Between worlds: Cis-and trans-identifying diaspora Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) women in Ontario, Canada on the intersections of gender, sexuality and sexual health.

Youth Sexual Health and HIV/STI Prevention in Middle Eastern and North African Communities (YSMENA) is the first community-based research study in Canada to explore key determinants of sexual health among diaspora Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) women living in Canada. Our objectives were to identify the factors influencing sexual health for MENA youth and grow an evidence base to strengthen the sexual health response for MENA communities. Using mixed- method design, data were gathered through a quantitative socio-demographic survey and qualitative focus groups with 24 women-identifying MENA youth (16-29 years) living in Ontario, Canada.

The effects of COVID-19 pandemic on women's access to maternal health and family planning services in Egypt: an exploratory study in two governorates.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has been noted to decrease access to maternal health and family planning services globally. However, evidence from the Middle East and North Africa region is very scarce and limited. We qualitatively explored women's experiences in accessing maternal health and family planning services during the COVID-19 lockdown months in the two Egyptian governorates of Port Said and Souhag.

Evaluation of 2 Intervention Models to Integrate Family Planning Into Worker Health and Livelihood Programs in Egypt: A Difference-in-Differences Analysis.

Recent increases in fertility rates in Egypt and an increase in desired fertility among unmarried young people highlight the need for renewed attention to awareness of and demand for family planning (FP) among young people. Between 2017 and 2018, the United States Agency for International Development-funded Evidence Project tested 2 intervention models to increase awareness of and demand for FP and reproductive health (RH) services among people aged 18-35 years in Souhag and Port Said governorates, Egypt. In Souhag, FP/RH information was integrated into a 5-day livelihood training program for job seekers.

Exploring experiences of infertility amongst women and men in low-income and middle-income countries: protocol for a qualitative systematic review.

Introduction: Infertility is increasingly recognised as a global public health issue for women and men that merits further investigation to support policy and programming. While research in high-income settings has examined the consequences of infertility and access to services, there has been limited synthesis of how individuals experience infertility in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). This protocol describes a systematic review that will synthesise qualitative evidence on experiences of infertility among women and men in LMICs.

Medical and non-medical reasons for cesarean section delivery in Egypt: a hospital-based retrospective study.

Background: Caesarean section (CS) is an important lifesaving intervention that can reduce maternal and newborn morbidity and mortality. The dramatic increase in CS rates globally has prompted concerns that the procedure may be overused or used for inappropriate indications. In Egypt, CS rates are alarmingly high, accounting for 52% of all deliveries.

Do public health services in Egypt help young married women exercise their reproductive rights?

Objective: To assess supply and demand of family planning services from a reproductive rights perspective among young married women (YMW) in Egypt.

Methods: Data sources related to family planning included structured interviews with service providers (n=216); an inventory of equipment and supplies (n=40); exit interviews with YMW (n=147); and focus group discussions (n=12) with YMW, husbands, and mothers and/or mothers in law. YMW, husbands and mothers in law were not necessarily related.

Do improvements in client-provider interaction increase contraceptive continuation? Unraveling the puzzle.

Objective: Evidence on the association between client-provider interaction (CPI) and contraceptive continuation has been mixed. This paper attempts to unravel the puzzle by examining various factors that may have contributed to the mixed results.

Methods: This paper critically reviews key studies that examined the association between CPI and contraceptive continuation.

The relevance of client-centered communication to family planning settings in developing countries: lessons from the Egyptian experience.

Concern for client's rights in the provision of reproductive health services in the developing world has prompted intense efforts by international experts to promote client-centered models of communication as a replacement for more provider-centered approaches. Nonetheless, the usefulness or feasibility of cross-cultural transplantation of client-centered models of communication has not been examined. The present study examines the feasibility, acceptability, and effectiveness of client-centered models of communication in 31 family planning clinics in Egypt.