Society of Family Planning Research Practice Support: Implementation strategies and considerations for conducting community engaged sexual and reproductive health research.

Research Priorities to Support Women Veterans' Reproductive Health and Health Care Within a Learning Health Care System.

Corrigendum to position statement: Political interference in sexual and reproductive health research and health professional education [Nursing Outlook 65/2 (2017) 242–245

What About the Boys? The Importance of Including Boys and Young Men in Sexual and Reproductive Health Research

Position statement: Political interference in sexual and reproductive health research and health professional education

Society of Family Planning Research Practice Support: Researcher and institutional review board considerations for sexual and reproductive health research with minor adolescents.

The integration of human rights principles in sexual and reproductive health (SRH) research is often recognised to be of value. Good examples abound but lack of clarity persists as to what defines rights-inclusive SRH research. To help move the field forward, this article seeks to explore how key stakeholders responsible for funding and supporting rights in SRH research understand the strengths and weaknesses of what is being done and where, and begins to catalogue potential tools and actions for the future. Interviews with a range of key stakeholders including international civil servants, donors and researchers committed to and supportive of integrating rights into SRH research were conducted and analysed. Interviews confirmed important differences in what is understood to be SRH rights-oriented research and what it can accomplish. General barriers include lack of understanding about the importance of rights; lack of clarity as to the best approach to integration; fear of adding more work with little added benefit; as well as the lack of methodological guidance or published research methodologies that integrate rights. Suggestions include the development of a comprehensive checklist for each phase of research from developing a research statement through ultimately to publication; development of training modules and workshops; inclusion of rights in curricula; changes in journal requirements; and agreement among key funding sources to mandate the integration of rights principles in research proposals they receive. As a next step, cataloguing issues and concerns at local levels can help move the integration of human rights in SRH research from rhetoric to reality.

BackgroundPrior research about the sexual and reproductive health of young women has relied mostly on self-reported survey studies. Thus, participant recruitment using Web-based methods can improve sexual and reproductive health research about cervical cancer prevention. In our prior study, we reported that Facebook is a promising way to reach young women for sexual and reproductive health research. However, it remains unknown whether Web-based or other conventional recruitment methods (ie, face-to-face or flyer distribution) yield comparable survey responses from similar participants.ObjectiveWe conducted a survey to determine whether there was a difference in the sexual and reproductive health survey responses of young Japanese women based on recruitment methods: social media–based and conventional methods.MethodsFrom July 2012 to March 2013 (9 months), we invited women of ages 16-35 years in Kanagawa, Japan, to complete a Web-based questionnaire. They were recruited through either a social media–based (social networking site, SNS, group) or by conventional methods (conventional group). All participants enrolled were required to fill out and submit their responses through a Web-based questionnaire about their sexual and reproductive health for cervical cancer prevention.ResultsOf the 243 participants, 52.3% (127/243) were recruited by SNS, whereas 47.7% (116/243) were recruited by conventional methods. We found no differences between recruitment methods in responses to behaviors and attitudes to sexual and reproductive health survey, although more participants from the conventional group (15%, 14/95) chose not to answer the age of first intercourse compared with those from the SNS group (5.2%, 6/116; P=.03).ConclusionsNo differences were found between recruitment methods in the responses of young Japanese women to a Web–based sexual and reproductive health survey.

BackgroundThe National Health Act, No 61, 2003 in South Africa is the first effort made by the government to protect health-related research participants under law. Implemented on March 1, 2012, the law mandates active consent from a parent or legal guardian for all research conducted with research participants under the age of 18 years. This paper focuses on the Act's implications for school-based adolescent sexual and reproductive health research.DiscussionAlthough well intentioned, the added legal protections in the National Health Act may have the unintended consequence of reducing participation rates in school-based adolescent sexual and reproductive health research, thereby excluding the most at-risk students. The Act may also compromise adolescents' right to dignity and privacy, especially considering the personal nature of research on sex and sexuality. Devolved, discretionary decision-making, which empowers local human research ethics committees to permit a wider range of protective measures, including passive consent, independent adolescent consent or community consultation ought to be considered. The continued and direct involvement of young people in their sexual and reproductive health and well-being is an important principle to uphold.SummaryThis paper calls for a re-examination of section 71's ethical guidelines relating to informed consent in the National Health Act, No 61, 2003 in South Africa in order to better serve the interests of South African adolescents in sexual and reproductive health research.

Ethical considerations for conducting sexual and reproductive health research with female adolescents engaged in high-risk behaviours in China

HEALTHY MOTHER & CHILD: Foundation of a Strong Nation

Protecting Autonomy of Rohingya Women in Sexual and Reproductive Health Interventions

There is increasing interest in the need to address the ethical dilemmas related to the engagement of adolescents in sexual and reproductive health (SRH) research. Research projects, including those that address issues related to STIs and HIV, adverse pregnancy outcomes, violence, and mental health, must be designed and implemented to address the needs of adolescents. Decisions on when an individual has adequate capacity to give consent for research most commonly use age as a surrogate rather than directly assessing capacity to understand the issues and make an informed decision on whether to participate in research or not. There is a perception that adolescents participating in research are more likely to be coerced and may therefore not fully comprehend the risk they may be taking when engaging in research. This paper examines the various ethical issues that may impact stakeholders' decision making when considering engaging adolescents in SRH research in Nigeria. It makes a case for lowering the age of consent for adolescents. While some experts believe it is possible to extrapolate relevant information from adult research, studies on ethical aspects of adolescents' participation in research are still needed, especially in the field of sexual and reproductive health where there are often differences in knowledge, attitudes and practices compared to adults. The particular challenges of applying the fundamental principles of research ethics to adolescent research, especially research about sex and sexuality, will only become clear if more studies are conducted.

A Call for Comprehensive, Disability- and LGBTQ-Inclusive Sexual and Reproductive Health Education

Introduction With therapy advances, people with cystic fibrosis (CF) are living longer, healthier lives, and thus increasingly have general and CF-specific sexual and reproductive health (SRH) questions. The CF Foundation is supporting the Sexual Health, Reproduction, and Gender Research (SHARING) Working Group to identify knowledge gaps, research priorities, and infrastructure needed for CF SRH research. SHARING includes pulmonologists, nurses, research coordinators, registered dieticians, psychiatrists, endocrinologists, reproductive urologists, and community members with CF. Objective In Spring 2023, SHARING developed and distributed a SRH prioritization survey for the CF community. During the annual in-person workshop, the group used these results to establish research priorities and develop studies that would address identified knowledge gaps. Methods SHARING partnered with Community Voice, a virtual platform for people with CF and their caregivers to share their perspectives on ongoing and future CF SRH research, care, and programming. We provided a list of 15 SRH research topics and asked respondents to rank the top five. We analyzed survey results using descriptive statistics. We also summarized discussions and future key directions for CF SRH research. Results A total of 303 respondents (85% people with CF and 15% caregivers) completed the survey. Sixty-five percent of people with CF were women and 37% of the people with CF for whom caregivers responded were women/girls. The majority (95% of adults, 98% of people with CF for whom caregivers responded) identified as White; 5% of adults and 10% of people with CF for whom caregivers responded were Hispanic/Latino. The majority (73%) of people with CF were >30 years old and 68% of those with CF for whom caregivers responded were <18 years old. Table 1 summarizes respondent demographics. The top five SRH topics were: 1) effects of CF modulator therapy (elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor, ETI) on sex hormones; 2) effects of sex hormones on CF; 3) fertility; 4) pregnancy; and 5) SRH/mental health (Figure 1). People with CF prioritized pregnancy, sexual functioning, parenthood, and menopause, while caregivers prioritized ETI effects on sex hormones, fertility, mental health, and assisted reproductive technology (ART). SRH priorities differed by gender identity. Men and caregivers of men/boys prioritized fertility, mental health, SRH care provision, sexual functioning, and ART, while women and caregivers of women/girls prioritized the effect of sex hormones in CF, pregnancy, menopause, and contraception. During workshop proceedings, SHARING identified the need for further research on the interplay between sex hormones, CF pathophysiology, ETI, fertility, and ART, and a focus on the impact of infertility on mental health for males with CF. Conclusions SRH is an important and emerging area of research in CF. Research priorities are not uniform among people with CF and their caregivers, particularly across genders. Thoughtful consideration of such perspectives can ensure that future CF SRH research is relevant and responsive to CF community needs. SRH providers should be aware of the concerns in this understudied population from research and patient care perspectives. Disclosure No.

Prioritizing sexual and reproductive health research and care for people with cystic fibrosis: A 2023 workshop report from the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Sexual Health, Reproduction, and Gender (SHARING) Research Working Group