"Shouldn't Nobody Make a Woman do What they Don't Want to do with their Body": Black Women's Reactions to the Supreme Court's Overturn of Roe v. Wade.

Black women, particularly those with low-income, are projected to be the most negatively impacted group following the Supreme Court's overturn of Roe v Wade. It is expected that the rate of increase in live births, as well as the rate of maternal mortality, will be steepest for Black women due to high rates of unmet needs for contraception, unintended pregnancies, poverty, barriers to legal abortion access, and systemic racism. Previous research has shown that the legalization of abortion in 1973 significantly improved educational and employment outcomes for Black women, in particular. The current study seeks to assess the perceptions of predominantly under-resourced Black women following the overturning of Roe v Wade. Eighteen Black women participated in one of five focus groups during the summer of 2022 and shared their reactions to the Supreme Court ruling. Using grounded theory, researchers generated the following themes: sexism via forced births, economic implications, and dangers of banned abortions. Based on participants' concerns resulting from the Roe v Wade overturn, policy implications are provided for improving the following systems: safety net, child welfare, and infant and perinatal mental health care.

"It was Just Good to Have an Outlet for Other Parents to Talk to": Feasibility and Acceptability of Integrating Mental Health and Wellness Services into Predominantly Black Early Childhood Education Centers During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Racial disparities in mental health care access and quality are associated with higher levels of unmet need for Black parents and families, a population disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Integrating services within early childhood education centers may increase mental health care access for Black families with young children. The current study examined the feasibility, acceptability, and perceived impact of an integrated program offering mental health care for parents, children, and dyads during the pandemic. Black parents (N = 61) completed measures of program satisfaction and perceived benefits of participation, and 47 parents also participated in focus groups further assessing perceptions of the program. Results demonstrated high levels of satisfaction and perceived benefit of the program for parents and children. Themes generated through analysis included: social support, creating a safe space, prioritizing self-care, and sharing parenting strategies. Parents' feedback provides preliminary feasibility and acceptability for the integrated mental health program.

"It's Important to Work with People that Look Like Me": Black Patients' Preferences for Patient-Provider Race Concordance.

A compelling body of research supports the race concordance hypothesis, which asserts that racially minoritized patients who share the same race and ethnicity with their provider have improved communication, better perceptions of care, and better health outcomes. Using a mixed methods approach, this study examined (1) the association between racial identity and patients' preference for race-concordant patient-provider dyads and (2) Black patients' subjective experiences of race concordance. Data were gathered from 47 Black caregivers who completed both a survey and participated in a focus group. Quantitative analyses revealed that the majority (83%) of caregivers reported that it is important to have a mental health provider of the same race and ethnicity. Greater racial centrality, but not private or public regard, was associated with a stronger race concordance preference. Thematic analysis of qualitative data revealed six themes related to race-concordant preferences: aspects related to the patient care experience, cultural humility, relatability, diversity in cultural experiences, role models for children, and intersecting identities. Patients with a race concordance preference felt more comfortable with their provider, perceived that it was easier to build a rapport with their provider, and emphasized the value of representation for themselves and their children. Patients who were neutral in their race concordance preference emphasized professionalism over race, valued diverse perspectives, and appreciated their providers' cultural awareness and willingness to self-educate. The integration of these findings will help to elucidate a more nuanced understanding of the factors that build the therapeutic relationship and cultivate a framework of comfort and understanding in the clinical setting.

The translational efficacy of a nonsteroidal progesterone receptor antagonist, 4-[3-cyclopropyl-1-(mesylmethyl)-5-methyl-1H-pyrazol-4-yl]oxy,-2,6-dimethylbenzonitrile (PF-02413873), on endometrial growth in macaque and human.

There is considerable ongoing investment in the research and development of selective progesterone receptor (PR) modulators for the treatment of gynecological conditions such as endometriosis. Here, we provide the first report on the clinical evaluation of a nonsteroidal progesterone receptor antagonist 4-[3-cyclopropyl-1-(mesylmethyl)-5-methyl-1H-pyrazol-4-yl]oxy,-2,6-dimethylbenzonitrile (PF-02413873) in healthy female subjects. In in vitro assays, PF-02413873 behaved as a selective and fully competitive PR antagonist, blocking progesterone binding and PR nuclear translocation. The pharmacological mode of action of PF-02413873 seems to differ from the founding member of the class of steroidal PR antagonists, 11ß-4-dimethylaminophenyl-17ß-hydroxy-17α-propinyl-4,9-estradiene-3-one (RU-486; mifepristone). Exposure-effect data from studies in the cynomolgus macaque, however, demonstrated that PF-02413873 reduced endometrial functionalis thickness to a comparable degree to RU-486 and this effect was accompanied by a decrease in proliferation rate (as measured by bromodeoxyuridine incorporation) for both RU-486 and high-dose PF-02413873. These data were used to underwrite a clinical assessment of PF-02413873 in a randomized, double-blinded, third-party open, placebo-controlled, dose-escalation study in healthy female volunteers with dosing for 14 days. PF-02413873 blocked the follicular phase increase in endometrial thickness, the midcycle lutenizing hormone surge, and elevation in estradiol in a dose-dependent fashion compared with placebo. This is the first report of translational efficacy data with a nonsteroidal PR antagonist in cynomolgus macaque and human subjects.

A randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study of the phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor sildenafil for the treatment of preeclampsia.

OBJECTIVE: To determine if the phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor sildenafil prolongs pregnancy in women with preeclampsia. METHODS: Women with preeclampsia at gestational ages 24-34 weeks were recruited from nine hospitals in the UK, and randomly assigned to sildenafil citrate or placebo. Medication was increased every 3 days from 20 mg three times daily (tid), to 40 mg, and 80 mg tid. The primary endpoint was prolongation of pregnancy from randomisation to delivery (days). Secondary endpoints were markers of maternal disease and cord pH at delivery and infant weight. Details of all adverse events were also collected. Plasma samples were taken to establish pharmacokinetic information. Data analysed on a modified intention to treat analysis. The study had a power of >95% to detect a difference of 5 days. RESULTS: Of 35 women, 17 were allocated to sildenafil and 18 to placebo. There was no difference in time from randomisation to delivery in the two treatment groups, with a median time of 4 days (range 1-15) in the sildenafil group and 4.5 days (range 1-30) in the placebo group. Sildenafil achieved maximum drug concentrations of 48 ng/ml, 88 ng/ml, and 271 ng/ml after 3 days of 20 mg, 40 mg and 80 mg tid, respectively. CONCLUSION: We have safely conducted a clinical trial of a drug not routinely used during pregnancy. Sildenafil in the escalating dose regimen 20-80 mg tid was well tolerated, with no increase in maternal or fetal morbidity or mortality but did not prolong pregnancy duration in women with preeclampsia. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT 00141310).

Reproductive hormones in plasma over the menstrual cycle in primary dysmenorrhea compared with healthy subjects.

The pathogenesis of primary dysmenorrhea is still poorly understood. The objective of the present investigation was to study differences in plasma concentrations of reproductive hormones in women with primary dysmenorrhea vs. healthy controls. In a prospective, parallel-group study we determined the plasma concentrations of oxytocin, vasopressin, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), 17beta-estradiol (17beta-E2), progesterone and prostaglandin F 2alpha metabolite (15-keto-13,14-dihydro-PGF 2alpha) over one menstrual cycle in eight women with primary dysmenorrhea and eight healthy volunteers. In dysmenorrheic women the plasma concentration of oxytocin was significantly higher at menstruation (p = 0.0084) and that of vasopressin significantly lower at ovulation (p = 0.0281) compared with healthy women. They had also higher FSH levels in the early follicular phase (p = 0.0087) and at menstruation (p = 0.0066) and the 17beta-E2 concentration was higher in the late follicular phase (p = 0.0449). No differences were seen for LH, progesterone and PGF 2alpha metabolite. The differences of oxytocin, vasopressin, FSH and 17beta-E2 concentrations found in plasma suggest an involvement of these hormones in mechanisms of primary dysmenorrhea. These mechanisms seem to be mainly regulated through the hypothalamus and pituitary. The influence of oxytocin on the non-pregnant uterus seems to be more important than earlier believed.

European best practice quo vadis? From European Best Practice Guidelines (EBPG) to European Renal Best Practice (ERBP).

Although medical guidelines generally are graded according to their evidence level, low evidence 'judgement' are generally perceived as much as absolute truth by the medical community as high evidence 'guidelines' are. Being aware of this bias, a workgroup appointed by the European Renal Association-European Dialysis and Transplantation Association (ERA-EDTA), the members of which are the authors of the current publication, decided that European nephrology guidelines issued by the Association should be published only as 'guidelines' in the case of high-level evidence; otherwise they should be named 'recommendations' or 'position statements' and be published in a different format. Acknowledging that in nephrology, high levels of evidence are often lacking, it was also decided to rename the responsible body from European Best Practice Guidelines (EBPG) to European Renal Best Practice (ERBP). The present publication reviews the arguments based on which this decision was taken.

Longitudinal study of depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (Depo-Provera) effects on bone health in adolescents: study design, population characteristics and baseline bone mineral density.

BACKGROUND: This analysis was conducted to assess the baseline data and design methodology within an observational longitudinal comparison of use vs. nonuse of the injectable (intramuscular) contraceptive depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA-IM) and its effect on bone mass in adolescent women. STUDY DESIGN: A prospective, observational, open-label, unmatched-cohort, safety study in females aged 11-18 years. Participants either self-selected DMPA-IM (Depo-Provera) 150 mg to be administered every 12 weeks for up to 240 weeks with a 120-week post-treatment follow-up or were nonusers (users of nonhormonal contraception or sexually abstinent) who were to be followed up for up to 360 weeks. As each participant entered the study, bone mineral density (BMD) was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry at the lumbar spine, hip and femoral neck regions, along with total body bone mineral content; serum and urine specimens were obtained for assay of bone metabolism markers and participants' histories of parity and tobacco and alcohol use were obtained. RESULTS: A total of 389 participants were enrolled: 169 elected to begin DMPA-IM; 26 chose nonhormonal methods and 194 were abstinent. The baseline characteristics indicated significant disparities between DMPA-IM users and nonusers: compared with the nonusers, DMPA-IM users had more advanced chronologic and gynecologic ages, were more likely to have smoked, been pregnant and included more blacks. These factors would likely influence bone accretion rates independent of DMPA-IM exposure. Comparison of participant BMDs with standard reference data revealed that the study cohorts did not match reference populations closely enough to make a direct between-cohort comparative analysis feasible. CONCLUSIONS: The baseline differences in cohort characteristics preclude a meaningful comparison of mean BMD changes over time between DMPA-IM users and nonusers cohorts, and comparisons of changes in Z-scores between cohorts were also not appropriate. Therefore, within-participant BMD decreases from baseline were established as safety thresholds, and the proportion of individuals crossing those thresholds on a persistent or progressive basis was identified as the revised primary end point.

Validation of a test model of induced dysmenorrhea.

BACKGROUND: The myometrial hyperactivity and reduced uterine blood flow of primary dysmenorrhea is to a large extent caused by increased vasopressin secretion. A new therapeutic approach for this condition is to develop antagonists of uterine vasopressin V1a receptors. We studied a test model of vasopressin-induced dysmenorrhea in healthy, sterilized women and compared responses against those in dysmenorrheic subjects. METHODS: Eight women with primary dysmenorrhea and eight sterilized, healthy women participated in recordings of intrauterine pressure and experienced pain on days 1-2 of two menstruations. We tried to identify biochemical markers in plasma of uterine ischemia. Furthermore, the effects of repeated bolus injections of 10 pmol/kg b w of vasopressin or placebo on these parameters were assessed. RESULTS: The vasopressin injections caused statistically significant increases in the area under the intrauterine pressure curve (AUC) in both healthy volunteers and patients with dysmenorrhea, the overall responses being greater in healthy volunteers. The experienced pain measured by visual analog scale in individual dysmenorrheic subjects tended to show higher maximal post-dose scores for the vasopressin injections than for placebo. Maximum visual analog scale scores and maximum AUCs in individual subjects tended to be related. Mean creatine kinase MB levels were higher in women with dysmenorrhea than in healthy subjects both before and after vasopressin administration, the converse being observed for C-reactive protein levels. CONCLUSIONS: The present model appears to be useful for evaluating new drugs for the treatment of primary dysmenorrhea.

Intrauterine pressure, ischemia markers, and experienced pain during administration of a vasopressin V1a receptor antagonist in spontaneous and vasopressin-induced dysmenorrhea.

BACKGROUND: A model to study the effect of vasopressin V1a antagonist in dysmenorrhea. METHODS: A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, cross-over trial was performed. Eight patients with primary dysmenorrhea and eight tuballigated, healthy subjects participated on days 1-2 of two consecutive menstruations. At each menstruation a bolus injection of 10 pmol/kg of vasopressin was administered before and during infusion of either 300 microg/min of atosiban or placebo. Intrauterine pressure was measured as area under the curve throughout the experiments. Ischemia markers in plasma and pain recorded by a visual analog scale were measured before and after each vasopressin injection as well as before and after the start of either atosiban or placebo infusion. RESULTS: Vasopressin injections elevated area under the curve in both healthy volunteers and dysmenorrhea subjects. The vasopressin-induced rise in area under the curve was lower during atosiban administration than during infusion of placebo in both groups. None of the ischemia markers differed between or within groups at vasopressin injections or atosiban/placebo infusions. In subjects with dysmenorrhea the increase in pain following the administration of vasopressin was significantly lower during atosiban than during placebo infusion. Healthy volunteers experienced only slight discomfort after the vasopressin injections. CONCLUSIONS: Atosiban reduces vasopressin-induced intrauterine pressure in both healthy volunteers and dysmenorrheics, and reported pain in subjects with dysmenorrhea. The ischemia markers are not a useful biomarker index in women with dysmenorrhea. The dysmenorrhea pain evoked by vasopressin correlated poorly with area under the curve, which may suggest that the effect is mediated by more than one V1a-like receptor. We conclude that this model with recordings in healthy women is useful in the evaluation of drug candidates for primary dysmenorrhea.

The health status of quota refugees screened by New Zealand's Auckland Public Health Service between 1995 and 2000.

Each year New Zealand accepts approximately 750 refugees from overseas for resettlement in New Zealand. Known as "Quota Refugees", these people arrive in groups of 125 six times each year. Since 1979 their first six weeks in New Zealand have been spent at the Mangere Refugee Resettlement Centre in Auckland. This Centre comprises several agencies which prepare the refugees for their life in New Zealand. Among the agencies is a Medical Clinic, which provides health screening, and management of any medical problems found. This paper describes the findings of the health screening, mainly those refugees screened between 1995 and 2000, but also includes some historical data from the opening of the Resettlement Centre.