Dear Friends and Colleagues,

Quite the February, as we had several learnings in RTI’s Global Gender Center love event and meeting this month, and many new attendees. We welcome you and are excited to have you be a part of this center!  
I can’t help but feel this month of love has been tarnished by reading and hearing so much news that is stressful: The one year anniversary of a horrific war affecting innocent families and destroying livelihoods in Ukraine; an earthquake in Turkey and Syria displacing more than half a million families that struggle to be accommodated while they also mourn their losses, more gun violence in the United States, and here in North Carolina, young adult suicides in the universities causing alarm across campuses. Stress, anxiety and depression that can lead to suicidal ideation is what many of us try to assess and ensure referrals in our applied research. We have many project examples in the RTI Global Gender Center of intervening with young people but feel we can be better and work to help decrease this loss of life. Unfortunately, nothing appears to be in isolation with gender abuse, stigma, the availability of alcohol and drugs, and access to guns which might escalate and lead to more sad endings. We have heard many of these stories in our work but as experts we can and should do more! Wishing all those proposals being written to tackle these issues are successful!
I hope you all are looking forward to International Women's Day and Women's HERstory Month. I will be in Abu Dhabi for International Women’s week and sharing the idea of femtoring and leadership!
Wishing you positive thoughts and self-care as we continue through 2023. 

In health,
Wendee
she/her/hers

 

RTI Gender-related February Publications

• Asher GN, Feltner C, Harrison WN, Schwimmer E, Rains C, Jonas DE. Serologic Screening for Genital Herpes: Updated Evidence Report and Systematic Review for the US Preventive Services Task Force. JAMA. 2023 Feb 14;329(6):510-512. doi: 10.1001/jama.2022.20356. PMID: 36786798
• Browne EN, Manenzhe K, Makoni W, Nkomo S, Mahaka I, Ahmed K, Shapley-Quinn MK, Marton T, Luecke E, Johnson L, van der Straten A, Minnis AM. Incorporating end-users' voices into the development of an implant for HIV prevention: a discrete choice experiment in South Africa and Zimbabwe. BMC Womens Health. 2023 Feb 10;23(1):58. doi: 10.1186/s12905-023-02181-x. PMID: 36765358
• DePree B, Houghton K, DiBenedetti DB, Shiozawa A, King DD, Kim J, Mancuso S. Practice patterns and perspectives regarding treatment for symptoms of menopause: qualitative interviews with US health care providers. Menopause. 2023 Feb 1;30(2):128-135. doi: 10.1097/GME.0000000000002096. PMID: 36696636
• Flores AR, Wilson BDM, Langton LL, Meyer IH. Violent victimization at the intersections of sexual orientation, gender identity, and race: National Crime Victimization Survey, 2017-2019. PLoS One. 2023 Feb 9;18(2):e0281641. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0281641. PMID: 36758033
• Gakunga R, Ali Z, Kinyanjui A, Jones M, Muinga E, Musyoki D, Igobwa M, Atieno M, Subramanian S. Preferences for Breast and Cervical Cancer Screening Among Women and Men in Kenya: Key Considerations for Designing Implementation Strategies to Increase Screening Uptake. J Cancer Educ. 2023 Feb 20. doi: 10.1007/s13187-023-02274-z. Online ahead of print. PMID: 36808563
• 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. 2023 Feb;51(2):151-163. doi: 10.1007/s10802-022-00978-2.
• Ghanchi NK, Ahmed I, Kim J, Harakuni S, Somannavar MS, Zafar A, Tikmani SS, Saleem S, Goudar SS, Dhaded SM, Guruprasad G, Yogeshkumar S, Hwang K, Aceituno A, Silver RM, McClure EM, Goldenberg RL. Pathogens Identified by Minimally Invasive Tissue Sampling in India and Pakistan From Preterm Neonatal Deaths: The PURPOSE Study. Clin Infect Dis. 2023 Feb 8;76(3):e1004-e1011. doi: 10.1093/cid/ciac747. PMID: 36104850
• Goyal RK, Chen H, Abughosh SM, Holmes HM, Candrilli SD, Johnson ML. Overall survival associated with CDK4/6 inhibitors in patients with HR+/HER2- metastatic breast cancer in the United States: A SEER-Medicare population-based study. Cancer. 2023 Feb 9. doi: 10.1002/cncr.34675. Online ahead of print. PMID: 36760031
• Goyal RK, Holmes HM, Chen H, Abughosh S, Candrilli SD, Johnson ML. Impact of CDK4/6 inhibitors on chemotherapy utilization in earlier therapy lines for HR+/HER2- metastatic breast cancer in the United States. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2023 Feb;198(1):159-166. doi: 10.1007/s10549-022-06845-4. PMID: 36609900
• Gruhn M, Miller AB, Machlin L, Motton S, Thinzar CE, Sheridan MA. Child Anxiety and Depression Symptom Trajectories and Predictors over 15 Months of the Coronavirus Pandemic. Res Child Adolesc Psychopathol. 2023 Feb;51(2):233-246. doi: 10.1007/s10802-022-00963-9.
• Hu SY, Zhao XL, Zhao FH, Wei LH, Zhou Q, Niyazi M, Liu JH, Wang CY, Li LY, Cheng XD, Duan XZ, Sauvaget C, Qiao YL, Sankaranarayanan R. Implementation of visual inspection with acetic acid and Lugol's iodine for cervical cancer screening in rural China. Int J Gynaecol Obstet. 2023 Feb;160(2):571-578. doi: 10.1002/ijgo.14368. PMID: 35871356
• Huang L, McDade CL, Perdrizet JE, Wilson MR, Warren SA, Nzenze S, Sewdas R. Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of the South African Infant National Immunization Program for the Prevention of Pneumococcal Disease. Infect Dis Ther. 2023 Feb 12:1-18. doi: 10.1007/s40121-023-00767-4. PMID: 36774428
• Kelkar SS, Prabhu VS, Corman S, Odak S, Rusibamayila N, Macahilig C, Orlowski R, Duska L. Treatment patterns and real-world clinical outcomes in patients with advanced endometrial cancer who are microsatellite instability (MSI)-high or are mismatch repair deficient (dMMR) in the United States. Gynecol Oncol. 2023 Feb;169:154-163. doi: 10.1016/j.ygyno.2022.10.016. PMID: 36344294

• Kole-White MB, Saha S, Werner EF, Chawla S, Keszler M, McGowan EC, Wyckoff MH, Laptook AR; Generic Database Subcommittee of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Neonatal Research Network. Maternal hypertensive disorders and survival without major morbidities among extremely low gestation newborns. J Perinatol. 2023 Feb 22. doi: 10.1038/s41372-023-01631-6. PMID: 36813902
• Morar NS, Mansoor LE, Naidoo K, Katz AWK, Garcia M, Duma C, Precious Myeni NB, Tshbalala T, Naidoo S, Montgomery ET. Male Partner Opinions of the Dapivirine Vaginal Ring Used During an Open-Label Extension HIV Prevention Trial in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 2023 Feb 1;92(2):127-133. doi: 10.1097/QAI.0000000000003119. PMID: 36302179
• Parker MG, de Cuba SE, Rateau LJ, Shea M, Sandel MT, Frank DA, Cutts DB, Heeren T, Lê-Scherban F, Black MM, Ochoa ER Jr, Rose-Jacobs R, Garg A. Associations of household unmet basic needs and health outcomes among very low birth weight children. J Perinatol. 2023 Feb 7. doi: 10.1038/s41372-023-01626-3. PMID: 36750715
• Parmar DD, Minnis AM, Caballero E, Zerofsky M, Comfort M, Raymond-Flesch M. Latina mothers' perspectives on adverse experiences and protection of Latinx youth in an agricultural community. BMC Public Health. 2023 Feb 2;23(1):223. doi: 10.1186/s12889-023-14993-5. PMID: 36732714
• 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. Brief Report: Dapivirine Ring HIV-1 Prevention Effectiveness for Women Engaged in Vaginal and Anal Intercourse: Insights From Mathematical Modeling. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 2023 Feb 1;92(2):122-126. 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. 2023 Feb 23;18(1):nsac058. doi: 10.1093/scan/nsac058. PMID: 36287067 PMID: 36208361
• Rautio T, Vangerven D, Dahlén J, Watanabe S, Kronstrand R, Vikingsson S, Konradsson P, Wu X, Gréen H. In vitro metabolite identification of acetylbenzylfentanyl, benzoylbenzylfentanyl, 3-fluoro-methoxyacetylfentanyl, and 3-phenylpropanoylfentanyl using LC-QTOF-HRMS together with synthesized references. Drug Test Anal. 2023 Feb 9. doi: 10.1002/dta.3454. Online ahead of print. PMID: 36756728
• Saberi P, Stoner MCD, Eskaf S, Ndukwe S, Campbell CK, Sauceda JA, Dubé K. Preferences for HIV Treatment Formulations Among Young Adults With HIV in the United States. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 2023 Feb 1;92(2):e7-e10. doi: 10.1097/QAI.0000000000003128.PMID: 36343377
• Sewell EK, Shankaran S, McDonald SA, Hamrick S, Wusthoff CJ, Adams-Chapman I, Chalak LF, Davis AS, Van Meurs K, Das A, Maitre N, Laptook A, Patel RM; National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Neonatal Research Network. Antiseizure medication at discharge in infants with hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy: an observational study. Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed. 2023 Feb 2:fetalneonatal-2022-324612. doi: 10.1136/archdischild-2022-324612. PMID: 36732048
• Stattin P, Westerberg M, Lissbrant IF, Eriksson MH, Kjellman A, Ullén A, Vassilev Z, Sandstrom P, Weinrib R, Martinez D, Garcia-Albeniz X. Real World Outcomes in Patients With Metastatic, Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer Treated With Radium-223 in Routine Clinical Practice in Sweden. Clin Genitourin Cancer. 2023 Feb;21(1):107.e1-107.e9. doi: 10.1016/j.clgc.2022.09.002. PMID: 36180341
• Tita ATN, Carlo WA, McClure EM, Mwenechanya M, Chomba E, Hemingway-Foday JJ, Kavi A, Metgud MC, Goudar SS, Derman R, Lokangaka A, Tshefu A, Bauserman M, Bose C, Shivkumar P, Waikar M, Patel A, Hibberd PL, Nyongesa P, Esamai F, Ekhaguere OA, Bucher S, Jessani S, Tikmani SS, Saleem S, Goldenberg RL, Billah SM, Lennox R, Haque R, Petri W, Figueroa L, Mazariegos M, Krebs NF, Moore JL, Nolen TL, Koso-Thomas M; A-PLUS Trial Group. Azithromycin to Prevent Sepsis or Death in Women Planning a Vaginal Birth. N Engl J Med. 2023 Feb 9. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa2212111. PMID: 36757
  
   

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

 

February Publication Feature

Suicide is an increasingly prevalent problem, especially among adolescents and young women. This article by RTI International researchers shows that there is a high return-on-investment of implementing suicide prevention interventions among adolescents. This is even more true, as the article states, in low- and middle-income countries. There is a clear economic and health benefit for addressing suicide early.

Stelmach R, Kocher EL, Kataria I, Jackson-Morris AM, Saxena S, Nugent R. The global return on investment from preventing and treating adolescent mental disorders and suicide: a modelling study. BMJ Glob Health. 2022 Jun;7(6):e007759. doi: 10.1136/bmjgh-2021-007759. PMID: 35705224; PMCID: PMC9240828.

 

RTI Gender-related February Project Wins

Congratulations to:

• Sue Napierala and team on their win, Consumer Preferences for the delivery of HIV/STI Prevention and Substance Use Disorder Services among jail-leavers, from the University of California San Francisco
• Xinyan (Janet) Guo and team on their win, Reading for East Africa's Development (READ) IDIQ, from USAID Kenya
• Sarah Harris and team on their win, Adoption-Friendly Workplace 2023 Add-On, from the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption
• Megan Tulloch and team on their win, PCAA LEAP Maintenance Services (Year 2), from Prevent Child Abuse America
• Barbara Biesecker and team on their win, Family1st Intervention, from City of Hop
• Sujha Subramanian and team on their win, Revision -An integrated community-clinic model of optimized implementation strategies to increase early detection cancer, from NIH NCI

 

February Project Feature

The Targeting Racism and Discrimination Structurally (TRAnscenDS) project, led by Columbia University in collaboration with RTI International, aims to test an intervention intended to reduce structural racism and discrimination among Ryan White-funded clinics in the Southeast US, with the trial phase expected to start this summer. Clinics may apply to be considered for participation via a rigorous process to ensure need and motivation for undergoing this transformative process to increase health equity and clinic staff wellbeing. Please contact Felicia Browne (fbrowne@rti.org) for more information about participation. 
 
This study is funded by National Institute of Nursing Research grant R01 NR020583 (MPIs: Dr. Corina Lelutiu-Weinberger, Columbia University; Dr. Felicia Browne, RTI International)

February Event Recap

On February 14th, the RTI Global Gender Center hosted a workshop on the importance of inclusive language in research activities, particularly as it relates to LGBTQIA+ communities. This workshop was led by affiliate with the LGBT+ Rising Working Group and the Global Gender Center, Sunnie Hodge. With over 75 attendees, the workshop was an amazing opportunity to discuss language, learn strategies to promote inclusivity, and do better both in work and at home. We also heard from the All Of Us project, as well as about internal RTI activities that staff can take part in to learn more about the subject. Thank you to all who attended and participated!

Please email ivanderdrift@rti.org if you would like access to the recording of this presentation!

Upcoming Events

MARCH 8, 2023 | 12 - 1 PM ET
Join us for RTI International's annual International Women's Day celebration! 
Register here

 

JUNE 16, 2023
Save the date for the 15th InWomen's Conference in Denver, Colorado! Abstract submissions have closed. Registration is now open.
Latebreakers will open in April, due May 1st.

 

Gender Science News 

Common pregnancy complications may slow development of infant in the womb, study finds
Decades-long suffering from obstetric injuries
High infant mortality rates and global human population rise
Migraines during menstruation: Low estrogen levels paired with higher CGRP levels may jump start migraine
Mothers' alcohol consumption before and during pregnancy is linked to changes in children's face shapes



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