Publications by authors named "P A Phillips-Howard"

To continue working during menses, female sex workers (FSW) may use unhygienic absorbents to hide their menstrual status. The menstrual disc may provide a solution. Little is known about men's knowledge and views, specifically around sex during menstruation with FSW, a population who are particularly vulnerable to violence which may be heightened during menses.

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Purpose: Out-of-school adolescent girls (OoSGs) can lack education on menstrual, sexual, reproductive, and mental health (SRMH) and be more vulnerable to SRMH harms. Targeted interventions could reduce these risks. We assessed interventions and their effectiveness among OoSGs globally.

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Background: Less than one-third of sub-Saharan Africans have access to improved water sources. In US, Indian, and African studies, Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is increased among women with poor water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH). We examined water source, sanitation (latrine type), and rainfall in relation to the vaginal microbiome (VMB).

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Background: In western Kenya, menstrual hygiene management (MHM) is a pervasive problem. Challenges are compounded for economically constrained women who continue to engage in sex during menses and resort to practices such as vaginal insertion of tissue and cotton to maintain dryness during sex. These practices can be harmful to the vaginal microbiome (VMB) and can lead to high rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and HIV.

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Article Synopsis
  • Kenya saw an increase in mental health issues, sexual activity, and pregnancies among schoolgirls due to school closures during COVID-19.
  • The study analyzed data from 436 secondary schoolgirls to explore how COVID-19 stress affected risks for reproductive tract infections like bacterial vaginosis (BV) and sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
  • Findings revealed that the prevalence of BV and STIs rose significantly during the pandemic, attributed to increased stress affecting mental health and feelings of safety, leading to higher sexual exposure.
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