Dear Friends and Colleagues,

Greetings from Cape Town, South Africa! Following some productive meetings in Kenya last week on intersectional gender issues, there is great support for collaborations with the HIV Health Ministry and RTI’s proven interventions. There is so much we can do to end HIV, unintended pregnancies, and gender-based violence among young people who are the majority of the Kenyan population!

I am currently now conducting staff trainings, meeting with partners and also met our numerous peer advisors this past weekend. They help to inform project community work and really are future leaders to disseminate project findings deep into ground networks. See a fun picture below from our Peer Advisory Board meeting on Saturday!

Thank you for those who joined honoring Domestic Violence Awareness Month featuring one of our esteemed external affiliates, Dr. Mary Ellsberg. You can read more about this event below. Addressing domestic violence and violence against women is a critical part of ending gender inequalities globally, and hearing about Dr. Ellsberg's impressive and important work was an impactful reminder of this. We had a lively discussion. In light of this, I also want to honor the courageous women protesting for their rights and against violence in Iran. 

Thank you all for your comments in LinkedIn about Forbes' 50 over 50: Impact list. I encourage you to please read about all the other incredible women who were selected.

Wishing you all health and safety as COVID-19 seems to bouncing up again, and a Happy Halloween if you celebrate!

In health,
Wendee
she/her/hers

 

Couples Health CoOp Plus project staff member Thembisa Nguxuma, South Africa and US multiple principal investigators Drs. Tara Carney, Felicia Browne and Wendee Wechsberg with Project Director Jackie Ndirangu after our peer advisory board meeting. All peer advisors were happy to sign media release forms and we therefore have permission from each of them to use this photograph. Photo credit: Project staff member Akhona Kili

 RTI Gender-related October Publications

• Agot K, Hartmann M, Otticha S, Minnis A, Onyango J, Ochillo M, Roberts ST. "I didn't support PrEP because I didn't know what it was": Inadequate information undermines male partner support for young women's pre-exposure prophylaxis use in western Kenya. Afr J AIDS Res. 2022 Oct;21(3):221-230. doi:10.2989/16085906.2022.2049831. PMID: 36102052.
• Bhushan NL, Musara P, Hartmann M, Stoner MCD, Shah SR, Nabukeera J, Rukundo I, Mutero P, Lewis MA, Piper J, Shapley-Quinn MK, Etima J, Minnis AM. Making the case for joint decision-making in future multipurpose prevention technology (MPT) choice: Qualitative findings on MPT attribute preferences from the CUPID study (MTN-045). J Int AIDS Soc. 2022 Oct;25(10):e26024. doi:10.1002/jia2.26024. PMID: 36254362; PMCID: PMC9577116.
• Chock VY, Smith E, Tan S, Ball MB, Das A, Hintz SR, Kirpalani H, Bell EF, Chalak LF, Carlo WA, Cotten CM, Widness JA, Kennedy KA, Ohls RK, Seabrook RB, Patel RM, Laptook AR, Mancini T, Sokol GM, Walsh MC, Yoder BA, Poindexter BB, Chawla S, D'Angio CT, Higgins RD, Van Meurs KP; Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Neonatal Research Network. Early brain and abdominal oxygenation in extremely low birth weight infants. Pediatr Res. 2022 Oct;92(4):1034-1041. doi: 10.1038/s41390-022-02082-z. PMID: 35513716; PMCID: PMC9588487.
• Cutts DB, Ettinger de Cuba S, Bovell-Ammon A, Wellington C, Coleman SM, Frank DA, Black MM, Ochoa E, Chilton M, Lê-Scherban F, Heeren T, Rateau LJ, Sandel M. Eviction and household health and hardships in families with very young children. Pediatrics. 2022 Oct 1;150(4):e2022056692. doi: 10.1542/peds.2022-056692. PMID: 36120757.
• Ehlers CL, Yehuda R, Gilder DA, Bernert R, Karriker-Jaffe KJ. Trauma, historical trauma, PTSD and suicide in an American Indian community sample. J Psychiatr Res. 2022 Oct 7;156:214-220. doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2022.10.012. PMID: 36265258.
• Galán CA, Meza JI, Ridenour TA, Shaw DS. Racial discrimination experienced by Black parents: Enduring mental health consequences for adolescent youth. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2022 Oct;61(10):1251-1261. doi: 10.1016/j.jaac.2022.04.015. PMID: 35513191.
• Galán CA, Shaw DS, O'Rourke F, Reynolds MD, Gill A, Bogen DL, Ridenour TA. Substance use screening and prevention for adolescents in pediatric primary care: A randomized clinical trial using the family check-up. Res Child Adolesc Psychopathol. 2022 Oct 8. doi: 10.1007/s10802-022-00978-2. PMID: 36208361.
• Handley SC, Kumbhat N, Eggleston B, Foglia EE, Davis AS, Van Meurs K, Lakshminrusimha S, Walsh M, Watterberg KL, Wyckoff MH, Das A, DeMauro SB. Exposure to umbilical cord management approaches and death or neurodevelopmental impairment at 22-26 months' corrected age after extremely preterm birth. Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed. 2022 Oct 17:fetalneonatal-2022-324565. doi: 10.1136/archdischild-2022-324565. PMID: 36253076.
• Harlfinger J, Nußbaumer-Streit B, Gartlehner G. Prävention der Mutter-zu- Kind-Übertragung des Hepatitis-B-Virus: Leitlinie zur antiviralen Prophylaxe während der Schwangerschaft [Prevention of Mother-To-Child Transmission of Hepatitis B Virus: Guidelines on Antiviral Prophylaxis in Pregnancy]. Gesundheitswesen. 2022 Oct 10. German. doi: 10.1055/a-1630-7893. PMID: 36216327.
• Hunter LA, Rao A, Napierala S, Kalinjila A, Mnyippembe A, Hassan K, Bertozzi SM, Mfaume R, Njau P, Liu JX, McCoy SI. Reaching adolescent girls and young women with HIV self-testing and contraception at girl-friendly drug shops: A randomized trial in Tanzania. J Adolesc Health. 2022 Oct 12:S1054-139X(22)00600-0. doi: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2022.08.013. PMID: 36241492.
• Kachoria P, Sasidaran S, Welling CM, Rosario P, Zhou J, Chakrabarty K, Grundl H, Kristoferitsch L, Grego S. Sensor-based evaluation of a urine trap toilet in a shared bathroom. Sci Total Environ. 2022 Oct 3;857(Pt 1):159178. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.159178. PMID: 36202366.
• Lencz T, Sabatello M, Docherty A, Peterson RE, Soda T, Austin J, Bierut L, Crepaz-Keay D, Curtis D, Degenhardt F, Huckins L, Lazaro-Munoz G, Mattheisen M, Meiser B, Peay H, Rietschel M, Walss-Bass C, Davis LK. Concerns about the use of polygenic embryo screening for psychiatric and cognitive traits. Lancet Psychiatry. 2022 Oct;9(10):838-844. doi: 10.1016/S2215-0366(22)00157-2. PMID: 35931093.
• Mazigo HD, Mwingira UJ, Zinga MM, Uisso C, Kazyoba PE, Kinung'hi SM, Mutapi F. Urogenital schistosomiasis among pre-school and school aged children in four districts of north western Tanzania after 15 years of mass drug administration: Geographical prevalence, risk factors and performance of haematuria reagent strips. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2022 Oct 12;16(10):e0010834. doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0010834. PMID: 36223393; PMCID: PMC9591047.

• Marusich JA, Gamage TF, Zhang Y, Akinfiresoye LR, Wiley JL. In vitro and in vivo pharmacology of nine novel synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists. Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 2022 Oct;220:173467. doi: 10.1016/j.pbb.2022.173467. PMID: 36154844.
• McClure EM, Goldenberg RL. Implementing effective investigations for cause of stillbirth. BJOG. 2022 Oct 9. doi: 10.1111/1471-0528.17310. PMID: 36209459.
• Meek C, Mulenga DM, Edwards P, Inambwae S, Chelwa N, Mbizvo MT, Roberts ST, Subramanian S, Nyblade L. Health worker perceptions of stigma towards Zambian adolescent girls and young women: a qualitative study. BMC Health Serv Res. 2022 Oct 17;22(1):1253. doi: 10.1186/s12913-022-08636-5. PMID: 36253747; PMCID: PMC9575270.
• Ngongo CJ, Raassen TJIP, Mahendeka M, Lombard L, van Roosmalen J, Temmerman M. A retrospective review of genital fistula occurrence in nine African countries. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2022 Oct 4;22(1):744. doi: 10.1186/s12884-022-05051-w. PMID: 36195839; PMCID: PMC9531465.
• Nyblade L, Ndirangu JW, Speizer IS, Browne FA, Bonner CP, Minnis A, Kline TL, Ahmed K, Howard BN, Cox EN, Rinderle A, Wechsberg WM. Stigma in the health clinic and implications for PrEP access and use by adolescent girls and young women: conflicting perspectives in South Africa. BMC Public Health. 2022 Oct 14;22(1):1916. doi: 10.1186/s12889-022-14236-z. PMID: 36242000; PMCID: PMC9563466.
• Peebles K, Brown ER, Hendrix CW, Palanee-Phillips T, van der Straten A, Harkoo I, Reddy K, Mirembe BG, Jeenarain N, Hillier SL, Baeten JM, Barnabas RV; MTN-020/ASPIRE study team. Dapivirine ring HIV-1 prevention effectiveness for women engaged in vaginal and anal intercourse: insights from mathematical modeling. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 2022 Oct 3. doi: 10.1097/QAI.0000000000003110. PMID: 36184755.
• Pelletier-Baldelli A, Sheridan MA, Glier S, Rodriguez-Thompson A, Gates KM, Martin S, Dichter GS, Patel KK, Bonar AS, Giletta M, Hastings PD, Nock MK, Slavich GM, Rudolph KD, Prinstein MJ, Miller AB. Social goals in girls transitioning to adolescence: Associations with psychopathology and brain network connectivity. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci. 2022 Oct 26:nsac058. doi: 10.1093/scan/nsac058. PMID: 36287067.
• Pooler JA, Srinivasan M, Wong K, Biltstein JL. Food skills education and low-income adults' healthy food choices. Community Health Equity Res Policy. 2022 Oct;43(1):89-94. doi: 10.1177/0272684X211004941. PMID: 33757331.
• Puopolo KM, Mukhopadhyay S, Hansen NI, Flannery DD, Greenberg RG, Sanchez PJ, Bell EF, DeMauro SB, Wyckoff MH, Eichenwald EC, Stoll BJ. Group B Streptococcus infection in extremely preterm neonates and neurodevelopmental outcomes at 2 years. Clin Infect Dis. 2022 Oct 12;75(8):1405-1415. doi: 10.1093/cid/ciac222. PMID: 35323895; PMCID: PMC9555845.
• Raspa M, Wheeler A, Okoniewski KC, Edwards A, Scott S. Research gaps in Fragile X Syndrome: An updated literature review to inform clinical and public health practice. J Dev Behav Pediatr. 2022 Oct 11. Doi:10.1097/DBP.0000000000001134. PMID: 36219479.
• Resch SC, Suarez S, Omotayo MO, Griffin J, Sessler D, Burke T. Non-anaesthetist-administered ketamine for emergency caesarean section in Kenya: cost-effectiveness analysis. BMJ Open. 2022 Oct 5;12(10):e051055. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2021-051055. PMID: 36198454; PMCID: PMC9535153.
• Scorgie F, Hawley I, Fairlie L, Pahad S, Mathebula F, Mohuba R, London SJ, Cottrell ML, Johnson LM, Montgomery ET. Acceptability of implants for HIV treatment in young children: Perspectives of health care providers in Johannesburg, South Africa. AIDS Patient Care STDS. 2022 Oct;36(10):389-395. doi: 10.1089/apc.2022.0087. PMID: 36286579.
• Silver IA, Brookstein AJ, D'Amato C. Juvenile incarceration in an adult correctional facility as a risk factor for adolescent childrearing? J Adolesc. 2022 Oct 5. doi: 10.1002/jad.12096. PMID: 36199241.
• Smith LH, García-Albéniz X, Chan JM, Zhao S, Cowan JE, Broering JM, Cooperberg MR, Carroll PR, Hernán MA. Emulation of a target trial with sustained treatment strategies: an application to prostate cancer using both inverse probability weighting and the g-formula. Eur J Epidemiol. 2022 Oct 26. doi: 10.1007/s10654-022-00929-7. PMID: 36289138.
• Willis SK, Hatch EE, Laursen ASD, Wesselink AK, Mikkelsen EM, Tucker KL, Rothman KJ, Mumford SL, Wise LA. Dietary patterns and fecundability in 2 prospective preconception cohorts. Am J Clin Nutr. 2022 Oct 3:nqac213. doi:10.1093/ajcn/nqac213. PMID: 36192441.
• Wright SJ, Dalal G, Vass CM, Georgsson S, Payne K. How do women want to receive information about non-invasive prenatal testing? Evidence from a discrete choice experiment. Prenat Diagn. 2022 Oct;42(11):1377-1389. doi:10.1002/pd.6243. PMID: 36146928.

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

October Publication Feature

Transitioning to adolescence is a difficult time, which is why these researchers examined how social goals for girls change during this time period. The researchers evaluated 220 girls aged 9-15 to examine how changes in social motivations impact psychopathology. This study found preliminary support for the idea that changes in motivations for social engagement can increase young girls' risk for mental health challenges, especially among girls who may already be at risk for other reasons.

Pelletier-Baldelli A, Sheridan MA, Glier S, Rodriguez-Thompson A, Gates KM, Martin S, Dichter GS, Patel KK, Bonar AS, Giletta M, Hastings PD, Nock MK, Slavich GM, Rudolph KD, Prinstein MJ, Miller AB. Social goals in girls transitioning to adolescence: Associations with psychopathology and brain network connectivity. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci. 2022 Oct 26:nsac058. doi: 10.1093/scan/nsac058. PMID: 36287067.

 

 RTI Gender-related October Project Wins

Congratulations to:

• Mallory Harris and team on their win, nuMoM2b HHS2 - Ancillary Study - Sedentary Behavior and Cardiovascular Health in Young Women, from West Virginia University
• Julia Brinton and team on their win, OVC FY 2022 Measuring the Impact of Victim Services (iMPRoVE Project), from Dept of Justice OVC
• Jeanette Auman and team on their win, Data Transfer under NICHD's NRN DCC, from Boston Children's Hospital
• Dallas Elgin and team on their win, SafeCare Colorado Evaluation FY22-23, from Colorado State University

• Mallory Harris and team on their win, NuMoM2B HHS2 - Add on - DASH biospecimen metadata, from NIH NHLBI
• Ellen Luecke and team on their win, Identifying opportunities to improve maternal and child health outcomes among HIV-affected adolescents and young women, from NIH NICHD
• Mary Muth and team on their win, Effects of SNAP Participation on Healthfulness of Food Purchases by Households with Children during the Pandemic, from Duke University
• Valerie Flax and team on their win, Alive & Thrive Nigeria maternal nutrition baseline survey support, from Family Health International (FHI 360)

 October Project Feature

As noted above, October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Victim Service Providers are just one way that those impacted by domestic violence can get support. We congratulate Julia Brinton and team on their win, OVC FY 2022 Measuring the Impact of Victim Services (iMPRoVE Project), from Dept of Justice OVC, which seeks to examine outcomes and satisfaction with Victim Service Providers.

 October Event Recap

In honor of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, we welcomed external affiliate Dr. Mary Ellsberg from the George Washington University Women's Institute. Dr. Ellsberg spoke about her career working in violence prevention around the world, from her initial work in Nicaragua to working with the World Health Organization. Knowing how critical the issue of violence against women is around the world, we are very thankful for Dr. Ellsberg sharing about her efforts. 

If you are interested in a recording of this event, please email ivanderdrift@rti.org

Upcoming Events

Formal invitations coming soon!

NOVEMBER 16
Join us as our affiliates Drs. Darigg Brown and Phillip Graham discuss and share about research focused on the mental and physical health of men and boys.

JUNE 16, 2023
Save the date for the 15th InWomen's Conference in Denver, Colorado! Abstract submissions to open in November.

Gender Science News 

Some breast cancer patients with high responses to chemotherapy may not need surgery
Single stranded suture threads could prevent pregnancy infection complications, C-STITCH trial finds
Pregnancy could curb desire to smoke before it is suspected or recognized
Women may experience different PCOS symptoms depending on where they live
Air pollution tips the scale for obesity in women

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