Comprehensive Sexual And Reproductive Health Services Research Articles

Access to and acceptability of sexual and reproductive health, harm reduction and other essential health services among people who inject drugs in Durban, South Africa

BackgroundPeople who inject drugs (PWID) are at risk of HIV acquisition. The number of PWID in South African cities is increasing, and in spite of an advanced HIV prevention and treatment programme, there are PWID who experience challenges accessing sexual and reproductive health (SRH) and HIV related services. Access to and acceptability of SRH and harm reduction services by PWID needs to be further understood and explored.MethodsIn-depth interviews (IDIs) were conducted with 10 key stakeholders and 11 PWID, in Durban, South Africa. Interviews were transcribed and translated. Data were thematically analysed using Dedoose software.ResultsParticipants described stigma/discrimination from healthcare workers and other clients accessing services as barriers to accessing healthcare services. They were concerned about long waiting times at healthcare facilities because of possibilities of withdrawal, as well as lost opportunities to “hustle”. Targeted, non-discriminatory services, as well as mobile clinics existed in the city. Non-governmental organisations reportedly worked together with the public sector, facilitating access to HIV and TB prevention and treatment services. There were also needle exchange programmes and a harm reduction clinic in the city. However, there was limited access to contraceptive and STI services. Although there was reportedly good access to HIV and TB and harm reduction services in the city of Durban, uptake was low.ConclusionsThe integration of services to enable PWID to access different services under one roof is critical. There is also a need to strengthen linkages between public and private healthcare, and ensure services are provided in a non-discriminatory environment. This will facilitate uptake and access to more comprehensive SRH and harm reduction services for PWID in Durban, South Africa.

The provision of sexual and reproductive health information and services to travellers: an exploratory survey of Australian travel medicine clinicians.

International travel can increase the risk of exposure to infectious diseases including sexually transmissible infections (STI). Pre-travel medical consultation provides an opportunity for travel-related health risk assessments and advice. This study explored how travel medicine clinicians integrate sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services into clinical practice. A convenience sample of travel medicine clinicians completed a cross-sectional survey online or via hard-copy disseminated at an annual national Australian travel medicine conference. Of the 67 respondents, most (n, 51; 76.1%) had a postgraduate qualification relevant to travel medicine and 55.2% (n, 37) had worked in travel medicine for over 10years. Only 22.4% (n, 15) reported conducting a SRH history/STI risk assessment for all travel patients. STI testing pre-departure was conducted on patient request (48, 71.6%), if symptomatic (32, 47.8%) or based on risk history (28, 41.8%). SRH information pre-departure was most frequently provided if prompted by patient questions (n, 42; 62.7%), or based on the patient's history (n, 37; 55.2%). Over half the sample (n, 40; 59.7%) expressed interest in further training in SRH. Providing and engaging with additional training may assist travel medicine clinicians to take a more proactive approach to SRH consultations and STI testing. Additional research is needed to explore models of care that will allow comprehensive SRH and STI services to be integrated into standard pre- and post-travel care.

Enhancing self-care and access – The Dutch stepped care model to strategically organize public sexual health for young people

Public Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) services are traditionally provided face-to-face by Dutch Sexual Healthcare Clinics. High demand for these services led to the exploration of digital health to increase access and support self-care. However, the implementation was fragmented and uncoordinated. Therefore, the Stepped Care Model (SCM) was introduced to (1) organize coordination and cooperation between regional and national providers of public SRH-services for young people; (2) link digital services to clinical services and identify opportunities for new digital services; (3) increase the accessibility of SRH-services; and (4) stimulate self-care. This article describes the Dutch SCM and how digital health is integrated The process started by identifying key stakeholders and promoting collaboration followed by development and implementation of an unified national online platform to access comprehensive SRH services. The different levels of care of the existing services were categorized and overlap between services were inventoried. Based on ‘ideal client journeys’ for different sexual health themes, relevant services on different care levels were linked to each other and new opportunities for digital or combined digital-professional supported services were identified. It is explained how young people can gain easy access to increasingly specific and specialist services at the higher steps of the model via the online central portal with general information as a first step. The lessons learned highlight the importance of partnerships, coordination and a shared strategy leading to reduced fragmentation and increased accessibility of services and more self-care. The constraints of the Dutch SCM are related to restricted evaluation possibilities due to anonymized client data, limited target group involvement, complexity of digital service development along with possible resistance from health professionals. The SCM shows how efficiency in health systems can be achieved following the principle of economies of scale: more coordination and less fragmentation, leading to lower costs for development and implementation of digital services, availability and bundling of specialized technical and regulatory expertise and financial resources, ultimately leading to reduced waiting times and more self-care for young people.

System-level factors influencing refugee women's access and utilization of sexual and reproductive health services: A qualitative study of providers' perspectives.

Refugee women have poor outcomes and low utilization of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services, which may be driven by access to and quality of SRH services at their resettled destinations. While healthcare providers offer valuable insights into these topics, little research has explored United States (U.S.) providers' experiences. To fill this literature gap, we investigate U.S. providers' perspectives of healthcare system-related factors influencing refugee women's access and utilization of SRH services. Between July and December 2019, we conducted in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 17 providers serving refugee women in metropolitan Atlanta in the state of Georgia (United States). We used convenience and snowball sampling for recruitment. We inquired about system-related resources, facilitators, and barriers influencing SRH services access and utilization. Two coders analyzed the data using a qualitative thematic approach. We found that transportation availability was crucial to refugee women's SRH services access. Providers noted a tension between refugee women's preferred usage of informal interpretation assistance (e.g., family and friends) and healthcare providers' desire for more formal interpretation services. Providers reported a lack of funding and human resources to offer comprehensive SRH services as well as several challenges with using a referral system for women to get SRH care in other systems. Culturally and linguistically-concordant patient navigators were successful at helping refugee women navigate the healthcare system and addressing language barriers. We discussed implications for future research and practice to improve refugee women's SRH care access and utilization. In particular, our findings underscore multilevel constraints of clinics providing SRH care to refugee women and highlight the importance of transportation services and acceptable interpretation services. While understudied, the use of patient navigators holds potential for increasing refugee women's SRH care access and utilization. Patient navigation can both effectively address language-related challenges for refugee women and help them navigate the healthcare system for SRH. Future research should explore organizational and external factors that can facilitate or hinder the implementation of patient navigators for refugee women's SRH care.

HIV and SRH healthcare delivery experiences of South African healthcare workers and adolescents and young people during COVID-19

ABSTRACT While substantial research has emerged from the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as from studies with adolescent populations, there has been a dearth of research focused in South Africa on the context-specific experiences of healthcare workers (HCWs) and the adolescents and young people (AYP) to whom they provide services. This article documents the experiences of provision and receipt of HIV and sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services during the COVID-19 pandemic from the perspective of South African HCWs (n = 13) and AYP (n = 41, ages 17–29). Findings highlight several barriers to accessing comprehensive HIV and SRH services during the pandemic including lockdown-related mobility restrictions (reported by HCWs), prioritisation of COVID-19 above other healthcare needs, longer health facility waiting times, poor treatment by HCWs (reported by AYP), discomfort and perceived stigma from having to queue outside health facilities, and fear of contracting COVID-19 (reported by both groups). While HCWs reported that HIV and SRH services continued to be available during the pandemic, AYP described seeking these services – such as long-acting reversible contraception, check-ups for their babies and medical refills – and being told that because they were not considered emergency cases, they should return on a different date. By capturing diverse experiences and perspectives from both groups, our findings reiterate the growing call for health system investments to strengthen the delivery of adolescent services, including investing in appropriate channels of communication between young people and their healthcare providers (for example, through adolescent peer supporters or community healthcare workers) and differentiated models of service delivery (for example, multi-month ART refills and community pick-ups). Closing the gap between the experiences and needs of adolescents and the healthcare workers who serve them may support young people and HCWs in buffering against changes brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Reproductive Health Services: Attitudes and Practice of Japanese Community Pharmacists.

The provision of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services is an important part of a community pharmacist’s role in many countries. However, such services are not traditionally provided by pharmacists in Japan. We surveyed the practice and attitudes regarding the provision of SRH services among Japanese community pharmacists with a focus on reproductive health (RH) topics. The participants were asked about the provision of RH services, attitudes toward their role as SRH providers, and self-reported confidence in providing education to patients on RH topics. We obtained 534 effective responses. About half of the participants reported providing RH services, and only 21% were involved in dispensing emergency contraception pills. Although the proportion of pharmacists providing education on these topics was considerably lower, about 80% recognized the importance of their role as SRH advisors. Confidence in providing patient education about RH topics depended on their experience in providing such services. Most participants were interested in additional SRH training (80%). Our results suggest that training programs could help to expand Japanese community pharmacists’ roles as SRH providers and increase their confidence in the education of patients. This study provides useful insights to expand pharmacists’ roles in Japan as providers of comprehensive SRH services.

Integrating sexual and reproductive health into health system strengthening in humanitarian settings: a planning workshop toolkit to transition from minimum to comprehensive services in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Bangladesh, and Yemen

BackgroundPlanning to transition from the Minimum Initial Service Package for Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) toward comprehensive SRH services has been a challenge in humanitarian settings. To bridge this gap, a workshop toolkit for SRH coordinators was designed to support effective planning. This article aims to describe the toolkit design, piloting, and final product.MethodsAnchored in the Health System Building Blocks Framework of the World Health Organization, the design entailed two complementary and participatory strategies. First, a collaborative design phase with iterative feedback loops involved global partners with extensive operational experience in the initial toolkit conception. The second phase engaged stakeholders from three major humanitarian crises to participate in pilot workshops to contextualize, evaluate, validate, and improve the toolkit using qualitative interviews and end-of-workshop evaluations. The aim of this two-phase design process was to finalize a planning toolkit that can be utilized in and adapted to diverse humanitarian contexts, and efficiently and effectively meet its objectives. Pilots occurred in the Democratic Republic of Congo for the Kasai region crisis, Bangladesh for the Rohingya humanitarian response in Cox’s Bazar, and Yemen for selected Governorates.ResultsResults suggest that the toolkit enabled facilitators to foster a systematic, participatory, interactive, and inclusive planning process among participants over a two-day workshop. The approach was reportedly effective and time-efficient in producing a joint work plan. The main planning priorities cutting across settings included improving comprehensive SRH services in general, healthcare workforce strengthening, such as midwifery capacity development, increasing community mobilization and engagement, focusing on adolescent SRH, and enhancing maternal and newborn health services in terms of quality, coverage, and referral pathways. Recommendations for improvement included a dedicated and adequately anticipated pre-workshop preparation to gather relevant data, encouraging participants to undertake preliminary study to equalize knowledge to partake fully in the workshop, and enlisting participants from marginalized and underserved populations.ConclusionCollaborative design and piloting efforts resulted in a workshop toolkit that could support a systematic and efficient identification of priority activities and services related to comprehensive SRH. Such priorities could help meet the SRH needs of communities emerging from acute humanitarian situations while strengthening the overall health system.

Sexual and reproductive health correlates of polysubstance use among female adolescents who sell sex in the southwest of China

BackgroundSubstance use and adverse sexual and reproductive health (SRH) outcomes continue to be significant threats to female adolescents’ health and wellbeing, particularly to these marginalized subpopulations. Our research aimed to tackle knowledge gaps regarding the prevalence of concurrent substance use including alcohol, tobacco, illicit drug among Chinese adolescent female sex workers (AFSWs), while to assess the correlates between substance use and SRH risks; the needs for comprehensive SRH services were also examined in this study.MethodsA cross-sectional study enrolled 310 AFSWs aged 15–19 years by using cluster sampling method in Kunming, China. Descriptive analysis was employed to characterize the participants who were regular-alcohol users, regular-tobacco users, illicit drug users and polysubstance users. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to detect the SRH correlates of regular-alcohol use, regular-tobacco use, illicit drugs and polysubstance use respectively.ResultsThere is a high prevalence of regular-alcohol drinking (83%, 257/310) among AFSWs, with 44% (136/310) smoking cigarettes regularly and 9% using illicit drug (27/310) in the past year. In multivariate analysis, AFSWs who had middle and high school education, had higher monthly income, experienced of sexual and gender based violence (SGBV) and prior abortion, and regular-tobacco smoking were associated with increased odds of regular-alcohol drinking; engaging in unprotected sex while drunk, having STIs symptoms and using illicit drugs were significantly associated with regular-tobacco smoking; while AFSWs who had an illicit drug using- intimate partner, experienced forced sexual initiation, accessed unsafe medical providers for STIs treatment were associate with increased odds of illicit drug use. Moreover, 35% (105/298) AFSWs sought unsafe medical care for STIs treatment, or no treatment at all, among them, majority were using polysubstance (87%; 91/105).ConclusionsOur findings reveal combined threats of substance use to AFSWs’ SRH and wellbeing in China, this study emphasises that the coordinated efforts are needed to integrate SRH promotion and harm reduction service across sectors, and not only fragmented measures. An effective response should include an agreed framework, indicators and targets supported by political will, solid leadership and policy reform to deal with AFSWs’ overlapping vulnerabilities in a systematic way.

Availability, accessibility, and quality of adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) services in urban health facilities of Rwanda: a survey among social and healthcare providers

BackgroundAdolescents are still getting pregnant and contracting Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) in Rwanda as elsewhere. Quality and comprehensive SRH services and information for adolescents is valuable for adolescents’ wellbeing. This study aimed at understanding SRH services providers’ viewpoints on accessibility, availability, and quality of SRH services provided to adolescents in selected cities of Rwanda.MethodThe study was a descriptive cross-sectional survey conducted between May 2018 and May 2019 in six selected cities of Rwanda using a mixed-methods approach. A checklist was used to collect data from 159 conveniently selected SRH services providers. The survey tool was validated. SPSS version 20 was used to describe quantitative data and ATLAS TI version 5.2 was used to code and analyze the qualitative data thematically.ResultsQualitatively, health care providers reported that the availability of adolescent SRHS are satisfactory with access to accurate SRH information, contraceptive methods, prevention and management of STIs and HIV services, and counselling. However, the accessibility of some services remains limited. According to respondents, some products such as female condoms are less in demand and often expire before they can be distributed. One nurse clarified that they render services at a low price if an adolescent has insurance medical coverture. Religious leaders and family members may hinder adolescents from health-seeking behavior by promoting abstinence and discouraging use of protective means. Quantitatively, we found that 94.3% of health facilities provide information to adolescents on SRH services that were available and 51.6% affirmed delivering services at a low cost. Only 57.2% of respondents mentioned that adolescents are involved in designing the feedback mechanisms at their facilities.ConclusionSRH services in Rwanda are available for the general population and are not specifically designed for adolescents. These SRH services seem to be fairly accessible to adolescents with insufficient quality as adolescents themselves do not get to be fully involved in service provision among other aspects of quality SRH as stated by the World Health Organization (WHO). Therefore, there is a need to improve the present quality of these services to meet adolescents’ needs in an urban setting.

Budgeting for comprehensive sexual and reproductive health and rights under universal health coverage

Achieving universal health coverage (UHC) for sexual and reproductive health (SRH) requires informed budgeting that is aligned with UHC objectives. We draw data from Adding It Up 2019 (AIU-2019) to provide critical new country-level and regional, intervention-specific costs for the provision of SRH services. AIU-2019 is a cost-outcomes analysis, undertaken from the health system perspective, which estimates the costs and impacts of offering SRH care in low- and middle-income countries. We present direct cost estimates for 109 SRH interventions and find that human resources comprise the largest category of direct SRH service costs and that the most expensive services in the model are largely preventable. We use scenario analysis to explore the synergistic costs and impacts of providing SRH interventions in clusters, focussing on chlamydia and gonorrhoea treatment, provision of safe abortion and post-abortion care services, and safe childbirth services. When costs are considered for the preventive and impacted services in these three clusters, there are cost savings for some of the impacted services in the packages and for the abortion-related package overall. The direct cost estimates from our analysis can be used to guide UHC budgeting and planning efforts. Having these cost estimates and understanding the potential for cost savings when providing comprehensive SRH services are critical for efforts to fulfil the rights and needs of all individuals, including the most marginalised, to access this essential care.

Situation analysis for delivering integrated comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services in humanitarian crisis condition for Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh: protocol for a mixed-method study

IntroductionRohingya diaspora are one of the most vulnerable groups seeking refuge in camps of Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, arising an acute humanitarian crisis. More than half of the Rohingya refugees are...

A cross-sectional mixed-methods study of sexual and reproductive health knowledge, experiences and access to services among refugee adolescent girls in the Nakivale refugee settlement, Uganda

BackgroundHumanitarian crises and migration make girls and women more vulnerable to poor sexual and reproductive health (SRH) outcomes. Nevertheless, there is still a dearth of information on SRH outcomes and access to SRH services among refugee girls and young women in Africa. We conducted a mixed-methods study to assess SRH experiences, knowledge and access to services of refugee girls in the Nakivale settlement, Uganda.MethodsA cross-sectional survey among 260 adolescent girls 13–19 years old was conducted between March and May 2018. Concurrently, in-depth interviews were conducted among a subset of 28 adolescents. For both methods, information was collected regarding SRH knowledge, experiences and access to services and commodities. The questionnaire was entered directly on the tablets using the Magpi® app. Descriptive statistical analysis and multinomial logistic regression were performed. Qualitative data was transcribed and analysed using thematic content analysis.ResultsA total of 260 participants were interviewed, with a median age of 15.9 years. The majority of girls were born in DR Congo and Burundi. Of the 93% of girls who had experienced menstruation, 43% had ever missed school due to menstruation. Regarding SRH knowledge, a total of 11.7% were not aware of how HIV is prevented, 15.7% did not know any STI and 13.8% were not familiar with any method to prevent pregnancy. A total of 30 girls from 260 were sexually active, of which 11 had experienced forced sexual intercourse. The latter occurred during conflict, in transit or within the camp. A total of 27 of 260 participants had undergone female genital mutilation (FGM). The most preferred sources for SRH information was parents or guardians, although participants expressed that they were afraid or shy to discuss other sexuality topics apart from menstruation with parents. A total of 30% of the female adolescents had ever visited a SRH service centre, mostly to test for HIV and to seek medical aid for menstrual problems.ConclusionsAdolescent refugee girls lack adequate SRH information, experience poor SRH outcomes including school absence due to menstruation, sexual violence and FGM. Comprehensive SRH services including sexuality education, barrier-free access to SRH services and parental involvement are recommended.

Advocating for Adolescent and Young Adult Male Sexual and Reproductive Health: A Position Statement From the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine

There is a critical need to improve the sexual and reproductive health (SRH) education and care of adolescent and young adult (AYA) males around the globe, as SRH is a basic human right for all AYAs. This special attention toward the SRH of AYA males is warranted given the fact that they often have difficulty accessing SRH services and education relative to their female counterparts and have higher rates of sexual risk behaviors than females. To promote AYA males’ SRH and the health of their sexual partners and children, the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine (SAHM) recommends that leaders in research, policy, public health, and clinical practice develop and implement evidence-based, comprehensive SRH education that supports AYA males at school, within communities and families, and through healthcare services that are developmentally appropriate, gender affirming, inclusive of, and informed by AYA males. Additionally, SAHM recommends that healthcare systems and healthcare professionals (HCPs) across disciplines establish and implement competencies for SRH education and skills preparation to meet the unique needs of AYA males across diverse healthcare and community settings. This statement examines multilevel barriers that AYA males face in accessing comprehensive SRH education and services and makes recommendations aligned with the World Health Organization's 2030 Sustainable Development Goals to address such barriers, improve AYA male SRH, and promote overall gender equity in SRH services.

Quality of Care of Sexual Reproductive Health Services in Antiretroviral Therapy Clinics Attended By Perinatally HIV-Infected Adolescents in Uganda

Introduction: Perinatally HIV-infected adolescents have the right to healthy sexual and reproductive lives like their HIV uninfected counterparts. The study assessed the quality of care of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services in antiretroviral therapy (ART) clinics attended by perinatally-infected HIV adolescents. Methods: The study was guided by Judith Bruce and Anrudh Jain framework for conceptualizing quality as “client-oriented” care. Qualitative and quantitative methods were used to assess quality of care. We conducted facility assessment, evaluation of providers' perspectives regarding the quality of SRH care, and evaluation of experiences of perinatally-infected HIV adolescents about the quality of SRH care provided in the ART clinics. We conducted 24 in-depth interviews with adolescents and 12 interviews with service providers. Furthermore, a survey of 624 adolescents aged 10-19 y was conducted, where information on socio-demographic profiles and access and utilisation of RH services were collected. Survey data was analysed descriptively to provide frequencies and percentages while qualitative data was analyzed by content analysis. Results: Most adolescents (84.5%) were dissatisfied with SRH services provided by the clinics. None of the ART clinics offered comprehensive SRH services, which limited choices of clients. All units offered SRH information and education except post-abortion care and mental health. Only three units had trained their staff in SRH and adolescent friendly services which impacts on technical competence of the service providers in provision of SRH services. The structure of the clinics was based on adult and pediatric care implying there were no adolescentspecific services. Conclusion: The lack quality of care of SRH services in ART clinics is both an organisational and resource issue. For health systems to achieve universal access to high-quality sexual and reproductive health the ART clinics is dependent on rational decisions regarding investments in and allocation of human resources for health. There is need for in-service training of Health Workers in adolescent health. The Ministry of Health needs to engage partners for support to increase the numbers of health facilities which are adolescent friendly.

Sexual reproductive health service provision to young people in Kenya; health service providers’ experiences

BackgroundAddressing the sexual and reproductive health (SRH) needs of young people remains a challenge for most developing countries. This study explored the perceptions and experiences of Health Service Providers (HSP) in providing SRH services to young people in Kenya.MethodsQualitative study conducted in eight health facilities; five from Nairobi and three rural district hospitals in Laikipia, Meru Central, and Kirinyaga. Nineteen in-depth interviews (IDI) and two focus group discussions (FGD) were conducted with HSPs. Interviews were tape recorded and transcribed. Data was coded and analysed using the thematic framework approach.ResultsThe majority of HSPs were aware of the youth friendly service (YFS) concept but not of the supporting national policies and guidelines. HSP felt they lacked competency in providing SRH services to young people especially regarding counselling and interpersonal communication. HSPs were conservative with regards to providing SRH services to young people particularly contraception. HSP reported being torn between personal feelings, cultural and religious values and beliefs and their wish to respect young people’s rights to accessing and obtaining SRH services.ConclusionSupporting youth friendly policies and competency based training of HSP are two common approaches used to improve SRH services for adolescents. However, these may not be sufficient to change HSPs’ attitude to adolescents seeking help. There is need to address the cultural, religious and traditional value systems that prevent HSPs from providing good quality and comprehensive SRH services to young people. Training updates should include sessions that enable HSPs to evaluate how their personal and cultural values and beliefs influence practice.

The Bellevue/Norman Thomas High School Based Health Center: Student Perspectives

There is a critical need to improve the sexual and reproductive health (SRH) education and care of adolescent and young adult (AYA) males around the globe, as SRH is a basic human right for all AYAs. This special attention toward the SRH of AYA males is warranted given the fact that they often have difficulty accessing SRH services and education relative to their female counterparts and have higher rates of sexual risk behaviors than females. To promote AYA males’ SRH and the health of their sexual partners and children, the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine (SAHM) recommends that leaders in research, policy, public health, and clinical practice develop and implement evidence-based, comprehensive SRH education that supports AYA males at school, within communities and families, and through healthcare services that are developmentally appropriate, gender affirming, inclusive of, and informed by AYA males. Additionally, SAHM recommends that healthcare systems and healthcare professionals (HCPs) across disciplines establish and implement competencies for SRH education and skills preparation to meet the unique needs of AYA males across diverse healthcare and community settings. This statement examines multilevel barriers that AYA males face in accessing comprehensive SRH education and services and makes recommendations aligned with the World Health Organization's 2030 Sustainable Development Goals to address such barriers, improve AYA male SRH, and promote overall gender equity in SRH services.

Towards the Elimination of Pediatric HIV: Enhancing Maternal, Sexual, and Reproductive Health Services

Almost 10 years ago, the United Nations adopted a comprehensive, four-pronged approach for the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT). Despite all four prongs being central to the elimination of pediatric HIV, and the health of the mother being critical to reaching this goal, PMTCT programs have historically focused more attention on preventing HIV transmission from mother to child (prong 3) than on preventing HIV in women of reproductive age (prong 1) and preventing unintended pregnancies in women living with HIV (prong 2). In this commentary, experts from the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF) argue that within the context of efforts to eliminate pediatric HIV, there are many ways to keep women living with HIV alive and at the center of the response to the global epidemic. One of the ways to do this is to enhance maternal and sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services. Within the elimination agenda, integration and linkages between PMTCT and comprehensive SRH services can keep mothers alive and at the center of the response. The commentary highlights some of the foundation's global health work supporting, evaluating and enhancing maternal and SRH services provided to women living with HIV and proposes concrete actions for donors, researchers, policy makers and program implementers to further enhance maternal and SRH services within the context of PMTCT. If keeping women living with HIV is an integral component of the elimination of pediatric HIV agenda, maternal and SRH research, policies and programs need to be strengthened within the context of PMTCT. Donor funding and priorities for PMTCT also need to be more supportive of primary prevention of HIV infection among women of childbearing age and preventing unintended pregnancies among women living with HIV.

Service accountability and community participation in the context of health sector reforms in Asia: implications for sexual and reproductive health services.

This paper examines the concept and practice of community participation in World Bank-supported health sector reforms in Asia, and how far such participation has strengthened accountability with regard to provision of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services. It argues that the envisaged scope of community participation within a majority of reforms in Asia has been limited to programme management and service delivery, and it is occurring within the boundaries of priorities that are defined through non-participatory processes. Setting up of community health structures, decentralization and community financing are three important strategies used for promoting participation and accountability within reforms. The scant evidence on the impact of these strategies suggests that marginalized groups and sexual and reproductive rights based groups are poorly represented in the forums for participation, and that hierarchies of power between and amongst health personnel and the public play out in these forums. Community financing has not lead to enhanced service accountability. As a result of the above limitations, community participation in health sector reforms has rarely strengthened accountability with respect to provision of comprehensive SRH services. In this context, rights (including sexual and reproductive) based groups and researchers need to engage with design, monitoring and evaluation of health sector reforms, both from inside as participants and outside as pressure groups. Participation contracts enhancing powers of civil society representatives, quotas for participation (for women, other marginalized groups and rights-based organizations), and investment in capacity building of these stakeholders on leadership and sexual reproductive rights and health are pre-requisites if participation is to lead to health and SRH service accountability. Community participation and service accountability hence requires more and not less investment of resources by the state.