Prevention of congenital Chagas through treatment of girls and women of childbearing age

It is currently unknown whether treatment of Chagas disease decreases the risk of congenital transmission from previously treated mothers to their infants. In a cohort of women with Chagas disease previously treated with benznidazole, no congenital transmission of the disease was observed in their newborns. This finding provides support for the treatment of Chagas disease as early as possible.

Promising Directions: Programs that Serve Iowa Girls in a Single-Sex Environment, September 2000

Promising Directions: Programs that Serve Iowa Girls in a Single-Sex Environment - a resource guide project of the Iowa Gender-Specific Services Task Force. Produced by the Iowa Commission on the Status of Women.

Girl Connection, Girls & Sport-Part II, June 2004

Newsletter for professionals who work with girls involved in or at risk for involvement in the juvenile justice system.

Fathers of girls, fathers of boys: influence of child's gender on fathers' experience of, engagement in, and representations of paternity.

The aim of this study was to examine the influence of child's gender on several dimensions-of paternity: the fathers' personal experience of paternity, their involvement in child rearing, and their representations. A total of 147 Swiss fathers of 18-month-old children (65 girls and 82 boys) relationship to the child or relationship with the child's completed questionnaires. The child's gender had little influence on paternal experience, mother. Globally, the fathers took on few responsibilities which were largely devolved to mothers. Fathers of boys were more involved in child care than fathers of girls. Finally, a discrepancy was found between the fathers representations of paternal roles in rearing girls and boys and the actual level of responsibility that fathers adopted in their relationship with their child.

Girls’ Education: Keeping Girls in School. ( A Literature Review with Implications for Girls’ School Attendence in Cape Verde)

Education plays a very important role in society’s development in order to promote good citizenship and individual rights and freedom. To this end, it is fundamental that girls be included in the education process. Inmost developed and developing countries, theoretically, both males and females have access to education. Cape Verde is no exception; however, the reality is that even in Cape Verde, promoting girls’ education and creating conditions to motivate girls to stay in school remains a challenge. Whereas girls have access to education many girls drop out for gender-related reasons. This paper will investigate girls’ education initiatives in general, and Cape Verde specific to offer recommendations and strategies to keep girls in school.

Subjective pubertal timing and health-compromising behaviours among Swiss adolescent girls reporting an on-time objective pubertal timing.

Aim:  The aim of this research is to assess the associations between subjective pubertal timing (SPT) and onset of health-compromising behaviours among girls reporting an on-time objective pubertal timing (OPT). Methods:  Data were drawn from the Swiss SMASH 2002 survey, a self-administered questionnaire study conducted among a nationally representative sample of 7548 adolescents aged 16-20 years. From the 3658 girls in the initial sample, we selected only those (n = 1003) who provided information about SPT and who reported the average age at menarche, namely 13, considering this as an on-time OPT. Bivariate and logistic analyses were conducted to compare the early, on-time and late SPT groups in terms of onset of health-compromising behaviours. Results:  A perception of pubertal precocity was associated with sexual intercourse before age 16 [adjusted odds ratio (AOR): 2.10 (1.30-3.37)] and early use of illegal drugs other than cannabis [AOR: 2.55 (1.30-5.02)]. Conversely, girls perceiving their puberty as late were less likely to report intercourse before age 16 [AOR: 0.30 (0.12-0.75)]. Conclusion:  Faced with an adolescent girl perceiving her puberty as early, the practitioner should investigate the existence of health-compromising behaviours even if her puberty is or was objectively on-time.

Weight-bearing bones are more sensitive to physical exercise in boys than in girls during pre- and early puberty: a cross-sectional study.

We carried out a cross-section study of the sex-specific relationship between bone mineral content and physical activity at sites with different loading in pre- and early pubertal girls and boys. There was significant sensitivity of bone mineral content of the hip to physical exercise in boys, but not in girls. BACKGROUND: Since little is known whether there are sex differences in sensitivity of bone to loading, we investigated sex differences in the cross-sectional association between measures of physical activity (PA) and bone mass and size in pre- and early pubertal children of both sexes. METHODS: We measured bone mineral content/density (BMC/BMD) and fat-free mass (FFM) in 269 6- to 13-year-old children from randomly selected schools by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Physical activity (PA) was measured by accelerometers and lower extremity strength by a jump-and-reach test. RESULTS: Boys (n = 128) had higher hip and total body BMC and BMD, higher FFM, higher muscle strength and were more physically active than girls (n = 141). Total hip BMC was positively associated with time spent in total and vigorous PA in boys (r = 0.20-0.33, p < 0.01), but not in girls (r = 0.02-0.04, p = ns), even after adjusting for FFM and strength. While boys and girls in the lowest tertile of vigorous PA (22 min/day) did not differ in hip BMC (15.62 vs 15.52 g), boys in the highest tertile (72 min/day) had significantly higher values than the corresponding girls (16.84 vs 15.71 g, p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Sex differences in BMC during pre- and early puberty may be related to a different sensitivity of bone to physical loading, irrespective of muscle mass.

El "teenage consumer" a la Gran Bretanya de postguerra.

El final de la segona guerra mundial va marcar el principi d’un nou context internacional on els Estats Units i la URSS, cada un amb el seu sistema econòmic, es varen convertir en les dues potències mundials en lluita per l’hegemonia mundial. Al bloc occidental els Estats Units varen començar a exercir la seva influència per a estendre un model de societat basat en el consum que es convertirà en el model predominant durant tot el segle XX. Fora dels Estats Units el primer en començar a adoptar aquest mode de vida basat principalment en el consum va ser el teenage consumer britànic. Aquest tipus d’individu altament americanitzat que va sorgir al Regne Unit de postguerra es convertiria en un signe dels canvis que encara havien de venir. Aquest treball pretén definir la figura del teenage consumer, analitzar les causes del seu sorgiment, les seves característiques, els seus hàbits de consum i com va contribuir a la creació de la societat de consum.

Physical determinants of tennis performance in competitive teenage players

It is unclear how physical attributes influence tennis-specific performance in teenage players. The aims of this study were (a) to examine the relationships between speed, explosive power, leg stiffness, and muscular strength of upper and lower limbs; and (b) to determine to what extent these physical qualities relate to tournament play performance in a group of competitive teenage tennis players. A total of 12 male players aged 13.6 +/- 1.4 years performed a series of physical tests: a 5-m, 10-m, and 20-m sprint; squat jump (SJ); countermovement jump (CMJ); drop jump (DJ); multi-rebound jumps; maximum voluntary contraction of isometric grip strength; and plantar flexor of the dominant and nondominant side. Speed (r = 0.69, 0.63, and 0.74 for 5-, 10-, and 20-m sprints, respectively), vertical power abilities (r = -0.71, -0.80 and -0.66 for SJ, CMJ, and DJ, respectively), and maximal strength in the dominant side (r = -0.67 and -0.73 for handgrip and plantar flexor, respectively) were significantly correlated with tennis performance. However, strength in the nondominant side (r = -0.29 and -0.42 for handgrip and plantar flexor) and leg stiffness (r = -0.15) were not correlated with the performance ranking of the players. It seems that physical attributes have a strong influence on tennis performance in this age group and that an important asymmetry is already observed. By monitoring regularly such physical abilities during puberty, the conditioning coach can modify a program to compensate for the imbalances. This would in turn minimize the risks of injuries during this critical period.

La contraception d'urgence chez les adolescents en Suisse: une étude sur la sexualité des 16-20 ans

Objectifs: Faire le point sur les connaissances concernant la contraception post-coïtale (CPC) et son utilisation par les adolescentes, et réunir les recommandations utiles aux médecins prescripteurs. Matériel et méthodes: La revue de littérature concernant la CPC et les résultats d'une enquête concernant les comportements sexuels des adolescents de 16-20 ans en Suisse sont utilisés. Résultats: Plusieurs méthodes peuvent être utilisées incluant les oestroprogestatifs et les progestatifs seuls. C'est surtout à l'occasion de rupture de préservatif, d'oubli de pilule ou d'absence de contraception que la CPC peut être utile. Les adolescents sexuellement actifs semblent connaître l'existence de la CPC et 20% des jeunes filles y ont eu recours en Suisse. Mais les obstacles qui limitent l'accès à la CPC sont nombreux au niveau de l'information et de la qualité des services dans cette situation d'urgence. Discussion et conclusion: La sensibilisation des adolescents et des jeunes aux conditions d'utilisation de la CPC est nécessaire, et doit être associée à un effort de formation des professionnels et de qualité des services pour faciliter l'accès à la CPC. Mots-clefs: contraception d?urgence, contraception post-coïtale, pilule du lendemain, adolescents.<br/><br/>Purpose: To describe and analyze emergency contraception (EC) awareness and use among sexually active Swiss teenagers. Methods: Anonymous computerized questionnaires were distributed to a national representative sample of 4283 in-school adolescents (aged 16 to 20 years) in high schools and professional centers. Young people who were sexually active (51.5% of the sample: 1058 girls and 1073 boys) responded to questions on EC awareness and use and on sexual perception, attitude and behaviors. Univariate analyses and multiple regression analyses were used to describe EC awareness and use and their correlates. Results: Most of the sexually active girls (89.3%) and boys (75.2%) knew of the existence of EC. Of girls, 20% reported having used EC, and the majority of them used it only once (64.1%) or twice (18.5%). EC awareness was positively associated with the father's level of education (girls: odds ratio:5.18), and the scholastic curriculum of the respondent. Gender differences in the correlates of EC awareness demonstrate that girls who had a confidant, or a group of friends or boys of Swiss nationality and those who have had the opportunity to discuss the issue of contraception declare greater awareness of EC. EC use was higher among girls who lived in urban areas (odds ratio: 1.91) and occasionally had unprotected intercourse. We did not find any significant difference in the profile of multiple vs. one-time users. Conclusion: EC awareness and use should be improved through better information and accessibility, especially among teenagers who place themselves in at-risk situations. Keywords: Adolescents, Emergency contraception, Gender differences, Teenage pregnancy prevention, Switzerland.

Bone Mineral Accrual in Physically Active Girls. With Special Reference to Reduction in Physical Activity Level and Use of Oral Contraceptives

Adolescence is an important time for acquiring high peak bone mass. Physical activity is known to be beneficial to bone development. The effect of estrogen-progestin contraceptives (EPC) is still controversial. Altogether 142 (52 gymnasts, 46 runners, and 42 controls) adolescent women participated in this study, which is based on two 7-year (n =142), one 6-year (n =140) and one 4-year (n =122) follow-ups. Information on physical activity, menstrual history, sexual maturation, nutrition, living habits and health status was obtained through questionnaires and interviews. The bone mineral density (BMD) and content (BMC) of lumbar spine (LS) and femoral neck (FN) were measured by dual- energy X-ray absoptiometry. Calcaneal sonographic measurements were also made. The physical activity of the athletes participating in this study decreased after 3-year follow-up. High-impact exercise was beneficial to bones. LS and FN BMC was higher in gymnasts than in controls during the follow-up. Reduction in physical activity had negative effects on bone mass. LS and FN BMC increased less in the group having reduced their physical activity more than 50%, compared with those continuing at the previous level (1.69 g, p=0.021; 0.14 g, p=0.015, respectively). The amount of physical activity was the only significant parameter accounting for the calcaneal sonography measurements at 6-year follow-up (11.3%) and reduced activity level was associated with lower sonographic values. Long-term low-dose EPC use seemed to prevent normal bone mass acquisition. There was a significant trend towards a smaller increase in LS and FN BMC among long-term EPC users. In conclusion, this study confirms that high-impact exercise is beneficial to bones and that the benefits are partly maintained even after a clear reduction in training level at least for 4 years. Continued exercise is needed to retain all acquired benefits. The bone mass gained and maintained can possibly be maximized in adolescence by implementing high-impact exercise for youngsters. The peak bone mass of the young women participating in the study may be reached before the age of 20. Use of low-dose EPCs seems to suppress normal bone mass acquisition.