Parity
Parity is the number of children ever born to a woman. In some cases, use of the term "parity" provides a less cumbersome expression, e.g., "two-parity women" as opposed to "women with two children ever born."
PAPFAM
The Pan Arab Population and Family Health Project(PAPFAM) is a programme conducted to enable national health institutions in the Arab region to obtain a timely and integrated flow of reliable information suitable for formulating, implementing, monitoring and evaluating the family health and reproductive health policies and programs in a cost-effective manner.
Pap smear/test
A routine test for cervical cancer in which cells are scraped from the cervix and examined.
Paris 21
Consortium established in November 1999 in response to the UN Economic and Social Council resolution on the goals of the UN Conference on Development, to act as a catalyst for promoting statistical development in order to achieve a culture of evidence-based policymaking and monitoring in all countries, and especially in developing countries. The consortium is a partnership of policymakers, analysts, and statisticians from all countries of the world, focusing on promoting high-quality statistics, making these data meaningful, and designing sound policies.
Patch
Is a transdermal patch applied to the skin that releases synthetic estrogen and progestin hormones to prevent pregnancy. They are thought to have the same effectiveness as the combined oral contraceptive pill.
PEPFAR
The US President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) was announced by President George W. Bush in 2003. In its first five years, PEPFAR supported the provision of treatment to more than 2 million people, care to more than 10 million people, including more than 4 million orphans and other vulnerable children, and prevention of mother-to-child treatment services during nearly 16 million pregnancies. In 2008 the second phase of PEPFAR began, with the aim of working through partner governments to support a sustainable, integrated, and country-led response to HIV. See www.pepfar.gov.
Perinatal death
The death of a fetus after 28 weeks of pregnancy or of a child within the first week of life.
Periodic abstinence
The method of contraception in which couples avoid sexual intercourse during the fertile phase of the menstrual cycle.
Personal lubricants
A substance applied to the condom, vagina, penis or rectum at the time of intercourse to improve lubrication, moistening and comfort during intercourse.
PES
Post-Enumeration Survey (PES) is a survey carried out shortly after a census in which a sample from the population is re-enumerated to assess what percentage may have been missed by the census enumeration.
PID
Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is the inflammation of the pelvic organs, especially the uterus and fallopian tubes.
Placenta
A temporary organ formed on the wall of the uterus through which the fetus receives oxygen and nutrients from its mother and expels waste products. It also produces hormones needed to maintain pregnancy.
PMNCH
PMNCH (Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health) – is an alliance of more than 500 members – academic, research institutions, development partners, multilateral agencies, NGOs/CSOs, Countries, etc working together to advance universal access to comprehensive, high quality reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health.
PMTCT – Prevention of Mother-to-child Transmission
PMTCT, the abbreviation for ‘prevention of mother-to-child transmission', refers to a 4-prong strategy for stopping new HIV infections in children and keeping mothers alive and families healthy. The four prongs are: halving HIV incidence in women (Prong 1), reducing unmet need for family planning (Prong 2), providing antiretroviral prophylaxis to prevent HIV transmission during pregnancy, labour and delivery, and breastfeeding (Prong 3), and providing care, treatment and support for mothers and their families (Prong 4). UNAIDS preferred terminology to cover the 4 programmatic prongs is ‘eliminating (or stopping) new HIV infections in children and keeping mothers alive'.
Population dynamics
The change in population size, distribution by age, spatial distribution (including urbanization), density, composition of households and family and the variables that generate these results: fertility, mortality, migration and family formation
Population policy
A set of objectives, strategies and implementation measures designed, usually by national governments, to influence population processes. The particular processes to be influenced can be many, including spatial distribution, urbanization, internal migration, international migration, population composition, diminishing or raising fertility levels, and mortality. Population policies can be explicit or implicit, i.e. the consequence of measures ostensibly implemented for other reasons. They can be imbedded in the policies of line-ministries or have their own institutional structure for implementation, e.g. a National Population Council or Population Board.
Population Situation Analysis (PSA)
The PSA conceptual and methodological guide provides the basis for an integrated appraisal of the population and reproductive health dynamics and their linkages and impacts on poverty, inequality and development. Furthermore, by integrating a micro and macro analytical approach, the PSA makes the interactions between individual behaviour and demographic dynamics explicit. The PSA contributes to more efficient evidence-based programming. There is a need for increased capacity for data generation and analysis, the establishment of data bases, the consolidation of available evidence and the promotion of the use of such evidence. www.unfpa.org/psa
Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP)
Post-exposure prophylaxis refers to antiretroviral medicines that are taken after exposure or possible exposure to HIV. The exposure may be occupational, as in a needle stick injury, or nonoccupational, as in unprotected sex with a partner with HIV infection. The latter is sometimes referred to as N-PEP.
Post-2015 Development agenda
The Post-2015 Development Agenda is expected to entail a set of sustainable development goals (SDGs), which will succeed the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). See Sustainable Development, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), MDGs, and Rio+20.
Post-coital contraception
The method of contraception used to avoid pregnancy after a single act of sexual intercourse that was unprotected due to lack of use or failure of a contraceptive.
Post-partum
The period immediately after childbirth, often used to describe temporary conditions which start and occur as a result of childbirth.
Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP)
Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) refers to antiretroviral medicines prescribed before exposure or possible exposure to HIV. PrEP strategies under evaluation increasingly involve the addition of a post-exposure dosage.
Prenatal sex selection
The decision to abort a foetus having discovered its sex in early pregnancy. This practice usually occurs in societies with strong son preference where female foetuses are aborted if a son, or more sons, is desired.
Prevalence
The percentage of the population that suffers from a given illness or condition.
Pro-choice
To be pro-choice is to believe that a woman has the right to decide for herself when and whether to have a child. Pro-choice does not mean pro-abortion (the assumption being that pro-abortion means preferring that option to others). The pro-choice position does not necessarily advocate abortion over parenting or adoption, but advocates for the liberalization of safe abortion services in law and in practice. Pro-choice is a philosophy that believes each individual has the right to make decisions about their sexual and reproductive life. Self-determination is key, and regardless of a person's decision (to use contraception, practice safer sex, abstain, become sexually active, utilize fertility interventions), each person has the right to make choices for their lives and circumstances. In addition, the philosophy of choice means supporting comprehensive sexuality education and access to all reproductive options that are legal and safe. It means defending the right of individuals to make decisions for themselves based on their own beliefs, health, and situation, and without external interference, coercion, violence, inaccurate information, or judgment.
Progesterone/progestagen
The hormone which is released in the period of time after ovulation and before menstruation, and also during the early stages of pregnancy.
PRS
Poverty reduction strategy (PRS) is the country-driven, results-oriented, comprehensive and long-term strategy for poverty reduction and promoting economic growth. Low-income countries are expected to produce poverty reduction strategies in order to access concessional financing from the international financial institutions, notably the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
PRSP
Poverty reduction strategy paper (PRSP) is the framework for development assistance to reduce poverty. See PRS.
Primary health care (in the community)
Level of health system close to where families live, such as a health post, clinic, government, private, NGO and the family home. Bringing health systems close to communities and strengthening their voice and accountability in the provision of such services.
Pro-natalism
The ideology that maintains that a high birth rate brings benefits to a society, either because current birth rates are too low to replace the generations, because of economic considerations, because of national security or because of ethnic composition issues.
Puberty
Stage of life in which the reproductive system matures, and secondary sex characteristics appear. The period of change and growth when boys and girls start to become adults. It can take several years.
Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP)
Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers are prepared by countries through a participatory process involving domestic stakeholders as well as external development partners, including the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.
