Women's Health Commons^™

Abortion Talk, Clare Huntington

Faculty Scholarship

Public service announcements routinely note that one in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer. Advocates frequently invoke the twenty percent wage gap between men and women. And educational groups often cite the (more contested) statistic that one in five women will be sexually assaulted during college. But there is another data point not regularly part of public conversation: nearly one in four women will have an abortion by the age of forty-five. The widespread — but largely secret — practice of terminating pregnancies is what Carol Sanger wants us to talk about. As much as possible.

Does A History Of Sexual And Physical Childhood Abuse Contribute To Hiv Infection Risk In Adulthood? A Study Among Post-Natal Women In Harare, Zimbabwe, Simukai Shamu, Patience Shamu, Christina Zarowsky, Marleen Temmerman, Tamara Shefer, Naeemah Abrahams

Obstetrics and Gynaecology, East Africa

Background: Sexual and physical abuse in childhood creates a great health burden including on mental and reproductive health. A possible link between child abuse and HIV infection has increasingly attracted attention. This paper investigated whether a history of child physical and sexual abuse is associated with HIV infection among adult women.

Methods: A cross sectional survey was conducted among 2042 postnatal women (mean age = 26y) attending six public primary health care clinics in Harare, Zimbabwe within 6 weeks post-delivery. Clinic records were reviewed for mother’s antenatal HIV status. Participants were interviewed about childhood abuse including physical or …

Reference Guide: Factorial Focus Group Analysis Methods For Studying Social Norm Change, Bettina Shell-Duncan, Amadou Moreau, Katherine Wander, Sarah Smith

Reproductive Health

The factorial focus group methodology described in this guide provides a powerful means of illuminating the social norms that uphold female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C), and the ways in which meanings have at times become contested or rejected. The methods described here can be applied to the study of a wide range of behaviors influenced by social norms, such as early marriage, adoption of contraception, and more.

Examining Early Marriage In India: Qualitative Findings, Neelanjana Pandey, Komal Saxena, Andrea J. Melnikas

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

The More Than Brides Alliance (MTBA) implements the “Marriage: No Child’s Play” program (2016–20) in India, Malawi, Mali, Niger, and Pakistan. The MTBA is a holistic program that addresses early marriage through multiple strategies, including: sexual and reproductive health and rights, livelihoods, education, and prevalent community social norms around marriage. Furthermore, the program operates at multiple levels (girl, family, community, block, and district) to address individual, familial, and structural barriers to reducing child marriage in these communities. This report first looks at the legal environment in which programs operate by examining participants’ awareness of laws, acts, and programs related to …

Prevalence Of Sports-Related Stress Urinary Incontinence In The Female Collegiate Athlete, Stacey Pagorek

Theses and Dissertations--Rehabilitation Sciences

Urinary incontinence is a health condition that is associated with involuntary leakage of urine. Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) describes involuntary leakage of urine on effort or exertion and can impact one’s ability to participate in activities and affect quality of life. Furthermore, clinical management of this health condition is challenging as individuals who experience urinary incontinence often do not report this concern to a health care provider.

Stress urinary incontinence is not typically a health concern associated with young, healthy athletes. However, researchers have begun to examine the presence of this health condition amongst both a younger population and in …

Impact Of Social Support On Saudi Women With Type Ii Diabetes Living In Saudi Arabia, Fatimah Al-Khidhr

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to describe the impact of social support on Saudi women with Type II Diabetes. This study describes the different types of social support (emotional, instrumental/tangible, informational, and appraisal) offered to Saudi women who have Type II Diabetes living in Qatif City, Saudi Arabia. Lastly, this study aims to assess the types of social support that Saudi women receive from others (i.e. spouse, family members and friends, and peers) in order to improve the quality of life. A qualitative design, semi-structured interview technique was used. The data was collected by using a screening questionnaire and …

Building Assets Toolkit: Developing Positive Benchmarks For Adolescent Girls—Asset Cards [Spanish], Judith Bruce, Sarah Engebretsen, Kimberly Glazer

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

La Caja de herramientas: Fortalecimiento de habilidades del Population Council ayuda a los profesionales, los encargados de formular políticas y los defensores a crear contenido personalizado, significativo y positivo para ayudar a subpoblaciones específicas de niñas. La caja de herramientas guía a los profesionales a través de una serie de pasos que deben tomarse para definir objetivos de sentido común: qué información, habilidad o activo físico (como una tarjeta de identificación) debe tener una niña en un entorno particular para una edad en particular. Este documento consta de las tarjetas de activos que forman parte de la Caja de herramientas: …

Building Assets Toolkit: Developing Positive Benchmarks For Adolescent Girls—Asset Cards [Swahili], Judith Bruce, Sarah Engebretsen, Kimberly Glazer

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

[In Swahili] The Building Assets Toolkit is an approach for developing programs for specific segments of girls that will prepare them to better face the challenges of growing up. It will help program managers understand the needs of the girls in their community, engage stakeholders at different levels and with different viewpoints, and build concrete and meaningful programming for adolescent girls.

This document contains the Building Assets Toolkit’s Asset Cards (110), set of Age Cards (age 6 to 20), and Program Planning Worksheet (sample provided). The Age Cards are to be printed out and placed according to the instructions. The …

Building Assets Toolkit: Developing Positive Benchmarks For Adolescent Girls—Asset Cards [Portuguese], Judith Bruce, Sarah Engebretsen, Kimberly Glazer

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

[In Portuguese] The Building Assets Toolkit is an approach for developing programs for specific segments of girls that will prepare them to better face the challenges of growing up. It will help program managers understand the needs of the girls in their community, engage stakeholders at different levels and with different viewpoints, and build concrete and meaningful programming for adolescent girls.

This document contains the Building Assets Toolkit’s Asset Cards (110), set of Age Cards (age 6 to 20), and Program Planning Worksheet (sample provided). The Age Cards are to be printed out and placed according to the instructions. The …

Enhancing Customer Satisfaction For Health Services, Deepa Rajamani, Saumya Ramarao

Reproductive Health

The Family Planning (FP) 2020 global partnership has achieved significant gains since its inception, and while it strives to accelerate uptake of voluntary FP services, women in developing countries continue to face an unmet need for modern contraceptive services. Critical opportunities for action exist in the area of understanding the effects of quality of family planning services and continued contraceptive use. Measuring and tracking the quality of FP services is an important aspect of improving service delivery, and client feedback also offers critical insight into the design of demand generation and uptake strategies for a contraceptive. In this report, we …

Positioning Family Planning Quality Within Health Financing For Uhc: Connecting The Discourse, Gabrielle Appleford, Saumya Ramarao, Benjamin Bellows, Leah Jarvis

Reproductive Health

Financing is a major challenge and concern for the future of the delivery of voluntary family planning (FP) services to clients, particularly in low- and middle-income countries with high unmet need and limited method choice. As countries commit to universal health coverage (UHC), it is crucial that UHC schemes include FP and other reproductive health (RH) services. Strategic purchasing of quality FP services from public and private—including for profit and not-for-profit—health-care providers could accelerate progress toward UHC. It is increasingly recognized that the FP2020 goals will not be met without adequate attention to quality, and that a sustained focus on …

Fgm/C And Ecm: Drawing Lessons From Research, Jacinta Muteshi-Strachan

Reproductive Health

No abstract provided.

"No To Circumcision": The Road To Effective Social Marketing Campaigns In Egypt, Salma Abou Hussein, Sarah Ghattass

Reproductive Health

To inform the design and scale up of initiatives that can drive a change in attitudes and behaviors toward FGM/C abandonment, there is a rising need to understand the perspectives of individuals who are exposed to social marketing campaigns (SMCs), which are a key intervention to promote the abandonment of the practice. This working paper presents the findings of a study that sought to understand how, where, and why SMCs for FGM/C abandonment are working, and with what impact, to inform design and scale-up of campaigns that can foster new perspectives, expectations, and behaviors.

Associations Between Fgm/C And Hiv In Ethiopia, The Gambia, Kenya, And Sierra Leone: A Limited Analysis Of Demographic And Health Survey Data, Yetunde A. Noah Pinheiro, Zhuzhi Moore, David Gathara

Reproductive Health

Studies investigating the association between male circumcision and HIV have demonstrated the protective effect of male circumcision. In some settings, FGM/C and male circumcision are considered “equivalent” procedures. This working paper presents findings of a study that investigates the effect of FGM/C on the likelihood of HIV infection for women in practicing communities in Ethiopia, Gambia, Kenya, and Sierra Leone.

Expanding Services To Detect, Manage, And Prevent Pre-Eclampsia And Eclampsia In Tando Allahyar District Of Sindh Province, Pakistan, Ali M. Mir, Irfan Masood, Mumraiz Khan, Sharif M.I. Hossain, Tracy Mcclair, Pooja Sripad, Charlotte E. Warren

Reproductive Health

This endline report documents a USAID-supported implementation research project carried out by the Population Council in one district in Sindh province, as part of the global—Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, Pakistan—Ending Eclampsia initiative. This project assessed community midwives’ (CMWs) abilities to screen and detect pre-eclampsia/severe pre-eclampsia/eclampsia (PE/SPE/E) in pregnant and postnatal women and provide a loading dose of magnesium sulfate (MgSO4) to clients suffering from SPE/E and referrals to facilities for further management. This study also explored opportunities to enhance collaboration between CMWs and lady health workers (LHWs), encouraging LHWs to refer pregnant women for group antenatal care (ANC) and postnatal …

Post-Intervention Analysis Of Pre-Eclampsia And Eclampsia In Three Nigerian States, Salisu Mohammed Ishaku, Emmanuel Nwala, Gloria Adoyi, Charles Nwigwe, Solomon Kongyamba, Udochisom Anaba, Caroline Johnson, Karen Kirk, Pooja Sripad, Charlotte E. Warren

Reproductive Health

In the last three decades, global maternal mortality has decreased by almost 45 percent, but approximately 830 women still die daily from largely preventable pregnancy complications. Since 2015, the Ending Eclampsia project, with support from USAID, has been working to expand proven, underutilized interventions and commodities for pre-eclampsia/eclampsia (PE/E) prevention, early detection, and treatment, and to strengthen global partnerships for care of hypertensive disorders in pregnancy (HDP), of which PE/E are the severest forms. A systematic review of the literature identifies a number of articles reporting PE/E burdens within set populations, common risk factors, adverse outcomes, and mortality rates, but …

Assessing Quality Of Care And Outcomes For Women And Their Infants In Nigeria After Pregnancies Complicated By Hypertensive Disorders, Salisu Mohammed Ishaku, Gloria Adoyi, Innocent Agbo, Karen Kirk, Pooja Sripad, Charlotte E. Warren

Reproductive Health

Hypertensive disorders in pregnancy (HDPs) are the leading cause of maternal mortality in Nigeria—now killing more women than postpartum hemorrhage. Various factors, including lack of capacity among lower-level health-care providers to detect, manage, and refer complications, have been indicated as reasons for most of these deaths. A landscape analysis of pre-eclampsia/eclampsia (PE/E) in Nigeria identified a lack of further information after delivery about the women who experienced HDPs. In this study, the Ending Eclampsia project recruited women with HDPs around the time of childbirth, and prospectively followed them for up to one year postpartum. The study evaluated the care these …

Hypertensive Disorders In Pregnancy: Assessing Postnatal Quality Of Care And Outcomes For Women And Their Infants In Bangladesh, Sharif M.I. Hossain, Kanij Sultana, Salma Rouf, Rabeya Akter, Shongkour Roy, Sumaiya Anwar, Karen Kirk, Charlotte E. Warren

Reproductive Health

Hypertensive disorders in pregnancy (HDPs) are the second leading cause of maternal mortality in Bangladesh, responsible for 24 percent of maternal deaths. Various factors, such as lack of health-care provider capacities for detecting, preventing, and managing pre-eclampsia and eclampsia (PE/E), late referrals, late (or lack of) antenatal care (ANC), and poor awareness of PE/E, are factors in most of these deaths. While some information was available on the prenatal and postnatal periods, an evidence gap existed in information after delivery through the first year postnatal, and beyond. In this prospective cohort study, the Ending Eclampsia project recruited married women ages …

Assessing The Feasibility Of Primary Health Care Provider Prescription Of Anti-Hypertensive Medication To Pregnant Women In Bangladesh, Sharif M.I. Hossain, Kanij Sultana, Shongkour Roy, Pooja Sripad, Charlotte E. Warren

Reproductive Health

Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDPs)—which are major contributors of maternal and newborn mortality, morbidity, and disability—are preventable. About 24 percent of maternal deaths in Bangladesh each year are due to pre-eclampsia and eclampsia (PE/E). A known cause of death in women with PE/E is cerebrovascular accident, which occurs due to rapidly increasing blood pressure (BP). Elevated BP associated with pregnancy should be detected and appropriately managed before onset of convulsions (eclampsia) and other life-threatening complications. For women presenting with severe PE/E, magnesium sulphate (MgSO4) is the recommended drug for convulsion management. Anti-hypertensive medicines are also recommended for control of high …

Reducing Barriers To Accessing Fistula Repair: Implementation Research In Uganda, Justus Barageine, Charity Ndwiga, Hassan Kanakulya, Pooja Sripad

Reproductive Health

The Population Council, in collaboration with Fistula Care Plus and EngenderHealth, conducted implementation research to understand whether a comprehensive information, screening, and referral intervention reduces transportation, communication, and financial barriers to accessing fistula screening, diagnosis, and treatment in Uganda. Following a baseline assessment, researchers implemented a multi-pronged intervention utilizing a mobile hotline, transport voucher, and mass media tools to increase community awareness. This brief provides key messages and recommendations for overcoming barriers hindering access to fistula care services. Health systems and external stakeholder support are essential for sustaining trends.

Strengthening Bauchi State College Of Nursing And Midwifery By Updating Its Training Curricula, Procedure Manuals And Student Handbooks, Ekechi Okereke, Ibrahim Suleiman, Aisha Jibril

Reproductive Health

Many of Nigeria’s Nursing and Midwifery schools and colleges encounter challenges that include outdated training curricula, which can lead, in some cases, to loss of accreditation. In Bauchi state, a state College of Nursing and Midwifery was formally established in 2013. The Population Council engaged a curriculum expert who had worked with the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (which stipulates minimum standards of compliance for accreditation) to assess the school’s training documents, including its training curriculum, procedure manual, and student handbook. The school is expected to secure full accreditation in 2019. The Population Council also supported the strengthening of …

Strengthening Cross River State Schools Of Nursing And Midwifery By Updating Their Training Curricula, Procedure Manuals And Student Handbooks, Ekechi Okereke, Godwin Unumeri, Aisha Jibril

Reproductive Health

Many of Nigeria’s Nursing and Midwifery schools and colleges encounter challenges that include outdated training curricula, which can lead, in some cases, to loss of accreditation. In Cross River state, in 2014 only one health training institution was accredited—provisionally. Five other institutions had lost their accreditations from the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN) which stipulates minimum standards of compliance for accreditation. An assessment team led by the Director of Nursing of Calabar’s Ministry of Health visited the Cross River schools to determine the best ways of addressing the gaps in the accreditation team’s report. Through the HRH project …

Using Demographic And Health Surveys In The Campaign To End Fgm/C: A Kenyan Example, Dennis Matanda, Caroline W. Kabiru

Reproductive Health

In order to design effective interventions to end female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C), we need to map where FGM/C is practiced and what factors influence it. Data from the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS), nationally representative surveys conducted in low- and middle-income countries every five years, give us the opportunity to explore how FGM/C is influenced by both individual and community-level factors. Where FGM/C prevalence is not uniform, various research and analysis techniques can be used to improve estimates and draw further information from DHS data. This brief shares insights from two studies carried out in Kenya using DHS data collected …

Reference Guide For Data Collection: Qualitative Social Network Interviews, Bettina Shell-Duncan, Amadou Moreau, Sarah Smith, Holly B. Shakya

Reproductive Health

The purpose of this document is to guide researchers who plan to use qualitative social network methods drawing on our experiences implementing a qualitative study entitled, “The End of Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting in Senegal: Tracing Social Networks, Investigating the Role of Gender and Intergenerational Influence.” Qualitative fieldwork was carried out in two contrasting settings in Senegal: 1) a region with a low prevalence of female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) characterized by ethnic heterogeneity, and 2) a region with a high prevalence of FGM/C characterized by relative ethnic homogeneity. The goal of this research was to investigate the ways in which social …

The Influence Of Patient-Provider Interaction, Self-Concept, And The Socio-Physical Environment On Pelvic Exam Seeking Behavior, Anxiety, And The Health Care Experience, Julie Lasslo

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

Regular gynecological screenings are critical for women in promotion of health and preventing diseases like cervical cancer. Despite the importance of such examinations, many women fail to adhere to recommended screening protocols. As a result, women experience an increased disease risk. The current study examined the relationship between patient-provider communication quality, skill, and empathy on pelvic exam seeking behavior and exam-related anxiety and satisfaction. Additionally, negative self-concept, perceived poor genital self-image, and various elements of the socio-physical clinic environment were explored to better understand their impact on a women’s care seeking behavior.

A total of 350 women 19 through 80 …

The Maternal Health Behaviours Of Non-Irish Nationals During Pregnancy And The Effect Of Time Living In Ireland, R. Palmer, R. Layte, John Kearney

Articles

Objectives Maternal health behaviours (MHBs) can influence pregnancy outcomes. Despite efforts internationally to encourage positive MHBs, women often fail to comply with pregnancy guidelines. International studies show differences in MHBs between nationalities and an effect of time spent in the host country. There is limited Irish data in this area, with no previous research relating to the effect of time in Ireland.

Study design This study is a cross-sectional analysis of the Growing Up in Ireland infant cohort, a nationally representative longitudinal study. Methods Examination of the MHBs of non-Irish nationals during pregnancy and the effect of time in Ireland …

Does Widowhood Affect Cognitive Function Among Chinese Older Adults?, Zhenmei Zhang, Lydia W. Li, Hongwei Xu, Jinyu Liu

Publications and Research

There is growing evidence from Western countries that widowhood may affect cognitive health in later life. However, little is known about whether widowhood isassociated with cognitive health in Eastern Asian countries such as China and what factors may explain the association between widowhood and cognitive health. Weadd to this line of research by investigating the effect of widowhood on 2-year change in cognitive function among Chinese adults ages 55 and older from 2011 to2013, using data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study. Cognitive function was measured by episodic memory and mental intactness (i.e.,attention and time orientation). Our results …

Understanding Access To Menstrual Hygiene Products In The Akron Area, Corinne Plas

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Abstract

The purpose of this project is to contribute to the understanding of the nature of access to menstrual hygiene products in the Akron area. Questions being researched are “Do Akron area residents need better access to menstrual hygiene products?”, “What is the nature of current access to products in the Akron area?”, “What influences a lack of access to products, if anything?”, and “What kinds of products are preferred and actually used?” The project consists of a 30-question survey, which was taken online by 51 participants. Completed analyses were cross tabulation analyses using Qualtrics and IBM SPSS programs and …

An Evaluation Of Differences In Motivations To Receive Cervical Cancer Screening And Follow-Up Care Between Black And White Women, Ashlee Sawyer

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Cervical cancer among Black women is a major individual and public health concern. Despite advancements in medical technology and policy, disparities in cervical cancer diagnosis and mortality still exist between White and Black women, with Black women having higher rates of diagnosis (10.0 vs 7.1 per 100,000) and mortality (4.1 vs 2.0 per 100,000). Previous studies have focused heavily on barriers to obtaining cervical cancer screening among Black women and efforts to improve screening rates. Despite speculation by researchers that gaps in receipt of quality follow-up care may contribute to disparities, its role in disparate mortality rates between Black …

Predictors Of Experimental And Control Group Attendance: Findings From An Hiv/Std Prevention Rct With Pregnant Women At Risk For Substance Use, Jaclyn S. Sadicario

Theses and Dissertations

Efforts to improve inclusion in research have included mandating the recruitment of ethnic minorities and women into NIH funded studies. However, little research has been completed on who attends such interventions. This is particularly worrisome in populations for which attendance to interventions can have dire consequences. HIV is a public health concern for pregnant women in substance using communities, as pregnant women are much less likely to use condoms during intercourse to prevent HIV. Group modular HIV prevention interventions have long been the standard for HIV prevention. However, little attention in research on HIV prevention interventions RCTs has been focused …