The complexity of the reproductive system necessitates instructional media to facilitate comprehension, as its processes unfold internally and are not readily observable. This study aims to assess the viability of booklet sub-materials on fertilization, gestation, and childbirth, derived from the inventory findings of medicinal plants for…

Background: Despite overall declines in risky teen sexual activity, racial and ethnic disparities persist. This study compared abstinence-only and comprehensive teen pregnancy prevention (TPP) programs to explore the effects of the programs on teen sexual activity-related outcomes that may differ by race/ethnicity. Methods: Program evaluation data…

Background: School health education, including sexual health education, plays a crucial role in shaping adolescents' protective health behaviors, experiences, and outcomes. Adolescents need functional knowledge and skills to practice, adopt, and maintain healthy behaviors for preventing sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including human…

Few studies have compared knowledge of the specific health risks of cannabis across jurisdictions. This study aimed to examine perceptions of the health risks of cannabis in Canada and US states with and without legal non-medical cannabis. Cross-sectional data were collected from the 2018 and 2019 International Cannabis Policy Study online…

This study assessed participant, facilitator, and program-level characteristics associated with intervention dosage among women receiving an evidence-based perinatal depression preventive intervention, Mothers and Babies (MB). We also explored how intervention dosage affected the use and maintenance of core skills taught in the six-session…

There is great opportunity in pediatric primary care to lay the foundation for lifelong health and well-being during the critical period from infancy to early childhood. However, many of these opportunities are missed, particularly for the most vulnerable children. The challenges to equitable, universal developmental and behavioral screening in…

Expectant and parenting youth involved in systems of care represent a unique intersection of developmental needs as adolescents, emerging adults, parents, and young people who come into contact with child welfare, juvenile justice, and/or other human services systems. Addressing these parallel roles and respective developmental needs is necessary…

Objective: Hookup apps, such as Tinder, have become vastly popular among college students, and hookup culture has become more normatively acceptable. The current study seeks to understand the associations of hookup app uses and outcome variables including sexual attitudes, relationship turbulences, and risky sexual behaviors. Participants and…

Respecting the Circle of Life (RCL) is a teen pregnancy prevention program that was evaluated for effectiveness on sexual health risk behaviors through a two-arm randomized control trial (RCT) with American Indian (AI) youth ages 11-19. The objective of this study is to investigate the effects of RCL compared to a control group on items of condom…

Sex education has long been a controversial topic in the United States in terms of both policy and practice. A lack of consensus on the implementation of sex education, its content, and its participants continues to be a concern for equitable inclusion of all young people and their sexual and emotional health as a result. Current policy guidance…

Epidemiologic studies link increased autism spectrum disorder (ASD) risk to obstetrical conditions associated with inflammation and steroid dysregulation, referred to as prenatal metabolic syndrome (PNMS). This pilot study measured steroid-related biomarkers in early second trimester maternal serum collected during the first and second trimester…

Children born to mothers with opioid use disorder (OUD) are at increased risk of maltreatment and out-of-home care (OOHC) placement. This study examines the parent-child interaction quality and home environments of 92 New Zealand children with prenatal opioid exposure (OE) and 106 non-opioid-exposed (NE) children. Experiences for those in maternal…

This study explored the therapeutic value of sharing artwork in a public exhibition called Bearing Witness by individuals who experienced trauma through stillbirth, infertility, or miscarriage. This qualitative study investigated the experiences of seven women who exhibited artwork about their losses or attended as witnesses. Results revealed that…

This article demonstrates how discursive constructions of pregnant schoolgirls produce social and material consequences for girls in Southern Africa. Critical feminist scholars have argued that diverse actors frame girls across the global South as either monolithic, sexualised victims and sites for intervention or as hyper-agents, uniquely capable…

This work aims to provide a non-moralistic exploration and understanding of the high prevalence of adolescent pregnancy and resulting motherhood among low-income adolescent women in Greater Mendoza, Argentina. The study acknowledges that, based on official statistics, adolescent pregnancy remains a significant issue within this social group…