News

Help-Seeking Among Pregnant and Postpartum Women With Lifetime Experiences of Opioid Use Disorder and Intimate Partner Violence

Drs. Chang, Krans, and Miller conducted 15 semistructured interviews with pregnant and postpartum women who have experienced opioid use disorder (OUD) and intimate partner violence (IPV). Their team found that
➡️ Partners impacted their ability to seek OUD care
➡️ Seeking help for OUD and IPV was siloed and they wished for integrated services
➡️ They were more comfortable disclosing OUD than IPV
➡️ They perceived pregnancy as a barrier and facilitator to OUD care

Creating Healing-Centered Spaces for Intimate Partner Violence Survivors in the Postpartum Unit: Examining Current Practices and Desired Resources Among Health Care Providers and Postpartum People

Through interviews with postpartum people and health care providers (HCP), Drs. Chang, Miller, and Ragavan explored:

1) How IPV is currently discussed

2) What should be included in IPV interventions

3) How to support those who disclose IPV

4) Implementation barriers and facilitators

This resulted in:

➡️HCPs reported a variety of practices to support survivors

➡️Postpartum people reported not receiving resources or education related to IPV

➡️HCPs identified a need for screening and resource provision

Call for Presenters: Igniting Systems Change: Exploring Strategies for Improving Maternal and Child Health Conference

Healthy Start is looking for presenters for their Igniting Systems Change: Exploring Strategies for Improving Maternal and Child Health Conference on May 30-31, 2024. This in-person educational symposium will promote cross-system collaboration to ensure that everyone can achieve optimum health and wellbeing despite race, economic status, or zip code.

Celebrating & Learning from Our Community: Pittsburgh Reproductive Justice, Reproductive Healthcare, and Reproductive Rights

There is still time to RSVP for next week's conference, Celebrating & Learning from Our Community: Pittsburgh Reproductive Justice, Reproductive Healthcare, and Reproductive Rights.

Dr. Jill Demirci Receives the Diversity in Curriculum Award

Congratulations to Dr. Jill Demirci for receiving the Diversity in Curriculum Award! Dr. Demirci received this award for her curriculum on frontloading lactation with an equity focus to offer undergraduate nursing students a practical and low-pressure learning setting. The course introduces fundamental lactation knowledge, fostering critical thinking and enhancing nursing management skills. The goal is to heighten awareness, comfort, and familiarity among students regarding lactation support for diverse patient groups.

Exploring the Effects of Reproductive Health Policy on the Health of People with Rheumatic Diseases

Dr. Mehret Birru Talabi will speak on February 23rd from 12-1 at the Senior Vice Chancellor's Research Seminar! Join for her lecture on Exploring the Effects of Reproductive Health Policy on the Health of People with Rheumatic Diseases.

Register here: https://pitt.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_QebqJ5IyTY-uK1lsTBWZKA#/registration

A novel technique to estimate intravillous fetal vasculature on routine placenta histologic sections

Dr. Janet Catov and her team piloted a novel continuous villous vascular estimation method using immunohistochemistry and a digital pixel count algorithm.

Celebrating & Learning from Our Community: Pittsburgh Reproductive Justice, Reproductive Healthcare, and Reproductive Rights

Students and community organizations are coming together for Celebrating & Learning from Our Community: Pittsburgh Reproductive Justice, Reproductive Healthcare, and Reproductive Rights later this month on Thursday, February 22--Saturday, February 24, 2024.
RSVP here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfEdAAt_ObB8v1rxKXhelxO9HEg5Uhphl7vohyhctjOBI3sVw/viewform

Blood Pressure Trajectories Through the First Year Postpartum in Overweight or Obese Individuals Following a Hypertensive Disorder of Pregnancy

Dr. Janey Catov and her team compared pregnancy and postpartum blood pressure (BP) trajectories among individuals with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy who developed persistent hypertension at 1-year postpartum compared with individuals with normalization of BP.

Read the rest of their paper here: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38073563/

2024 Health Disparities & Social Justice Poster Competition

University of Pittsburgh's Office of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion is holding their 2024 Health Disparities & Social Justice Poster Competition. Deadline for abstract submissions is Thursday, February 15th.

Understanding Shield Laws

In anticipation of extraterritorial application of antiabortion laws, many states enacted laws that attempt to shield abortion providers, helpers, and patients from civil, professional, or criminal liability associated with legal abortion care. Professor Greer Donley and her colleagues analyzed and compared the statutory schemes of the seven early adopting shield states: California, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York.

 

Six Identified Interpersonal Communication Components of Breast Cancer Care Patient Navigation

Interpersonal communication in breast cancer care patient navigation is understudied. To combat this, Dr. Jill Demirci and her team report an interpretation step of a concept mapping study, where key stakeholders shared their perspectives on six identified interpersonal communication components of breast cancer care patient navigation.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37947858/

A provider survey assessing fetal impact of CFTR modulator use in males with CF during assisted and unassisted reproduction and partner pregnancy

Most males with cystic fibrosis (CF) are infertile but with CF transmembrane conductance regulator modulator-conferred benefits, more are utilizing assisted reproductive technologies. However, no human data exists and there are many unknowns.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37953181/

Screening of Aftershock: A Documentary Film

Following the preventable deaths of two young women due to childbirth complications, two bereaved fathers galvanize activists, birth-workers and physicians to reckon with one of the most pressing American crises of our time—the US maternal health crisis.

The February Newsletter is here!