Journal of women's health
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Journal of women's health · Apr 2010
Comparative StudyPrematurity and low birth weight as potential mediators of higher stillbirth risk in mixed black/white race couples.
Although births of multiracial and multiethnic infants are becoming more common in the United States, little is known about birth outcomes and risks for adverse events. We evaluated risk of fetal death for mixed race couples compared with same race couples and examined the role of prematurity and low birth weight as potential mediating risk factors. ⋯ Mixed race black and white couples face higher odds of prematurity and low birth weight, which appear to contribute to the substantially higher demonstrated risk for stillbirth. There are likely additional unmeasured factors that influence birth outcomes for mixed race couples.
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Journal of women's health · Apr 2010
Frequency of cervical cancer and breast cancer screening in HIV-infected women in a county-based HIV clinic in the Western United States.
Women's primary-care services are frequently dispensed to HIV-infected women through HIV specialty clinics. Our objective was to evaluate cervical cancer and breast cancer screening practices in a county-based HIV clinic in San Mateo, California. ⋯ Based on the results of this study, the majority of HIV-infected women at this clinic received cervical and breast cancer screening at some point during their care. Only two-thirds of abnormal pap smear results had followup pap smear screening within a year. With the increased risk of cervical cancer in HIV-infected women, efforts should be made to promote cervical cancer screening, particularly in high-risk women.
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Journal of women's health · Mar 2010
Comparative StudyRacial disparities in contraceptive use between student and nonstudent populations.
In order to explore opportunities for eliminating the persistent racial disparities in contraceptive use between Caucasian and African American young adults, we examined whether student populations display a reduced racial disparity in overall contraceptive use and use of highly effective contraceptives. ⋯ Although race is not significant for predicting overall use of contraceptives among students, racial disparities are magnified among student populations with regard to use of highly effective contraceptives. Contraceptive counseling for African American young adults should focus on method effectiveness and consider additional issues, such as insurance coverage for contraceptives. For students, targeted counseling or interventions may be required.
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Concurrent with the evolving role of the department chair in academic medicine is the entry of women physicians into chair positions. Because implicit biases that stereotypically masculine behaviors are required for effective leadership remain strong, examining faculty members' perceptions of their chair's leadership in medical school departments with women chairs can provide insight into the views of women leaders in academic medicine and the complex ways in which gender may impact these chairs' leadership style and actions. ⋯ This exploratory study suggests that the culture of academic medicine has moved beyond questioning women physicians' competence to lead once they are in top organizational leadership positions. The findings are also consonant with experimental research indicating that women leaders are most successful when they pair stereotypic male (agentic) behaviors with stereotypic female (communal) behaviors. All three chairs exhibited features of a transformational leadership style and characteristics deemed essential for effective leadership in academic medicine.
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Journal of women's health · Mar 2010
Evidence-based intervention to reduce access barriers to cervical cancer screening among underserved Chinese American women.
The primary objective of the present study was to evaluate the effects of a community-based pilot intervention that combined cervical cancer education with patient navigation on cervical cancer screening behaviors among Chinese American women residing in New York City. ⋯ Community-based programs that provide combined education and patient navigation may be effective in overcoming the extensive linguistic and access barriers to screening faced by Chinese American women.