Perceived discrimination has been linked to poor health outcomes among ethnic and racial minorities in the United States, though the relationship of discrimination-related stress to immigrant health is not well understood. This article reports findings from a preliminary study that examined blood pressure and Epstein-Barr virus antibody levels in relation to self-reported indicators of stress, acculturation and social support among 79 adult immigrant Latino farm workers in Oregon, US. Findings show that increases in discrimination-related stress predicted elevated systolic blood pressure (SBP) and Epstein-Barr virus antibody levels among male participants. Though female participants reported similar levels of discrimination stress, this perceived stress was not reflected in biological measures. Among women, greater English language engagement was linked to higher SBP, and more years in the US was associated with higher diastolic blood pressure. Study results suggest that male and female immigrants' physiological responses to stress may be influenced in distinctive ways by processes of adjustment to life in the US. If replicated, the finding that discrimination stress predicts elevated SBP may have clinical and public health implications given that elevated SBP is an established risk factor for cardiovascular disease.

Although the role of testosterone in the aetiology of social dominance is often suggested, surprisingly few studies have addressed the relationship between sex steroid hormones and dominance as a personality trait. In this paper, the relationship between testosterone and dominance is studied in a sample of adolescent boys and girls, taking into account the moderating role of gender ideology and same-sex peer group orientation. A direct association between free testosterone (FT) and dominance was found in girls but not in boys. In boys, masculine ideology moderated the relationship between FT and dominance, while in girls the relationship between FT and dominance was moderated by same-sex peer group affiliation.

Estimates indicate that about 42 million pregnancies are voluntarily terminated every year at the global level, of which more than 80% occur in developing countries. Abortion has been one of the major reproductive health concerns in post-Soviet nations, especially when it is commonly used as a means of fertility regulation. On average, every woman has had around 1.6 abortions in Kyrgyzstan. This paper attempts to measure the role of abortion in fertility regulation using data from the Kyrgyz Republic Demographic and Health Survey (KRDHS), 1997. The analysis reveals that Kyrgyzstan can attain replacement level fertility in the absence of induced abortion by raising the contraceptive prevalence to 70% at the current level of effectiveness. The study also shows that women's attitude towards becoming pregnant and their partner's perception about abortion are significantly associated with the propensity to opt for an induced abortion. Reproductive health programmes need to address these issues, including the enhancement of male involvement in family planning.

Counselling on contraception and contraceptive method provision are key components of post-abortion care (PAC). Some studies have suggested that adolescent PAC patients receive worse care than older women seeking these services. This study aimed to evaluate an intervention whose goal was to improve the counselling and contraceptive uptake of PAC patients, with special attention given to the needs of adolescent patients, in the four public hospitals in the Dominican Republic where PAC services were not being routinely offered. The counselling intervention effort included provider training and the development of adolescent-friendly information, education and communication (IEC) materials. Eighty-eight providers were interviewed at baseline and 6 months after the intervention was implemented. Six months after providers were trained, 140 adolescent PAC patients (≤19 years of age) and 134 older PAC patients (20–35 years) were interviewed about the contraceptive counselling messages and contraceptive methods they received before they were discharged from hospital. The adolescent and older PAC patients were matched on study hospital and time of arrival. Significant improvements were noted in provider knowledge and attitudes. No changes were noted in provider-reported PAC counselling behaviours, with close to 70% of providers reporting they routinely assess patients' fertility intentions, discuss contraception, assess STI/HIV risk and discuss post-abortion complications. Adolescent and older PAC patients reported receiving PAC counselling messages at similar rates. Forty per cent of adolescent PAC patients and 45% of older PAC patients who wanted to delay pregnancy were discharged with a contraceptive method. Adolescents were more likely to receive an injectable contraceptive method whereas older women were discharged with a variety of methods. The PAC counselling intervention increased provider knowledge and improved their attitudes and benefited both adolescent and older patients.

Nearly a quarter of the world's neonatal deaths take place in India. The state of Uttar Pradesh alone accounts for one-quarter of all neonatal deaths in the country. In this study 892 married women aged less than 50 years living in a peri-urban area of Kanpur city in Uttar Pradesh were interviewed. In all, 109 women reported neonatal deaths. Characteristics of the last neonatal deaths of these 109 women were compared with those of the last surviving children. Also, characteristics of women who had a neonatal death were compared with those of 783 women who had no neonatal death. It was found that as compared with neonatal deaths, the last surviving children of the 109 women had: (a) significantly better antenatal tests during pregnancy, intake of iron/folic acid tablets and higher percentage of tetanus toxoid immunization; (b) safer delivery practices such as a higher percentage of institutional delivery, sterilization of instruments and application of antiseptic after removal of umbilical cord; (c) postnatal care, such as application of antiseptic to the navel and postnatal checkups; and (d) higher maternal age and greater birth spacing. Likewise, better antenatal care and safer delivery practices and postnatal care were observed among the 783 women with no neonatal deaths, when compared with women who had experienced neonatal death. The complexities of inter- and intra-household differences in health care are discussed. The paper concludes that to improve child survival general education and awareness regarding safe delivery should be increased. Continuing cultural stigmas and misconceptions about birth practices before, during and after childbirth should be an important part of the awareness campaigns.

Although a growing body of research has linked religious involvement with HIV/AIDS protective behaviour in Africa, the focus has mainly been on women. Given the patriarchal nature of African culture, this paper argues for the inclusion of men, a critical group whose sexual behaviours have increasingly been linked to the spread and sustenance of the virus in the region. Drawing on different theoretical discourses and using data from the 2003 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey, this paper examines how religious affiliation influences men's risky sexual behaviours. While the results from the bivariate analysis suggested that Muslims and Traditionalists were significantly less likely to engage in risky sexual behaviour compared with Christians, those differences disappeared once socioeconomic variables were controlled, rendering support for the selectivity thesis. This finding could benefit programmatic and policy formulation regarding AIDS prevention in Ghana.

Exploring fertility preferences in relation to contraceptive use can increase the understanding of future reproductive behaviour and unmet family planning needs. This knowledge can help assist women in meeting their reproductive goals. The influences on the desire for more children and current contraceptive use were examined among 1528 married women of reproductive age in an isolated community in Bali, Indonesia, using multivariate logistic regression analysis. Women who were younger, had fewer living children, had given birth in the past year and had regular access to health services were more likely to desire children. Being older, having fewer living children, not having regular access to health services, having given birth in the past year and having the desire for more children were associated with a lower likelihood of using contraception. Women with regular access to health care are more likely to desire more children, probably because they are confident in their ability to have successful birth outcomes. However, specialized clinics or family planning outreach workers may be required to reduce barriers to service utilization among some groups. The findings of this study identify key target populations for family planning, including older women and postpartum women – groups that may not perceive themselves to be at risk for unintended pregnancy. Meeting unmet need for family planning among these groups could help women meet their fertility goals, as well as reduce maternal morbidity and mortality.

Consistency in reporting contraceptive use between spouses is little understood, especially in developing settings. This research challenges the accuracy of measuring contraceptive prevalence rate, which is traditionally calculated based on women's responses. Multinomial logistic regression techniques are employed on a couple dataset from the 1999–2000 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) to investigate the consistency in reporting condom use between husbands and wives. The level of inconsistency in reporting condom use was about 46%, of which about 32% was explained by husbands reporting condom use while wives did not, and 14% by wives reporting condom use while husbands did not. Regression analysis showed that couple education and age difference between the spouses are significant determinants of inconsistent reporting behaviour. The findings suggest the need for alternative approaches (questions) in the DHS to ensure consistency in the collection of data related to use of family planning methods.