Issue 1
March 2006

APSRHM
Asia Pacific Sexual & Reproductive Health Matters

Welcome to the APSRHM e-newsletter, containing the latest information on international and regional events & conferences, research, resources and courses on sexual and reproductive health and rights in the Asia Pacific region and is primarily aimed at academics, experts and practitioners.

WELCOME

Welcome to the inaugural edition of the Asia Pacific Sexual and Reproductive Health Matters (APSRHM) newsletter. The aim of  the network is to increase information sharing and discussion in the area of sexual and reproductive health in both Australia and the broader Asia Pacific region.

The newsletter will provide information on upcoming conferences, remind participants of calls for papers, post recently published papers or links to papers and provide a platform for interaction. Ultimately we hope to increase Australia ’s presence and promote Australian expertise at major international conferences as well as provide a vehicle for academics to learn of the work currently being undertaken in the region on sexual and reproductive health in a range of development settings.  

We hope you find the services offered by the network to be useful and please feel free to contact us for further information or answers to queries. The Australian Reproductive Health Alliance (ARHA) will moderate the service so please contact Anueja at apsrhm@arha.org.au, if you wish to post information.

Why a New Network?

A number of sexual and reproductive health conferences are regularly held in the  Asia - Pacific region. The Australian Reproductive Health Alliance (ARHA) and the Gender Health group at  University of New South Wales (UNSW) decided to develop and coordinate a service that provides regular information updates on publications, resources, seminars and conferences. 

There appears to be an information and  linkage gap between academic researchers in sexual and reproductive health and practitioners.  The network seeks to improve communication in the sector so that we have a stronger base on which to advocate from.

APSRHM'S OBJECTIVES                                 

-  Identify individuals and organisations involved in S&RH advocacy, research and service delivery (practitioners)

- Provide a forum to discuss sexual and reproductive health matters-  Remind members of upcoming conferences/seminars and calls for papers

- Post links to recently published papers

- Post other relevant information on Sexual and Reproductive health matters

 - Provide a platform for participant interaction with the possibility of joint research and abstracts

- Create a database of people working in sexual and reproductive health in the region 

UPCOMING SEMINARS/CONFERENCES

Call for participation proposals:

International Seminar on 'Ethical Issues in Reproductive Health',
21-24 September 2006
Organised by the International Union for Scientific Study of Population.

Call for Papers:

Tackling the Determinants of Health - From The Bush to Bondi.
25-27 September 2006, Sydney, Australia
37th Annual Conference- Public Health Association of Australia.
Abstracts due 1 April 2006.

Australasian Sexual Health Conference 2006,
Melbourne, Australia, 9 - 11 October.
Abstracts due 31 May 2006.

UPCOMING COURSES

Gender Health in the Asia Pacific Region: Implementing Best Practice in Sexual and Reproductive Health
Sydney , Australia , 28-30 September 2006.
Applications considered now, with limited grants available for regional participants.

To register your interest or for more information please contact Dr Alison Rutherford on 61 2 9385 2510 a.rutherford@unsw.edu.au or
Dr Anna Whelan at a.Whelan@unsw.edu.au.
School of Public Health and Community Medicine, UNSW

 

Population Leadership Program
School of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of Washington,
September - June.
Scholarships for persons from developing countries are sponsored by The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and The David and Lucile Packard Foundation. For further information please check the website or email popfello@u.washington.edu

Applications have closed for  September 2006 entry into this program, however as the School of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of Washington, runs the following Population Leadership Program on an annual basis, the scholarship program may be of interest to members of the network.

 

NEW PUBLICATIONS/RESOURCES

The following articles were published in the journal Women's Health Issues. The links posted below are direct links to the article. Please check with your database provider or institution to ensure you have copy right access to the journal.

1. Lack of timely access to tubal ligation increases risks of unintended pregnancy
D. Penava, R. Daskalopoulos, J. Nisker, J.A. Hammond

2. Patient costs for medication abortion: Results from a study of five clinical practices
S.L. Van Bebber, K.A. Phillips, T.A. Weitz, H. Gould, F. Stewart

3. Determinants of physician unwillingness to offer medical abortion using mifepristone
M.D. Seelig, L. Gelberg, P. Tavrow, M. Lee, L.V. Rubenstein

4. Ensuring high-quality primary care for women: Predictors of success
B.A. Bean-Mayberry, C.C.H. Chang, M.A. McNeil, S. Hudson Scholle

 

SUBSCRIBING & POSTING

If you know of anyone who might be interested in joining the network or have any queries regarding information or postings please contact apsrhm@arha.org.au