The functions of public health journals, the titles of articles on relevant topics published by the Indian Journal of Public Health, and a brief summary of the history of this journal are included. Health journals reflect the fact that 80% of Indian medicine is primary, preventive and community service. Their role has expanded recently into environmental, mental and occupational health. Health journals are expected to publish the frontiers of knowledge, present new findings and treatments, aid in training of manpower, publish results of surveys, analyze problems due to epidemics and specific diseases, further health education in local languages, educate health workers and the public on community health participation, publish reports, meetings, seminars, workshops, lectures and policy resolutions. The actual articles published by the Indian Journal of Public Health are listed by type of article, such as editorials, health policy, preventive medicine, communicable diseases, health education, environmental health, statistical data and lead articles. Then articles are enumerated by title, in 9 categories totaling 454 titles. The Indian Journal of Public Health was begun in 1956, the date of the founding of the association.

Cultural and religious objections to family planning among Nigeria's Catholics and Moslems have comprised a serious obstacle to sex education efforts. This study compared contraceptive knowledge and practices among 2 random samples in Benin City: students at an urban female teachers training college and mothers of children brought to an urban health center. All of the 260 women surveyed at the health center were married; among the 175 teachers in training, 104 (59%) were married, 68 (39%) were single, and 3 (1%) were divorced. The contraceptive prevalence rate was 20% among mothers attending the child health center compared with 53% among student teachers (72% among married teachers and 38% among single teachers). Among future teachers, contraceptive awareness was higher among single women (49%) than married women (39%). The predominant forms of contraception used by teacher trainees were the pill (22%), condom (18%), rhythm (13%), the IUD (115), Depo-Provera injections (115), and abstinence (8%). The major sources of contraceptive awareness reported by these women were boyfriend (18%), sister (16%), nurse (14%), friend (13%), and television (13%). 29% of the teachers in training indicated they themselves had made the decision to use contraception, while 43% cited the influence of husband or boyfriend and 19% were motivated by medical personnel.

Results of a study on age at menopause in India and the factors affecting it are presented. Data concern 500 post-menopausal women forming a representative sample of the population of Himachal Pradesh. The mean age at menopause was 43.55 years. Rural or urban residence and parity had no discernible effect on age at menopause. However, women of higher socioeconomic status and those living at lower altitudes had later onset of menopause.