News
Call for Artists
This call for Black artists in the Pittsburgh region, Allegheny County, and South Western Pennsylvania seeks work highlighting gestation, child birth, child loss, postpartum, and more.
Learn more and apply here: https://pmoms.pitt.edu/news/Call-for-Artists
The Intersections of Inequity, Justice, and Health: Reproductive Autonomy for All
We worked with Pitt's Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion on The Intersections of Inequity, Justice, and Health: Reproductive Autonomy for All as part of the 2022 Diversity Forum. Meet our amazing panelists:
Sexual Violence and Gender Minority Youth
Dr. Miller's recent publication shows the impacts of the pervasive and harmful narratives used to weaponize transgender identities in contemporary political discourse and the ongoing need for gender transformative sexual violence prevention programs.
Read more about this study here: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2792864
Statement - SCOTUS Decision
By now, we expect that most of you have heard about the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe vs Wade and deny the constitutional right to abortion. This decision will have devastating consequences for people’s lives and families. Abortion is commonly used, safe, and a critical component of healthcare. Research shows that the inability to obtain a desired abortion has adverse consequences for people’s physical, psychological, and socioeconomic well-being.
Perceptions of Safety Around Use of Cannabis and Nicotine/Tobacco in Pregnancy
Dr. Marian Jarlenski and PhD candidate Noelle Spencer reviewed the perceived safety of cannabis, nicotine, and tobacco use among US women of reproductive age.
Read more about this study here: https://oce-ovid-com.pitt.idm.oclc.org/article/00003081-202206000-00014/HTML
Medicaid's Role in Reducing the Burden of Cancer in Men with HIV
Dr. Lindsay Sabik looked at Medicaid's role in reducing the burden of cancer in men with HIV as well as the need for improvement in the accessibility and affordability of care, continuous insurance coverage, and reducing the financial burden of cancer treatment.
Medical Student Attitudes on Explicit Informed Consent for Pelvic Exams Under Anesthesia
Dr. Judy Chang surveyed medical student attitudes on the need for explicit consent for pelvic exams under anesthesia performed for educational purposes. Students greatly supported the need for informed consent for these and other sensitive exams.
Read more about this study here: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1931720421003809?via%3Dihub
Provider Attitudes and Perspectives on Male Health in Cystic Fibrosis
After interviewing 20 providers about their attitudes and perspectives related to male health and cystic fibrosis (CF), Dr. Traci Kazmerski and her team found that a lack of standardization and research creates barriers to optimal sexual and reproductive health care.
Read more about this study here: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34998704/
The 2022 Investigator Excellence in Research Award
Congratulations Dr. Sonya Borrero for receiving the 2022 Investigator Excellence in Research Award for VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System! Each year, this award is presented to a VAPHS investigator “whose research has had an impact on the way we care for patients, conduct research, or educate the next generation of investigators”.
We are incredibly proud of your accomplishments and so happy to hear that you have received this award!
A Framework for FemTech
Our FemTech Collaborative proposed a set of guiding principles for building technology that proactively identifies and addresses critical gaps in health care for people socially and economically marginalized people who are capable of pregnancy.
You can read this publication here: https://www.jmir.org/2022/4/e36338
Abortion Care and Access in South West Pennsylvania
Please check out our recent page dedicated to the state of abortion care and access in South West Pennsylvania. We will be continuously updating this page over time and adding resources.
Congratulations Dr. Kazmerski for receiving the 2022 Pitt Momentum Funds Award!
Dr. Traci Kazmerski will lead a multi-disciplinary team to develop a holistic measurement plan evaluating quality of care for pediatric patients transitioning to adulthood.
Read more about Dr. Kazmerski's work and the 2022 Pitt Momentum Fund here.
Advocate Perspectives: The Impact of Covid-19 on Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence
Faculty members Dr. Judy Chang and Dr. Elizabeth Miller recently surveyed sexual violence advocates about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the needs and lived experiences of intimate partner violence survivors in the US.
Read more about their findings here.