Search

Study Objective: To summarize recent literature on the effectiveness of interventions to prevent adolescent pregnancy and to explore the applicability of these interventions to Latin America (LA). Design, Setting, Participants, Interventions, and Main Outcome Measures: We carried out a rapid review of the literature (2005-2019). Studies were included if: they evaluated interventions targeting adolescents and prevention of pregnancy; they used a randomized controlled design; and pregnancy was measured as an outcome. Applicability of the interventions to LA was assessed using the following information: target population; intervention design and resources; type, skills, and training of providers; system arrangements; and acceptability and social context. Results: Nine studies were included, 5 described interventions in African countries, 2 in the United Kingdom, and 2 in the United States. Interventions were rated as highly applicable to LA in the context of target population, profile of the providers, and design; however, variations arose when assessing system arrangements and social context. Incentive-based interventions showed significant effects in the prevention of adolescent pregnancy and were rated as highly applicable. Conclusion: This review provides professionals, policymakers, researchers, and educators potential criteria to consider when adapting successful evidence-based interventions to prevent adolescent pregnancy in LA.

Youth violence in Latin America is an important public health problem. However, the evidence from preventive programs within the region to address this problem is limited. Identifying context-specific factors that facilitate or hinder the success of interventions is necessary to guarantee the successful implementation of new preventive strategies. We present a systematic review and synthesis of qualitative studies to identify factors affecting the implementation of programs to prevent youth violence in Latin America. We searched 10 electronic databases and websites of international institutions. The quality of the studies was assessed using the critical appraisal skills program checklist, while the certainty of the findings of the synthesis was assessed using the certainty of the qualitative evidence approach. We included eight papers describing five programs in Argentina, Venezuela, Peru, El Salvador, and Mexico. Most of the factors affecting the implementation of programs were aspects related to features of the programs and social/political constraints. The synthesis suggests that future programs can benefit from having a multidisciplinary and/or multisectoral approach involving different key players. At the same time, potential strategies for avoiding problems related to such active engagement should be planned via promoting effective channels for communication and supervision. The review also suggests the importance of increasing awareness and motivation toward the problem of youth violence among relevant agencies and stakeholders. While the limited volume and quality of the literature impact on the ability to draw conclusions, the results could be useful for new programs being designed and the ones seeking to be adapted from other contexts.

In this study, the authors evaluate the impact of the Frontiers Prevention Project (FPP), a community-based strategy for HIV prevention amongst female sex workers (FSW) and men who have sex with men (MSM) in Ecuador. The FPP impact evaluation methodology consisted of a community trial with randomised intervention/comparison assignment and pre-post surveys in six cities in Ecuador (2003–2007). The results suggest prevention strategies involving key populations in their design and implementation can contribute to abating risk behaviours in Ecuador. However, the FPP experience also shows that implementing and evaluating large-scale HIV prevention programmes still present important challenges.

Background: Most studies on parent-adolescent sexual health communication come from developed countries and are based on either parents’ or children’s reports. In developing countries, there is little evidence about the agreement among reports of all parties involved in parent-adolescent sexual health communication. Objective: The objective of this study is to explore the congruence (agreement) between adolescents and their parents about how frequently they discuss on selected sexual health topics. Subjects: A total of 1606 parent-adolescent dyads of adolescents attending the first year in public high schools and their parents, in Morelos, Mexico were sampled in this study. Methods: The participants completed a self-administered questionnaire that included the frequency of parent-adolescent communication about eight sexual health topics. An ordinal logistic threshold model was used to estimate intra-class correlation coefficients within parent-adolescent dyads (as a measure of congruence) and to test if thresholds were equal between parents and adolescents. Results: Congruence in reported frequency of parent-adolescent sexual health communication ranged from 0.205 (menstruation) to 0.307 (condoms) for mother-adolescent dyads, and from 0.103 (ejaculation) to 0.380 (condoms) for father-adolescent dyads. The thresholds (i.e., the cutoff points that define the categories in the observed ordinal variable) differed between parents and adolescents for each of the sexual health topics explored (p Conclusion: Our findings suggest a low congruence between parents’ and adolescents’ reports on parent-adolescent sexual health communication. This might be due to interpretation of frequency and intensity of sexual health communication which differs between parents and adolescents.

The purpose of this study is to describe the knowledge and attitudes regarding abortion of a sample of health professionals in Mexico. In particular, we aim to explore their association with the practice of abortion and the care of post-abortion complications, taking into consideration the present legal framework in Mexico. The data come from an anonymous and computerized survey applied to participants attending a national meeting of gynecology and obstetrics in Mexico in 2009 (n=418). The attitudes of health professionals in relation to abortion play a key role in promoting access to both medical and surgical abortion services. We did not find a statistical association between living in a largely restrictive federal entity and the practice of abortions, which may be explained by the lack of knowledge that these survey participants had about abortion laws in their federal entity. This lack of knowledge about abortion legislation can hinder a woman's access to these services even when the legal framework such access.

Background Little is known about abortion practice in Mexico postlegalization of abortion in Mexico City in 2007. Study Design In 2009, we anonymously surveyed 418 Mexican health care providers at the Colegio Mexicano de Especialistas en Ginecologia y Obstetricia meeting using audio computer-assisted self-interview technology. Results The majority of respondents were obstetrician gynecologists (376, 90%), Catholic (341, 82%), 35–60 years old (332, 79%) and male (222, 53%) and worked with trainees (307, 74%). Prior to 2007, 11% (46) and 17% (71) provided medical and surgical abortions; now, 15% (62) and 21% (86) provide these services, respectively. Practitioners from Mexico City were more likely to provide services than those from other areas. Most medical abortion providers (50, 81%) used ineffective protocols. Surgical abortion providers mainly used either manual vacuum aspiration (39, 45%) or sharp curettage (27, 32%). Most abortion providers were trained in residency and wanted more training in medical (54, 87%) and surgical (59, 69%) abortion. Among nonproviders, 49% (175) and 27% (89) expressed interest in learning to perform medical and surgical abortion, respectively. Conclusion Given the interest in learning to provide safe abortion services and the prevalent use of ineffective medical abortion regimens and sharp curettage, abortion training in Mexico should be strengthened.

In this article reporting on our qualitative study, we describe changes in parent—adolescent sexual health communication following an intervention for parents of 10th graders in Mexico. The intervention was aimed to sensitize and develop skills for appropriate parent—child communication about the prevention of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), unplanned pregnancy, and birth control, and focused on encouraging condom use with emergency contraception backup. We conducted 66 in-depth interviews with adolescents and parents after the intervention. Following the principals of grounded theory, we carried out inductive analysis to create codes and organize central themes. Our findings identify previously undefined critical steps or movements important for parent—child communication about sex. When parents are sensitized to the risks their adolescent children face, it is easier to initiate communication about prevention. These initial movements are essential to achieve substantive conversation, and must be considered in future strategies that aim to promote parent—adolescent communication about sexuality and the prevention of STIs and unplanned pregnancy.

OBJETIVO: Evaluar el conocimiento y uso de anticoncepción de emergencia (AE), y factores asociados en estudiantes de escuelas públicas en Morelos, México. MATERIAL Y MÉTODOS: Estudio transversal realizado entre 2003-2004 con 1550 estudiantes de 14-24 años. Se utilizó regresión logística para identificar factores asociados al conocimiento correcto sobre AE. RESULTADOS: El 40% fueron hombres y 60% mujeres con edad promedio de 19 años. El 60% ha escuchado sobre AE pero únicamente 45% tiene conocimiento correcto; 3% de los estudiantes sexualmente activos la ha usado. Factores asociados al conocimiento correcto: ser mujer (RM=1.66; IC 1.33, 2.06), haber tenido relaciones sexuales (RM=1.77; IC 1.43, 2.18), nivel socioeconómico medio (RM=1.87; IC 1.04, 3.37), vivir en zona semi-urbana (RM=1.34; IC 1.02, 1.77), tomar alcohol (RM=1.78; IC 1.42, 2.22). CONCLUSIONES: En Morelos, el conocimiento de los adolescentes sobre la AE es escaso. La transmisión de mensajes claros sobre su forma precisa de uso resulta necesaria.

Objective To evaluate the effectiveness of an educational intervention for parents of first year high school students in the State of Morelos, Mexico, whose aim was to impact adolescents’ sexual behavior, knowledge and access to contraception. Material and methods Quasi-experimental prospective study with eleven control and eleven intervention schools using self-administered questionnaires for parents and adolescents pre- and post-intervention. Parent–child dyads in the control and intervention schools were matched according to parents’ propensity score; the average treatment effect (ATE) was estimated for adolescent’s outcome variables. Results At follow-up, we found significant differences for adolescents in the intervention schools: 6.8% delayed initiation of sexual intercourse, 14.4% had correct knowledge about emergency contraception (EC), and 164% reported having received condoms from their parents, when comparing with students in control schools. Conclusions Our results suggest that parent-focused interventions could be an innovative and effective strategy to promote adolescents sexual health.

Background The relationship between urbanicity and adolescent health is a critical issue for which little empirical evidence has been reported. Although an association has been suggested, a dichotomous rural versus urban comparison may not succeed in identifying differences between adolescent contexts. This study aims to assess the influence of locality size on risk behaviors in a national sample of young Mexicans living in low-income households, while considering the moderating effect of socioeconomic status (SES). Methods This is a secondary analysis of three national surveys of low-income households in Mexico in different settings: rural, semi-urban and urban areas. We analyzed risk behaviors in 15-21-year-olds and their potential relation to urbanicity. The risk behaviors explored were: tobacco and alcohol consumption, sexual initiation and condom use. The adolescents' localities of residence were classified according to the number of inhabitants in each locality. We used a logistical model to identify an association between locality size and risk behaviors, including an interaction term with SES. Results The final sample included 17,974 adolescents from 704 localities in Mexico. Locality size was associated with tobacco and alcohol consumption, showing a similar effect throughout all SES levels: the larger the size of the locality, the lower the risk of consuming tobacco or alcohol compared with rural settings. The effect of locality size on sexual behavior was more complex. The odds of adolescent condom use were higher in larger localities only among adolescents in the lowest SES levels. We found no statically significant association between locality size and sexual initiation. Conclusions The results suggest that in this sample of adolescents from low-income areas in Mexico, risk behaviors are related to locality size (number of inhabitants). Furthermore, for condom use, this relation is moderated by SES. Such heterogeneity suggests the need for more detailed analyses of both the effects of urbanicity on behavior, and the responses--which are also heterogeneous--required to address this situation.

Objetivo. Analizar la percepción de mujeres y proveedores de salud sobre cuándo y cómo realizar acciones para la detección temprana del cáncer de mama y cervicouterino en localidades de Morelos con presencia de población indígena. Material y métodos. Se entrevistó a 10 proveedores de salud y 58 usuarias en unidades médicas del primer nivel de atención de cinco localidades; luego se analizó la información con base en el paradigma de la teoría fundamentada. Resultados. El personal de salud está deficientemente familiarizado con los lineamientos oficiales para la detección de cáncer cervicouterino y de mama. Pocos practican sus labores bajo una perspectiva de sensibilización intercultural. Las usuarias tienen nociones imprecisas o equivocadas de las acciones de detección. Conclusiones. La necesidad de capacitación con apego a las normas es evidente. Urge asumir un abordaje con pertinencia cultural que permita la comunicación eficiente y alfabetización en salud para la detección oportuna de estos dos cánceres.

Objetivo. Explorar las opiniones sobre el embarazo adolescente y su posible relación con comportamientos sexuales en varones adolescentes de escuelas públicas del estado de Morelos y de la Ciudad de México. Material y métodos. Estudio transversal con cuestionarios autoadministrados a una muestra no probabilística de varones (15-19 años) de ocho secundarias y preparatorias. Se obtuvieron estadísticas descriptivas y modelos multivariados para identificar la asociación entre las opiniones y el comportamiento sexual. Resultados. El 68% identifica al embarazo adolescente como un evento malo. Si hoy embarazaran a alguien, 56% continuaría en la escuela y 18% abandonaría sus estudios. Aquellos que consideran al embarazo adolescente como un evento muy malo tienen mayor posibilidad de usar condón (RM=1.8; p menor que 0.05). Conclusión. Las opiniones de varones muestran constantes contradicciones e incluso algunas de sus opiniones aumentan o disminuyen el riesgo de un embarazo. El diseño y validación de instrumentos exclusivos para varones es imprescindible.