OBJECTIVES To evaluate evidence for the effectiveness of female controlled physical and chemical barrier methods in preventing STI/HIV transmission, to examine recent reviews on microbicide development, and to highlight promising research directions. To discuss challenges in conducting effectiveness research and in translating results to public health intervention. METHODS Systematic review o...

Results of a 1994-1995 national survey of 9,985 abortion patients reveal that women who live with a partner outside marriage or have no religious identification are 3.5-4.0 times as likely as women in the general population to have an abortion. Nonwhites, women aged 18-24, Hispanics, separated and never-married women, and those who have an annual income of less than +15,000 or who are enrolled ...

Andrology has a long history in traditional Chinese medicine. There are records of male sexual health, male sexual dysfunction and male infertility from over thousands of years ago. Modern andrology in China had a late start, with the Chinese Andrology Association founded in 1995. Within last decade, andrology in China has grown rapidly. In this review article, we summarized the progress of and...

Aims. To identify men’s knowledge and attitude to contraception and to determine whether there are differences in those men who have previous experience of termination of pregnancy (TOP) compared to those without experience. Method. Cross-sectional survey by written questionnaire of male attenders at a genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinic. Results. In total 999 men, aged 15 to 70 years, complete...

BACKGROUND Simultaneous condom and hormonal contraception usage ('dual method use') maximises protection against pregnancy and sexually transmitted infection (STI), although there is concern that promotion of this strategy could result in diminished condom use and inadvertently increase STI risk. In this study, we (1) assessed how the use of dual methods, versus condoms alone, related to STI an...

BACKGROUND Family planning counselling which covers knowledge transfer about contraceptive mode of action, by enabling informed choice, improves compliance to and efficiency of contraceptive methods. The objective of this study was to investigate associations between family planning counselling, counsellor and correct knowledge about mode of action of modern contraceptive methods among married ...

OBJECTIVES To describe contraceptive risk and compensatory behaviour, using condoms or emergency contraception (EC), in young people in education aged 16-24 years. DESIGN Cross-sectional study. SUBJECTS A total of 1135 students aged 16-24 years. SETTING Educational establishments in and around London, UK. RESULTS Seventy-six percent of women and 55% of men reported having experienced se...

CONTEXT First coitus is considered a major transitional event imbued with cultural relevance. Research has focused on classifying women as virgins, with primary interest in pregnancy and sexually transmitted infection prevention and less on sexuality. This study prospectively explored young women's sexual interest and love at first and subsequent coitus. METHODS Daily diary data were collecte...

PURPOSE To describe women's condom use and assess predictors of consistent condom use and dual method use in the 6 months after the initiation of oral contraception (OC). METHODS We conducted a planned secondary cohort analysis among women less than 25 years of age initiating oral contraceptives at public family planning clinics in Atlanta, Dallas and New York City, USA, as part of a randomiz...

OBJECTIVES Female condoms are the only female-initiated HIV and pregnancy prevention technology currently available. We examined female condom counselling and provision among providers in South Africa and Zimbabwe, high HIV-prevalence countries. DESIGN A cross-sectional study using a nationally representative survey. SETTING All facilities that provide family planning or HIV/sexually transm...