scholarly journals Births, miscarriages and induced abortions among foreign born women in Finland

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
S Jokela ◽  
M Koukkula ◽  
E Lilja ◽  
R Klemetti ◽  
P Koponen
Keyword(s):  
Soviet Union ◽  
Middle East ◽  
Reproductive Health ◽  
Former Soviet Union ◽  
Sexual And Reproductive Health ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Induced Abortion ◽  
Foreign Born ◽  
Region Of Origin ◽  
Induced Abortions

Abstract Background The increasing number of foreign-born women living in Finland has raised a need for more information about their sexual and reproductive health and need for services. This study explores the prevalence of births, induced abortions and miscarriages as well as the associated socioeconomic factors of foreign-born women. Methods This study used data collected in the Survey on Well-Being Among Foreign Born Population (FinMonik), conducted in 2018-2019. The random sample (n = 6 695) consisted of women aged 18 to 64 years and living in Finland. The participation rate among women was 56% (n = 3 746). The results were stratified according to country groups based on geographic region of origin: Middle East and Africa; Russia, former Soviet Union and Estonia; Asia; EU, North America, Latin America and others. The analyses were conducted with logistic regression adjusting for age. In the analyses, weights were used to reduce non-response bias. Results The proportion of women who had at least one birth in their lifetime varied from 67 to 80%. Those from the Middle East or Africa had the highest proportion of three or more births (41%). The proportion of women who had experienced induced abortion was highest among women from Russia, former Soviet Union and Estonia: 34% of these women had experienced at least one abortion while 20% had experienced at least two abortions. No difference in reported miscarriages was observed between the groups (20-27%). In all groups, married women (82%) and those with only basic education (82%) had more often at least one birth than unmarried women (61%) and those with higher education (70%). Compared to the other groups, lower educated Russian, former Soviet Union and Estonian women had more often experienced at least one induced abortion (44 %). Conclusions There are major differences in the prevalence of births and abortions among women from different regions and educational level. Key messages Challenges in sexual and reproductive health vary by region of origin. Low-threshold health services and health education are needed to guarantee better sexual and reproductive health for all women.

Sexual and Reproductive Health Information and Experiences Among Syrian Refugee Adolescent Girls in Lebanon

2021 ◽  
Vol 31 (5) ◽  
pp. 983-998
Author(s):  
L’Emira Lama El Ayoubi ◽  
Sawsan Abdulrahim ◽  
Maia Sieverding
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Health ◽  
Adolescent Girls ◽  
Sexual And Reproductive Health ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Focus Group Discussions ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Syrian Refugee ◽  
Entry Points ◽  
Depth Interviews ◽  
Source Of Information

Providing adolescent girls with sexual and reproductive health (SRH) information protects them from risks and improves their well-being. This qualitative study, conducted in Lebanon, examined Syrian refugee adolescent girls’ access to SRH information about and experiences with puberty and menarche, sex, marriage, contraception, and pregnancy. We gathered data through three focus group discussions (FGDs) with unmarried adolescent girls, 11 in-depth interviews with early-married adolescents, and two FGDs with mothers. Our findings highlighted that adolescent participants received inadequate SRH information shortly before or at the time of menarche and sexual initiation, resulting in experiences characterized by anxiety and fear. They also revealed discordance between girls’ views of mothers as a preferred source of information and mothers’ reluctance to communicate with their daughters about SRH. We advance that mothers are important entry points for future interventions in this refugee population and offer recommendations aimed to improve adolescent girls’ SRH and rights.

Sexual and Reproductive Health in China

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qianling Zhou ◽  
Chu-Yao Jin ◽  
Hai-Jun Wang
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Health ◽  
Sexual Intercourse ◽  
Sexual And Reproductive Health ◽  
Sexual Transmission ◽  
Induced Abortion ◽  
Gender Based Violence ◽  
The Disabled ◽  
Gender Based ◽  
Contraceptive Practice ◽  
Hiv Aids

Databases of PubMed, Scopus, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) were used to search relevant articles on sexual and reproductive health (SRH) in China published from 2005 to the present (2021), based on the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Operational Framework on Sexual Health and Its Linkages to Reproductive Health. The following results were found. (a) SRH education and information among the Chinese were insufficient, in particular regarding contraception, pregnancy, and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Adolescents, migrants, and the rural population had insufficient knowledge of SRH. (b) Fertility care services were mainly available in large cities, in urban areas, and for married couples. Services targeted for rural-to-urban migrants, rural residents, and the disabled and elderly are needed. (c) A total of 22.4% of youths aged 15–24 had premarital sexual intercourse, and the age of first sexual intercourse was decreasing. Risky sexual behaviors included multiple partners, casual and commercial sex, and having sex after drinking alcohol. (d) The contraceptive practice rate of women aged 15–49 in China was higher than the world’s corresponding figure. However, contraceptive use among young people was low (only 32.3% among unmarried women). (e) Unmarried pregnancy induced by low contraceptive practice is a critical issue in China. (f) Induced abortion was the major consequence of unmarried pregnancy. The rate of induced abortion among the general population in 2016 was 28.13‰, and the rate among unmarried women was increasing annually. (g) There were 958,000 HIV-infected cases in China as of October 2019. Sexual transmission was the major transmission route of HIV-AIDS. More men than women were infected. Men having sex with men comprised the high-risk group of sexual transmission of HIV-AIDS. (h) Gender-based violence including intimate partner violence (IPV), sexual violence, sexual coercion, and child sexual abuse (CSA) might be underreported in China, since many victims were afraid to seek help as well as due to limited services. Legal and regulatory measures should therefore be taken to prevent and reduce gender-based violence. For future perspectives of SRH in China, it is important to pay attention to SRH education and services. An up-to-date national survey on SRH is needed to reflect the current situation and to capture changes over the past decade. Most of the current research has been conducted among adolescents, and more studies are needed among other groups, such as the disabled, the elderly, and homosexual populations.

The Preconditions of Social Identity of a Small State in Transition to Democracy

1998 ◽  
pp. 33-39
Author(s):  
Jurate Morkuniene
Keyword(s):  
Soviet Union ◽  
Social Identity ◽  
Former Soviet Union ◽  
Active Agent ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Transition To Democracy ◽  
Essential Condition ◽  
Adverse Conditions ◽  
The Creation ◽  
Definition Of

The definition of social identity consists of two parts. First, it means protection against threats to the nation’s existence and well-being. Second, it means the search for measures and possibilities to achieve the goals of social development and improvement. Social identity implies the creation and preservation of conditions in which each citizen can develop as educated, creative and responsible persons. Today, especially for nations throughout the former Soviet Union, the chief danger to social identity lies in the adverse conditions of continued underdevelopment. It follows that for these nations, identity means first of all development. The essential condition for a small nation’s identity and survival is based on the people’s resolution to rely on themselves and to envision the potential for their own country. The modern strategy for ensuring social identity would essentially rely on the principle that every citizen is part of the national identity, i.e., its active agent. For this reason, of central importance is the creation of equal starting possibilities (equality of opportunities) for everyone.

Infecundity and Infertility

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie Thoma ◽  
Carie Cox ◽  
Jasmine Fledderjohann ◽  
Rudolph Kantum Adageba
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Reproductive Health ◽  
Sexual And Reproductive Health ◽  
Assisted Reproductive Technologies ◽  
Significant Proportion ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Reproductive Technologies ◽  
Reproductive Age ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Global Epidemiology

This is an advance summary of a forthcoming article in the Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Global Public Health. Please check back later for the full article. Infertility remains a neglected area in sexual and reproductive health, yet its consequences are staggering. Infertility is estimated to impact about 15% (estimates range from 48 million to 180 million) of couples of reproductive age worldwide. It is associated with adverse physical and mental health outcomes, financial distress, severe social stigma, increased risk of domestic abuse, and marital instability. While men and women are equally likely to be infertile, women often bear the societal burden of infertility, particularly in societies where a woman’s identity and social value is closely tied to her ability to bear children. Despite these consequences, disparities in access to infertility treatment between low- and high-income populations persist, given the high cost and limited geographic availability of diagnostic services and assisted reproductive technologies. In addition, a significant proportion of infertility arises from preventable factors, such as smoking, sexually transmitted infections, pregnancy-related infection or unsafe abortion, and environmental contaminants. Accordingly, programs that address the equitable prevention and treatment of infertility are not only in keeping with a reproductive rights perspective, but can also improve public health. However, progress on infertility as a global concern in the field of sexual and reproductive health and rights is stymied by challenges in understanding the global epidemiology of infertility, including its causes and determinants, barriers to accessing quality infertility care, and a lack of political will and attention to this issue. Tracking and measurement of infertility is highly complex, resulting in considerable ambiguity about its prevalence and stratification of reproduction globally. A renewed global focus on infertility epidemiology, risk factors, and access to and receipt of quality of care will support individuals in trying to reach their desired number and spacing of children and improve overall health and well-being.

Sexual and reproductive health priorities of adolescent girls in Lagos, Nigeria: findings from free-listing interviews

2017 ◽  
Vol 30 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Juliet Iwelunmor ◽  
Sarah Blackstone ◽  
Ucheoma Nwaozuru ◽  
Donaldson Conserve ◽  
Patricia Iwelunmor ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Health ◽  
Adolescent Girls ◽  
Teenage Pregnancy ◽  
Sexual And Reproductive Health ◽  
Immune Deficiency Syndrome ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Health Priorities ◽  
Full Potential ◽  
Vaginal Infections ◽  
Health Concerns

Abstract Background Adolescent girls in Nigeria experience a disproportionately high burden of sexual and reproductive health disparities that affect their well-being. Yet, little is known about adolescent girls’ own unique perspectives of the sexual and reproductive health challenges they face, and possible solutions to these challenges. Aims To explore top sexual and reproductive health concerns of female adolescents in Nigeria and their perceptions regarding potential solutions to these issues. Methods Eighty adolescent girls attending two public secondary schools in Lagos, Nigeria completed individual free-listing interviews. Items assessed their perceptions of the most important sexual and reproductive health issues and potential solutions to these issues at the individual and societal level. Data were analyzed using Anthropac 4.98 to sort the lists by item frequency as well as to determine Smith’s salience index (S). Results The top five sexual and reproductive health concerns identified by participants were human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), followed by menstrual pain, vaginal infections, sexual abuse and teenage pregnancy. Adolescent girls stated that youth empowerment programs that provide access to skills-building opportunities and mentors was one potential strategy for addressing their sexual and reproductive health priorities. Other solutions identified were access to medical checkups, general health talks focused on their sexual and reproductive health concerns as well as access to health facilities and opportunities to build self-efficacy skills. Conclusion Adolescent girls in Nigeria need to be engaged in becoming powerful agents in improving their own sexual and reproductive health, and in crafting solutions that may be effective in enabling them to achieve their full potential and rights to health and well-being. The findings will be used to develop an intervention targeting the sexual and reproductive health priorities of adolescent girls in Lagos, Nigeria.

scholarly journals Adolescents' Perceptions About Dating and Sexual Permissiveness in Ebonyi State, Nigeria: What Can Be Done to Enhance Adolescents' Sexual Health and Well-Being

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nkoli Ezumah ◽  
Ifunanya Clara Agu ◽  
Chinyere Okeke ◽  
Chibuike Agu ◽  
Chinyere Ojiugo Mbachu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Health ◽  
Sexual Health ◽  
Sexual Behaviors ◽  
Sexual And Reproductive Health ◽  
Group Discussion ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Casual Sex ◽  
Reproductive Capacity ◽  
Southeastern Nigeria ◽  
Health And Well Being

Introduction: Adolescent sexual and reproductive health (SRH) issues constitute key health concerns as some adolescents are directly or indirectly involved in sexual engagements, with increased risks and health consequences. The study aims to explore adolescents' perceptions about dating and permissive sexual behaviors which will contribute to designing sexual and reproductive health interventions. This paper adds to knowledge on adolescents' perceptions about dating, pre-marital, casual, transactional and age-disparate sex in southeastern, Nigeria.Methods: A qualitative study was undertaken in the three senatorial zones of Ebonyi state, south eastern Nigeria. The study population comprised unmarried in- and out-of-school adolescents aged 13–18 years. Data were collected using a pre-tested focus group discussion (FGD) guide. There were six FGDs for boys and six FGDs for girls. A thematic framework approach was used for data analysis.Results: Adolescents' views about dating and other sexual behaviors were varied. The dominant view is that hugging, touching and kissing are inappropriate for unmarried adolescents. Similarly, pre-marital, casual, transactional, and age-disparate sex were viewed as unacceptable. However, some adolescents perceived pre-marital abstinence as a hindrance to the attainment of sexual satisfaction and reproductive capacity in marriage. Some boys and girls indicated that casual sex is good, because it enables girls from poor homes to socialize with more privileged boys/men, and that such relationships could lead to marriage. Some considered transactional and age-disparate sex as a means of survival from poverty and unemployment. Boys were more permissive in their views about sexual behaviors compared to the girls.Conclusion: Adolescents' perceptions of sexual behaviors as acceptable/unacceptable vary and are gendered. This should be considered in designing innovative strategies to improve adolescents' sexual health and well-being.

scholarly journals Contradictions on the Road to Democracy and the Market in East Central Europe

1992 ◽  
Vol 13 ◽  
pp. 3-25
Author(s):  
Robin A. Remington
Keyword(s):  
Soviet Union ◽  
Central Europe ◽  
Former Soviet Union ◽  
International Political Economy ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
East Central Europe ◽  
East Central ◽  
The Road ◽  
On The Road

This analysis focuses on the dilemmas facing policymakers attempting the transition from one-party hegemonic systems to multiparty democracies in post-communist Europe. It investigates the hypothesis that the political conditions for building democracy and the economic conditions required for establishing market economies in these societies are at cross purposes. The author examines the role of the international political economy in the process of democratization in terms of a framework of three primary variables: identity, legitimacy, and security. In applying these variables to post-communist East Central Europe, five significant arenas emerge in which political and economic imperatives come into conflict. The analysis concludes with policy implications for Western decision-makers whose own future security needs and economic well-being are tied to successful transition from communism to viable democracy in East Central Europe and the former Soviet Union.

scholarly journals The risk of multidrug- or rifampicin-resistance in males versus females with tuberculosis

2020 ◽  
Vol 56 (3) ◽  
pp. 2000626
Author(s):  
C. Finn McQuaid ◽  
Katherine C. Horton ◽  
Anna S. Dean ◽  
Gwenan M. Knight ◽  
Richard G. White
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Soviet Union ◽  
Risk Ratio ◽  
Former Soviet Union ◽  
Purchase Power Parity ◽  
Multidrug Resistant ◽  
World Health ◽  
Foreign Born ◽  
Power Parity ◽  
Increased Risk

Males are at an increased risk of tuberculosis (TB) disease compared to females. Additionally, several risk factors for multidrug-resistant (MDR) or rifampicin-resistant (RR) TB disease are more common in males, hence male TB patients may have a higher relative risk of MDR/RR-TB than female TB patients.We used sex-disaggregated data of TB patients reported to the World Health Organization for 106 countries to calculate male-to-female (M:F) risk ratios of having MDR/RR-TB.There was no evidence of either sex being more at risk of MDR/RR-TB in 81% (86 out of 106) of countries, with an overall random-effects weighted M:F risk ratio of 1.04 (95% CI 0.97–1.11). In 12% (13 out of 106) of countries there was evidence that males were more at risk, while in 7% (seven out of 106), females were more at risk. The risk of having TB that was MDR/RR increased for males compared to females as MDR/RR-TB incidence increased, and was higher for males than females in the former Soviet Union, where the risk ratio was 1.16 (1.06–1.28). Conversely, the risk increased for females compared to males as gross domestic product purchase power parity increased, and was higher for females than males in countries where the majority of TB burden was found in the foreign-born population, where the risk ratio was 0.84 (0.75–0.94).In general, the risk of MDR/RR-TB, among those with TB, is the same for males as for females. However, males in higher MDR/RR-TB burden countries, particularly the former Soviet Union, face an increased risk that their infection is MDR/RR-TB, highlighting the need for a sex-differentiated approach to TB case-finding and care.

scholarly journals Parent-Teen Communication about Sexual and Reproductive Health: Cohort Differences by Race/Ethnicity and Nativity

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (5) ◽  
pp. 833 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hannah Lantos ◽  
Jennifer Manlove ◽  
Elizabeth Wildsmith ◽  
Bianca Faccio ◽  
Lina Guzman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Health ◽  
Teen Pregnancy ◽  
Sexual And Reproductive Health ◽  
Contraceptive Use ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Foreign Born ◽  
Cohort Differences ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Race Ethnicity

Parent-teen discussions about sexual and reproductive health (SRH) are associated with delayed sex and higher contraceptive use among teens. Using the National Survey of Family Growth, we conducted bivariate and multivariate analyses of different types of parent-teen SRH discussions among two cohorts of teens. We describe differences in patterns for males and females by race/ethnicity and nativity, and test for racial/ethnic interactions within each cohort. Analyses found that the prevalence of parent-teen discussions about SRH increased across cohorts. For males and females, there were increases in parent-teen discussions about condoms, and for males only, there were increases in any SRH discussions and discussions about contraception and STIs. Based on interactions, parent-teen discussions and STI discussions increased most for Hispanic females, and among Hispanics, increased most for the foreign-born. These data indicate increases in different types of parent-teen SRH discussions, particularly for males and foreign-born teens overall, and for Hispanic teen females regarding condom use. Future research should examine what factors are driving these changes, including changes in the structure of U.S. Hispanic communities and expansion of evidence-based teen pregnancy prevention programs.

scholarly journals Reforming forensic psychiatry and prison mental health in the former Soviet Union

2006 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 124-126 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert van Voren
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Soviet Union ◽  
Forensic Psychiatry ◽  
Former Soviet Union ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Eastern Bloc ◽  
Prison Reform ◽  
The Past ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Prison Studies

Over the past 2 years the Global Initiative on Psychiatry has developed a wide range of initiatives in the fields of prison mental health and forensic psychiatry in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. Both areas, until recently, were either ignored or deliberately avoided. This is not coincidental. The prison systems in the former Eastern bloc are in essence military organisations with a strict hierarchy and a rather tarnished past. Although some reform programmes in this field were implemented or started during the past decade (e.g. by Prison Reform International and the London Institute for Prison Studies), none of these projects has involved mental health services within the penitentiary system. A society that often limits itself to locking away those who have committed crimes or are suspected of having committed them, and pays only little attention to the physical and emotional well-being of those imprisoned, does not see the mental health of these persons as a priority. Equally unimportant seems to be the mental health of those who guard the prisoners and who are under constant stress.

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