Women's health issues : official publication of the Jacobs Institute of Women's Health
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Womens Health Issues · Aug 2021
ReviewA Scoping Review of Cervical Cancer Risk Factors, Prevention, Diagnosis, and Treatment in U.S. Active Duty Military Women.
Maintaining military readiness requires integration and delivery of appropriate sex-specific health care services for active duty servicewomen (ADSW). Cervical cancer screening (CCS) provides early detection, intervention, and treatment, allowing for reductions in human papillomavirus (HPV) infections and cervical cancer cases. This scoping review examines existing cervical cancer evidence related to ADSW and identifies research gaps, leverage points, and policy recommendations within the context of the social ecological model for military women's health. ⋯ Maintaining military readiness among ADSW requires robust evidence-based prevention efforts to address risk factors that are reportedly higher among servicewomen, as well as challenges to continuity in health care delivery that may increase the likelihood of cervical cancer incidence. Recognizing the role of HPV vaccination as cancer prevention, collaborations and partnerships, research, best practices, and creative solutions to close ADSW's sex-specific health gaps will help to ensure a fit and ready force.
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Womens Health Issues · Jul 2021
The Focus They Deserve: Improving Women Veterans' Health Care Access.
Veterans Health Administration (VHA) initiatives aim to provide veterans timely access to quality health care. The focus of this analysis was provider and staff perspectives on women veterans' access in the context of national efforts to improve veterans' access to care. ⋯ Although some issues affect all veterans, problems with community care referrals may disproportionately affect women veterans' access owing to a necessary reliance on community care for a range of gender-specific services.
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Womens Health Issues · Mar 2021
Adverse Childhood Experiences and Pregnancy Intentions among Pregnant Women Seeking Prenatal Care.
This study examined whether adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are associated with increased risk of having an unwanted or mistimed pregnancy. ⋯ Among women screened for ACEs during standard prenatal care, ACEs were associated with increased odds of having an unwanted pregnancy, but not a mistimed pregnancy. Additional research is needed to better understand the mechanisms through which ACEs and other individual, social, and contextual factors impact pregnancy intentions to better support women and provide appropriate resources to help prevent unintended pregnancies.
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Womens Health Issues · Jan 2021
Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Severe Maternal Morbidity: A Qualitative Study of Women's Experiences of Peripartum Care.
Racial and ethnic disparities in rates of maternal morbidity and mortality in the United States are striking and persistent. Despite evidence that variation in the quality of care contributes substantially to these disparities, we do not sufficiently understand how experiences of perinatal care differ by race and ethnicity among women with severe maternal morbidity. ⋯ This study highlights missed opportunities for improved clinician communication and continuity of care to address emotional trauma when severe obstetric complications occur, particularly for Black and Latina women. Enhancing communication to ensure that women feel heard and informed throughout the birth process and addressing implicit bias, as a part of the more systemic issue of institutionalized racism, could both decrease disparities in obstetric care quality and improve the patient experience for women of all races and ethnicities.
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Womens Health Issues · Jan 2021
Impacts of the Affordable Care Act on Receipt of Women's Preventive Services in Community Health Centers in Medicaid Expansion and Nonexpansion States.
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) increased health insurance coverage throughout the United States and improved care delivery for some services. We assess whether ACA implementation and Medicaid expansion were followed by greater receipt of recommended preventive services among women and girls in a large network of community health centers. ⋯ Among female patients at community health centers, receipt of recommended preventive care improved after ACA implementation in both Medicaid expansion and nonexpansion states, although the overall rates remained low. Continued support is needed to overcome barriers to preventive care in this population.