Health Matters for Women Newsletter

March 2024

High Impact of Quadrivalent Human Papillomavirus Vaccine Across Racial/Ethnic Groups: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2003-2006 And 2015-2018
Human papillomavirus (HPV) causes cervical as well as other cancers. Racial and ethnic disparities in cervical cancer incidence and mortality in the United States are well documented. This study provides estimates of vaccine impact by race/ethnicity using 2015–2018 data, the most recent National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data.

Folate and Vitamin B12 Status and Predicted Neural Tube Defects Risk Among Nonpregnant Women of Reproductive Age from the Malawi National Micronutrient Survey, 2015-2016
Maternal folate and vitamin B12 deficiency can lead to serious adverse pregnancy outcomes. There are no nationally representative estimates on folate and vitamin B12 status among women of reproductive age (WRA: ages 15–49 years) in Malawi. This study assesses folate and vitamin B12 status among nonpregnant WRA in Malawi and predicted the risk of folate-sensitive neural tube defects (NTDs) were they to become pregnant using data from the cross-sectional, nationally representative 2015-2016 Malawi Micronutrient Survey,

Plasma Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substance Mixtures During Pregnancy and Duration of Breastfeeding in the New Hampshire Birth Cohort Study
Prior studies suggest that prenatal per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) exposures are associated with shorter breastfeeding duration. Studies assessing PFAS mixtures and populations in North America are sparse. This study quantifies PFAS concentrations in maternal plasma collected during pregnancy in the New Hampshire Birth Cohort Study (2010-2017).

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Endometriosis is a disease found within adolescents and reproductive-age women that can cause  ________________.

1. Infertility
2. Pain
3. Very heavy periods
4. All of the above

Correct answer: 4 (All of the above).

Source: Endometriosis is a problem affecting a woman’s uterus—the place where a baby grows when a woman is pregnant. Endometriosis is when the kind of tissue that normally lines the uterus grows somewhere else. This “misplaced” tissue can cause pain, infertility, and very heavy periods. Learn more: Common Reproductive Health Concerns for Women | Reproductive Health | CDC