Search Results (536)

Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination may eventually eradicate oncogenic vaccine-targeted HPVs but only with a strategy that also protects unvaccinated individuals. We compared the impact of gender-neutral and girls-only vaccination strategies on the indirect and direct protection of unvaccinated and vaccinated young women against HPV16/18 infection using HPV16/18 seropositivity and PCR positivity 3–7 years post vaccination as the outcome measure. A total of 33 Finnish communities were randomized to one of three vaccination strategies: bivalent gender-neutral HPV vaccination (Arm A), girls-only HPV vaccination (Arm B), or control hepatitis B vaccination (Arm C). All individuals born between 1992 and 1995 and residing in these communities (n = 80,272) were invited to participate. Overall, 11,662 males and 20,513 females consented, corresponding to vaccination coverages of 25% and 45%, respectively, in 2007–2009. Between 2010 and 2014, 11,396 cervical samples were collected from 18-year-old participants and subjected to high-throughput PCR-based HPV genotyping. In addition, serum samples were obtained from 8022 unvaccinated women under 23 years of age residing in Arm A (n = 2657), Arm B (n = 2691), or Arm C (n = 2674) communities during the pre-vaccination (2005–2010) and post-vaccination (2011–2016) periods. To assess indirect vaccine effects using PCR and serological outcomes in unvaccinated women, we compared reductions in HPV16/18 prevalence from baseline within the gender-neutral and girls-only vaccination arms, using the control arm as a reference. A significant decrease in seroprevalence between the pre- and post-vaccination periods was detected in the gender-neutral communities for both HPV16 (seroprevalence ratio = 0.64) and HPV18 (0.72), whereas no comparable reductions were observed in the girls-only or control communities. In contrast, a significant reduction in HPV18 PCR-based prevalence from baseline to the post-vaccination period was observed in both the gender-neutral (0.32) and girls-only (0.61) communities. However, after accounting for ratios of seroprevalence rations for secular trends, the corresponding decrease in HPV18 seroprevalence was no longer statistically significant. Vaccine efficacy (VE) in Arm A or Arm B versus Arm C of vaccinated women measured the direct protection of vaccinated women by vaccination strategy. HPV16/18 VEs varied between 89% and 96% with some indication of herd effect against HPV18. Robust effectiveness of vaccination against PCR-confirmed cervical HPV16/18 infections, along with rapid indirect protection against HPV16/18 and HPV18 infections, was evident even with vaccination reaching only 25% and 45% coverage. Our results suggest that vaccine efficacy and herd effect induced by gender-neutral 2vHPV vaccination sets the stage for comprehensive HPV eradication, including the unvaccinated in the vaccinated communities. Full article

Informal STEM education programs (ISEs) can be a successful vehicle for addressing the underrepresentation of girls in STEM by expanding their views of what constitutes science and debunking stereotypes related to who succeeds in STEM careers. Research has demonstrated how in-person ISEs provide opportunities for girls to engage in hands-on, authentic science experiences, interact with diverse women role models, and understand the real-world application of STEM to improve their STEM identity development (i.e., STEM competence, performance, self and external recognition, and sense of belonging within STEM). But few studies have focused on STEM identity development in online spaces. Our study addresses this gap through a mixed methods study that investigates how an online program (Brite), held in 2023, influenced the STEM identities of the participating girls. Our results highlight the aspects of the online program that improved the STEM identity for participants as well as lessons learned for future programs. The influential programmatic pieces were role model interactions and the supportive Brite community that included program educators, the other girls, and the Brite facilitators, which helped girls feel inspired and motivated to continue along their STEM identity trajectories. Full article

This study examines a seven-week informal familycentric rocketry pilot program designed for Latina girls in grades 5 and 6 and their parents. Grounded in Community Cultural Wealth and Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy, the program integrated Family Problem-Based Learning to position families as co-educators in science learning. Through activities such as designing NASA-style mission patches, constructing egg-drop devices, and launching rockets, the program sought to center family knowledge, bilingual practices, and cultural values within physical science experiences. Data reported here were collected through mid- and post-program surveys with both parents and daughters. Responses indicate strong engagement from families, with parents reporting increased high confidence in supporting their daughters’ science learning and daughters expressing enjoyment and strong interest in science learning. Both groups valued the use of English and Spanish and the program’s emphasis on collaborative, family-centered participation. Responses highlight the potential of culturally sustaining, familycentric approaches to address the underrepresentation of Latina women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) by fostering a sense of belonging. This study contributes to informal science education by demonstrating how families can be centered in a program focused on physical science. School-based outreach of this kind may also strengthen families and parent–child relationships. Full article

Background/Objectives: Incarcerated people experience high rates of trauma, psychological distress, and social marginalization. Yoga has been introduced in prisons as a trauma-sensitive mind–body practice, yet its rehabilitative contribution remains uncertain. This systematic review aimed to synthesize evidence on the feasibility and effectiveness of yoga interventions delivered in correctional settings. Methods: Following PRISMA guidelines and a preregistered PROSPERO protocol, we searched PubMed, PsycINFO, Cochrane CENTRAL, and Scopus for peer-reviewed publications from May 2012 to November 2025. Eligible studies involved structured yoga interventions for incarcerated populations and reported psychological, behavioral, or institutional outcomes. Two reviewers independently performed screening, data extraction, and quality appraisal using the Mixed-Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT). Results: Ten studies reported in twelve publications and involving 1815 incarcerated individuals met the inclusion criteria. Interventions included Hatha-based protocols, Krimyoga, trauma-informed approaches, and multicomponent programs. Across randomized, quasi-experimental, and pre–post designs, yoga was feasible and acceptable. Reported benefits included reduced psychological distress, negative affect, anger, and trauma-related symptoms, as well as improved mood, self-regulation, and mindfulness. Evidence specific to women and girls was limited, but the available trauma-informed and gender-responsive studies suggested potential reductions in post-traumatic stress, depression, and anxiety, alongside increases in self-compassion. One large quasi-experimental cohort found lower reincarceration rates among yoga participants, although institutional outcomes were otherwise limited. Evidence was constrained by small samples, heterogeneous intervention formats, short follow-up, and variable outcome measures. Conclusions: Yoga appears to be a promising adjunct to rehabilitation in correctional settings. However, methodological limitations prevent firm conclusions. Larger, well-controlled studies with standardized outcomes and longer follow-up are needed to clarify effectiveness and support integration into correctional health and rehabilitation policy. Full article

Ureaplasma species are associated with various reproductive health issues, while human papillomavirus (HPV) is associated with cervical, vaginal and vulvar cancers. Data on the association between Ureaplasma species and HPV are limited in South Africa. This study investigated the prevalence of Ureaplasma urealyticum (U. urealyticum), Ureaplasma parvum (U. parvum), and HPV coinfection and their associated factors, among adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. A total of 214 participants were retrospectively recruited, and secondary data on HPV, U. urealyticum, U. parvum, demographics, and sexual behavior were used. HPV was detected using the Roche Linear Array HPV Genotyping Test, while U. urealyticum and U. parvum were detected using Allplex™ sexually transmitted infection (STI) essential Assay. Statistical analyses were performed using GraphPad Prism Version 8.0.1.244. The prevalence of U. urealyticum was 43.9% (94/214) and increased significantly with age (p = 0.036, R² = 0.8497); while U. parvum prevalence was 68.7% (147/214) and was not influenced by age. Having four to six lifetime sexual partners (PR: 1.77, 95% CI: 1.04–3.00, p = 0.043) was associated with increased risk of U. urealyticum. A proportion of 36.3% (77/212) had HPV-U. urealyticum coinfection and its risk was increased among those with 3–6 lifetime sexual partners (PR: 1.59, 95% CI: 1.10–2.53, p = 0.017), 2–4 new partners past three months (PR: 2.14, 95% CI: 1.19–2.42, p = 0.021); vaginal sexual intercourse frequency past 1-month (2–3 vaginal intercourse: PR: 1.54, 95% CI: 1.06–2.53, p = 0.037; 4–10 vaginal intercourse: PR: 1.91, 95% CI: 1.83–1.91, p = 0.005) and alcohol consumption (PR: 1.85, 95% CI: 1.20–3.28, p = 0.004). U. urealyticum positives had a significantly higher risk of HPV types targeted by Cervarix^® HPV vaccine than negatives (PR: 2.56, 95% CI: 1.23–5.37, p = 0.013), Gardasil^®4 (PR: 2.16, 95% CI: 1.25–3.75, p = 0.006) and Gardasil^®9 (PR: 1.70, 95% CI: 1.25–2.32, p = 0.001). AGYW of Eastern Cape Province, South Africa had high prevalence of U. urealyticum-HPV and U. parvum-HPV coinfections. Ureaplasma species coinfection was associated with HPV prevalence and distribution of genotypes. The U. urealyticum prevalence and its coinfection with HPV were associated with sexual behavior. Data from this study could contribute to the design of sexual health and STI interventions and could serve as a baseline for future epidemiological studies, which include ongoing surveillance of HPV genotype prevalence to evaluate the impact and effectiveness of HPV vaccination programs in the population. Full article

This essay examines how contemporary Anglophone Chinese women writers rewrite the imagery of Chinese snake women through speculative retellings that foreground sisterhood, queer desire, and diasporic identity. Drawing on queer diaspora studies and feminist criticism, I argue that Larissa Lai’s Salt Fish Girl (2002) and Amanda Lee Koe’s Sister Snake (2024) revise the figure of the Chinese snake woman to imagine forms of female intimacy and kinship that transcend heteronormative and patriarchal frameworks. In these works, sisterhood operates both as a familial bond and as an intimate, queer relation charged with affective, physical, and occasionally erotic intensity. The original White Snake legend—one of China’s Four Great Folktales—has long invited queer readings, especially through the complex relationship between White Snake and her companion Green Snake. In dialogue with the Chinese snake myth, Lai and Koe relocate the snake woman into speculative worlds shaped by queer desire, racial marginalization, and transnational migration. In Salt Fish Girl, Lai reimagines the reincarnations of the half-snake Chinese mother goddess Nu Wa across colonial South China and near-future bio-capitalist Canada, portraying a cross-temporal lesbian love between the protagonist and the titular Salt Fish Girl. In Sister Snake, Koe’s protagonists—serpent sisters Su and Emerald, separated between Singapore and New York—disrupt normative family scripts while forging a fragmented but enduring affective bond. Through the motif of the Chinese snake woman, these works construct imaginative spaces in which intimate sisterhood subverts patriarchal and national containment, advancing a queer vision of female togetherness. Full article

Guided by Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5 on achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls, our study examines the age, period, and cohort effects of gender income inequality across China’s public and private sector employment by utilizing hierarchical age–period–cohort cross-classification random-effects models (HAPC-CCREMs) and repeated cross-sectional data from the Chinese General Social Survey from 2003 to 2021 (N = 29,367). The results demonstrate the following: (1) Age effects of gender income inequality diverge between public and private sector employment. In public sector employment, inequality undergoes a progressive decline over individuals’ career spans, as age is institutionalized as a sector-specific capital and compresses inequality through seniority-based accumulation. In private sector employment, inequality follows an inverted U-shaped trend as age is marketized as a proxy for labor productivity, producing steeper inequality in individuals’ early careers and sharp declines thereafter. (2) Period effects of gender income inequality manifest significant developing differences across public and private sector employment between 2003 and 2021. In public sector employment, the state redistributive mechanism maintains inequality at a consistently low and stable level. In private sector employment, inequality fluctuates with China’s post-transition economic restructuring, expanding during rapid market growth (2003–2008), contracting amid structural upgrading (2010–2013), and rising again under deeper market integration (2015–2021). (3) Cohort effects are negligible, reflecting that mechanisms sustaining gender income inequality exhibit intergenerational continuity. These results demonstrate that institutional segmentation structures gendered income dynamics throughout the life course via distinct resource allocation mechanisms. Our study extends life course approaches to social inequality, emphasizing the role of gender-equality-oriented governance, lifecycle-spanning support mechanisms, and cross-sectoral coordination in mitigating gender disparities. Full article

Professional women football players have increased in Spain, but the little more than 107,000 licences registered in 2023 are still far from the more than one million for men. Androcentrism, gender roles, and the invisibility of female athletes in the media have been some of the problems they have faced. By comparing the media coverage of the four most widely read newspapers in Spain (Marca, El País, El Mundo, and AS) during the first World Cup played by the Spanish Women’s National Football Team (2015) and the most recent one (2023), we have identified the media characterisation of the players through discourse analysis. From the reading of 145 documents from 2015 and 375 from 2023, 39 semantic codes emerged, which rose to 47 in the second sample. The conclusions point to a trend of androcentrism through additions such as “women’s” football or “female” footballers and a proliferation of quotations in which the male coach is the protagonist, although there has been progress in the number of pages and resources used by each outlet. Regarding language, the decline in the characterisation of the players as “girls” or “youngsters” and the increase in references to their Talent or Leadership represent advances. Full article

Period poverty refers to the lack of access to or affordability of menstrual hygiene supplies such as sanitary products and the inaccessibility of washing facilities, waste disposal and educational materials. Period poverty can significantly affect menstruating individuals’ physical, mental, and reproductive health and emotional wellbeing; negatively impact educational outcomes; cause financial strain; result in absenteeism from work and school; create barriers to healthcare access; and perpetuate poor health outcomes for generations. Barriers to menstrual equity include lack of access to period support, cost, poor sanitary facilities, lack of education, social and cultural stigma, and legal restrictions. Therefore, it is crucial to actively advocate for initiatives to increase access to menstrual hygiene products, raise public awareness, and educate individuals on safe menstrual practices. Approximately 500 million girls and women worldwide and an estimated 16.9 million people in the United States experience period poverty, with the issue being particularly common among marginalized groups such as Black or Hispanic menstruating individuals and those who are homeless, living in poverty, of low income, or attending college. This article investigates the physical, psychological, educational and social impacts of inequitable access to menstrual products, menstrual education, and sanitation facilities among menstruating individuals who are Black, Hispanic or of low income within the United States. We examine the threat this poses to health equity and propose recommendations to address this pervasive issue. Full article

Despite global progress toward gender parity in education, Ghanaian girls continue to face systemic barriers rooted in entrenched parental gender norms. This paper explores how parental gender norm beliefs and attitudes perpetuate disparities among school-aged, particularly disadvantaging girls in access to and retention in education. Using a desk review methodology, we analyzed peer-reviewed social science and development literature, legal documents, and international reports from organizations such as the United Nations and the World Bank to explore the structural and cultural dynamics affecting girls’ education in Ghana. Anchored in Social Impact Theory, Parental Ethnotheories, and Expectation States Theory, the study provides a multi-theoretical lens to understand how gender norms, cultural expectations, and parental beliefs converge to influence educational outcomes for girls. Analysis of sociocultural norms, economic trade-offs, and safety concerns reveals how parents—often guided by love and pragmatism—prioritize sons’ education while withdrawing daughters for caregiving, early marriages, or income-generating labor. The study highlights three critical dimensions: (1) the economic reasoning behind gendered investments in children’s schooling, (2) sociocultural gender norms limiting girls’ retention in school, and (3) the transformative potential of educated women as community leaders challenging these patterns. Evidence shows that educating girls yields broad benefits, from improved health outcomes to economic growth, yet systemic inequities remain. Findings underscore the need for interventions to move beyond school access to address the familial and cultural ecosystems shaping parental decisions. By disrupting entrenched gender norms, Ghana can advance SDGs 4 and 5 and promote long-term societal change. Full article

Adolescent girls and young women are particularly vulnerable to the influence of social and gender norms. This systematic review builds on a broader review of social and gender norms interventions, with the overall aim of identifying and mapping empirical evidence on efforts to improve health and livelihood outcomes of adolescent girls and young women in sub-Saharan Africa. The review examines the strategies, methods, mechanisms of change, and research on the effectiveness of the interventions in the field. We conducted a systematic search of peer-reviewed literature using established PRISMA methods. The sample included 35 articles, which represented 24 distinct interventions—the unit of analysis for this systematic review—that spanned 15 countries across sub-Saharan Africa, with eleven in East Africa, six in West Africa, two in South Africa, and one in the Northern and Central regions. Interventions covered a wide range of outcomes, including sexual and reproductive health, gender-based violence, child early marriage, and other areas. The interventions generally served adolescents and young adults up to age 24. Evaluations included observational, quasi-experimental, and randomized controlled designs. Some interventions included social norms measures, and there was varying evidence of effectiveness (from emerging evidence to demonstrated effectiveness). This review suggests that entertainment media is an effective approach for shifting gender norms, attitudes, and behaviors among adolescent girls and young women. More rigorous intervention research is needed. Full article

Granny Josie’s Notebooks are salvaged notebooks written in 1946–1947 during a rural domestic science course for girls. This study aims to extract historically valuable information on the culinary heritage of post-war Poland and the housekeeping role attributed to women, with a specific focus on assessing the performance of Large Language Models (LLMs) in corpus analysis. The research began with an inquiry into the historical context of the notebooks. Three notebooks were digitised and stored in data repositories, then converted into editable vector text. The corpus was analysed with AI, and the results were compared with a text profile prepared by qualified linguists. According to the AI, the texts’ characteristic features are descriptions of nearly ritual food preparation, serving, and table setting. Women appear as central figures in post-war Polish housekeeping, acting as guardians of the hearth and planners and preparers of meals. However, AI’s interpretations were often overly idealised, with embellished descriptions that did not fully reflect the actual text. The digitisation and analysis of Granny Josie’s Notebooks provided new information about the culinary heritage of post-war Poland and preserved these materials from oblivion, while offering insights into the potential application of LLMs in corpus analysis. Full article

Background: Emergency contraception (EC), also known as postcoital contraception, is a method used to prevent an unintended pregnancy following unprotected or inadequately protected sexual intercourse. The available options include emergency contraceptive pills or the insertion of an intrauterine device (IUD). Emergency contraception pills contain either levonorgestrel (a single 1.5 mg dose, effective within 72 h) or ulipristal acetate (a single 30 mg dose, effective within 120 h), both of which are most effective when taken as soon as possible after unprotected intercourse. Another highly effective option is the insertion of a copper or levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine device, although IUDs are not registered for EC use in all countries. The aims of this cross-sectional, comparative, observational study were to collect data on the emergency contraception methods used by adolescent girls and young women to examine their association with various factors, such as religious beliefs, and to evaluate the effectiveness of different emergency contraception methods, including hormonal options and intrauterine devices. Methods: Data were collected from 240 women who attended our Family Planning Clinic using a structured questionnaire that included items on their demographic characteristics, religious beliefs, medical history, lifestyle factors, contraceptive use and side effects, prior use of emergency contraception, method selected, and reasons for seeking emergency contraception. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the data, comparisons between religious groups were conducted using chi-square tests, and factors related to the timing of emergency contraceptive use were investigated using multinomial logistic regression analysis. Results: Most of the reasons for emergency contraception use did not differ significantly between Christian and Muslim participants. However, Christians were significantly more likely to use emergency contraception due to missed contraceptive doses (20.9% vs. 6.7%, p = 0.004) or the failure to take a progesterone-only pill (19.1% vs. 3.3%, p = 0.001). Levonorgestrel was the most frequently used method in both groups (48.9% of Christians vs. 60% of Muslims, p = 0.132), followed by ulipristal acetate (30.9% vs. 40%, p = 0.180). Notably, 18.5% of Christian participants used an intrauterine device (IUD) for emergency contraception, while no Muslim participants reported IUD use (p < 0.001), indicating a significant difference potentially influenced by cultural or religious factors. Conclusions: Both religious and individual sociodemographic factors affect not only the choice of emergency contraception but also the urgency with which the emergency contraception is used. Interventions aimed at improving contraception education, addressing partner-related challenges, and promoting timely access could improve reproductive health outcomes. Full article