Tag Archive for: awareness

Behind The Science: Women’s Generalized Fear Towards Men: A Learned Principle

Interviewee: Anahita Seraji | Authors/Editors: Romina Garcia de leon, Shayda Swann (Blog Co-coordinators)

Published: June 7th, 2024

 

Can you tell us more about your research?

My research focuses on women’s generalized fear of men. This research addresses the #NotAllMen and #YesAllWomen debate that transpired a few years ago. While #NotAllMen argued that most men do not want to hurt women and hence, men should not be a source of fear, the #YesAllWomen contended that women still experience a generalized fear towards all men. My research used behavioural learning principles such as fear conditioning, stimulus generalization, and operant conditioning to address three main questions. 1. Why do women become fearful of men? 2. Why are women’s fears generalized towards all men? and 3. How does the patriarchy use women’s fears to reinforce their role in society? My third question highlights the limitations of fear reduction strategies to reduce women’s fear of men. These strategies often normalize women’s fears instead of actually addressing the root cause as they emphasize behavioural guidelines to prevent women from being harmed by men. These include wearing less provocative clothing, not venturing out late at night and always carrying a whistle.

 

How did you get involved in this field of research?

I was inspired by personal experience. While living on campus as an undergraduate student, I began hearing more stories of women’s experiences with men. I also experienced getting cat-called. Furthermore, I was always passionate about Feminism, Psychology, and Women’s Health.  One day, at the end of a Psychology class, I was reminiscing on these experiences and it dawned on me that women have been conditioned to behave according to societal expectations. Our fears are used to control and force us into this prescribed social role within the patriarchy. This was the beginning of my pursuit in this area. I hope my work can inform men and women about the power dynamic that is at play, empower women to change the narrative and help men become aware of their impact in changing societal perceptions of women.

 

What research projects are you working on now?

Currently, I hope to segue into research on intra-uterine device (IUD) pain management. I volunteer with Access BC, a group in British Columbia whose primary goal is to reduce the barriers to accessing birth control. Last April, we were successful in getting women access to free prescriptions. This was a huge win for us. I am really happy to have been a part of the advocacy group. However, I understand that although IUDs are available, we still have many women who are hesitant to get an IUD because of inadequate pain management. I hope that my future research can find ways to mitigate pain by implementing appropriate pain management during the IUD insertion and removal. This is one way we can start taking women’s pain in healthcare seriously. We should stop brushing it aside with undermining comments such as ‘This only takes 10 minutes’ or ‘You’ll be fine, you can give birth, this is nothing’. We don’t need to continue these practices especially if we can administer medications to make the process tolerable.

 

What impact do you hope to see with your research?

I hope my research inspires others to make a difference by engaging in Women’s Health research. Ultimately, I would like my research to cause systemic change by changing policy, similar to the contraceptive work I did last April. The older I get and the more time I spend engaging in the field, the more I am dismayed at the state of women’s healthcare. I think it is time that we make changes on a larger scale so that no woman has to worry about dealing with excessive fear or pain. I hope that my work can contribute to that.

Thinking About Egg Freezing? Here are Some Things to Consider

Authors: Maryam Fatima, BHSc (Hons) & Samantha Yee, PhD, MSW | Editors: Romina Garcia de leon, Shayda Swann (Blog Coordinators) 

Published: July 14, 2023

What is Planned Egg Freezing?

Planned egg freezing, also known as social or elective egg freezing, involves administering fertility drugs and using assisted reproductive technologies to retrieve and cryopreserve eggs for future use. It is an elective medical procedure utilized by women without an imminent fertility threat (e.g., cancer treatment), to preserve healthy eggs before age-related fertility decline. Elective egg freezing is an expensive uninsured medical procedure ranging from $12,000 to $15,000 CAD, although some of the costs may be covered by insurance plans. Since the American Society of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) declared egg freezing an established clinical procedure in 2012, electively cryopreserving eggs has gained popularity. Additionally, the social distancing measures implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic presented a unique circumstance in which single women had limited opportunities for dating, prompting more women interested in preserving eggs proactively as evidenced by a drastic increase in planned egg-freezing cycles at fertility centers during the pandemic. 

Why Do Women Pursue Planned Egg Freezing?

The current societal shifts and increased accessibility to contraceptives have contributed to a trend of delayed parenthood in developed countries. In Canada, a woman’s average age at first birth has increased steadily since the 1970s, from around 24 years to 31 years in 2021. However, fertility and egg quality decline drastically beginning around the mid-30s, leading to heightened interest in cryopreserving eggs to prevent future unintended childlessness or smaller-than-desired family size due to secondary infertility. Contrary to popular belief, research has shown that career development is not the primary reason women want to freeze eggs. Instead, other factors play significant roles, such as the absence of a committed partner to start a family, being in an unstable relationship, wanting a backup plan against age-related fertility decline, alleviating the pressure of the “biological clock”, and avoiding future regret for not making use of available cryopreservation technology. 

Why Are Women Late to Planned Egg Freezing?

A Canadian study conducted at an in-vitro fertilization (IVF) centre found that women underwent planned egg freezing at a mean age of 37, and four in five only completed one egg freezing cycle. This is problematic as the highest likelihood of live birth is when egg-freezing is performed before age 35. Since eggs cryopreserved after this age have much lower quality, older women are often recommended to freeze more eggs by undergoing more freezing cycles. An alternative for older single women is to cryopreserve embryos using donor sperm, as frozen embryos have a higher success rate than frozen eggs. An estimation prediction model suggested that at age 34, one would need to freeze 10 eggs to have a 75% likelihood of at least one live birth, and the projection increases to 20 eggs for 37 years and 61 eggs for 42 years. It is plausible that women may be waiting until they reach mid-35 before considering egg freezing. Affordability is another main reason why this uninsured procedure is out of reach for some women.

A lack of knowledge regarding fertility decline also leads to delayed planned egg freezing. A survey conducted by a Canadian IVF center reported that almost half of the respondents felt inadequately educated on fertility decline before pursuing planned egg-freezing, and only half could correctly identify the age range where fertility decline begins. Concerningly, 37% of respondents obtained egg freezing information from mass media, while only 12% received education from their primary healthcare practitioners.  Some practitioners hesitate to initiate the planned egg freezing conversation with their healthy patients due to insufficient knowledge or feeling skeptical of the procedure’s success. Furthermore, if family planning is not included in the annual checkup discussion, patients are left unaware of their fertility options. Canadian ethicists have also raised concerns about the invasive nature of the procedure, although it is no less risky than patients undergoing IVF. There is also a lack of established studies about the long-term safety of offspring. The procedure may be unnecessary for older women whose egg quality has already been compromised, or if cryopreserved eggs end up unutilized. Most importantly, planned egg freezing may offer women false security about their fertility since there is no guarantee of a successful live birth from cryopreserved eggs. Studies have indeed reported low utilization rates of cryopreserved eggs, from 2.3 – 20.9%, but the follow-up period was often a short 2 years, and it is likely that most women were still attempting to establish a stable relationship or conceive naturally during this time.

The decision to pursue planned egg freezing is highly individualized and influenced by various factors.  By improving communication between practitioners and patients on fertility and family planning matters, enhancing counselling, and providing accessible information, women can make informed decisions about their reproductive futures and avoid future regret. 

 

What I’ve Learned Living with Migraines

Author: Negin Nia, B.A. & M.J.,University of British Columbia. Editors: Romina Garcia de leon & Shayda Swann (Blog Co-coordinators).

Published: June 23, 2023

Living with migraines means every day is uncertain. When my first migraine attack happened, I experienced intense pain and went to the hospital as a precaution. The doctor said my symptoms were normal migraine signs. 

Migraines, which are described as a neurological disorder, are a common health condition, especially for women. But, it can be hard to distinguish them from a regular headache as they are easily misunderstood or dismissed. That’s why for migraine awareness month, we want to help educate others on migraines. 

Defining a migraine attack 

Migraine attacks are a moderate to severe intense pain on one side of the head. A migraine can manifest differently for each person – some have mild impairments, others may require medical attention. 

Migraines can result from a combination of genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors which make the brain vulnerable to specific stimuli and trigger an attack. Common triggers include stress, lack of sleep, alcohol, diet, and more. 

Migraines are the world’s third most common ailment and the leading cause of disability in those aged 15 to 49. Migraines are more common in females than males  — one in every five females have migraines compared to one in every 15 males. 

This overrepresentation is initially seen after the onset of puberty, suggesting the role of sex hormones. There is also evidence that menstruation is a time of increased risk for migraine attacks, and a subset of people (approximately 10-20%)  report migraines exclusively during menstruation.  

Researchers suggest that fluctuations in hormones such as estrogens and progesterone have an impact. This is why for many people, migraines may lessen or worsen during pregnancy and menopause, with the use of hormonal contraceptives or hormone replacement therapy.  

The symptoms and stages

In most patients, there are four migraine stages. The first is prodrome, which is the pre-headache. Symptoms may include fatigue, yawning, insomnia, food cravings, anxiety, depression, and more. You can catch a migraine at this stage but it is often hard to distinguish it from other issues. 

The next stage is aura, which is associated with sensory disturbances such as loss of sight, blind spots, and flashes. It is also common to feel nauseous or sensitive to light and sound. Auras are not experienced by all –  only one-third of migraine patients experience them. Females are more likely to experience these factors compared to males. 

The third stage is the throbbing one-sided headache. Although the exact neural underpinnings remain unknown, there are some theories. The neurovascular theory explains that this pain is due to the activation of the trigeminal-nociceptive pathway and the inflammation that follows. Some work seems to link the role of serotonin in activating this pathway. Interestingly,

Raising Awareness 

There is a clear lack of public information surrounding migraines. Migraines are an invisible disability that requires more attention and care. There is also a shared feeling of shame and stigma amongst migraine patients when being downplayed for just having a “headache.” 

Given this, it is important to raise more awareness and set up proper support systems for migraine patients. By talking more about this neurological disorder, we can break stigmas and help create an environment of empathy.

COVID-19 Vaccine Safety in Pregnancy

Authors: Sue Lu, BSc student in Integrated Science at the University of British Columbia and Research Assistant at the Vaccine Evaluation Centre; Manish Sadarangani, MRCPCH, DPHIL, BM.BCh, MA, Director of the Vaccine Evaluation Center at BC Children’s Hospital and Associate Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of British Columbia Authors/Editors: Romina Garcia de leon, Shayda Swann (Blog Co-coordinators).

Published: April 21st, 2023

The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately impacted pregnant people. If a pregnant person is infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, they are at a higher risk of severe disease, hospitalization, intensive care unit admission, and death. COVID-19 infection in pregnant people can also cause poor pregnancy outcomes, such as preterm birth and impaired fetal growth. As found by UBC researchers through the CANCOVID-Preg surveillance program, even cases of mild COVID-19 infection not requiring hospitalization were significantly associated with a higher risk of preterm birth.  In short, COVID-19 is not only threatening to the mother, but to the unborn child as well. 

What did we know about the safety of COVID-19 vaccines in pregnancy?

COVID-19 vaccines have been available in Canada since December 2020. Experts recommended COVID-19 vaccines during pregnancy based on smaller studies of other mRNA vaccines in pregnancy and several decades of administering vaccines in pregnancy. Unfortunately, despite the continued recommendations from experts to get vaccinated, many pregnant people remained hesitant about the COVID-19 vaccines. In fact, recent studies suggest that 49% of pregnant women were accepting of COVID-19 vaccines. 

How did we conduct this study?

This study was conducted through the Canadian National Vaccine Safety (CANVAS) Network. The CANVAS Network is a national research platform that monitors the safety of vaccines, including COVID-19 vaccines, in Canada. This study, led by Dr. Manish Sadarangani, looked at the frequency and nature of severe health events following vaccination in pregnant people. Severe health events, as defined by this study and other CANVAS Network studies, are issues that arise following vaccination that are severe enough to prevent people from going to work or school, or required medical attention.

At the time this study was conducted, over 700,000 total participants and 5,500 pregnant individuals had enrolled from seven provinces and territories across Canada. We looked at female participants of reproductive age and compared how pregnant people reacted to their first and second doses of the COVID-19 vaccines in unvaccinated pregnant people and vaccinated non-pregnant people. 

Overall, this CANVAS Network study allowed us to better understand COVID-19 vaccine safety by looking at changes to health after vaccination for pregnant people and comparing their changes to those of similar vaccinated and unvaccinated groups. 

What did we learn? 

Our study’s findings confirmed that COVID-19 mRNA vaccines are safe to use in pregnancy. Additionally, other studies show them to be both effective and immunogenic, meaning they can protect both the mother and the child from COVID-19 infection. Here are three of our major safety findings: 

  1. COVID-19 mRNA vaccine reaction differences between pregnant and non-pregnant individuals: When we compared pregnant and non-pregnant vaccinated individuals, we found that pregnant people experienced fewer symptoms that prevented daily activities, prevented work, or required a medical visit than non-pregnant people. 
  2. COVID-19 mRNA vaccine reaction differences between vaccinated and unvaccinated pregnant individuals: There was no difference in hospitalization or pregnancy-related complications in these two groups, suggesting that vaccination did not have negative impacts on pregnancy. 
  3. Moderna vaccine: After a second dose of the Moderna mRNA vaccine, vaccinated pregnant people reported more symptoms than unvaccinated pregnant people, but reported similar symptoms to vaccinated non-pregnant people. Vaccinated pregnant people and unvaccinated pregnant people were also more likely to seek care for these symptoms than vaccinated non-pregnant people.

Overall, mRNA vaccines are safe and effective in pregnancy. As this study shows, getting vaccinated against COVID-19 does not increase the risk of miscarriages or other pregnancy complications. 

How can you use this information?

If you’re a health care worker, we hope that this study will provide some insight into the common symptoms that pregnant people may experience after vaccination. Common symptoms following vaccination include redness and pain at the injection site, fatigue, muscle aches, and headaches. This information, from Canada’s top vaccine researchers, can also be used to counter misinformation about vaccines that pregnant people may have encountered.

You can read a full summary of the study here, or check out the full context in the published journal article here. 

The bottom line? Get vaccinated against COVID-19 and protect yourself (and your child)!

 

Behind the Science: Improving the Health of Women Living with HIV

Interviewees: Tetiana Povshedna, PhD Student (University of British Columbia Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine); Marie-Soleil Smith, PhD Candidate (University of British Columbia Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine)  Authors/Editors: Romina Garcia de leon, Shayda Swann (Blog Co-coordinators).

Published: March 10th, 2023

Could you briefly explain what your research is about?

Tetiana: My research is part of The British Columbia CARMA-CHIWOS Collaboration (BCC3) Study, which seeks to better understand the process of aging among women living with HIV by examining the interplay between biological, clinical, and socio-structural determinants of health. In my thesis, I examine the associations between latent viral infections, inflammation, markers of cellular aging, and risk of comorbidities in women living with HIV. My work also explores chronic pain, which is often referred to as an “invisible disability” by community members due to its negative effects on all aspects of life and, in the context of HIV, treatment adherence and care. By raising awareness of this important comorbidity, we hope to improve chronic pain care for women living with HIV.

Marie-Soleil: My field of study lies at the cross-section of women’s health, HIV research, and the safety of medications taken while pregnant. My main project utilizes human embryonic stem cells as a model of an early developing embryo to find the safest antiretroviral regimens for use during pregnancy.

What led you to become interested in studying HIV and women’s health?

Tetiana: Historically, the majority of HIV research has involved men, thus limiting generalizability of findings to women, who constitute >50% of people living with HIV globally. The specific needs of half of the population of people living with HIV haven’t been addressed for years, and it’s only been changing recently. After my initial interest in HIV and aging, I was lucky to join the Côté Lab and get involved with community-based women-centered research. We have an amazing team of scientists, clinicians, and community members working together to answer women-specific questions in a meaningful way. 

Marie-Soleil: My interest in HIV research stemmed from my time at the BC Centre for Disease Control working as a co-op student. During my time there, my eyes were opened to the wide world of infectious disease research, particularly the more classically stigmatized sexually transmitted infections. I was energized by my brief stint in the field and was so grateful to find an opportunity to continue this important research in Dr. Côté’s lab. Although it was not intentional, I am very lucky to have landed in a lab that puts a major emphasis on women’s health research. This is especially true as women are now disproportionately affected by HIV.

Could you talk more about why clinical and cellular research are important?

Tetiana: It takes decades of diligent basic science research to advance a field to the point when the results are tangible in a clinical setting. While my work involves human specimens and survey data, a lot of other researchers in Côté Lab work with cellular models. Both types of work provide valuable data that can often guide clinical decision-making to improve quality of life for people living with HIV. 

What does your typical day look like?

Marie-Soleil: My days vary greatly depending on upcoming deadlines and whether I have ongoing cell culture experiments. If I do not have any experiments, I spend my day on the computer analyzing data, reading papers, and working on manuscripts. Experiment days vary widely depending on if it is a day where I am starting up the experiment, a maintenance day where I change the cell culture media, or a big analysis day where I harvest and prep the cells for subsequent flow cytometry. The cell culture experiments I conduct require daily lab work, so I try my best to spread my other work out throughout the week in an attempt to avoid burnout.

What impact do you hope to see from your work in the future? 

Tetiana: A powerful message coming from the community of people living with HIV is “Nothing about us without us is for us”. I hope that research projects that meaningfully involve community, such as BCC3, will address the true needs of the people we’re trying to serve. Ultimately, I hope that our study findings will improve care and everyday life for women living and aging with HIV, and also affect the way the research is conducted in this field. 

Marie-Soleil: My research provides information on the relative toxicity of antiretrovirals in an in vitro model, which may help inform and guide future human trials and strategies for the treatment of HIV in women of reproductive age. I would like to highlight the importance of utilizing relevant preclinical models and including people who become pregnant in clinical trials that assess medications that will undoubtedly be taken during pregnancy. Ultimately, I hope there is a future where all women have access to medications with sufficient pregnancy safety data.

Where can people find out more about your work? 

Tetiana: You can learn more about the BCC3 study on our website.

Marie-Soleil: @MarieSunSmith on Twitter