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Recent Submissions
Navigating Menstrual Stigma: Impact of Early Menstrual Conversation on Young Males’ and Females’ Attitudes Towards Menstruation
(Women's Reproductive Health, 2025-04-30) Pun, Insha; Shearman, Sachiyo M.; Richards, Keith; Muldrow, Adrienne; Powell, Shannon Baker; Pun, Iswar Kumar
Early conversations about menstruation shape young people's attitudes and behaviors toward it. A mixed-gendered survey of 368 American youths examined the relation between early menstrual conversation (EMC) and their beliefs and attitudes toward menstruation. The current study revealed that males were more likely to endorse menstrual restrictions and secrecy around the topic than were females. Being male, engaging in EMC later in life, discussing a greater number of negative topics, and having fewer opportunities for EMC with peers were found to be associated with restrictive attitudes toward menstruation. The implications of the current study’s findings are discussed.
*This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Women's Reproductive Health on 4/30/2025, available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/23293691.2025.2482603.
Executive Summary: Nurses Navigating Tough Talks Through Roundtable Discussions
(2025-04-11) George, Marie Chery
Executive Summary: The Effect of Social Media on Contraceptive Decision-Making
(2025-04-24) Zoey B. Shifflett
Background: Historically, unintended pregnancies have been a persistent, costly problem for women, families, and the healthcare industry. Social media (SM) is a popular, accessible self-educational tool. Health professionals are encouraged to use SM as an education platform to combat misinformation. Local Problem: The teen birth rate in eastern North Carolina counties is above the national average. Methods: An educational intervention implemented over 12 weeks with three cycles of the Plan, Do, Study, Act (PDSA) framework. Data collection included SM activity, Likert-scale patient surveys, post-implementation Likert-scale provider surveys, and the number of contraceptive appointments. Interventions: Weekly posting of an educational series of contraceptives on Facebook (FB) and Instagram (IG). Results: SM educational series received 101 cumulative likes, 23 cumulative comments, and five cumulative shares of the posts. Both FB and IG had an increase following on both accounts. Most respondents agree to using SM for educational purposes. Eight respondents reported following the clinic’s SM and agreed that the content influenced them to either make an appointment or choose a form of contraceptive. 100% of providers reported a positive effect on their efficiency. Conclusion: SM is an easily accessible tool that may be a solution to receiving reliable health education asynchronously, especially for minorities who may face barriers to care.