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Biomedical subjects

S Thapa

Publications and source records attributed to S Thapa.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1989

Contraceptive method change among rural Sri Lankan women.

Patterns of contraceptive method change and their association with reproductive motivation and contraceptive failure are examined using data from a 1986 survey of family planning behaviour of rural Sinhalese married women aged 15-44 in seventeen districts of Sri Lanka. A notable degree of rationality in contraceptive method changes occurs with family formation. The attempt to control unwanted fertility leads to more efficacious use of contraception, including traditional methods. Some methodological improvements to the analysis of contraceptive switching are indicated. Implications of the findings for programmatic emphasis on permanent versus non-permanent modern methods are discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

To what extent does breastfeeding explain birth-interval effects on early childhood mortality?

This article shows that in Nepal breastfeeding almost completely explains the effects of following birth interval on childhood mortality during the first 18 months of age and partially explains the effect of following birth interval on childhood mortality between 18 and 60 months of age. Breastfeeding does not explain the effect of preceding birth interval on childhood mortality. The analysis is based on application of hazard models to data from the 1976 Nepal Fertility Survey.

Birth Intervals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Commercial sex workers in Kathmandu Valley: profile and prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases.

This paper presents a socioeconomic profile and the prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), among 341 female commercial sex workers (CSWs) in Kathmandu Valley. Most of the CSWs are from outside the valley, but from within Nepal. Over 50% of the CSWs have a secondary or higher level of education. The average age of the CSWs is 21 years. The average age of first sexual intercourse was 16 years; and, at entering the sex trade, 18 years. The most frequently reported type of sexual activity is vaginal intercourse followed by anal intercourse. Although a large proportion of CSWs are aware of condoms, only one-fifth of them reported using condoms most of the time they had intercourse. The majority of the CSWs are aware of general types of STDs. Slightly over 60% are aware of AIDS, and the majority of them know of at least one mode of AIDS transmission. Gynecological examination based on symptoms revealed that 72% of the CSWs were infected with some type of STD. About 47% had vaginal discharges, 36% had pelvic inflammatory disease, 24% had ulcerative disease, and 4% had urethritis. Blood tests of the CSWs revealed that 28% had VDRL (a test for syphilis), hepatitis B, or HIV. The prevalence of VDRL was the most common, followed by hepatitis B. Of the 341 CSWs, 3 (0.9%) were HIV-positive.

Asia↗
PubMedDate not supplied

HIV / AIDS in Nepal: an update.

HIV/AIDS is a growing problem in Nepal. There has been a 15-fold increase in the number of HIV-infected cases during the period 1990-93. By 1993, 195 cases had been reported to the Ministry of Health. Among the total cases reported, approximately equal numbers of male and female HIV cases are represented. The current estimate of HIV-infected individuals is 5000; however, the number is projected to reach cumulatively 100,000 by the year 2000 if effective preventive measures are not taken. Commercial sex workers and their clients remain the most affected groups. The majority of HIV-infected cases belong to the 20-29 age group. HIV surveillance data indicate that the overall positivity rate increased from 0.20 to 0.70 over the 12-month period, 1991-92. Of the total 195 HIV-infected cases, 24 (12.3%) are reported to be AIDS cases. The AIDS cases doubled between 1991 and 1993. There are three times as many AIDS cases among females than males. Of the total 24 AIDS cases, 11 have died. Case studies illustrate the multi-faceted context in which HIV/AIDS is spreading in Nepal.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMedDate not supplied

A hospital-based study of abortion in Nepal.

This report presents the major findings of a study of induced abortion in Nepal, based on 165 cases out of the 1,576 female patients identified as having abortion-related complications who were admitted to five major hospitals in urban Nepal during a one-year study period. Traditional birth attendants had been the service providers for two-fifths of the women. A longer delay in hospital referrals and lengthier hospital stays occurred for cases of induced abortion than for those of spontaneous abortion. Twelve of the 165 women in the study died in the hospital, most of them from tetanus. Deaths resulting from abortion-related complications represented more than half of all maternity-related deaths in the hospitals studied. The authors suggest that health risks could be reduced considerably by strengthening the hospital-referral system and by taking some preventive steps, such as educating the traditional birth attendants and other paramedical providers about the consequences of unsafe abortion practices; increasing the availability of contraceptive methods; and promoting the use of menstrual regulation, which has recently become available in Nepal on a limited scale, mostly in private clinics.

Abortion, Illegal↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Efficacy of three variations of periodic abstinence for family planning in Indonesia.

A prospective study to determine the efficacy of three alternative guidelines for the practice of periodic abstinence (PA) for family planning was conducted in Indonesia. The three methods studied were the Billings ovulation method, the Dorairaj modified mucus method, and a local version of the mucus method. For each method, the study encompassed a three-month learning phase and an additional 12-month effectiveness phase. Data from a total of 850 acceptors showed that, despite some variations in the sociodemographic characteristics of the acceptors, the Billings ovulation method had the lowest (10.4 per 100 women) and the local mucus method had the highest (26.5 per 100 women) overall life-table discontinuation rates in the effectiveness phase. One-year life-table unplanned pregnancy rates ranged from 2.5 per 100 women for the Billings method to a high of 11.5 per 100 women for the local method acceptors. Unplanned pregnancy was the main reason for termination.

Adult↗