Teenage pregnancy contextualized: understanding reproductive intentions in a Brazilian shantytown.

This paper presents the results of a socio-anthropological study with women from a low-income community in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. Through the use of qualitative methods it looks at teenage pregnancy from the young mothers' perspective and the contribution of their socioeconomic environment. It shows the importance of different actors in their fertility decision and identifies contradictory cultural norms that recriminate teenage sexual activity while seeing motherhood as a ritual of passage to adulthood. Following criticisms of insufficient family planning programs and negative health and economic outcomes for the lives of youngsters, the paper argues that motherhood stands as a successful activity through which they fulfill the collectively recognized ideal of womanhood, also carrying a sense of achievement in an environment where lack of opportunities prevail long before pregnancy occurs. Improving formal knowledge and economic well-being are possible solutions to provide these girls with goals that go beyond parenthood while within reach of their economic reality.

Teenage pregnancy contextualized: understanding reproductive intentions in a Brazilian shantytown / Gravidez na adolescência em contexto: entendendo intenções reprodutivas em uma favela brasileira

This paper presents the results of a socio-anthropological study with women from a low-income community in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. Through the use of qualitative methods it looks at teenage pregnancy from the young mothers' perspective and the contribution of their socioeconomic environment. It shows the importance of different actors in their fertility decision and identifies contradictory cultural norms that recriminate teenage sexual activity while seeing motherhood as a ritual of passage to adulthood. Following criticisms of insufficient family planning programs and negative health and economic outcomes for the lives of youngsters, the paper argues that motherhood stands as a successful activity through which they fulfill the collectively recognized ideal of womanhood, also carrying a sense of achievement in an environment where lack of opportunities prevail long before pregnancy occurs. Improving formal knowledge and economic well-being are possible solutions to provide these girls with goals that go beyond parenthood while within reach of their economic reality.

Este artigo apresenta os resultados de um estudo socioantropológico com mulheres de uma comunidade de baixa renda em Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brasil. Usando métodos qualitativos, analisa a gravidez pela perspectiva das jovens mães e a contribuição de seu ambiente socioeconômico. Mostra o papel de diferentes atores nas decisões reprodutivas e identifica normas culturais contraditórias que recriminam práticas sexuais na adolescência, mas vê a maternidade como ritual de passagem para a vida adulta. Com base em críticas sobre a insuficiência de programas de planejamento familiar e das consequências para sua saúde e futuro econômico, este artigo argumenta que a maternidade é uma atividade bem sucedida por meio da qual essas jovens preenchem o ideal coletivamente reconhecido de se tornar mulher, além de carregar um senso de realização num ambiente onde a falta de oportunidades prevalece antes mesmo da ocorrência de uma gravidez. Adequação na instrução formal e melhores perspectivas econômicas são possíveis soluções para provê-las com metas que vão além da maternidade, porém dentro dos limites de sua realidade econômica.

Degradabilidade in situ do rolão e farelo de milho em caprinos e ovinos deslanados mantidos em sombra natural e artificial no semi-árido paraibano / Degradability in situ of ground cob corn and corn (maize) bran in goats and wooless sheep kept in natural and artificial shade in the semi-arid region of Paraíba

Objetivou-se, com este trabalho, avaliar a degradabilidade "in situ" do rolão de milho e do farelo de milho em caprinos e ovinos deslanados, mantidos em ambientes de sombra natural e artificial, no Semiárido paraibano. Foram utilizados quatro caprinos e quatro ovinos distribuídos em dois ambientes, um natural e outro artificial. Foram incubados sacos de náilon, contendo amostras do rolão e farelo de milho nos tempos de 6, 12, 24 e 48 e 72 horas para o alimento volumoso e 6, 12, 24, 48 horas para o concentrado. Os efeitos dos ambientes e das espécies na fração b e c da MS no rolão de milho foram independentes. No ambiente artificial, a média da degradabilidade da fração b (55,36 por cento) foi superior à média obtida no ambiente natural (50,97 por cento) e a fração c apresentou maior valor no ambiente natural (40,90 por cento) do que o artificial (36,51 por cento). Quanto à fração b e c da MS do farelo de milho, não houve interação entre espécies e ambientes, a degradabilidade da fração b da MS para a espécie caprina foi superior à ovina com 60,77 por cento e 56,47 por cento, respectivamente. Ocorrendo o inverso para a fração c, onde os ovinos apresentaram média superior aos caprinos (31,93 e 27,63 por cento). Houve efeito da ambiente para a DP da MS do rolão de milho, os valores da fração b no ambiente natural e artificial foram (50,97 e 55,36 por cento) respectivamente. A DP da MS do farelo de milho para a espécie caprina foi maior do que para a espécie ovina (72,37 e 68,07 por cento, respectivamente). A degradabilidade efetiva a 5 por cento da MS foi maior para caprinos (31,17 por cento) do que para ovinos (28,48 por cento). A DE da MS (calculada com taxa de passagem de 2 e 5 por cento/ h) do farelo de milho para a espécie caprina foi superior (60,34 e 49,18 por cento) a da ovina (56,88 e 46,51 por cento, respectivamente). Concluiu-se que tanto a espécie como o ambiente influenciam na degradabilidade dos alimentos. Os ovinos e caprinos ...

The objective of this study was to evaluate "in situ" degradability of ground cob corn and corn (maize) bran in goats and wooless sheep kept in natural and artificial shade environments in the semi-arid region of Paraíba. Four goats and four sheep were used, being distributed in two environments, one natural and the other artificial. Nylon sacks were incubated containing samples of ground cob corn and corn (maize) bran in intervals of 6, 12, 24, 48, and 72 hours for the bulk food, and 6, 12, 24, and 48 hours for the concentrate. The effects of the environments and of the species in fractions b and c of dry matter in the cob corn were independent. In the artificial environment, the average of the degradability of fraction b (55,36 percent) was higher than the average obtained in the natural environment (50,97 percent); and fraction c presented a higher value in the natural environment (40,90 percent) than in the artificial (36,51). With respect to fractions b and c of the dry matter of the corn bran, there was no interaction between species and environments; and the degradability of fraction b of dry matter for the goats was higher than for the sheep, with 60,77 percent and 56,47 percent, respectively. With respect to fraction c, the inverse was verified. The sheep presented a higher average than the goats (31,93 and 27,63 percent). There was environmental effect for potential degradability of dry matter of the cob corn. The values of fraction b in the natural and artificial environments were 50,97 and 55,36 percent, respectively. The potential degradability of corn bran for the goats was higher than for the sheep (72,37 and 68,07 percent, respectively). The effective degradability to 5 percent of the dry matter was higher for the goats (31,17 percent) than for the sheep (28,48 percent). The effective degradability of the dry matter (calculated with passage rate of 2 and 5 percent/h) of the corn bran for the goats was superior (60,34 and ...

Cystocele repair by a synthetic vaginal mesh secured anteriorly through the obturator foramen.

OBJECTIVE: Our aim was to assess the feasibility and short-term results of cystocele repair by the placement of a synthetic subvesical mesh secured anteriorly through the obturator foramen. STUDY DESIGN: Between 1 November 2001 and 31 July 2002, 30 consecutive patients with a grade 2 (n = 18, 60%) or 3 (n =12, 40%) cystocele were prospectively included in the study. RESULTS: The obturator route was feasible in all cases. No intraoperative complications arose. After a mean follow-up of 6.7 months (range: 2-12), 90% (n = 27) of the patients were cystocele grade 0, 7% (n = 2) grade 1 and failure was observed in a young patient (3%) treated without hysterectomy. Two vaginal erosions (7%) were observed at six and nine months. For the 14 patients (47%) who had sexual relations after surgery, 2 (14%) complained of anterior dyspareunia. CONCLUSION: The obturator approach is a simple and sure technique for placing a polypropylene synthetic subvesical mesh. The long term stability and tolerance of the results must be confirmed.