Young Women Research Articles

Effects of Kitchen Cooking Height on Upper Limb Muscle Activation, Posture, and Perceived Discomfort of Chinese Older and Young Women.

Inappropriate kitchen cooking height may lead to uncomfortable and muscle fatigue. This study aims to compare the effects of kitchen cooking height on upper limb muscle activation, posture, and perceived discomfort among different age groups. Fifteen older women and fifteen young Chinese women each completed three consecutive 20 s simulated cooking tasks at five different heights. Surface electromyography, motion capture, and Borg CR10 scale were used to measure muscle loading. Results showed that the main power muscles of the cooking task were the anterior deltoid, brachioradialis, and biceps brachii. The higher muscle contribution rate of biceps brachii and triceps brachii was found in the younger group compared to the older group (p < 0.05). Muscle activation of the anterior deltoid (different in 1.28-2.87%), pectoralis major (different in 1.43-1.69%), and erector spinae (different in 0.6-1.21%), as well as right shoulder abduction (different in 5.91°-7.96°), were significantly higher in older group than in young group (p < 0.05). Muscle activation of the anterior deltoid and right shoulder abduction decreased significantly with decreasing height (p < 0.05). A height of 200-250 mm below the elbow was considered a more comfortable cooking height for both age groups. This provides data to support the design of cabinet sizes.

The Influence of treatment intervals on prognosis in young breast cancer patients: Insights from the French national cohort

BackgroundSuboptimal treatment delays is known to impact prognosis of patients with cancer but optimal timing in specific subgroups remains poorly studied. This study aimed to analyze treatment delays in young women treated for a breast cancer (BC) on and its impact on their prognosis using French Nationwide Data. MethodsUsing the CAREPAT-YBC Cohort based on the French National Healthcare System Database, we analyzed disease-free survival (DFS) in 22,093 young women (18-45 years) who underwent either surgery-chemotherapy-radiotherapy pathway (adjuvant setting, 15,433 patients) or chemotherapy-surgery-radiotherapy pathway (neoadjuvant setting, 6,660 patients), according to delays between the different pathways. ResultsFor the adjuvant chemotherapy-radiotherapy interval, the best timing was 17-31 days with increased risk above this delay. For the neoadjuvant setting, the optimal neoadjuvant chemotherapy-surgery interval was 17-31 days, while ≤15 days (HR 1.44, 95%CI 1.21-1.71) or ≥62 days (HR 2.07, 95%CI 1.36-3.15) showed poorer prognosis. Combining best timing into an "optimal pathway" was associated with respectively a 1.2-fold decreased risk for recurrence or mortality. ConclusionOptimizing treatment intervals enhance BC survival in younger age.

Community intervention of a single-dose or 2-dose regimen of bivalent human papillomavirus vaccine in schoolgirls in Thailand: vaccine effectiveness 2 years and 4 years after vaccination.

With accumulating evidence of single-dose human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine efficacy in young women, we conducted a community vaccine effectiveness study comparing HPV single-dose and 2-dose regimens (0 and 6 months) of a bivalent HPV vaccine among grade 8 schoolgirls (aged 13-14 years) in Thailand. In 2018, eligible grade 8 schoolgirls in Udon Thani (single dose) and Buri Ram (2 doses) provinces were offered HPV vaccine per assigned dose regimen. Concurrently, a cross-sectional survey for measuring baseline HPV prevalence was conducted in grade 10 (n = 2600) and grade 12 unvaccinated schoolgirls (n = 2000) in each province. HPV infection was assessed in first-void urine samples, tested by DNA polymerase chain reaction on the cobas 4800 system (Roche Molecular Diagnostics, Pleasanton, CA). All samples positive on the cobas system and an equal number of negative samples were also tested by Anyplex II HPV28 Detection (Seegene, Seoul, South Korea). The surveys were repeated in 2020 and 2022, when vaccinated grade 8 schoolgirls reached grade 10, and then subsequently grade 12, respectively. Vaccine effectiveness was estimated by comparing the weighted prevalence of HPV-16 or HPV-18 between grade-matched unvaccinated schoolgirls on the baseline survey (2018) and vaccinated schoolgirls in the year-2 (2020) and year-4 (2022) surveys. Adjustment methods were used in the analysis to account for potential differences in sexual behavior due to the noncontemporaneous comparison. The prevalence of HPV-16 and HPV-18 on the baseline survey among unvaccinated grade 10/grade 12 schoolgirls was 2.90% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.54% to 3.31%)/3.98% (95% CI = 3.52% to 4.49%) for Udon Thani and 3.87% (95% CI = 3.46% to 4.34%)/6.13% (95% CI = 5.56% to 6.75%) for Buri Ram. On the year-2 survey, the prevalence among vaccinated grade 10 schoolgirls was 0.57% (95% CI = 0.42% to 0.77%) for Udon Thani and 0.31% (95% CI = 0.21% to 0.47%) for Buri Ram. The 2-year postvaccination crude vaccine effectiveness for the single-dose regimen was estimated at 80.4% (95% CI = 73.9% to 86.9%), and for the 2-dose regimen at 91.9% (95% CI = 88.5% to 95.4%). On the year-4 survey, the prevalence among vaccinated grade 12 schoolgirls was 0.37% (95% CI = 0.25% to 0.56%) for Udon Thani and 0.28% (95% CI = 0.18% to 0.45%) for Buri Ram. Four-year postvaccination crude vaccine effectiveness for the single-dose regimen was estimated at 90.6% (95% CI = 86.6% to 94.6%) and for the 2-dose regimen was estimated at 95.4% (95% CI = 93.2% to 97.6%). All adjustment methods minimally affected vaccine effectiveness for the single-dose and 2-dose regimens. At 4 years after vaccination, the difference in crude vaccine effectiveness between the single-dose and 2-dose regimens was ‒4.79% (95% CI = ‒9.32% to ‒0.25%), meeting the study's noninferiority criteria. Our study demonstrated that both single-dose and 2-dose HPV vaccination significantly decreased HPV-16/18 point prevalence 2 years and 4 years after vaccination. Crude vaccine effectiveness at 4 years after vaccination was greater than 90% for both the single-dose and 2-dose regimens; the single-dose regimen was not inferior to the 2-dose regimen. These data show that a single dose of HPV vaccine provides high levels of protection when administered to schoolgirls younger than 15 years of age.

School environment and adolescent health: Results from the HPTN 068 cohort

PurposeTo assess the relationship between school environment and health and behavior outcomes. MethodsData are from baseline and first follow-up of the HIV Prevention Trials Network (HPTN) 068 longitudinal trial established in 2012 of adolescent girls and young women in rural Mpumalanga Province, South Africa. Data from 2212 participants are included. We measured the association between four school environment domains: school resources, school safety, negative personal experiences, and school connectedness, and several health and behavior outcomes: depressive symptoms, low attendance, recent pregnancy, recent unprotected sex, transactional sex, and having an older romantic partner. We used a g-computation approach to estimate risk differences (RD) for the longitudinal relationship between the school environment (measured at the individual and school level) on individual health and behavior outcomes, controlling for baseline covariates. ResultsThe mean age of participants at baseline was 15.4; mean age at first follow-up was 16.6. Individual baseline perceptions of an unsafe school environment (RD = 3.1 %, 95 % CI: 1.3–5.2 %) and more frequent negative experiences (RD = 4.0 %, 95 % CI: 2.0–5.9 %) were associated with higher absolute risk of depressive symptoms at follow-up. There was an overall trend toward higher risk of pregnancy, unprotected sex, and having an older partner among those who reported fewer school resources, lack of school safety, more negative personal experiences, and lack of school connectedness. ConclusionsOur findings provide evidence of an overall trend toward higher risk of depression, pregnancy, unprotected sex, and having an older partner among those reporting a worse school environment across four school environment domains.

Put at and kept from risk: The sexual risk dilemmas confronting marginalized youth.

The current study examines Bay-Cheng and Ginn's (2024) claim that marginalized youth confront two intertwined sexual risk dilemmas: being put at risk by unjust social forces and structures that threaten their sexual health and safety; and being kept from risk by those same forces and structures, thus compromising their development and dignity. We explored the presence and relevance of these dilemmas using interviews conducted in 2022 with 101 racialized and/or queer (i.e., a sexuality other than exclusively heterosexual) young women and trans or nonbinary youth aged 16-21 and living in Melbourne (Australia), New York City (United States), and Toronto (Canada). We conducted a directed content analysis of the data and examined intersectional group-based comparisons of code frequencies. We found that 80% of participants felt endangered (i.e., put at risk) and/or obstructed (i.e., kept from risk) by social and material conditions. Over half felt put at risk through exposure to hostility and harm, and over one-third of participants described precarious life circumstances as keeping them from taking wanted sexual risks. Group-based and intersectional comparisons indicated that feeling put at risk is associated with marginalized gender and sexuality identities and corresponding discrimination. We also found tentative signs that feeling kept from risk may be more closely linked to race and racism than marginalization by gender and/or sexuality. The findings highlight the diverse implications of interlocked social injustices for youths' sexual lives, particularly the infringement on their rights both to safety and to risk.

Gender parity in African science.

Africa has seen a notable increase in young women's participation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields over the past two decades. In 2019, the continent boasted the greatest share of female STEM students globally-47% across 49 universities-according to a report from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Sadly, much of this talent is underutilized. Traditional gender expectations and domestic roles pose substantial obstacles, restricting African women from accessing STEM career opportunities. In sub-Saharan Africa, for example, only 31% of professional researchers are women. Without closing the gender gap in African science, progress on widespread problems such as maternal and child health, and food security, is unlikely.

Should we routinely assess ovarian reserve in girls and young women with autoimmune thyroid disease?

Should we routinely assess ovarian reserve in girls and young women with autoimmune thyroid disease?

The Potential Impact of a Single-Dose HPV Vaccination Schedule on Cervical Cancer Outcomes in Kenya: A Mathematical Modelling and Health Economic Analysis

Background: Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is the primary cause of cervical cancer. Single-dose HPV vaccination can effectively prevent high-risk HPV infection that causes cervical cancer and accelerate progress toward achieving cervical cancer elimination goals. We modelled the potential impact of adopting single-dose HPV vaccination strategies on health and economic outcomes in Kenya, where a two-dose schedule is the current standard. Methods: Using a validated compartmental transmission model of HPV and HIV in Kenya, we evaluated the costs from the payer’s perspective to vaccinate girls by age 10 with either one or two doses and increasing coverage levels (0%, 70%, 77%, 90%). Additionally, we modelled single-dose strategies supplemented with either catch-up vaccination of adolescent girls and young women or vaccination for all by age 10, funded with the first five-years of cost savings of switching from a two- to one-dose schedule. Costs and outcomes were discounted at 3% annually, and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) were calculated per disability-adjusted-life-year (DALY) averted. Results: All one-dose and the two-dose 90% coverage strategies were on the efficiency frontier, dominating the remaining two-dose strategies. The two-dose 90% coverage strategy had a substantially higher ICER (US$6508.80/DALY averted) than the one-dose 90% coverage (US$197.44/DALY averted). Transitioning from a two- to one-dose schedule could result in US$21.4 Million saved over the first five years, which could potentially fund 2.75 million supplemental HPV vaccinations. With this re-investment, all two-dose HPV vaccination scenarios would be dominated. The greatest DALYs were averted with the single-dose HPV vaccination schedule at 90% coverage supplemented with catch-up for 11–24-year-old girls, which had an ICER of US$78.73/DALYs averted. Conclusions: Considering the logistical and cost burdens of a two-dose schedule, a one-dose schedule for girls by age 10 would generate savings that could be leveraged for catch-up vaccination for older girls and accelerate cervical cancer elimination in Kenya.

Heart Rate and Its Variability Are Associated With Resting Metabolic Rate and Substrate Oxidation in Young Women but Not in Men.

This study aims to examine the relationship between resting vagal-related heart rate variability (HRV) parameters and heart rate (HR) with resting metabolic rate (RMR) and respiratory exchange ratio (RER) in young adults. A total of 74 young adults (22 ± 2 years old, 51 women) were included in this cross-sectional study. HRV was assessed using a HR monitor, whereas RMR and RER were determined by indirect calorimetry. Linear regression analyses showed a positive association between HR and RER in women (standardized β = 0.384, p = 0.008), while negative associations were observed between vagal-related HRV parameters and RER in women (β ranged from -0.262 to -0.254, all p ≤ 0.042). No significant association was found between the abovementioned physiological parameters in men. Here, we show that HR is positively associated with RER in young women but not in men, while vagal-related HRV parameters are inversely related to RMR, therefore suggesting a potential sexual dimorphism between cardiac rhythm and its relationship with markers of cardiometabolic health status. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02365129.

Unraveling autonomic cardiovascular control complexity during orthostatic stress: Insights from a mathematical model

Understanding cardiovascular control mediated by the autonomic system remains challenging due to its inherent complexity. Consequently, syndromes such as orthostatic intolerance continue to evoke debates regarding the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms. This study develops a comprehensive mathematical model simulating the control of the sympathetic branch of the cardiovascular system in individuals with normal and abnormal responses to the head-up-tilt test. We recruited four young women: one control, one with vasovagal syncope, one with orthostatic hypertension, and one with orthostatic hypotension, exposing them to an orthostatic head-up tilt test (HUTT) employing non-invasive methods to measure electrocardiography and continuous blood pressure.Our work encompasses a compartmental model formulated using a system of ordinary differential equations. Using heart rate as input, we predict blood pressure, flow, and volume in compartments representing the veins, arteries, heart, and the sympathetic branch of the baroreflex control system. The latter is modulated by high- and low-pressure baroreceptor afferents activated by changes in blood pressure induced by the HUTT. Sensitivity analysis, parameter subset selection, and optimization are employed to estimate patient-specific parameters associated with autonomic performance. The model has seven sensitive and identifiable parameters with significant physiological relevance that can serve as biomarkers for patient classification.Results show that the model can reproduce a spectrum of blood pressure responses successfully, fitting the trajectory displayed by the experimental data. The controller exhibits behavior that emulates the operation of the sympathetic system. These encouraging findings underscore the potential of computational methods in evaluating pathologies associated with autonomic nervous system control, warranting further exploration and novel approaches.

Acceptability of single-dose HPV vaccination schedule among health-care professionals in Kenya: a mixed-methods study.

The World Health Organization recommends a single-dose human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination schedule for girls and boys to accelerate progress toward cervical cancer elimination. We applied the Theoretical Framework of Acceptability (TFA) within the context of HPV vaccination to assess the acceptability of a single-dose schedule among health-care professionals in Kenya. A REDCap survey was developed using relevant Theoretical Framework of Acceptability domains and validated with health-care professionals. Descriptive analyses and multivariate Poisson regression were conducted to assess factors associated with increased acceptability. Free-text responses were analyzed using a rapid qualitative approach, and findings were presented using a joint display. Among 385 responses, 74.2% of health-care professionals were female and 48.6% were nurses. On average, respondents had been in their position for 60 months, and one-third (33.2%) were based at level-4 facilities. The majority (75.84%) thought that giving a single-dose of the HPV vaccine to adolescent girls and young women was either acceptable or very acceptable. Qualitative findings highlighted that lack of information was the underlying reason for health-care professionals who were resistant, and most clinicians thought that a singled-dose schedule was less burdensome to clinicians and patients. Hospital directors had a non-statistically significantly lower acceptability likelihood than nurses (incident rate ratio = 0.93, 95% confidence interval = 0.45 to 1.71) and health-care professionals at urban facilities had a non-statistically significantly lower acceptability likelihood than clinicians in rural facilities (incident rate ratio = 0.97, 95% confidence interval = 0.83 to 1.13). Although not statistically significant, predictors of increased acceptability provide information to tailor strategies to increase HPV vaccination coverage and accelerate progress toward cervical cancer elimination.

HPV infection status among women of all ages in Jinshan District, Shanghai.

We explored the prevalence of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection among women in Jinshan District, Shanghai. We analyzed all HPV testing samples sent from our unit between December 2023 and April 2024. We reported the HPV prevalence overall, by age, and by subtype. In total, 3788 women aged 16 to 90 years had HPV test results. The prevalence of infection with any HPV subtype was 17.9%. The HPV prevalence by age group was: ≤30 years, 15.4%; 31-40 years, 14.7%; 41-50 years, 17.0%; 51-60 years, 22.4%; >60 years, 31.0%. Among HPV-positive women, 80.6% had infection with one subtype, 16.4% had dual infection, and 3.1% had three or more subtypes detected. We found 640 cases (16.9%) of infection with high-risk HPV subtypes and 139 cases (5.04%) of infection with low-risk HPV subtypes. The most common high-risk subtypes were HPV 52, 53, 58, and 16; the most common low-risk subtypes were HPV 81, 70, and 42. We detected ≥1 HPV subtype among most women in our study. The prevalence of HPV was lowest in younger women and highest in women age >60 years. Tailored strategies for older women are needed to prevent HPV infection and cervical cancer.

Factors Affecting Women Sports Officials’ Intention to Leave Across Europe

This study examines the factors affecting women officials’ intention to leave their chosen sport, including personal, work-related, and sociocultural factors. The empirical analysis is based on survey data of women officials in 69 different sports across Europe (n = 3,214). Overall, 10.7% of women expressed a turnover intention. Regression analyses indicate that this intention is higher for women who have more officiating experience (16–20 years), officiate at lower levels of sport (grassroots, junior), frequently experience abuse, and dislike the stress and time commitments of officiating, lack of support from the federation, and their lack of opportunity to progress. Younger women (≤24 years) with a mentor, who enjoy being part of a sport community and live in a more gender equal society are less likely to leave. The findings suggest that multiple factors are at work, which need to be addressed by sport managers to retain women in officiating roles.

More women, young adults being diagnosed with autism

A large analysis of autism spectrum disorder diagnoses over more than 10 years finds significant increases in young adults, women, and children in some racial or ethnic groups. Led by Kaiser Permanente researchers, the study was published in JAMA Network Open. The analysis covered the years 2011 to 2022 at 12 integrated delivery sites of the eight health systems that participate in the Mental Health Research Network, covering up to 12 million people, Kaiser's Division of Research reported Oct. 30. The study found increases in autism diagnosis across the study period for all groups, and faster increases among certain groups. The autism diagnosis rate was highest among 5‐ to 8‐year‐olds and rose during the study period, from 2.3 per 1,000 in 2011 to 6.3 per 1,000 in 2022. Increases in diagnosis in children by ethnicity were higher among Hispanic children (315% increase) than non‐Hispanic children (146%). By race, increases were greater among Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (428%), Black/African American (307%), and Asian (259%) children compared to white children (161%). Among adults, increases in diagnosis rates from 2011 to 2022 were greater among white adults (275%) than any other group. The study authors said the findings likely reflect both increased screening for autism along with other potential factors that should be explored in future research.

Pregnancy Associated Osteoporosis

Pregnancy-associated osteoporosis (PAO) is a rare and debilitating bone disease which affects young pre-menopausal women, typically presenting with vertebral fractures in the third trimester or post-partum stages of pregnancy and lactation. In September 2024 issue of The Practising Midwife we published a Spotlight article on this disease. This Voices article provides the thoughts of patients, to enable a greater disease understanding among midwives.

Godmother-Governesses and Biracial Cinderellas: The Use of Fairy Tales in Dinah Mulock Craik’s The Half-Caste

Abstract In Dinah Mulock Craik’s short and largely unacknowledged novella, The Half-Caste (1851), the half-Indian heroine, Zillah La Poer, achieves what seems impossible for a young woman of color in mid-century imperial Britain, rising from an uneducated and ill-treated biracial ward to a rich heiress-turned-bride, all under the watchful guidance of the novella’s narrator and main character, governess Cassandra Pryor. Though Craik’s novella has resurfaced in recent years with the help of a Broadview edition in 2016, the scholarly work and historical material in the introduction and appendixes do not highlight the fairy-tale inspirations and obvious Cinderella motifs in Craik’s text. Craik’s novella is, at its core, a Cinderella story, as Cassandra becomes a nonmagical fairy godmother tasked with transforming Zillah into a respected British citizen. As such, this article seeks to bring attention to Craik’s little-known novella by situating it in a larger tradition of Victorian Cinderella stories, highlighting the way it creates an idealized image of civilized harmony between non-white colonized people and white British citizens via governess-led education.

Dose-response effects of 8-week resistance training on body composition and muscular performance in untrained young women: A quasi-experimental design.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of 8-week resistance training with different training volumes on body composition, maximum strength, peak power, and muscle thickness in non-training women. This was a 3-arm, prospectively designed, randomized controlled trial. A total of 45 adult women aged 20.7 ± 1 years, the mean heights of the participants were 166 ± 0.07 cm, body weight was measured as 54.5 ± 8.8 kg, and body mass index was 19.9 ± 2.1 kg/m2. They were randomized to low-volume training resistance training (LVT; n = 15, 3 sessions of 12 exercises per week), moderate-volume training resistance training (MVT; n = 15; 4 sessions of 12 exercises per week), and high-volume resistance training (HVT; n = 15; 5 sessions of 12 exercises per week) for 8 weeks. The muscle thickness (MT) of the vastus lateralis was assessed at baseline and 8 weeks later using a portable ultrasound device. A total of 39 adult women completed the study, with 2 participants from each group lost to follow-up. All experimental groups 1RM increased (P = .001, effect size (ES) = 0.463) All groups showed improved muscle thickness (MT) (P = .001) and CMJ (P = .004). The group × time interaction is statistically significant (P = .001) suggests that the changes in muscle thickness over time differ significantly between the different training volume groups (ηp²) is 0.368. In untrained young women, resistance training improved muscle hypertrophy, maximal strength, power, and body composition in untrained young women. However, 4 sessions MVT per week were superior to LVT and HVT sessions, suggesting a nonlinear dose-response relationship favoring moderate volume over low or high volumes, at least in previously untrained young women. ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT06449300).

Human Papillomavirus Vaccination Awareness and Uptake among Healthcare Students in Japan

BackgroundThe vaccination rate for HPV (Human Papillomavirus) has remained significantly low in Japan because of the administrative suspension of active recommendation. This study investigates the awareness and uptake of the HPV vaccine among healthcare students in Japan following the reinstatement of active recommendation for young women in April 2022. MethodsA web-based survey was administered to 2,567 healthcare students from Okayama and Shujitsu Universities in Japan in July 2023. The survey assessed participants' backgrounds, immunization status, awareness of vaccine recommendations, and knowledge of cervical cancer across various demographics, including sex, academic year, and department (Medicine, Health Science, Pharmaceutical, and Dentistry). ResultsThe response rate was 36.3% (933 students; 181 male, 739 female, and 13 unspecified gender). The overall immunization rate among female students was 55.6%, with higher rates observed in medical (73.8%) and dental (63.0%) students. Awareness of the government's change in vaccine recommendation was notably high among female and senior male students. Over half of the female students (54.7%) reported receiving vaccinations based on their parents' advice. Among those unvaccinated but interested in future immunization, concerns about adverse reactions (47.4%) and challenges in scheduling vaccinations (29.1%) were predominant. ConclusionHealthcare students exhibited a higher HPV vaccination rate than the general population. Ongoing education to improve vaccine literacy is crucial for augmenting HPV vaccination rates in Japan.

Women Veterans as caregivers: Characteristics and comparisons with women non-veterans using BRFSS

Veterans frequently need assistance because of injuries and chronic conditions, but also serve as caregivers to family and friends. Our aim was to describe the prevalence of characteristics and experiences of women veterans who serve as caregivers and compare them with non-veteran women. We measured caregiving prevalence caregiving among women veterans (N = 4,179) and women non-veterans (n = 160,307) using population-based data from 48 jurisdictions in the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System from 2021 to 2022. We calculated weighted prevalence estimates and adjusted prevalence ratios [PR] for the association between veteran status and three health outcomes adjusted for age, race and ethnicity, and caregiving activities. Similar proportions (∼23%) of women veterans (n = 1,000) and non-veterans (n = 36,929) were caregivers. Among women caregivers, veterans were more likely than non-veterans to have had a chronic health condition (63 vs. 57%), disability (39 vs. 35%), and current frequent mental distress (27 vs. 22%), although all were quite prevalent in both groups. In adjusted models, the only significant difference was in current frequent mental distress among women veterans compared with non-veteran women caregivers age 18–44 (PR = 1.49, 95%CI: 1.20 − 1.85). Women veterans provide similar care as non-veteran women. However, younger women veteran caregivers more frequently experience mental distress, suggesting the importance of routine assessment of caregiving status to initiate support. This may be a result of military experiences (e.g., combat, trauma) and related comorbidities (e.g., traumatic brain injury, PTSD) that could enhance caregiving burden, making caregiver support, chronic disease self-management programs, and mental health services priorities for women veteran caregivers.

How Racism and Discrimination Impacts Black Young Women’s Sexual Health: The Influence of Racial and Sexual Stereotypes on Educational Access

PurposeStructural racism and racial discrimination may increase adverse sexual health outcomes in Black adolescent girls. However, the influence of racism on sexual health has not been well-described in qualitative studies. The purpose of this study was to explore definitions of structural racism and determine how experiences of racial discrimination impact sexual health and decision-making in a sample of adolescent Black girls. MethodsBlack girls aged 13–19 years were recruited from an ongoing longitudinal study. Virtual focus groups and individual interviews were facilitated, inquiring about understandings of structural racism, experiences with discrimination, and factors that influence sexual health decision-making and healthcare-seeking. Transcripts were professionally transcribed and coded by two independent, blinded team members. Thematic content analysis was used to identify emergent themes. ResultsFour themes emerged as follows: (1) slavery and medical racism in the United States impact the sexual and reproductive health (SRH) choices of Black girls; (2) stereotypes and oversexualization of Black girls are considered a barrier to SRH education; (3) adults serve as both barriers and facilitators to SRH and resource utilization; and (4) Black girls often seek information from friends or social media outlets to make SRH decisions. DiscussionReproductive health education for Black girls should integrate historical influences of systemic oppression. Practitioners should include reproductive justice to build trust in clinical and community spaces. Engaging caregivers in health education may reduce barriers for youth to engage in care.