Dear Friends and Colleagues,

We have much gratitude for the news this month addressing overdue social justice awakening and affirming our commitment to addressing disparities and inequities through research. It is a critical time to be a scientist and implementer.

In honor of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, we hosted a panel showcasing a variety of programs at RTI International that address sexual assault in the criminal justice system, U.S. Military, and among adolescent girls and young women in South Africa. You can also read our latest blog on research on sexual assault in the military here.

We are also excited to kick off this year's WomenNC Commission on the Status of Women Scholar Program! Interviews for this year's cohort of scholars are complete and we will announce them next week. We have also opened registration for our 13th InWomen’s Conference, see below or contact me or bhoward@rti.org if you want to know more.

As COVID-19 vaccine rollouts continue around the world, I hope that you and your loved ones are able to get vaccinated and begin to normalize a little within your families or bubble of friends.

In health,
Dr. Wendee 

RTI Gender-related April Publications

• Abrams SA, Hampton JC, Finn KL. (2021). A substantial proportion of 6- to 12-month- old infants have calculated daily absorbed iron below recommendations, especially those who are breastfed. J Pediatr. 2021;231:36-42.e2. doi: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2020.10.071. 
• Barr DB, Kannan K, Cui Y, Merrill L, Petrick LM, Meeker JD, Fennell TR, Faustman EM. (2021). The use of dried blood spots for characterizing children's exposure to organic environmental chemicals. Environ Res.195:110796. doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.110796. 
• Basso O, Willis SK, Hatch EE, Mikkelsen EM, Rothman KJ, Wise LA. (2021). Maternal age at birth and daughter's fecundability. Hum Reprod. 2021. doi: 10.1093/humrep/deab057.  
• Bauserman MS, Bann CM, Hambidge KM, Garces AL, Figueroa L, Westcott JL, Patterson JK, McClure EM, Thorsten VR, Aziz SA, Saleem S, Goldenberg RL, Derman RJ, Herekar V, Somannavar M, Koso-Thomas MW, Lokangaka AL, Tshefu AK, Krebs NF, Bose CL; Women First Preconception Trial Study Group. (2021). Gestational weight gain in 4 low- and middle-income countries and associations with birth outcomes: a secondary analysis of the Women First Trial. Am J Clin Nutr. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/nqab086. 
• Bisanzio D, Montresor A, French M, Reithinger R, Rodari P, Bisoffi Z, Buonfrate D. (2021).  Preventive chemotherapy for the control of strongyloidiasis in school-age children: Estimating the ivermectin need. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 15;15(4): doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0009314.
• Black MM, Behrman JR, Daelmans B, Prado EL, Richter L, Tomlinson M, Trude ACB, Wertlieb D, Wuermli AJ, Yoshikawa H. (2021).The principles of Nurturing Care promote human capital and mitigate adversities from preconception through adolescence. BMJ Glob Health. 2021 Apr;6(4). doi: 10.1136/bmjgh-2020-004436.
• Bliznashka L, Danaei G, Fink G, Flax VL, Thakwalakwa C, Jaacks LM. (2021). Cross- country comparison of dietary patterns and overweight and obesity among adult women in urban Sub-Saharan Africa. Public Health Nutr. 24(6):1393-1403. doi: 10.1017/S1368980019005202. 
• Fishbein DH, Williams J. (2021). Latent class analysis of individual-level characteristics predictive of intervention outcomes in urban male adolescents. Res Child Adolesc Psychopathol.  doi: 10.1007/s10802-021-00808-x. 
• Flax VL, Hawley I, Ryan J, Chitukuta M, Mathebula F, Nakalega R, Seyama L, Taulo F, van der Straten A; MTN-041/MAMMA Study Team. (2021). After their wives have delivered, a lot of men like going out: Perceptions of HIV transmission risk and support for HIV prevention methods during breastfeeding in sub-Saharan Africa. Matern Child Nutr. 17(2):e13120. doi: 10.1111/mcn.13120. 
• Gaiha SM, Henriksen L, Halpern-Felsher B, Rogers T, Feld AL, Gaber J, Andersen-Rodgers E. (2021). Sources of flavoured e-cigarettes among California youth and young adults: associations with local flavoured tobacco sales restrictions. Tob Control. doi: 10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2020-056455.
• Hartmann M, Otticha S, Agot K, Minnis AM, Montgomery ET, Roberts ST. (2021). Tu'Washindi na PrEP: Working with young women and service providers to design an intervention for PrEP uptake and adherence in the context of gender-based violence. AIDS Educ Prev. 33(2):103-119. doi: 10.1521/aeap.2021.33.2.103. 
• Hatch EE, Willis SK, Wesselink AK, Mikkelsen EM, Eisenberg ML, Sommer GJ, Sorensen HT, Rothman KJ, Wise LA. (2021). Male cellular telephone exposure, fecundability, and semen quality: results from two preconception cohort studies. Hum Reprod. 36(5):1395-1404. doi: 10.1093/humrep/deab001. 
• Hudson KN, Willoughby MT. (2021). Evaluating the factor structure and criterion validity of the Canadian Little DCDQ: Associations between motor competence, executive functions, early numeracy skills, and ADHD in early childhood. Assessment. doi: 10.1177/10731911211003967. 
• Jensen M, George MJ, Russell MA, Lippold MA, Odgers CL. (2021). Daily parent- adolescent digital exchanges. Res Child Adolesc Psychopathol. doi: 10.1007/s10802-020-00765-x. 
• Jensen M, George MJ, Russell MA, Lippold MA, Odgers CL. (2021). Does adolescent digital technology use detract from the parent-adolescent relationship? J Res Adolesc. doi: 10.1111/jora.12618. 
• Kan ML, McKay TE, Berzofsky ME, Biemer PP, Edwards SL, Landwehr J, Brinton JE. A Field Test of Opportunities for Teen Dating Violence Disclosure in School- Based Relationship Education Programs. J Interpers Violence. 2021; doi: 10.1177/08862605211001478.
• Kpokiri EE, Wu D, Srinivas ML, Anderson J, Say L, Kontula O, Ahmad NA, Morroni C, Izugbara C, de Visser R, Oduro GY, Gitau E, Welbourn A, Andrasik M, Norman WV, Clifton S, Gabster A, Gesselman A, Smith C, Prause N, Olumide A, Erausquin JT, Muriuki P, van der Straten A, Nicholson M, O'Connell KA, Mwoka M, Bajos N, Mercer CH, Gonsalves LM, Tucker JD. Development of an international sexual and reproductive health survey instrument: results from a pilot WHO/HRP consultative Delphi process. Sex Transm Infect. 2021; doi: 10.1136/sextrans-2020-054822.  
• Kummar S, Berlin J, Mascarenhas L, van Tilburg CM, Geoerger B, Lassen UN, Schilder RJ, Turpin B, Nanda S, Keating K, Childs BH, Chirila C, Laetsch TW, Hyman DM, Drilon A, Hong DS. Quality of Life in Adult and Pediatric Patients with Tropomyosin Receptor Kinase Fusion Cancer Receiving Larotrectinib. Curr Probl Cancer. 2021; doi: 10.1016/j.currproblcancer.2021.100734. 
• La EM, Garbinsky D, Hunter S, Poston S, Novy P, Ghaswalla P. Meningococcal B vaccination coverage among older adolescents in the United States. Vaccine. 2021; doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2021.03.071. 
• Liu AY, Laborde ND, Coleman K, Vittinghoff E, Gonzalez R, Wilde G, Thorne AL, Ikeguchi E, Shafner L, Sunshine L, van der Straten A, Siegler AJ, Buchbinder S. DOT Diary: Developing a Novel Mobile App Using Artificial Intelligence and an Electronic Sexual Diary to Measure and Support PrEP Adherence Among Young Men Who Have Sex with Men. AIDS Behav. 2021; doi: 10.1007/s10461-020-03054-2. 
• Moalli PA, Bowen ST, Abramowitch SD, Lockhart ME, Ham M, Hahn M, Weidner AC, Richter HE, Rardin CR, Komesu YM, Harvie HS, Ridgeway BM, Mazloomdoost D, Shaffer A, Gantz MG; NICHD Pelvic Floor Disorders Network. Methods for the defining mechanisms of anterior vaginal wall descent (DEMAND) study. Int Urogynecol J. 2021; doi: 10.1007/s00192-020-04511-1. 
• Pack A, Maman S, Reyes HLM, Nyblade L, Whetten K, Zimmer C, Gray CL, Golin C. Predictors of HIV Testing among Orphaned Youths in Three East African Countries. AIDS Behav. 2021; doi: 10.1007/s10461-020-03104-9. 
• Pellizzari E, Woodruff TJ. Response to "Comment on 'Identifying and Prioritizing Chemicals with Uncertain Burden of Exposure: Opportunities for Biomonitoring and Health-Related Research' and 'Beyond the Light under the Lamppost: New Chemical Candidates for Biomonitoring in Young Children'". Environ Health Perspect. 2021; doi: 10.1289/EHP9192. 
• Richardson JS, Kemper AR, Grosse SD, Lam WKK, Rose AM, Ahmad A, Gebremariam A, Prosser LA. Health and economic outcomes of newborn screening for infantile- onset Pompe disease. Genet Med. 2021; doi: 10.1038/s41436-020-01038-0.
• Scaglione NM, Buben A, Williams J, Cance JD, Elek E, Clarke T, Graham PW. A Latent Class Analysis of Prevention Approaches Used to Reduce Community-Level Prescription Drug Misuse in Adolescents and Young Adults. J Prim Prev. 2021; doi: 10.1007/s10935-021-00631-6. 
• Stenehjem DD, Telford C, Unni SK, Bauer H, Sainski A, Deka R, Schauerhamer MB, Ye X, Tak CR, Ma J, Dalvi TB, Gutierrez L, Kaye JA, Tyczynski JE, Brixner DI, Biskupiak JE. BRCA testing and outcomes in women with breast cancer. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2021; doi: 10.1007/s10549-020-06038-x. 
• Valentine JL, Presler-Jur P, Mills H, Miles S. Evidence Collection and Analysis for Touch Deoxyribonucleic Acid in Groping and Sexual Assault Cases. J Forensic Nurs. 2021;  doi: 10.1097/JFN.0000000000000324. 
• Washio Y, Atreyapurapu S, Hayashi Y, Taylor S, Chang K, Ma T, Isaacs K. Systematic review on use of health incentives in U.S. to change maternal health behavior. Prev Med. 2021; doi: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2021.106442.
• Wechsberg, W. M., Browne, F. A., Ndirangu, J., Bonner, C. P., Kline, T. L., Gichane, M., & Zule, W. A. (2021). Outcomes of Implementing in the Real World the Women's Health CoOp Intervention in Cape Town, South Africa. AIDS and Behavior, 1-14.
• Young A, Ryan J, Reddy K, Palanee-Phillips T, Chitukuta M, Mwenda W, Kemigisha D, Musara P, van der Straten A; MTN-041/MAMMA Study Team. Religious leaders' role in pregnant and breastfeeding women's decision making and willingness to use biomedical HIV prevention strategies: a multi-country analysis. Cult Health Sex. 2021; doi: 10.1080/13691058.2021.1874054.

RTI Gender-related April Project Wins

Congratulations to:

• Abhik Das and team on their win, Full term controls for NRN HYBRiD Study, from The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
• Anirban Chatterjee and team on their win, Water for Women COVID-19 Pivot Extension, from the Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade (DFAT)
• Jen Deese and team on their win, MicroRNA Predictors of HIV Risk in Reproductive Age Women, from the Brigham and Women's Hospital
• Melissa McSwegin and team on their win, USAID Rwanda Integrated Health Systems Activity (RIHSA), from the Palladium Group
• Felicia Browne and team on their win, Reducing Stigma Related to Drug Use in Human Service Settings - STRIDES (R21 Clinical Trial Optional), from NIDA
• Rachel Nugent and team on their win, Analysis of cancer screening and prevention in Kenya, from the World Bank
• Ishu Kataria and team on their win, Understanding Supportive Evidence and Current Barriers in the Inclusion of HPV Vaccine in the UIP of India, from Cancer Research UK
• Marisa Bowersox and team on their win, Tanzania Jifunze Uelewe (Tusome Pamoja, AIE Follow on; RTI incumbent), from the USAID Tanzania Mission

 We update our website regularly with all RTI Gender-related publications under resources. Please let us know if we missed any of yours. 

April Events

This sexual assault awareness month's #30daysofSAAM ends on April 30, and we honored the importance of this month with a panel showcasing RTI's work to prevent and address sexual assault. We welcomed Jacqueline Ndirangu and Dr. Hannah Feeney to present. Ms. Ndirangu spoke about sexual assault during the COVID-19 lockdown in South Africa, and Dr. Feeny presented about work her team has completed evaluating the impact of COVID-19 on victim service providers in North Carolina.

A recording of the event is available upon request.

Upcoming Events

MAY 12, 2021     1:00 - 2:00 PM EDT

Join the RTI Global Gender Center's LGBT+ Rising working group for an event on May 12th from 1:00 - 2:00 PM EDT discussing the increase in anti-transgender legislation in the United States. We welcome Shiona Heru and Vivian Taylor, an external affiliate, at Duke University, to the conversation. 

Email bhoward@rti.org for the zoom link!

JUNE 18, 2021 9:00 AM -- 4:00 PM EDT

Registration for the 13th InWomen's conference is now open! 

Theme: Context, Culture, & Intersectionality: Barriers and Challenges Facing Women with Substance Use Disorders Globally

For more information about how to register, cost, and to view the conference program, please visit: http://bit.ly/3aRhkCB

Gender Science News 

Engineer cautions pregnant women about speed bumps
Stress from work and social interactions put women at higher coronary heart disease risk
Womens' pain not taken as seriously as mens' pain
Experimental treatment offers hope of fertility for early menopausal women
Gender-affirming hormone therapy may increase risk of high blood pressure
 

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