Women's reproductive health needs in Russia: what can we learn from an intervention to improve post-abortion care?

It has been well documented that abortion is a common means of controlling fertility in Russia. Women undergo repeat abortions throughout their reproductive lives, but recent studies of abortion trends in the Russian Federation suggest that abortion rates are on the decline, use of modern contraceptives is increasing, and women dislike abortion as a method of fertility control. Using data collected during 1999-2003 in women's health facilities in three Russian cities, this paper reports the results of an evaluation of interventions to improve post-abortion care, which show an impressive increase in post-abortion contraceptive counselling but no reduction in the rate at which women present at clinics for repeat abortions. The findings indicate a discrepancy between women's stated preferences for modern medical contraceptive methods and their abortion-seeking behaviour. Further exploration of these data suggests that certain women resort to abortion with greater frequency than others, and points to the need for a more focused investigation of these women. These results indicate the complexities associated with changing what has been a relatively common and long-standing practice, and have implications for improving reproductive health services. Meeting the reproductive health needs of Russian women requires not only improved provider and client knowledge but may also demand a more focused delivery of client-centred care than may be the case in other settings.

[Relation between the indicators of temporary disability and risk factors of ischemic heart disease in male industrial workers (epidemiological study)]. / Sviaz' pokazatelei vremennoi netrudosposobnosti s faktorami riska ishemicheskoi bolezni serdtsa u muzhchin, rabotaiushchikh na promyshlennom predpriiatii (épidemiologicheskoe issledovanmie).

In 1986, a random sample of 400 males was examined at one of the Moscow enterprises. A registry developed at the enterprise was used to study risk factors for coronary heart disease such as arterial hypertension, smoking, obesity, and morbidity accompanied by temporary disability in 1986. The analysis showed that the major CHD risk factors: smoking, arterial hypertension, and obesity were significantly related to temporary disability parameters. The more "limited" criteria for hypertension, the closer relationship was to temporary disability in terms of both cardiovascular and other diseases. With these diseases, disability parameters in cases and days per 100 workers were significantly higher in smokers and ex-smokers than in non-smokers. The most relative risk for temporary disability was found in the ex-smokers as compared to smokers and non-smokers. The subjects with obesity were demonstrated to be at higher risk for temporary disability due to cardiovascular disease than those without it. No relation was found between temporary disability parameters and obesity for total morbidity.