The study took as its point of departure the Children’s Act No 38 of 2005 that emanated from the Bill of Rights enshrined in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa (Act 108 of 1996). This Act has as its primary aims, to promote the preservation and strengthening of families and to give effect to the rights of children as enshrined in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, including: protection of children from maltreatment, neglect, abuse or degradation and the fact that the best interest of a child are of paramount importance in every matter concerning children. It was anticipated that the areas of the Children’s Act with its emphasis on the rights of children would empower them in relation to their protection and development in that particular context. When the Act was introduced, it evoked mixed reactions with certain segments of society applauding the government for its efforts, and others condemning the government’s approach towards reproductive health issues affecting children. The primary aim of the research project was to explore the views of a group of parents in the Johannesburg Metro Region 11 regarding reproductive health care as embedded in the Children’s Act. The study took the form of a small-scale, mixed methods, descriptive, cross-sectional survey research design as it sought to elicit participants’ views on those specific clauses in the Act. In addressing the aims and objectives of the study, interview schedules were administered to 35 participants on an individual, face-to-face basis. Participants were adults drawn from Johannesburg Metro Region 11 and the data collected was analysed using descriptive statistics and thematic content analysis. The main findings that emerged from the study were that, participants did not participate in the process leading up to the promulgation of the Children’s Act No 38 of 2005. Consequently, participants had little knowledge about the Act and did not have any knowledge about its objectives. The fact that participants did not support certain clauses has implications for amendment of the Act with reference to the clauses on reproductive health care.

Issues of fertility, population growth and birth control are synonymous with women. Therefore, there is a void of the male perspective on issues pertaining to reproductive health. There is a reproductive health discourse, in which bio-psychosocial service such as family planning is woman-based. Whilst on the other hand statistics on absent fathers and contested pregnancies, are reaching millions and thus the effectiveness of these services are questionable. Therefore, men’s health and sexuality requires careful understanding so as to unfold narrations of denied paternity and men’s ‘assumed’ lack of responsibility in questions of contraception. Through in-depth interviews with 14 unmarried men from the townships of Soweto and Kagiso, this research found that contraception is a gendered concept that constructs various experiences for men in how they perceive sexual reproductive health services. It also found that denied paternity and father absences are rooted not only in historical factors but also in feminised conceptions of contraception and how this conception speaks to notions of how responsibility is distributed and withheld. Furthermore, it acknowledges that there are different conceptions of denied paternity and father absence and thus, shapes men’s experiences and expectations of fatherhood. Finally, it argues that masculine sexualities, notions of pleasure and issues of fertility are shaped by sexual socialisation processes; this also links how men transition from boyhood to manhood through circumcision and initiation schools not only as a cultural and religious practice but as a health practice. These narratives were captured through using thematic content analysis in investigating unmarried men’s perceptions of contraceptives and ideas of father absence and denied paternity. This research contributes to the existing knowledge on family and children services, with specific attention to family planning and the provision of services to young men and women regarding reproductive rights and responsibilities.

This study explores the extent to which the implementation of the National Program for Reproductive Health and Family Planning by the Peruvian Government had consequences in the lives of women who underwent sterilizations. This study is based on a feminist methodology and used interviews as a method of data collection in order to privilege women’s voices and lived experiences from a gender perspective. It addresses notions of biopower and the concept of reproductive health within a framework of intersectionality. Finally, by linking women’s testimonies with the theoretical framework, it was possible to identify that specific Peruvian women, in vulnerable and poor conditions, were targeted by the Government because they did not represent the idea of development, and since then, women are dealing with physical, emotional, and social consequences.

<p><strong>Syfte:</strong> Syftet med denna studie var att undersöka skillnader i föräldrastress i familjer med 1-åriga barn i relation till kvinnans ålder och om de var förstföderskor eller omföderskor samt skillnad i föräldrastress mellan kvinnor och män.</p><p><strong>Metod:</strong> Studien är en tvärsnittsstudie med konsekutivt urval och the Swedish Parenthood Stress Questionnaire (SPSQ) har använts. SPSQ består av fem delskalor: inkompetens, rollbegränsning, social isolering, problem i relationen med make/maka/sambo och hälsoproblem. Postenkäter skickades till föräldrapar (n=350) som fött barn i maj 2007 vid Akademiska sjukhuset, Uppsala. Sammanlagt deltog 125 föräldrapar (244 personer) i studien varav 127 kvinnor och 117 män, svarsfrekvensen var 38 procent.</p><p><strong>Resultat:</strong> Föräldrastress i familjer med ettåriga barn skilde sig inte åt mellan yngre och äldre mödrar. Däremot hade omföderskor signifikant högre föräldrastress än förstföderskor under delskalan inkompetens. För kvinnor och män var skillnaden signifikant i delskalorna inkompetens och rollbegränsning, då kvinnor hade högre föräldrastress än män.</p><p><strong>Slutsats:</strong> Studien visar behovet av stöd framförallt för omföderskor då dessa kvinnor upplever känslor av otillräcklighet/inkompetens när det gäller föräldrarollen och att kvinnor mer uttalat jämfört med män upplever begränsningar av intressen och aktiviteter relaterat till föräldraskapets ansvar/förpliktelser.</p>

Syfte: Syftet med denna studie var att undersöka skillnader i föräldrastress i familjer med 1-åriga barn i relation till kvinnans ålder och om de var förstföderskor eller omföderskor samt skillnad i föräldrastress mellan kvinnor och män. Metod: Studien är en tvärsnittsstudie med konsekutivt urval och the Swedish Parenthood Stress Questionnaire (SPSQ) har använts. SPSQ består av fem delskalor: inkompetens, rollbegränsning, social isolering, problem i relationen med make/maka/sambo och hälsoproblem. Postenkäter skickades till föräldrapar (n=350) som fött barn i maj 2007 vid Akademiska sjukhuset, Uppsala. Sammanlagt deltog 125 föräldrapar (244 personer) i studien varav 127 kvinnor och 117 män, svarsfrekvensen var 38 procent. Resultat: Föräldrastress i familjer med ettåriga barn skilde sig inte åt mellan yngre och äldre mödrar. Däremot hade omföderskor signifikant högre föräldrastress än förstföderskor under delskalan inkompetens. För kvinnor och män var skillnaden signifikant i delskalorna inkompetens och rollbegränsning, då kvinnor hade högre föräldrastress än män. Slutsats: Studien visar behovet av stöd framförallt för omföderskor då dessa kvinnor upplever känslor av otillräcklighet/inkompetens när det gäller föräldrarollen och att kvinnor mer uttalat jämfört med män upplever begränsningar av intressen och aktiviteter relaterat till föräldraskapets ansvar/förpliktelser.

Thesis (LL. M.)--University of Toronto, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 105-111).

Thesis (M.A.)--Oregon State University, 2009. / Printout. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 87-97). Also available on the World Wide Web.

Boston University. University Professors Program Senior theses. / PLEASE NOTE: Boston University Libraries did not receive an Authorization To Manage form for this thesis. It is therefore not openly accessible, though it may be available by request. If you are the author or principal advisor of this work and would like to request open access for it, please contact us at open-help@bu.edu. Thank you. / 2031-01-02

The availability of accessible, effective, and timely emergency contraception (EC) technologies is an important issue in women’s reproductive health. In Canada, three methods of EC are currently available: the levonorgestrel pill (LNg-EC), the Copper-T intrauterine device (IUD), and ulipristal acetate (UPA). This study explores the EC knowledge, attitudes, and practices of Ontario pharmacists through a mixed-methods study. The mixed-methods study includes a bilingual mailed survey with a representative sample of retail pharmacists and in-depth interviews with a subset of respondents. Results of the survey indicate that there is considerable interest among pharmacists to expand access to EC in Ontario; however, the results indicate that LNg-EC continues to be a behind-the- counter product and knowledge of other EC modalities is modest. Pharmacists view themselves as playing a critical role in patient education and counseling, as well as raising awareness about EC in the community. Developing and implementing continuing education efforts targeting pharmacists appears warranted. This research could ultimately play a role in expanding access to IUDs and UPA, as well as raising awareness of these modalities within the pharmacy community. La disponibilité à des technologies de contraception d’urgence (CU) accessible, efficace et dans un délai raisonnable est une problématique d’importance pour la santé reproductive des femmes. Au Canada, trois méthodes de CU sont actuellement disponibles : le comprimé de levonorgestrel (CU-LNg), le dispositif intra-utérin de cuivre (DIU) et l’acétate ulipristal (UPA). Cette étude multi-méthodes qui est composée d’une sondage bilingue posté à un échantillon représentatif de pharmaciens travaillant en milieu communautaire et d’entrevues réalisées avec un sous-ensemble de participants a pour but d’explorer les connaissances, les attitudes et la prestation de services des pharmaciens en Ontario par rapport à la contraception d’urgence. Les résultats des sondages démontrent qu’il y a un intérêt considérable de la part des pharmaciens quant à l’amélioration de l’accessibilité à la CU en Ontario. Toutefois, nos résultats démontrent que la CU-LNg continue d’être un produit situé en Annexe II et que les connaissances des pharmaciens quant aux autres méthodes de contraception d’urgence sont limitées. Les pharmaciens croient qu’ils sont un élément clé pour l’éducation de leurs patients et pour prodiguer des conseils sur la CU dans la communauté. Le développement et l’implantation de formation continue spécifiques aux pharmacies sont nécessaires. Cette recherche pourrait favoriser l’accessibilité au DUI et à l’UPA en plus d’améliorer les connaissances de ces technologies au sein de la communauté pharmaceutique.

Somalia’s reproductive health indices are among the worst in the world. Rates of maternal death, total fertility, and sexual and gender based violence reflect the poor reproductive health outcomes of women living in Somalia. Over two decades of civil unrest left the majority of the population without access to basic health care, particularly reproductive health services. Currently, it is estimated that about 1% of women in Somalia use a modern method of contraception, and the country has yet to register a dedicated progestin-only emergency contraceptive pill. This study seeks to explore levels of awareness and the perceived need for emergency contraception (EC), as well as stakeholders’ knowledge of and experiences with reproductive health services in Somalia. Through interviews and focus group discussions with stakeholders in Somalia, I learned that awareness about vital services like EC is low, while the need for EC and broader reproductive health services is high. Evidently, stakeholders believe awareness, availability, quality care, culture, religion and good governance are important factors for both delivering and accessing reproductive health care. These study findings will fill an important gap in the literature and support efforts to expand and improve reproductive health service delivery in the country.