Using data collected from a sample of 325 urban Ghanaian women (ages 15 to 24), this study examined associations between two adapted reproductive autonomy subscales—decisionmaking and communication—and women’s use of modern contraceptives at last sex. It concludes that the reproductive autonomy construct, particularly the decisionmaking subscale, demonstrates relevance for family planning outcomes among young women in Ghana and may have utility in global settings.Read More
Journal Article
Men on the Move and the Wives Left Behind: The Impact of Migration on Family Planning in Nepal
This study compares access to reproductive health services, fertility awareness, and decisionmaking power among a sample of Nepalese married women ages 15 to 24 with migrant husbands and with resident husbands. Decisionmaking for both groups was dominated by husbands and in-laws, but the study found that fewer women with migrant husbands felt pressure to conform to existing social norms. Married women with migrant husbands have...Read More
Prevalence and Correlates of Intimate Partner Violence Against Women in Conflict Affected Northern Uganda: a Cross-Sectional Study
This study aims to further understand the prevalence of IPV toward women and its associations in conflict-affected northern Uganda, where IPV prevalence is high. People residing in this region have been displaced, exposed to war and violence, and had livelihoods destroyed—context-specific risk factors that can affect IPV, yet few studies have examined IPV in this setting.Read More
The Association Between Women’s Social Position and the Medicalization of Female Genital Cutting in Egypt
This study concluded that a woman’s social position in Egypt is associated with the medicalization of her daughter’s genital cutting. Data from Demographic Health Surveys showed that 79 percent of women whose daughters had undergone female genital cutting had the procedure done by a trained health professional. The odds of medicalization increased with a woman’s education and wealth.Read More
Fertility App “Dot” Found to Be As Effective Other Family Planning Methods
Researchers from the Institute for Reproductive Health at Georgetown University Medical Center studied women’s use of the Dot app over 13 menstrual cycles, or about one year. Their study, published in the European Journal of Contraception and Reproductive Healthcare, is the first to test a fertility app using best-practice guidelines for assessing effectiveness of family planning methods.Read More
Community‐Based Father Education Intervention on Breastfeeding Practice—Results of a Quasi‐Experimental Study
Although the benefits of breastfeeding are well‐documented, little is known about how best to encourage fathers to support breastfeeding. This report details the results of a study of a community‐based intervention in Vietnam in which fathers received breastfeeding education and counseling services in health facilities and at home visits during the antenatal, delivery, and postpartum periods. It found that targeting fathers at these times may...Read More
