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Women's Health

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Women have unique health needs, and face inequity in both quality and outcomes of health care. RAND's work has highlighted gender gaps in health care access and quality, measured the health needs of specific female populations, evaluated programs aimed at improving outcomes, and demonstrated how policy impacts women's options.

Research Brief

Mapping Gender Gaps in Health Care

Jun 11, 2014

Mapping regional rates of cholesterol screening among patients with cardiovascular disease and diabetes reveals significant gender gaps: Women are often less likely to receive screenings.
Research Brief

Evaluating Global Family Planning Programs

Feb 2, 2018

In 2013, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation launched two programs to help track progress toward a global goal to increase modern contraceptive use by 2020. Evaluating these programs, researchers found opportunities for improvement in four areas.

Explore Women's Health

News Release

The NHS Spends Significantly Less on Pregnancy-Related Research Compared with Other Health Conditions

The National Health Service spends significantly less on pregnancy-related research compared with other health conditions. Funding for pregnancy research totaled £255 million from 2013 to 2017, or about £51 million a year. As pregnancy care costs the NHS £5.8 billion annually, this means that for every £1 spent on pregnancy care, less than 1 penny is spent on research.

Jan 14, 2020
Report

Report

Pregnancy research review: Policy report

This study presents a review of UK pregnancy research needs and priorities, comparing this to current research expenditure and setting the findings in the context of NHS costs related to pregnancy.

Jan 13, 2020
Journal Article

Journal Article

Healthcare at the Beginning of Life and Child Survival: Evidence from a Cash Transfer Experiment in Nigeria

We study the effects of a cash transfer program in Nigeria in which households were offered a payment of $14 conditioned on uptake of health services.

Dec 20, 2019
News Release

Punishing Pregnant Women for Substance Use Is Linked to Higher Rates of Newborns Experiencing Opioid Withdrawal

State policies that impose punitive action against pregnant women who use illicit substances are associated with higher rates of infants being born with opioid withdrawal. This suggests that policymakers should instead focus on public health approaches that bolster prevention and expand access to treatment.

Nov 13, 2019
Report

Report

Gender Differences in Response to Alcohol Use Disorder Treatment: A Systematic Review

If men and women respond differently to treatments for alcohol use disorder, this would be important to consider in treatment selection. The authors of this systematic review sought to synthesize evidence for gender differences in treatment effects.

Nov 6, 2019
Journal Article

Journal Article

"It Was as Though My Spirit Left, Like They Killed Me": The Disruptive Impact of an HIV-Positive Diagnosis Among Women in the Dominican Republic

A qualitative approach was used to explore the impact of an HIV diagnosis on women in the Dominican Republic and coping strategies after diagnosis. We conducted in-depth, semistructured interviews with a purposive sample of women living with HIV.

Oct 15, 2019
Commentary

Meghan Markle May Avoid the Spotlight After Giving Birth and Send a Powerful Public Health Message

Meghan Markle plans to break from royal tradition by declining to present her baby to the public on the the steps of the maternity ward, hours after giving birth, with flawless hair and makeup. This could bring attention to many of the postpartum challenges faced by women everywhere.

Apr 11, 2019
Journal Article

Journal Article

Workfare and Infant Health: Evidence From India's Public Works Program

India's National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, which prioritizes female participation, increased newborn mortality among women eligible to participate. Work-related stresses adversely affect fetal health; however maternal work participation may have positive income effects for older children.

Jan 29, 2019
Journal Article

Journal Article

Mapping the Gaps: Gender Differences in Preventive Cardiovascular Care Among Managed Care Members in Four Metropolitan Areas

Using geospatial technology to generate maps for quality of care metrics and making the information accessible to key stakeholders provides the opportunity to better address disparities in CVD management for women.

Aug 24, 2018
Journal Article

Journal Article

Describing Care Coordination of Gynecologic Oncology in Western Healthcare Settings: A Rapid Review

This article discusses a rapid review of the literature on characteristics of care coordination for gynecologic malignancies.

Jul 6, 2018
Research Brief

Sexual Behavior and Health Among U.S. Active-Duty Service Members

The 2015 Health Related Behaviors Survey asked active-duty service members about risky sexual practices, contraceptive use and unintended pregnancy, and HIV testing. Levels of sexual risk behaviors across the services may be great enough to increase the potential for rapid spread of HIV and other STIs.

Jun 21, 2018
Journal Article

Journal Article

Gender-Based Discrimination and Unprotected Receptive Anal Intercourse Among Transgender Women in Brazil: A Mixed Methods Study

Among a population of transgender women in Brazil, constant experience with gender-based discrimination contributed to a sense of trust with their stable partners, diminishing the desire to use condoms, and also contributed to poor mental health overall.

May 2, 2018
Journal Article

Journal Article

Police Contacts, Arrests and Decreasing Self-Control and Personal Responsibility Among Female Adolescents

Contacts with the justice system during adolescence may delay or undermine normative psychosocial maturation among adolescent girls, highlighting important targets for intervention.

May 1, 2018
Journal Article

Journal Article

Stigma Gets in My Way: Factors Affecting Client-Provider Communication Regarding Childbearing Among People Living with HIV in Uganda

Among Ugandan HIV clients and health care providers, communication about childbearing needs is poor and associated with stigma.

Apr 10, 2018
Journal Article

Journal Article

Fertility Behaviors in South Korea and Their Association with Ultrasound Prenatal Sex Screening

Using the 1985, 1995, and 2005 Korean Censuses, we find significant period effects suggesting that sex ratios at birth became unnaturally imbalanced when ultrasound technology became available..

Mar 14, 2018
Journal Article

Journal Article

Fertility, Gender Preference, the Birth Planning Policy and Life Satisfaction in China

Investigation of Birth Planning Policy effect on parity-specific birth continuation probabilities and parental life satisfaction as a function of the numbers and gender composition of children both before and after the implementation of the BPP.

Mar 14, 2018
Report

Evaluation of Two Programs Supporting Global Family Planning Data Needs: Assessing Achievements, Informing Future Directions

This evaluation of two programs that help monitor progress toward a global goal to increase modern contraceptive use by 2020 is based on qualitative and quantitative data from interviews with more than 260 stakeholders in 16 countries.

Feb 5, 2018
Report

Evaluation of Two Programs Supporting Global Family Planning Data Needs: Summary

This report summarizes an evaluation of two programs that help monitor progress toward a global goal to increase modern contraceptive use by 2020.

Feb 5, 2018
Journal Article

Journal Article

Effect of Time to Diagnostic Testing for Breast, Cervical, and Colorectal Cancer Screening Abnormalities on Screening Efficacy: A Modeling Study

Even relatively small delays in diagnostic testing after an abnormal cancer screening test can reduce screening effectiveness, though the impact varies by cancer type.

Jan 24, 2018

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