Biomedical subjects

S Thapa

Publications and source records attributed to S Thapa.

57 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

PubMedDate not supplied

A decade of Nepal's family planning program: achievements and prospects.

Knowledge and practice of family planning in Nepal increased considerably from mid-1976 through mid-1986, with significant improvements in the availability of and accessibility to contraceptives. However, a proportionately larger share of the achievements were made during 1976-81 than in 1981-86. The impact on fertility of contraceptive use during the decade was minimal. Knowledge and use of reversible contraceptive methods remained very low, primarily because of the continued strong emphasis on sterilization in Nepal's family planning program. Consequently, the welfare of many couples who may be in need of contraception for spacing births, but not necessarily for terminating childbearing, does not appear to be adequately addressed by the program. A more balanced emphasis on reversible methods of contraception does not necessarily imply that a substantially higher level of contraceptive prevalence would be required to reach the fertility target. Several steps to improve program performance and contraceptive method mix are suggested.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Evaluation of safety, efficacy, and acceptability of NORPLANT implants in Sri Lanka.

This paper presents findings based on a one-year pre-introductory clinical investigation concerning safety, efficacy, and acceptability of the new contraceptive NORPLANT implants in Sri Lanka. The study is based on 400 acceptors of the implants at two clinics in Sri Lanka. Acceptors' mean age was 27 years, mean number of children was about two, and average educational attainment was eight years. Nearly half of the acceptors did not want to have another child. Follow-up was conducted at one, three, six, and twelve months. The one-year termination rate due to medical problems was very low, and the one-year life-table pregnancy rate was 0.5. Menstrual pattern disruption was the most frequently reported complaint with the implants. Amenorrhea increased in the first three months of use, and intermenstrual bleeding was common among those menstruating. In spite of these changes and some significant variations between the acceptors in the two study center, the overall degree of satisfaction with the implants was very high. The features most important to the acceptability of the implants were low risk of pregnancy, the long duration of action, and the convenience of use. The results of the study suggest that NORPLANT implants are safe, effective, and highly acceptable to Sri Lankan women.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Infant mortality trends and differentials in Nepal.

Infant mortality trends and differentials are estimated from the 1981 Nepal Contraceptive Prevalence Survey (NCPS) and compared with similar estimates from the 1976 Nepal Fertility Survey (NFS) and the 1981 Census of Nepal. The analysis indicates that infant mortality rates derived directly from the NFS maternity histories are the most accurate. Infant mortality rates derived directly from the NCPS maternity histories are severely underestimated and yield a strongly biased trend that is the reverse of the true downward trend. Indirect estimates of infant mortality trends derived from child survivorship data do not result in a consistent pattern. Infant mortality differentials, when expressed in relative rather than absolute terms, are generally consistent with findings from earlier studies. Possible reasons for data quality differences among the three data sources are discussed.

Actuarial Analysis↗