaviors or to a couple-focused HIV/sexually transmitted disease (STD) risk reduction intervention.

Case vignette: child abuse or acceptable cultural norms -- child psychiatrist's response; ethical issues in culturally relevant interventions; cultural contexts.

Three families from the nation of the Gambia have become socially acquainted in the greater Metropolis area where they have relocated from their native country. All three families have preadolescent daughters. None of the girls has as yet undergone the ritual "female circumcision" commonly practiced in their native country.