OBJECTIVE: This qualitative study explores the experiences of women after cancer treatment in terms of habit changes and mental health impact.
METHODS: The study involved 10 women who had undergone cancer treatment, recruited from three major hospitals in Hanoi, Vietnam. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, which were transcribed and analyzed using thematic analysis.
RESULTS: The findings of the study shed light on the various factors influencing lifestyle behavior and mental health changes among women after cancer treatment. Ten participants, aged 39 to 64 years, shared experiences including dietary changes, sleep disruptions, and reliance on non-scientific sources for health decisions. Initially shocked by their diagnosis, many transitioned to acceptance, adopting a \"giving-in\" attitude. Cultural beliefs, word-of-mouth sharing, and social support networks played significant roles in shaping post-treatment lifestyle changes, coping mechanisms, information-seeking behaviors, and mental health.
CONCLUSIONS: The study highlights the need for accessible and scientifically verified information for women after cancer treatment to make informed decisions about their health. It emphasizes the importance of addressing traditional beliefs and promoting evidence-based practices. Moreover, the study underscores the importance of social support and relationships in coping with the challenges of post-cancer experiences.

This study investigated how women undergoing IVF make sense of themselves in the context of their reproductive experiences. Interviews were conducted with fourteen women aged 27-42. Interpretative phenomenological analysis was used. Four main themes emerged: Motherhood beyond all, Us and them, Changes in self-perception, My agency. The results are discussed in the context of reproductive identity. It has shown that being a mother is an identity the participants strongly strive for. Participants feel connected to women with whom they share the experience of dealing with infertility and different from those without such an experience. The specificity of their reproductive experience leads to changes in self-perception that can be interpreted as either impairment or growth. On their reproductive journey, they show their agency by undertaking a series of activities (control of thoughts, feelings, and body). Practical implications of the obtained results are discussed.

Sentinel lymph node (SLN) dissection is a highly accurate surgical procedure allowing detection of lymph node invasion in patients with clinically negative axilla in early breast cancer. Superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) is a marker used during SLN procedure, allowing the same detection rate as isotopes (Tc-99). A drawback of SPIO is skin staining that can occur around the injection site. The goal of this retrospective study was to assess the frequency of skin staining after oncological breast surgery with SPIO, and the impact of two different injection protocols on the rate of skin staining.
Data from breast cancer patients undergoing magnetic tracer SLN detection (SLND) procedure in a single department between 2020 and 2022 was reviewed. Injection protocol P1 consisted of retro-areolar injection of Magtrace 0.8 mL. Injection protocol P2, consisted of retro-tumoral injection with 1 mL. Presence of skin staining was assessed at day 10 after surgery. The evolution and satisfaction of the patients was assessed at six and 12 months.
In total 175 sentinel lymph node biopsy procedures were performed (P1: 141/P2: 34), consisting of breast conservative surgery (BCS) (P1: 70%/P2: 53%) or mastectomy (P1: 30%/P2: 47%) with SLN. SLN detection rate was 97.7%. Skin staining was reported in 23% and occurred more often after BCS (31.6%) compared to mastectomy (6.8%). When BCS was performed, peritumoral injection was associated with a decreased risk of skin staining compared with retro-areolar injection (22.2% vs. 33.3%, respectively). When present skin staining persisted for 12 months, but most of the patients described only a slight discomfort. The low rate of discoloration after mastectomy, as previously reported, can be explained by the removal of skin and glandular tissue in which the tracer accumulates. Less skin staining in P2 may be because of a shorter interval between injection and surgery and the removal of the excess of SPIO during the lumpectomy.
SPIO injection is a safe surgical technique. After mastectomy, the rate of discoloration was low. Despite the persistent skin discoloration in 58.6% in our study, patient satisfaction was high. Deeper injection, reduced doses, massage of the injection site and peritumoral injection may reduce skin staining.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of different types of intimate partner violence (IPV) and factors associated with it during the postpartum period.
METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, 428 women were enrolled from 10 health centers in the south of Tehran, Iran, between April 2023 and October 2023. We used a sociodemographic questionnaire, Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS2), the short form of the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC), and the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21) for data collection. Multivariate binary logistic regression was used to determine demographic and psychological predictors of IPV after childbirth.
RESULTS: Approximately two-thirds of women (n=285, 66.6%) experienced IPV within 1 year of childbirth. Psychological aggression (n= 276, 64.5%) was the most common type of IPV, whereas injury (n=96, 22.4%) was the least common. Additionally, one in three women experienced physical assault (n= 134, 31.3%), and over one-third experienced sexual coercion (n= 152, 35.5%). Predictor factors of IPV during the postpartum period were: insufficient family income (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 4.52, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.24-15.28), husband\'s smoking (aOR 3.17, 95% CI 1.70-5.92), history of IPV in pregnancy (aOR 2.44, 95% CI 1.33-4.50), number of children (aOR 3.02, 95% CI 1.79-5.10), and depression (aOR 1.2, 95% CI 1.08-1.14). On the other hand, protective factors of IPV during the postpartum period were: longer marriage duration (aOR 0.85, 95% CI 0.77-0.93) and greater resilience (aOR 0.95, 95% CI 0.90-0.99).
CONCLUSIONS: IPV is prevalent 1 year after childbirth. Healthcare providers should implement a thorough screening program to identify risk and protective factors related to postpartum IPV.

UNASSIGNED: The HIV epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa has a disproportionate gender impact, with women bearing the brunt of the epidemic. South Africa carries the largest share of the global HIV burden, with similar trends seen for women due to unequal socio-cultural and economic status.
UNASSIGNED: This study aims to understand 30-49 year-old women\'s barriers and facilitators to accessing HIV services in order to maximize health in resource limited settings and reach women missing from HIV care.
UNASSIGNED: Employing a convenience sampling strategy, we recruited, informed, and consented participants at clinics and public areas. Interviews were conducted in respondent\'s preferred languages, transcribed verbatim, translated into English if needed, and thematically analyzed using grounded theory.
UNASSIGNED: We conducted 81 interviews with women aged 30-49 either missing from care (n = 21), having unknown HIV status (n = 30) or linked to care (n = 30) within two sites: City of Johannesburg district, Gauteng Province and Mopani district, Limpopo Province.
UNASSIGNED: Participants missing from care reported negative staff attitudes, queues, family rejection, medication side effects, and painful blood tests as key deterrents. Participants with an unknown status were deterred by fear of being diagnosed as HIV positive and family rejection, which was similar to women missing from care who often dropped out from care due to actual family rejection. Participants linked to care reported that long queues and staff shortages were challenges but stayed in care due to a will to live for themselves and their children, in addition to counselling and feeling emotionally supported. Interestingly, participants missing from care often accessed medication from friends but, similarly to those with unknown status, noted that they would access care if attended to by supportive nurses and by having non-clinical HIV services.
UNASSIGNED: The accounts of women in this research highlight significant improvements needed to address inequities in the fight against HIV in South Africa. Additionally, the healthcare service access preferences of women aged 30-49 need to be further explored quantitatively in order to design policy relevant interventions.
Understanding HIV service preferences of South African women 30–49 years old missing from or linked to care: An exploratory study of Gauteng and Limpopo provincesThe HIV epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa harms women more than men. South Africa carries the largest share of the global HIV burden, with similar trends seen for women. This study aims to understand 30–49 year-old women’s ability to access HIV services in order to reach women missing from HIV care. We conducted 81 interviews with women aged 30–49 either missing from care (n = 21), having unknown status (n = 30) or linked to care (n = 30) within two sites: City of Johannesburg district, Gauteng Province and Mopani district, Limpopo Province. We recruited, informed, and consented participants at clinics and public areas. Interviews were conducted in respondent’s preferred languages, transcribed, and translated into English for analysis. Participants missing from care reported negative staff attitudes, queues, family rejection, medication side effects and painful blood tests as key deterrents. Participants with an unknown status were deterred by fear of being diagnosed as HIV positive and family rejection, which was similar to women missing from care who often dropped out from care due to family rejection. Participants linked to care reported that long queues and staff shortages were challenges but stayed in care due to a will to live for themselves and their children, in addition to counselling and feeling emotionally supported. Interestingly, participants missing from care often accessed medication from friends but, similarly to those with unknown status, noted that they would access care if attended to by supportive nurses and by having non-clinical HIV services. The healthcare service access preferences of women aged 30–49 needs to be further explored in order to improve interventions.

This is the protocol for a Campbell systematic review. The objectives are as follows. In order to understand the variables affecting breastfeeding in working women, this systematic review will aim to determine the factors associated with early breastfeeding cessation upon women\'s return to work within a Social-Ecological framework. This will be achieved by answering the following questions: Which individual factors are associated with early discontinuation of breastfeeding upon returning to work?; Which interpersonal factors are associated with early discontinuation of breastfeeding upon returning to work?; Which community factors are associated with early discontinuation of breastfeeding upon returning to work?; Which institutional factors are associated with early discontinuation of breastfeeding upon returning to work?; Which public policies are associated with early discontinuation of breastfeeding upon returning to work?

In the United States, women account for one-fourth of people living with HIV. Most women living with HIV are Black or Hispanic and acquired HIV from heterosexual contact. Many face significant barriers to appropriate medical care, with lower retention in care and viral suppression than men who acquire HIV from male-to-male sexual contact. Many factors contribute to these disparities, including high rates of alcohol abuse, substance use, intimate partner violence, depression, and socioeconomic marginalisation. HIV, substance use, and violence each contribute independently to the collective health burden on women. The co-occurrence of these factors, termed the SAVA (substance abuse, violence, and HIV/AIDS) syndemic, is particularly hard to address, as the conditions act synergistically to negatively influence health outcomes. In addition, mental health conditions frequently coexist and further contribute to adverse outcomes. Unfortunately, clinician knowledge of this syndemic is low, and patients living with HIV and other elements of SAVA, including depression, are not recognised and referred for appropriate services. In this paper we describe our pilot educational and quality improvement program and the subsequent educational program we developed to increase knowledge of SAVA with the goal of improving health outcomes for women living with HIV.

BACKGROUND: Evidence has indicated that nocturia is a clinical manifestation of adverse health conditions including cardiovascular diseases and metabolic disorders. However, published data is less available for the clinical implication of nocturia on the development of hypertension.
METHODS: Study participants were 32,420 working aged Korean (21,355 men and 11,065 women) who periodically received health check-up. They were categorized into four groups by the frequency of nocturia (never, <1/week, 1-2/week, and ≥3/week). We used Cox proportional hazards models to analyze the multivariable-adjusted hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for incident hypertension (multivariable adjusted HR [95% CI]) in relation to the frequency of nocturia. Subgroup analysis was conducted by gender and sleep quality (good and poor sleep quality).
RESULTS: In women, nocturia was associated with the increased risk of hypertension, compared with never nocturia (HR (95% CI); never: reference, <1/week: 1.33 [1.10 - 1.60], 1-2/week: 1.26 [1.00 - 1.58], and ≥3/week: 1.34 [1.05 - 1.72]). This association was not observed in men (HR (95% CI); never: reference, <1/week: 1.00 [0.93 - 1.08], 1-2/week: 1.00 [0.88 - 1.12], and ≥3/week: 1.06 [0.94 - 1.23]). In subgroup analysis by sleep quality, only women with good sleep quality showed the association between nocturia and the risk of hypertension However, women with poor sleep quality and men didn\'t show the association between the frequency of nocturia and the risk of hypertension.
CONCLUSIONS: Nocturia is a potential risk factor for incident hypertension in working aged women with good sleep quality.

OBJECTIVE: To describe experiences of Latina women who were currently pregnant or recently gave birth around discrimination, anti-immigrant policies, and community violence during the early COVID-19 pandemic.
METHODS: Qualitative secondary analysis.
METHODS: Online or phone interviews.
METHODS: Latina women who were currently pregnant or recently gave birth (N = 26).
METHODS: We used reflexive thematic analysis to examine transcribed data from semistructured interviews conducted during the early COVID-19 pandemic with a subgroup of participants enrolled in a larger study related to prenatal care. Participants were English- or Spanish-speaking, Medicaid-eligible, Latina-identifying women who resided in Fresno County, California. We analyzed responses to questions about personal discrimination, the Black Lives Matter movement, and immigration policies using the theoretical frameworks of critical race theory and the political economy of health.
RESULTS: We identified four major themes: Avoidance of Community Engagement, Chronic Fear and Vigilance, The Role of Media, and Everyday Discrimination and Injustice.
CONCLUSIONS: Participant experiences reflect the pervasiveness of fear and socioeconomic inequity and call attention to the racialized structures that affect health and health care access for Latina women. These exposures during the perinatal period may have intergenerational effects. These findings underscore the need for responsive and race-conscious perinatal nursing care for Latina women, assessment of the effect of the current sociopolitical environment on well-being, and policies that support equitable access to health and social care.

The majority of Black women with hypertension in the United States have smartphones or tablets and use social media, and many use wearable activity trackers and health or wellness apps, digital tools that can be used to support lifestyle changes and medication adherence.