Reproductive tract infections and other gynaecological disorders among women represent an enormous global health burden. This significant book will help focus research on this important though neglected area. The primary aims of the book are to provide an overview of
reproductive tract infections and other gynaecological disorders, to highlight the conceptual and methodological challenges associated with undertaking research on this subject, and to serve as a reference for future research in this area. The book focuses on developing country settings, and recognizes that gathering this sort of information requires a multidisciplinary and culturally sensitive approach. Findings from the research described in this book will undoubtedly assist physicians, social scientists, epidemiologists and public health practitioners in evaluating the magnitude of this problem within the community at large and in identifying potentially effective medical and behavioural interventions to address this problem.
List of contributors; Foreword Paul F. A. van Look; Acknowledgements; 1. Introduction and overview Shireen Jejeebhoy, Michael Koenig and Christopher Elias; 2. Defining reproductive tract infections and other gynaecological morbidities Janneke van de Wijgert and Christopher Elias; 3. The social context of gynaecological morbidity: correlates, consequences and health seeking behaviour Shireen Jejeebhoy and Michael Koenig; 4. Reproductive health: men's roles and men's rights Sarah Hawkes and Graham Hart; 5. Study design for the measurement of gynaecological morbidity Huda Zurayk; 6. Alternatives to community-based study designs for research on women's gynaecological morbidity Michael Koenig and Mary Shepherd; 7. Community interaction in studies of gynaecological morbidity: experiences in Egypt, India and Uganda Shireen Jejeebhoy, Michael Koenig and Christopher Elias: Section 1. Egypt: the Giza reproductive morbidity study Hind Khattab; Section 2. India: the Gadchiroli study of gynaecological diseases Rani Bang and Abhay Bang; Section 3. Uganda: the Rakai project David Serwadda and Maria Wawer; 8. Definitions of clinically diagnosed gynaecological morbidity resulting from reproductive tract infection Christopher Elias, Nicola Low and Sarah Hawkes; 9. Laboratory tests for the detection of reproductive tract infections Jane Kuypers and World Health Organization Regional Office for the Western Pacific; 10. Laboratory methods for the diagnosis of reproductive tract infections and selected conditions in population-based studies Mary Meehan, Maria Wawer, David Serwadda, Ronald Gray and Thomas Quinn; 11. The value of the imperfect: the contribution of interview surveys to the study of gynaecological ill health John Cleland and Siobán Harlow; 12. Qualitative methods in gynaecological morbidity research Nandini Oomman and Joel Gittelsohn; 13. Integrating qualitative and quantitative methods in research on reproductive health Pertti Pelto and John Cleland; 14. Interpreting results from different sources of data Tom Marshall, Véronique Filippi, André Meheus and Aysen Bulut; 15. Turning research into action Ruth Dixon-Mueller; Appendix; Index.
Dr Shireen Jejeebhoy is Scientist in the Department of Reproductive Health and Research at the World Health Organization, Geneva Dr Michael Koenig is Associte Professor in the Department of Population & Family Health Sciences at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore Dr Christopher Elias is President of the Program for Appropriate Technology, Seattle
