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Sexual, Reproductive and Maternal Health

A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Global Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2025 | Viewed by 2985

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Guest Editor
Department of Exercise and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Boston, 100 Morrissey Blvd, Boston, MA 02125, USA
Interests: maternal and child health and nutrition; childhood obesity prevention; minority health; health disparities; community-based health promotion research; global health
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Maternal health is the health of the gestational parent during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period. Each stage has important short- and long-term health consequences to the gestational parent and the newborn. Maternal health is critical to the health and well-being of the gestational parent, children, families, and communities. Despite important progress made over recent decades, pervasive inequalities that affect health outcomes remain, with minoritized populations being disproportionally affected. Addressing inequalities in sexual and reproductive health and right and gender is fundamental to safeguarding maternal health. Ensuring maternal physical, mental, and social well-being is central to the advancing health equity. Access to adequate, timely, and quality maternal healthcare services is crucial to decrease disparities in maternal and child health outcomes. 

This Special Issue will focus on current psychological, socio-cultural, environmental, and structural factors that influence maternal health and innovative strategies to prevent and address multiple factors affecting maternal health across the globe. We are interested in topics including, but not limited to, the following:

  • Multi-level, factors influencing maternal health; with special interest in the social and structural determinants of health inequities in maternal health;
  • Innovative interventions;
  • Preventative maternal health care in various settings (e.g., home, schools, community, etc.);
  • Environmental, organizational, and/or policy changes designed to promote maternal health and equity.

Researchers are invited to contribute novel work to be considered for publication in this Special Issue. Submissions should include original articles, critical reviews (systematic reviews or meta-analyses), brief reports, or short communications. There are no restrictions on study design and methodology (i.e., secondary analyses, cross-sectional or longitudinal design, intervention studies, qualitative studies, etc.). Articles that focus on either the prevention or management of prevalent women’s reproductive and sexual health and reproductive health care, reproductive rights and mental health across the globe are welcomed. Additionally, articles that focus on underrepresented or disadvantaged populations are encouraged.

Prof. Dr. Ana Cristina Lindsay
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • maternal
  • pregnancy
  • minority
  • reproductive rights
  • gender
  • immigrant
  • structural factors
  • social and cultural factors
  • environment
  • interventions
  • health promotion
  • health disparities
  • health equity
  • health policy

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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17 pages, 593 KiB  
Article
Exposure to Environmental Chemicals and Infertility Among US Reproductive-Aged Women
by Valerie Martinez, Irene H. Yen, Camila Alvarez, Andrew D. Williams and Sandie Ha
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2024, 21(12), 1541; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph21121541 - 21 Nov 2024
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Abstract
Environmental chemical exposure has been rising over the past few decades but its impact on fertility remains uncertain. We assessed exposures to 23 common chemicals across a range of sociodemographic characteristics and their relationship with self-reported infertility. The analytic sample was non-pregnant women [...] Read more.
Environmental chemical exposure has been rising over the past few decades but its impact on fertility remains uncertain. We assessed exposures to 23 common chemicals across a range of sociodemographic characteristics and their relationship with self-reported infertility. The analytic sample was non-pregnant women aged 18–49 years without a history of hysterectomy or oophorectomy (n = 2579) from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2013–2016). Environmental chemical exposure was assessed with biospecimens and dichotomized as high and low levels of exposure based on the median. Logistic regression models estimated the adjusted odds ratio (aOR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the association between high levels of exposure and infertility, adjusted for age, race, education level, family income, and smoking status. We observed associations between infertility and cadmium [aOR: 1.88; 95% CI: 1.02–3.47] and arsenic [aOR: 1.88 (1.05–3.36)]. Two pesticides hexachlorobenzene [OR: 2.04 (1.05–3.98)] and oxychlordane [OR: 2.04 (1.12–3.69)] were also associated with infertility in unadjusted analyses. There were negative associations with two Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances with n-perfluorooctanoic acid [aOR: 0.51: (0.30–0.86)] and n-perfluorooctane sulfonic acid [aOR: 0.51: (0.26–0.97). Specific chemicals may contribute to infertility risk, highlighting the need for targeted public health strategies to mitigate exposure. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sexual, Reproductive and Maternal Health)
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Review

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21 pages, 894 KiB  
Review
Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare Needs of Refugee Women Exposed to Gender-Based Violence: The Case for Trauma-Informed Care in Resettlement Contexts
by Cherra M. Mathis, Jordan J. Steiner, Andrea Kappas Mazzio, Meredith Bagwell-Gray, Karin Wachter, Crista Johnson-Agbakwu, Jill Messing and Jeanne Nizigiyimana
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2024, 21(8), 1046; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph21081046 - 8 Aug 2024
Viewed by 1997
Abstract
This paper assesses literature regarding the sexual and reproductive healthcare (SRH) needs of resettled refugee women who experienced gender-based violence (GBV) and trauma-informed care (TIC) principles utilized among SRH service providers. A systematic search identified relevant studies published between 2000 and 2021; no [...] Read more.
This paper assesses literature regarding the sexual and reproductive healthcare (SRH) needs of resettled refugee women who experienced gender-based violence (GBV) and trauma-informed care (TIC) principles utilized among SRH service providers. A systematic search identified relevant studies published between 2000 and 2021; no articles found reflected both SRH and TIC principles among refugee women. The search was therefore separated into two aims: to review the literature about SRH needs for refugee women in resettlement countries who experienced GBV (Aim 1) and to examine the use of TIC principles in SRH care among women who experienced GBV (Aim 2). Thematic analysis of the articles identified key themes. Twenty-six articles were included in the analysis across both aims (Aim 1 = 8, Aim 2 = 18). Aim 1 articles shared three factors shaping the SRH needs of resettled refugee women: the centrality of violence and trauma; structural barriers to SRH care; and actions, practices, and resources for service providers. Aim 2 articles illustrated seven key principles of TIC used in SRH service provision, such as empowerment; trauma-specific services and integrated care; connection; safety; collaboration; identity culture and context; and trustworthiness. Resettled refugee women’s experiences of violence necessitate trauma-informed SRH health care. While there is limited peer-reviewed literature regarding TIC-SRH care for refugee women, the findings regarding the SRH needs of refugee women and the findings regarding the implementation of TIC in SRH collectively frame recommendations for how SRH can be infused with TIC. An example from practice, in the form of the Refugee Women’s Health Clinic, is included as an exemplar of TIC SRH principles in action for the health of resettled refugee women who have survived gendered violence. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sexual, Reproductive and Maternal Health)
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