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Researchers have found that self-esteem and weight status can impact numerous aspects of an individual’s life, including reproductive health issues. However, there has been limited research specifically examining how self-esteem may affect female sexual functioning. The current study aims to examine whether self-esteem is a significant predictor of sexual functioning, and whether this relationship may change as a function of women’s weight status. Participants consisted of 730 women ranging from 18 to 49 years of age, who were recruited through an online questionnaire. Results indicate that higher levels of self-esteem predict better sexual functioning and weight status was found to be a significant moderator of this relationship; specifically, self-esteem was only found to predict sexual functioning for individuals at average or below-average weight status, and not for individuals who were of higher-than-average weight status. Findings have potential implications for physical and mental health professionals working with individuals trying to improve their sexual functioning.

Thesis (M.S.C.E.) / OBJECTIVES: Half of all U. S. pregnancies are unintended, and of these, about 6 out of 10 are carried to term. These are known as “unintended births,” and they are at elevated risk for adverse social, economic and health outcomes. The goal of this study was to examine, using the latest data from the National Survey of Family Growth (2006-2010), whether women with unintended births were more likely than their counterparts to use effective postpartum contraception. METHODS: In this retrospective cohort study of U.S. women ages 15-44, all births within three years of the study interview were classified as intended or unintended, and the method and timing of postpartum contraception were ascertained. Our primary outcome was time to initiation of a highly effective postpartum contraceptive method during the first postpartum year. Highly effective contraception was defined as a method with less than one pregnancy per 100 woman-years of typical use. Secondary outcomes included time to initiation of any contraceptive use over the first postpartum year, and postpartum contraceptive non-use. RESULTS: Complete data was available for 2,691 births. Young, black, undereducated, unmarried, and poor women, as well as those who paid for their delivery with Medicaid were more likely than their counterparts to have unintended births (p<0.0001). After adjustment for confounders, women with unintended births were 1.4 (95% CI: 1.2-1.6) times as likely to use highly effective postpartum contraception compared to women with intended births. During the first month postpartum, women with unintended pregnancies were 0.8 times as likely to use no contraceptive method as women with intended births (95% CI 0.7-0.9, p=0.0046); there were no differences between groups for the rest of the first postpartum year. Married women, white women, women with college degrees, and women with who were giving birth for the first time were somewhat more likely than others to initiate effective contraception after an unwanted pregnancy. CONCLUSION: A relatively small difference in time to initiation of highly effective postpartum contraception, along with an almost 1 in 5 prevalence of postpartum contraceptive nonuse for the entire first postpartum year, indicates that women in this study sample are not well-prepared to prevent recurrence of unintended birth. These results add to the body of data supporting effective postpartum contraception as a public health priority.

Includes bibliographical references / Maternal mortality is an enormous global challenge that is most prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Its prevalence in the SSA region has been attributed to inadequate access to maternal services (MHS) amongst the poor and rural women. In an attempt to improve access to maternal services, women with disabilities (WWDs) have generally been neglected. Little is known about the health systems factors that facilitate or hinder access to MHS for WWDs. However, available studies for women in general in SSA, examining health systems determinants of access to MHS, utilise the silo approach thereby providing fragmented and ineffective solutions to maternal mortality. Globally, taking a comprehensive health systems approach to understand the full range and interconnectedness of health factors is now recognised as crucial in understanding and planning complex health problems such as access to MHS. This paper presents findings from a qualitative systematic review of empirical studies providing evidence on the health systems factors that impact on access to MHS for WWDs in SSA. This dissertation comprises three sections, namely Part A, Part B and Part C. Part A reviews the Protocol; it presents the background and the qualitative systematic review methodology that is utilised in this study. A systematic search of five data bases is outlined and inclusion and exclusion criteria set out to select the suitable tool. A data extraction tool is designed to summarise the studies in a common format and to facilitate synthesis and coherent presentation of data. Part B is the review of existing empirical literature on access to MHS for both women in general SSA and for WWDs globally. Theoretical frameworks of access to health care services and health systems frameworks are also presented in this section. Furthermore, Part B provides the background on why access to MHS for WWDs is important. This section explores how health systems approach can be adopted to reveal the factors that impact on access to MHS; it links the complex systems framework to the availability, accessibility, acceptability and quality framework. Part C is a complete systematic review journal manuscript. The background of the study and methodology are described. This section also includes the findings from the systematic review of original journal articles published in English from 2000 to 2014 that report empirical findings on health systems factors that impact on access to MHS WWDs in SSA.

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Bakgrund: Kännedom om menstruationscykelns samband med muskuloskeletal funktion kan vara relevant i det fysioterapeutiska arbetet för att uppnå en mer patientspecifik behandling och minimera skaderisken för menstruerande kvinnor. Tidigare översikter har huvudsakligen fokuserat på kroppsfunktion, denna studie ämnar istället att fokusera på funktionella tester. Syfte: Att utvärdera och kvalitétsgranska befintlig litteratur om eventuella samband mellan menstruationscykelns faser och muskuloskeletal funktion Metod: Litteraturstudie användes som design i studien. Systematiska sökningar gjordes i den medicinska databasen PubMed och sökresultatet granskades utifrån urvalskriterierna. De inkluderade artiklarnas risk för bias bedömdes utefter SBU:s granskningsmall för observationsstudier och tillförlitligheten för studiernas sammanvägda resultat utvärderades med GRADEstud.   Resultat: Två av de inkluderade studierna, oberoende av utfallsmått och mätmetod, visar på en tendens till nedsatt muskuloskeletal funktion under menstruationsfasen. Resterande resultat av de olika studierna visar däremot på variationer mellan övriga faser och inget mönster kan utläsas. Det föreligger en låg tillförlitlighet i det sammanvägda resultatet av de studier vars resultat jämförts.  Konklusion: Det går inte att med säkerhet dra några slutsatser om menstruationscykelns samband med muskuloskeletal funktion från denna litteraturöversikt, men resultatet tyder på att det kan finnas en tendens till  nedsatt muskuloskeletal funktion under menstruationsfasen. / Background: Knowledge of the relationship between the menstrual cycle and musculoskeletal function can be relevant in physiotherapy to achieve more patient-specific treatment and minimize the risk of injury for menstruating women. Previous reviews have mainly focused on bodily function, but this study intends to focus on functional tests.  Purpose: To evaluate the quality of existing literature on possible relationships between the phases of the menstrual cycle and musculoskeletal function. Method: The design of the study was a literature study design. Systematic search was made in the medical database PubMed and the search results were reviewed based on the selection criterias. The included articles' risk of bias was  assessed according to SBU's review template for observational studies, and the reliability of the studie´s’ combined results was evaluated with GRADEstud. Results: Two of the included studies, regardless of outcome measure and measurement methods, showed a tendency towards impaired musculoskeletal function during the menstrual phase. However, the remaining results of the studies show variations between the other phases and no pattern can be discerned. There is low reliability in the combined results of the studies whose results are compared. Conclusion: It is not possible to draw any certain conclusions  about the relationships between the menstrual cycle and musculoskeletal function from this literature review, but the results suggest that there could be reduced musculoskeletal function during the menstrual phase.

Key words: Gynaecological experiences, virginity, premarital sexuality, women's health, gynaecological health, Turkey. This study explores the relationship of ideas about virginity and gynaecological health experiences of women in Ankara, Turkey. I conducted in depth semi-structured interviews with ten heterosexual, 23-30 years old, college-graduate Turkish women. Using intersectionality as a methodological lens, I seek to understand how gender, age, class and religion play a role in the correlation of virginity and gynaecology experiences. Five main themes illuminated the participant women's experiences: (1) feeling of inclusion, (2) the effect of religion, (3) class difference, (4) selection of doctors (5) access to information on gynaecological health. Findings revealed that participants define virginity as a taboo and a barrier during gynaecological healthcare experiences. In accordance with the previous researches, I have found that dominant virginity discourse limit women's access to knowledge on their gynaecological health. This study also dwelled on the differences in the experiences of women according to participant women's age, religion, class and social status. In addition to previous research, this study revealed that judgemental comments of the doctors and high fees of private clinics...

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Thesis advisor: Corrine Y. Jurgens / Background: Reproductive coercion (RC) is a form of intimate partner violence (IPV) involving a partner’s control of a woman’s reproductive health decisions regarding pregnancy and childbearing. RC is associated with numerous negative health consequences; however, the impact on a pregnancy and developing fetus and association with adverse birth outcomes is not known.Design: Secondary analysis of Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) data, 2012 – 2015, from five states. Purpose: To examine whether RC before pregnancy is associated with an increased likelihood of experiencing preterm birth (< 37 weeks gestational age), neonatal intensive care (NICU) after birth, and infant death. Method: Data on women ages 17 years and older who gave birth to a live infant (N = 18,728) were analyzed. Logistic regression procedures were used to determine the odds of preterm birth, infant death, and need for NICU care among women experiencing RC while controlling for known risk factors (age, race, ethnicity, education, marital status, depression, drinking, and smoking). The moderation effect of IPV on the relationship of RC and birth outcomes was tested by including an interaction term (product of RC and IPV) in the model. Results: No significant association between RC and preterm birth, need for NICU care, or infant death was detected. Additionally, exposure to IPV did not have a moderating effect on either the direction or magnitude of the relationship between RC and birth outcomes. Conclusions: Despite these findings, RC remains a significant concern for nurses caring for pregnant women and women of reproductive age. This study highlights a current gap in knowledge about the ways RC can affect a pregnancy and birth outcomes. Replication studies using more robust measures of RC and data collection approaches that can most accurately identify RC experiences are needed to increase understanding. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2022. / Submitted to: Boston College. Connell School of Nursing. / Discipline: Nursing.