December Monthly Update and Year-In-Review

 

Happy New Year!!

This year has continued to present new challenges, and we are so sorry for any losses you may have experienced.

 

 

Dear Affiliates, Colleagues, and Friends,

It is hard to believe that 2021 is almost over, and as we are poised to enter yet another COVID-19 year, we hope that you and your families have remained safe and healthy. I know that the ongoing pandemic has posed personal and professional challenges in your own life and work, and we can all hope for higher rates of vaccinations globally.
In reflecting on another remarkable year, and as we come up on our 8th anniversary, I want to share with you that our affiliates here at RTI International have continued to do awesome work to address gender inequalities globally. This year has seen the most gender-related publications since the inception of the Global Gender Center eight years ago, and we have seen so many amazing project wins this year as well. 
As we just lost a great shero, bell hooks, her definition of feminism as "a movement to end sexism, sexist exploitation and oppression," she wrote so many books that enlighten this field. Our collective and intersectional movement is ongoing, and your work is critical to improving the lives of women and their families everywhere.
Thank you all for being part of something bigger in the gender field for those inside RTI and those who are our esteemed external affiliates! I hope that you and your families have a safe holiday season, and if you are travelling, that you have safe travels. 

Happy New Year, 
新年快, Bonne année, с новым годом, Feliz año nuevo, Frohes neues Jahr, Gelukkige Nuwe Jaar, سنة جديدة سعيدة, 明けましておめでとうございます, Mwaka mpya wenye furaha

In health,

Dr. Wendee
(she/her/hers)

 

19 EVENTS

74 RTI GENDER PROJECTS AND ADD-ON WINS

297 RTI GENDER-RELATED PUBLICATIONS

RTI Gender-related Project Wins in December

Congratulations to...

  • Carmen Strigel and team on their win, Renforcement de la Littératie au Senegal (RELIS) Activity (ABE ACR Follow on; Chemonics incumbent), from the USAID Senegal Mission
  • Dallas Elgin and team on their win, Collaborative Management Program Evaluation -- Year 7, from Colorado State University
  • Felicia Browne and team on their win, One-Year FY2021 EHE CFAR/ARC Supplement, from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
  • Kate Karriker-Jaffe and team on their win, Secondhand Harms from Alcohol & Drugs: Impacts on Families and Communities across the US, from the Public Health Institute (PHI)
  • Sue Napierala and team on their win, Secondary Distribution of HIV Self-Tests by Female Sex Workers: An Innovative Strategy for Promoting Male Partner Testing, from PHS NIH NIMH

RTI December Gender-related Project Win Feature

 

REACH Carolinas is a project aimed to evaluate what intervention would be best to support African Americans who use drugs in the Charlotte Transitional Grant Area (TGA) as a part of national Ending the Epidemic HIV prevention efforts. Project activities will include focus group discussions to best understand what factors are barriers to care for the target population, working with stakeholders to evaluate what resources are already in place, and continuous community collaboration and feedback to make sure that recommendations and interventions are as inclusive and impactful as possible.

 RTI Gender-related Publications in December 

  • Anderson, S., Mauskopf, J., Talbird, S. E., White, A., & Srinivasan, M. (2021). Antiseizure medications and oral contraceptives: Impact of enzyme inducers on pregnancy outcomes and costs. Epilepsy & Behavior125, 108368. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yebeh.2021.108368
  • Bates, L., Honeycutt, A., Bass, S., Green, T. A., & Farnham, P. G. (2021). Updated Estimates of the Number of Men Who Have Sex With Men (MSM) With Indications for HIV Pre-exposure Prophylaxis. JAIDS Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes88(4), e28–e30. https://doi.org/10.1097/QAI.0000000000002791
  • Bhushan, N. L., Phanga, T., Maseko, B., Vansia, D., Kamtsendero, L., Gichane, M. W., Maman, S., Pettifor, A. E., & Rosenberg, N. E. (2021). Contraceptive Conversations among Adolescent Girls and Young Women and Their Partners, Peers, and Older Female Family Members in Lilongwe, Malawi: A Qualitative Analysis. Studies in Family Planning52(4), 397–413. https://doi.org/10.1111/sifp.12174
  • Bonner, C. P., Fisher, C. B., Carney, T., Browne, F. A., Gichane, M. W., Howard, B. N., Turner, L., & Wechsberg, W. M. (2021). “Because all mothers is not the same”: The development and implementation of an in loco parentis informed consent procedure to enroll adolescent girls and young women to participate in HIV researchJournal of Adolescence93, 234–244. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adolescence.2021.11.001
  • Chalak, L. F., Pappas, A., Tan, S., Das, A., Sánchez, P. J., Laptook, A. R., Van Meurs, K. P., Shankaran, S., Bell, E. F., Davis, A. S., Heyne, R. J., Pedroza, C., Poindexter, B. B., Schibler, K., Tyson, J. E., Ball, M. B., Bara, R., Grisby, C., Sokol, G. M., … Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Neonatal Research Network. (2021). Association Between Increased Seizures During Rewarming After Hypothermia for Neonatal Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy and Abnormal Neurodevelopmental Outcomes at 2-Year Follow-up: A Nested Multisite Cohort StudyJAMA Neurology78(12), 1484–1493. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamaneurol.2021.3723
  • Crankshaw, E., Gaber, J., Guillory, J., Curry, L., Farrelly, M., Saunders, M., Hoffman, L., Ganz, O., Delahanty, J., Mekos, D., & Alexander, T. (2022). Final Evaluation Findings for This Free Life, a 3-Year, Multi-Market Tobacco Public Education Campaign for Gender and Sexual Minority Young Adults in the United States. Nicotine & Tobacco Research24(1), 109–117. https://doi.org/10.1093/ntr/ntab146
  • Ehrenreich, S. E., George, M. J., Burnell, K., & Underwood, M. K. (2021). Importance of digital communication in adolescents’ development: theoretical and empirical advancements in the last decade. Journal of Research on Adolescence : The Official Journal of the Society for Research on Adolescence31(4), 928–943. https://doi.org/10.1111/jora.12643
  • Gichane, M. W., Katz, A. W. K., Ngure, K., Scheckter, R., Woeber, K., Reddy, K., Tauya, T., Zimba, C., Etima, J., Mangxilana, N., Palanee-Phillips, T., van der Straten, A., & MTN-025/HOPE Study Team. (2021). Impact of Women’s Home Environment on Use of the Dapivirine Vaginal Ring for HIV Prevention in Sub-Saharan Africa. AIDS and Behavior25(12), 3847–3857. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-021-03311-y
  • Hartmann, M., Minnis, A. M., Krogstad, E., Ndwayana, S., Sindelo, S., Atujuna, M., O’Rourke, S., Bekker, L.-G., & Montgomery, E. T. (2021). iPrevent: Engaging youth as long-acting HIV prevention product co-researchers in Cape Town, South Africa. African Journal of AIDS Research : AJAR20(4), 277–286. https://doi.org/10.2989/16085906.2021.1998784
  • Harvie, H. S., Sung, V. W., Neuwahl, S. J., Honeycutt, A. A., Meyer, I., Chermansky, C. J., Menefee, S., Hendrickson, W. K., Dunivan, G. C., Mazloomdoost, D., Bass, S. J., Gantz, M. G., & Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Pelvic Floor Disorders Network. (2021). Cost-effectiveness of behavioral and pelvic floor muscle therapy combined with midurethral sling surgery vs surgery alone among women with mixed urinary incontinence: results of the Effects of Surgical Treatment Enhanced With Exercise for Mixed Urinary Incontinence randomized trial. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology225(6), 651.e1-651.e26. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajog.2021.06.099
  • Hemberg, J., Lorvick, J., Lipnicky, A., Wickliffe, J., Comfort, M., Faust, A., Cropsey, K., & Ramaswamy, M. (2021). Differences in abortion-related knowledge among women involved in the criminal legal system in three US cities. Contraception104(6), 606–611. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.contraception.2021.08.012
  • Katz, A. W. K., Mansoor, L. E., Tsidya, M., Mathebula, F., Singh, D., Siva, S., Akello, C., Chitowa, T. H., Garcia, M., Soto-Torres, L., & Montgomery, E. T. (2021). Using Emoji Stickers to Understand End-User Opinions of the Dapivirine Vaginal Ring for HIV PreventionAIDS and Behavior25(12), 3955–3966. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-021-03338-1
  • Kowalski, A. J., Kuhn, A. P., Lane, H. G., Trude, A. C. B., Selam, H., Hager, E. R., & Black, M. M. (2021). Pre-pandemic to early-pandemic changes in risk of household food insecurity among Maryland families with childrenPublic Health Nutrition, 1–23. https://doi.org/10.1017/S136898002100481X
  • Kokaliaris, C., Garba, A., Matuska, M., Bronzan, R. N., Colley, D. G., Dorkenoo, A. M., Ekpo, U. F., Fleming, F. M., French, M. D., Kabore, A., Mbonigaba, J. B., Midzi, N., Mwinzi, P. N. M., N’Goran, E. K., Polo, M. R., Sacko, M., Tchuem Tchuenté, L.-A., Tukahebwa, E. M., Uvon, P. A., … Vounatsou, P. (2021). Effect of preventive chemotherapy with praziquantel on schistosomiasis among school-aged children in sub-Saharan Africa: a spatiotemporal modelling study. The Lancet Infectious Diseases. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1473-3099(21)00090-6
  • Kulkarni, V. G., Sunilkumar, K. B., Nagaraj, T. S., Uddin, Z., Ahmed, I., Hwang, K., Goudar, S. S., Guruprasad, G., Saleem, S., Tikmani, S. S., Dhaded, S. M., Yogeshkumar, S., Somannavar, M. S., McClure, E. M., & Goldenberg, R. L. (2021). Maternal and fetal vascular lesions of malperfusion in the placentas associated with fetal and neonatal death: results of a prospective observational study. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology225(6), 660.e1-660.e12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajog.2021.06.001
  • Leuba, S. I., Westreich, D., Bose, C. L., Powers, K. A., Olshan, A., Taylor, S., Tshefu, A., Lokangaka, A., Carlo, W. A., Chomba, E., Liechty, E. A., Bucher, S. L., Esamai, F., Jessani, S., Saleem, S., Goldenberg, R. L., Moore, J., Nolen, T., Hemingway-Foday, J., … Bauserman, M. (2021). Predictors of Plasmodium falciparum infection in the first trimester among nulliparous women from Kenya, Zambia, and the Democratic Republic of the CongoThe Journal of Infectious Diseases. https://doi.org/10.1093/infdis/jiab588
  • Li, L., Gatto, G. J., Brand, R. M., Krovi, S. A., Cottrell, M. L., Norton, C., van der Straten, A., & Johnson, L. M. (2021). Long-acting biodegradable implant for sustained delivery of antiretrovirals (ARVs) and hormones. Journal of Controlled Release340, 188–199. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jconrel.2021.10.02
  • Margolis, M. A., Brewer, N. T., Boynton, M. H., Lafata, J. E., Southwell, B. G., & Gilkey, M. B. (2021). Provider response and follow-up to parental declination of HPV vaccinationVaccine. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vaccine.2021.11.055
  • Meinhofer, A., Witman, A. E., Hinde, J. M., & Simon, K. (2021). Marijuana liberalization policies and perinatal health. Journal of Health Economics80, 102537. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhealeco.2021.102537
  • Patock-Peckham, J. A., Corbin, W. R., Smyth, H., Canning, J. R., Ruof, A., & Williams, J. (2021). Effects of stress, alcohol prime dose, and sex on ad libitum drinkingPsychology of Addictive Behaviors. https://doi.org/10.1037/adb0000801
  • Rowell-Cunsolo, T. L., Mkuu, R. S., Bellerose, M., Haile, R., & Wechsberg, W. (2021). “I Said Maybe We Should Use a Condom, and Then that Just Went South”: Exploring Condomless Sex among Formerly Incarcerated Black Men in New York City, USA. Journal of Sex Research, 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224499.2021.2004083
  • Squiers, L., Brown, S., Hauser, K., Lynch, M., Treiman, K., Polen, K., Amoozegar, J., Quiroz, R., Tong, V., Waddell, L., & Gilboa, S. (2021). Perceptions of health care, information, and social support among women affected by zika virus infection during pregnancy in two U.S. states. Maternal and Child Health Journal25(12), 1836–1841. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-021-03272-7
  • Stoner, M. C. D., Brown, E. R., Palanee-Phillips, T., Mansoor, L. E., Tembo, T., Nair, G., Akello, C., Seyama, L., Jeenarain, N., Naidoo, L., Mgodi, N., Hunidzarira, P., Chitukuta, M., van der Straten, A., & MTN-020 ASPIRE and M-025 HOPE study teams. (2021). The influence of perceived dapivirine vaginal ring effectiveness on social disclosure and ring adherenceAIDS and Behavior25(12), 4169–4179. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-021-03286-w
  • Thirumurthy, H., Bair, E. F., Ochwal, P., Marcus, N., Putt, M., Maman, S., Napierala, S., & Agot, K. (2021). The effect of providing women sustained access to HIV self-tests on male partner testing, couples testing, and HIV incidence in Kenya: a cluster-randomised trial. The Lancet. HIV8(12), e736–e746. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2352-3018(21)00248-4
  • Tucker, J. D., Iwelunmor, J., Abrams, E., Donenberg, G., Wilson, E. C., Blachman-Demner, D., Laimon, L., Taiwo, B. O., Kuhns, L. M., John-Stewart, G. C., Kohler, P., Subramanian, S., Ayieko, J., Gbaja-Biamila, T., Oladele, D., Obiezu-Umeh, C., Chima, K. P., Jalil, E. M., Falcao, J., … Kapogiannis, B. G. (2021). Accelerating adolescent HIV research in low-income and middle-income countries: evidence from a research consortium. AIDS35(15), 2503–2511. https://doi.org/10.1097/QAD.0000000000003049
  • Zyczynski, H. M., Arya, L. A., Lukacz, E. S., Richter, H. E., Rahn, D. D., Sung, V. W., Visco, A. G., Shaffer, A., Jelovsek, J. E., Rogers, R., Mazloomdoost, D., Gantz, M. G., & Eunice Kennedy Shriver NICHD Pelvic Floor Disorders Network (PFDN). (2021). Design of a randomized controlled trial of percutaneous posterior tibial nerve stimulation for the treatment of refractory fecal incontinence in women: the neuromodulation for accidental bowel leakage study. Female Pelvic Medicine & Reconstructive Surgery27(12), 726–734. https://doi.org/10.1097/SPV.0000000000001050

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

RTI December Gender-Related Publication Feature

This article explores the outcomes of a cluster-randomized trial in Kenya testing the impact of providing access to HIV self-tests to women on male HIV incidence, partner testing, and couples testing. This article found that providing women with these tests enabled these women to provide their sexual partners with tests as well, but that the wider availability of these tests did not impact HIV incidence. 

Thirumurthy, H., Bair, E. F., Ochwal, P., Marcus, N., Putt, M., Maman, S., Napierala, S., & Agot, K. (2021). The effect of providing women sustained access to HIV self-tests on male partner testing, couples testing, and HIV incidence in Kenya: a cluster-randomised trial. The Lancet. HIV8(12), e736–e746. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2352-3018(21)00248-4

Recapping December Events

World HIV Day: Highlights of RTI's Collaborative Research in Another COVID Year
This month the xHIV program hosted an event honoring World HIV Day featuring speakers across RTI whose projects address HIV. The speakers included Lauren Courtney, who presented on the South Sudan DHAPP Project, Dr. Courtney Bonner, who presented about the EMPOW-HER and PrEPARE projects in the United States and South Africa, respectively, and Imogen Hawley and Dr. Archana Krovi who presented about the DAISY Study in South Africa. Thank you to all Global Gender Center affiliates who spoke at this wonderful event!

Upcoming Events

Stay tuned for a save-the-date for an event celebrating Cervical Health Awareness Month featuring affiliate Carrie Ngongo!

 

14th InWomen's Group Conference I June 10, 2022

The 2022 InWomen's Conference will be in-person this year in Minneapolis, Minnesota! The conference will also have a hybrid option for those who are unable to attend in person.

 
Call for Abstracts

Abstracts for 5-minute oral presentations
are being solicited in lieu of posters.

Panel II will also welcome oral presentations from a select number of early-career investigators with high-quality abstracts based on the following criteria:

(1) Adheres to the InWomen's mission, focus, and 2022 theme;
(2) Contains a gender and substance use component or focus;
(3) Is well written and follows format guidelines and;
(4) Is focused on a critical topic

All abstracts will be peer-reviewed by the InWomen's Abstract Review Committee.

Key Dates
Abstract Submission Deadline: January 31st at 11:59 PM EST 
Decision Notifications and Registration: March 2022

Submit Abstracts Here

 Gender Science News 

Stress, by itself, can lead to excessive drinking in women but not men
 
Chemicals from hair and beauty products impact hormones, especially during pregnancy
 
Prescribing the abortion pill without restrictions is safe and effective, study finds
 
Parental stress is a contributing factor linking maternal depression to child anxiety and depressive symptoms
 
Aging stiffens the blood vessels but their flexibility also fluctuates based on a woman’s hormone state

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