Abstinence-only-until-marriage : An Updated review of U.S. policies and programs and their impact

Adolescence is marked by the emergence of human sexuality, sexual identity and the initiation of intimate relations; within this context, abstinence from sexual intercourse can be a healthy choice. However, programs that promote abstinence-only-until-marriage (AOUM) or sexual risk avoidance (SRA), are scientifically and ethically problematic and—as such—have been widely rejected by medical and public health professionals. Although abstinence is theoretically effective, in actual practice, intentions to abstain from sexual activity often fail. Given a rising age at first marriage around the world, a rapidly declining percentage of young people remain abstinent until marriage. Promotion of AOUM policies by the United States (U.S.) government has undermined sexuality education in the U.S. and in U.S. foreign aid programs; funding for AOUM continues in the U.S. The weight of scientific evidence finds that AOUM programs are not effective in delaying initiation of sexual intercourse or changing other sexual risk behaviors. AOUM programs, as defined by U.S. federal funding requirements, inherently withhold information about human sexuality and may provide medically inaccurate and stigmatizing information. Thus, AOUM programs threaten fundamental human rights to health, information, and life. Young people need access to accurate and comprehensive sexual health information to protect their health and lives

Ye\u27kwana Basketry: Its Cultural Context

The aim of this article is to describe an aspect of Ye\u27kwana (Makiritare) technology, basketry, in its overall cultural context. We will not only describe basketry as technology per se but the role it plays in Ye\u27kwana symbolism, ecology, economy and social organization. Also, we will discuss its role in inter-village and inter-ethnic trade and how this role has implications for understanding socio-cultural change in the immediate area of the Padamo River Basin, Territorio Federal Amazonas, Venezuela

Ye\u27kwana Basketry: Its Cultural Context

The aim of this article is to describe an aspect of Ye\u27kwana (Makiritare) technology, basketry, in its overall cultural context. We will not only describe basketry as technology per se but the role it plays in Ye\u27kwana symbolism, ecology, economy and social organization. Also, we will discuss its role in inter-village and inter-ethnic trade and how this role has implications for understanding socio-cultural change in the immediate area of the Padamo River Basin, Territorio Federal Amazonas, Venezuela

Diabetic pregnancy and perinatal morbidity

Pregnancy outcome was analyzed in 147 diabetic women, 71 per cent of whom were dependent on insulin for more than 10 years. Ambulatory management of diabetes was carried out with weekly clinic visits until hospitalization at 36 to 37 weeks' gestation. Modern methods of fetal assessment were applied, and the timing and route of delivery were individualized. Of these patients, 35 per cent were delivered at or beyond 38 weeks' gestation. The primary cesarean section rate was 55 per cent. Polyhydramnios was a frequent maternal complication and was associated with premature labor and neonatal death in two cases. Polyhydramnios was least common in women with the lowest mean outpatient blood glucose. The perinatal survival rate was 96.6 per cent, and there were no instances of unexpected intrauterine fetal death. The incidence of respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) in the newborn infant was 7.6 per cent. No severe RDS was seen when the lecithin/sphingomyelin (L/S) ratio was greater than 3.0, but three of 24 infants delivered with an L/S ratio of 2.1 to 3.0 developed severe RDS. Other forms of neonatal morbidity noted in this population were 9 per cent major congenital anomalies; 7 per cent transient tachypnea of the newborn, 22 per cent hypocalcemia, 19 per cent hyperbilirubinemia, and 47 per cent hypoglycemia. The latter was more common in macrosomic infants, defined as greater than the ninetieth percentile of birth weight for gestational age (LGA), who represented 36 per cent of the neonates. Mean outpatient postprandial blood glucose was higher in patients delivered of LGA infants and was correlated with birth weight in White Classes B to D

'A Divided Soul'? the Cold War odyssey of O. John Rogge

In 1948 O. John Rogge, a prominent American liberal, was a contender for the Progressive Party's vice-presidential nomination. He was then a man of the Left: an activist in the international peace movement, a champion of radical causes and a defender of organizations deemed subversive by the Department of Justice. In 1951 he persuaded his\ud client to turn government witness in the Rosenberg espionage trial and was converted into 'Rogge the Rat' by his former allies. In tracing this transformation, this paper will argue that Rogge was neither a typical Cold War apostate nor a typical anti-Stalinist intellectual. Instead, his political trajectory was the outcome of a failed attempt to steer global politics away from Cold War dichotomies. The paper will therefore throw new light\ud both on the movement to find a 'third way' between East and West, and on the phenomenon of non-communist Left activism during the early Cold War