How the WHIMS clinical trial shaped the future of women’s health research
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Does earning money empower women? Evidence from India
This study investigates the relationship between women’s earnings and empowerment in India, focusing on married women aged 15-49. Utilizing data from the Indian DHS (2019–21), the research employs Bayesian statistical analyses to explore how earning money influences women’s empowerment in areas like financial and bodily autonomy, marital rights, attitudes towards intimate partner violence, and peer recognition. The study reveals that while earning money enhances women’s financial and bodily autonomy, decision-making capacity, and societal recognition, it simultaneously restricts their marital rights, degrades intimate partner relations, and increases the risk of domestic violence. The findings contribute to the discourse on gender equality, offering empirical insights into the complexities of women’s empowerment in India. This research has practical implications for policymakers, NGOs, and stakeholders working towards women’s empowerment, providing a deeper understanding of the varied impact of women’s economic contributions in India’s socio-cultural context.
Frequency and factors associated with the utilization (curative and preventive) of oral health care services among pregnant women in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has one of the highest maternal and neonatal mortality rates in Africa. There is a growing body of evidence about the relationship between poor oral health and adverse pregnancy outcomes. However, there is a lack of information about oral health status during pregnancy in the DRC. This study aimed to identify the factors related to the utilization of oral health care services among pregnant women.
What makes a man unmanly? The global concept of ‘unmanliness’
This paper presents the findings of a multi-national study that led to the development of a new analytical framework in masculinity research—the Global Concept of ‘Unmanliness’ (GCU). Drawing on three key theories—hegemonic masculinity, precarious manhood and masculinity threat, and emasculation—we conducted an innovative study across 15 countries (selected from an initial pool of 62) to examine cultural perceptions of ‘unmanliness.’ Participants provided open-ended responses to identify traits and behaviors considered unmanly within their cultural contexts. By analyzing common themes expressed by young men, we propose the Global Concept of ‘Unmanliness’ as a framework for understanding how societies define and enforce masculinity norms. Furthermore, comparing these findings with the Global Gender Gap Index (GGGI) revealed a key distinction in how ‘unmanliness’ is characterized across different levels of gender emancipation. In countries with high GGGI rankings (e.g., Norway, Ireland, Germany), ‘unmanliness’ is more often associated with physical traits and behaviors linked to femininity (e.g., clothing, makeup). Conversely, in countries with low GGGI rankings (e.g., Pakistan, Morocco, Nigeria), it is more commonly defined by acts such as violence against women. Our study highlights how cultural and structural gender dynamics shape the boundaries of masculinity and offers a new lens for cross-cultural research on gender norms.
The impact of biological sex on diseases of the urinary tract
Biological sex, being female or male, broadly influences diverse immune phenotypes, including immune responses to diseases at mucosal surfaces. Sex hormones, sex chromosomes, sexual dimorphism, and gender differences all contribute to how an organism will respond to diseases of the urinary tract, such as bladder infection or cancer. Although the incidence of urinary tract infection is strongly sex biased, rates of infection change over a lifetime in women and men, suggesting that accompanying changes in the levels of sex hormones may play a role in the response to infection. Bladder cancer is also sex biased in that 75% of newly diagnosed patients are men. Bladder cancer development is shaped by contributions from both sex hormones and sex chromosomes, demonstrating that the influence of sex on disease can be complex. With a better understanding of how sex influences disease and immunity, we can envision sex-specific therapies to better treat diseases of the urinary tract and potentially diseases of other mucosal tissues.
Using the Candidacy Framework to understand individual, interpersonal, and system level factors driving inequities in women with breast cancer: a cross-sectional study
Persistent inequities in breast cancer outcomes exist. Understanding women’s experiences along the care pathway is the first step to finding solutions to tackle these inequities.
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