Journal of women's health
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Journal of women's health · Feb 2022
An Educational Intervention to Raise Awareness of Contraceptive Options Among Young People.
Background: Young people in the United States know little about contraceptive options available to them, although method use is sensitive to individual preferences, and method switching is common. For young people to gain reproductive autonomy, a first step is to be aware of different contraceptives, including hormonal and nonhormonal methods. We tested whether an educational intervention delivered on community college campuses was effective in increasing contraceptive awareness. ⋯ Awareness of the full range of methods increased from 31% to 55% (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 4.4, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.1-6.2]) among female participants and 11% to 36% (aOR: 10.8, 95% CI: 5.3-21.8) among male participants postintervention. The intervention was similarly effective by sexual orientation, race/ethnicity, nativity, or insurance coverage. Conclusion: This educational intervention significantly improved all students' awareness of a range of contraceptives, supporting one important aspect of reproductive health for young people in community settings.
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Journal of women's health · Feb 2022
A Field Placement Approach to Enhance State and Local Capacity for Opioid-Related Issues Affecting Pregnant and Postpartum People and Infants Prenatally Exposed to Opioids and Other Substances.
Opioid use disorder (OUD) poses a significant public health concern impacting maternal and infant outcomes. In 2018, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) partnered with the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) to develop the Opioid use disorder, Maternal outcomes, and Neonatal abstinence syndrome Initiative Learning Community (OMNI LC) to identify and disseminate best practices and strategies for implementing systems-level changes in state health departments to address OUD affecting pregnant and postpartum persons and infants prenatally exposed to opioids. ⋯ Written responses from the participating OMNI LC states on these implementation outcome measures were analyzed to (1) highlight key strategies used by field placement staff, (2) assess the implementation of the OMNI LC field placement approach within the context of implementation science, and (3) identify implementation barriers. This report describes the implementation of a temporary field placement approach and suggests that this approach could be replicated to enhance state and local capacity to respond to the opioid crisis or other high-consequence events.
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The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Research on Women's Health (ORWH) was established in 1990. With the completion of the office's 30th anniversary year, we look back and recount some of the key events and overall zeitgeist that led to ORWH's formation, and how it became the focal point at the nation's primary biomedical research agency for coordinating research on science to improve the health of women. ⋯ Also discussed are several of the many scientific advances in research on the health of women, policy innovations and their effects, and career advancements made by women in medicine and related scientific fields. We also highlight key challenges for the health of women, the need to continue pushing for equity in biomedical research careers, and NIH's approach to addressing these problems to ensure progress for the next 30 years and beyond.
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Journal of women's health · Feb 2022
Influence of Menopausal Hormone Therapy on the Breast: Counseling Your Patients Before You Prescribe.
Menopausal hormone therapy (HT) aims to improve a woman's quality of life by treating bothersome menopausal symptoms associated with low estrogen levels. Although HT is prescribed to millions of women worldwide, its breast-related adverse effects have always been a concern. ⋯ Health care professionals need to be aware of the influence of HT on breast tissue to provide appropriate counseling as part of informed decision making. Our review summarizes the influence of HT on breast symptoms, breast density, mammograms, and BC risk.