Share research - Gender

Frequency and determinants of health care utilization for symptomatic reproductive tract infections in rural Indian women: A cross- sectional study

shareadmin — Thu, 12 Dec 2019 07:10:55 +0000

This paper published in PLOS One by Kinkor et al. (2019) explores healthcare practices of rural Indian women in Odisha with symptomatic reproductive tract infections (RTIs). Health care seeking behaviour for RTIs among rural Indian women is often poor, meaning the issue is often not properly addressed. There are also gaps in our knowledge around why health care seeking behaviour is low; and this is what this study aimed to determine. Using data from a cross-sectional, population-based surveillance survey among rural, non-pregnant women in Odisha, the researchers examined the degree to which different determinants are associated with a woman's likelihood to seek RTI treatment. They found that married women were significantly more likely to seek healthcare for RTI symptoms whilst unmarried adolescents were less likely to seek treatment. There was no association between RTI health care seeking with education level, belief about whether symptoms can be treated, or poverty. The majority (73.8%) of women who did not seek treatment for RTI symptoms reported not seeking treatment because they did not know treatment was needed. Better understanding of health care seeking behaviour for RTIs will aid the design of future interventions that promote RTI care seeking behaviour.

Download (300.14 KB) Marni Brennan India

WASH and women Story of Change - January 2019 update

shareadmin — Mon, 03 Jun 2019 12:59:06 +0000

Stories of Change investigate how inputs have contributed to achieving specific outcomes through pathways of expected or unexpected change. This Story of Change, updated in January 2019, focuses on SHARE’s contribution to research, policy and practice change related to menstrual hygiene management (MHM) and gender based violence (GBV) as well as the linked theme of psychosocial stress.

Download (619.81 KB) Menstrual Hygiene Management in Schools Menstrual Hygiene Matters Menstrual Hygiene Systematic Review MHM Absorbents in Malawi Psychosocial Impact of Limited Access Sanitation & Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes Violence, Gender & WASH Toolkit WASH & Maternal and Newborn Health WASH & Maternal Mortality Systematic Review WASH in Maternity Units Women's Sanitation Vulnerabilities Marni Brennan

Association between unhygienic menstrual management practices and prevalence of lower reproductive tract infections: a hospital-based cross-sectional study in Odisha, India

shareadmin — Fri, 31 May 2019 13:43:02 +0000

This study, carried out in Odisha, India, and published in BMC Infectious Diseases by Torondel et al. (2018), explores association between unhygienic menstrual management (MHM) practices and prevalence of lower reproductive tract infections (RTIs). Three common RTIs were the focus of the study: Bacterial vaginosis (BV), Candida, and Trichomonas vaginalis (TV) and the method of the study involved using a questionnaire to collect information on MHM practices, clinical symptoms for the three infections and socio-economic and demographic information. Vaginal fornix specimens were also taken for diagnosis of infections. 558 women were recruited for the study; 62.4% of whom were diagnosed with at least one of the three tested infections. Women diagnosed with these infections were more likely to exhibit a range of unhygienic MHM practices, such as reusing absorbent material or having a low frequency of personal washing.

Download (689.39 KB) Marni Brennan India

Promoting gender equality through improved monitoring, capacity building and research partnerships: reflections from the SHARE programme

shareadmin — Mon, 11 Dec 2017 16:35:15 +0000

This paper share insights for improving equitable programming through documenting the gender monitoring approach used by the SHARE research programme. It also highlights challenges relating to gender equity in academia in SHARE’s focus countries: Kenya, Malawi, Tanzania and Zambia. The paper is targeted at research programme implementers, academic institutions and donors that wish to effectively monitor gender and improve their approach to gender equity.

Download (548.96 KB) Emily Balls Kenya Malawi Tanzania Zambia

From menarche to menopause: A population-based assessment of water, sanitation, and hygiene risk factors for reproductive tract infection symptoms over life stages in rural girls and women in India

shareadmin — Fri, 08 Dec 2017 12:04:10 +0000

This study by Baker et al. (2017) published in PLOS ONE found that women face greater challenges than men in accessing WASH resources to address their daily needs, and may respond to these challenges by adopting unsafe practices that increase the risk of reproductive tract infections (RTIs). WASH practices may change as women transition through socially-defined life stage experiences, like marriage and pregnancy. Thus, the relationship between WASH practices and RTIs might vary across female reproductive life stages. This cross-sectional study conducted by Baker et al. assessed the relationship between WASH exposures and self-reported RTI symptoms in 3,952 girls and women from two rural districts in India, and tested whether social exposures represented by reproductive life stage was an effect modifier of associations.

Download (975.84 KB) Belen Torondel India

WASH and Women: A Story of Change

shareadmin — Thu, 02 Nov 2017 15:19:21 +0000

Stories of Change investigate how inputs have contributed to achieving specific outcomes through pathways of expected or unexpected change. This Story of Change focuses on SHARE’s contribution to research, policy and practice change related to menstrual hygiene management (MHM) and gender based violence (GBV) as well as the linked theme of psychosocial stress. SHARE-funded research and resources have had broad sectoral uptake and have influenced national policies and emergency responses in Fiji, India and the Solomon Islands.

Download (981.4 KB) Menstrual Hygiene Management in Schools Menstrual Hygiene Matters Menstrual Hygiene Systematic Review MHM Absorbents in Malawi Psychosocial Impact of Limited Access Sanitation & Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes Violence, Gender & WASH Toolkit WASH Coping Strategies Women's Sanitation Vulnerabilities Emily Balls India Malawi Tanzania

MHM Absorbents in Malawi - Infographic

shareadmin — Fri, 20 Oct 2017 16:24:04 +0000

This infographic provides a visual overview of the MHM absorbents in Malawi project, started in 2017. It highlights the scale of the problem of MHM absorbents in Malawi, what the research will address and measure, what the outputs will be, and the wider relevance of the study.

Download (444.29 KB) MHM Absorbents in Malawi Malawi

MHM Absorbents in Malawi

shareadmin — Fri, 20 Oct 2017 16:20:08 +0000

In Malawi, women and girls have limited access to safe, convenient and affordable MHM absorbent methods. This project will provide a situational analysis to assess the status of MHM and the success of absorbent interventions in communities and schools in Malawi. The project will consist of two phases. First, a series of literature reviews will be conducted on MHM absorbents in Malawi, relevent interventions, and the availability and appropriateness of WASH facilities for MHM. Second, a qualitative research component will commence to gain insight into women and girls' perceptions about the success of MHM absorbent materials, and to assess their access to clean WASH facilities for MHM and how these conditions influence the appropriate use of absorbents. The latter component will include in-depth interviews, focus group discussions and key informant interviews with women and girls, and NGOs and agencies involved in MHM absorbent interventions.

Gender Malawi

Sally Piper Pillitter

Malawi Epidemiology and Intervention Research Unit and University of Malawi - Polytechnic Design tracy.thomson@strath.ac.uk 2017

Infographic - Sanitation-Related Psychosocial Stress: Women’s Sanitation Vulnerabilities in Southern Tanzania

shareadmin — Fri, 16 Jun 2017 09:21:25 +0000

This infographic highlights SHARE's work on sanitation-related psychosocial stress in Iringa, Tanzania. Using qualitative and quantitative methods, the project aims to explore the impact of inadequate and/or constrainted access to water and sanitation on psychosocial stress and well-being.

Download (2.26 MB) Women's Sanitation Vulnerabilities Tanzania

Women's role in sanitation decision making in rural coastal Odisha, India

shareadmin — Fri, 26 May 2017 13:25:49 +0000

This paper, by Routray et al. (2017) published in PLOS ONE, detailed a mixed-method study exploring the association between women's decision-making autonomy and latrine construction in rural areas of Odisha, India.

Download (840.43 KB) Parimita Routray India