At the Crossroads of Studenthood and Motherhood

This study was conducted through an analysis of interview data from interviews with 5 women who first became mothers during adolescence and now define themselves and their children as “successful.” Maximum Variation Purposive Sampling was used to recruit women from different geographic areas (The Northeast, Northwest, Central, Pacific, and Southern regions), varied upbringings, and who represented the broadest range of cultural identities possible within the small sample size. Each of the interviewees were over the age of 18 and had at least one child who was kindergarten-age or older. The purpose of this research was to determine if thematic factors of success and failure, identified through analysis of interview data and the literature, could be used to inspire programming that meets the needs of young mothers (both academically and emotionally) while satisfying the “college readiness” demands of curriculum oversite boards. A sociocultural framework, which acknowledges the impact of racial and cultural status on knowledge acquisition and student engagement, served as the foundation for inquiry and analysis. Likewise, a cosmopolitan perspective on literacy, which urges literacy researchers and practitioners to move away from the traditional, skill-acquisition view of literacy, toward a more critical view that encourages students to investigate relevant problems at both the local and global levels was used as the framework for analysis and proposed solutions. Data from the interviews was analyzed using Polkinghorne\u27s Analysis of Narratives in an attempt to understand how these women’s specific life events impacted their attaining of goals and fulfilling of perceived life purposes. Data was simultaneously coded using both Values and Descriptive coding and took place in an evolutionary manner as new data is introduced. While current data suggests a positive trend in both teenage pregnancy and high school dropout rates, these trends have also led to a decrease in funding and attention to meeting the discrete needs of this subset of the student population. It is the goal of this research to present data in a way that will help address the needs of young mothers within the constraints of existing district policies and budgets

Shape and Interaction Decoupling for Colloidal Pre-Assembly

Creating materials with a structural hierarchy that is independently controllable at a range of scales requires breaking naturally occurring hierarchies. Breaking natural hierarchies is possible if building block attributes can be decoupled from the structure of pre-assembled, mesoscale building blocks that form the next level in the structural hierarchy. Here, we show that pre-assembled colloidal structures achieving geometric and interaction decoupling can be prepared in emulsions of silica superballs, which are cubic-like particles with rounded edges. We show that, for clusters of up to nine particles, colloidal superballs pack consistently like spheres, despite the presence of shape anisotropy and facets in the cubic-like particles. We compare our results with clusters prepared with magnetic superballs and find good qualitative agreement, suggesting that the cluster geometries are solely determined by the shape of the constituent particles. Our findings demonstrate that highly shape-anisotropic building blocks, under suitable conditions, can be pre-assembled into structures that are not found in bulk, thereby achieving a decoupling that can be further exploited for hierarchical materials development.Comment: 22 pages, 7 figure

A checklist approach to caring for women seeking pregnancy testing: Effects on contraceptive knowledge and use

ObjectiveTo assess how a checklist reminding clinicians to deliver a bundled intervention affects contraceptive knowledge and use 3 months after women seek walk-in pregnancy testing.MethodsPre-intervention, an inner-city family planning clinic provided unstructured care; during the intervention period, clinic staff used a checklist to ensure women received needed services. Women seeking walk-in pregnancy testing who wished to avoid pregnancy for at least 6 months were asked to complete surveys about their contraceptive knowledge and use immediately after and 3-months after visiting the study clinic. To assess the significance of changes over time, we used logistic regression models.ResultsBetween January 2011 and May 2013, over 1500 women sought pregnancy testing from the study clinic; 323 completed surveys (95 pre-intervention and 228 during the intervention period). With this checklist intervention, participants were more likely to receive emergency contraception (EC) (22% vs. 5%, [aOR 4.66 (1.76-12.35)], [corrected] have an intrauterine device or implant placed at the time of their clinic visit (5% vs. 0%, p=0.02), or receive a contraceptive prescription (23% vs. 10%, p<0.001). Three months after visiting the study clinic, participants from the intervention period were more knowledgeable about intrauterine and subdermal contraception and were more likely to report at 3-month follow-up a method of contraception more effective than the method they used prior to seeking pregnancy testing from the study clinic (aOR=2.02, 95% CI=1.03-3.96). The authors would like to apologize for any inconvenience caused. [corrected].ConclusionsWomen seeking walk-in pregnancy testing appear more likely to receive EC and to have switched to a more effective form of birth control in the 3 months following their visit when clinic staff used a 3-item checklist and provided scripted counseling.ImplicationsA checklist reminding clinic staff to assess pregnancy intentions, provide scripted counseling about both emergency and highly-effective reversible contraception, and offer same-day contraceptive initiation to women seeking walk-in pregnancy testing appears to increase use of more effective contraception

Same-Day Intrauterine Device Placement is Rarely Complicated by Pelvic Infection

PurposeTo compare rates of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) among women who did and did not receive an intrauterine device (IUD) the day they sought emergency contraception (EC) or pregnancy testing.MethodsWomen, 15 to 45 years of age, who sought EC or pregnancy testing from an urban family planning clinic completed surveys at the time of their clinic visit (August 22, 2011, to May 30, 2013) and 3 months after their clinic visit. The surveys assessed contraceptive use and symptoms, testing, and treatment for sexually transmitted infections (STI) and PID. We reviewed the medical records of participants who reported IUD placement within 3 months of enrollment and abstracted de-identified electronic medical record (EMR) data on all women who sought EC or pregnancy testing from the study clinic during the study period.FindingsDuring the study period, 1,060 women visited the study clinic; 272 completed both enrollment and follow-up surveys. Among survey completers with same-day IUD placement, PID in the 3 months after enrollment was not more common (1/28 [3.6%]; 95% CI, 0%-10.4%) than among women who did not have a same-day IUD placed (11/225 [4.9%]; 95% CI, 2.7%-8.6%; p = .71). Chart review and EMR data similarly showed that rates of PID within 3 months of seeking EC or pregnancy testing were low whether women opted for same-day or delayed IUD placement.ConclusionsSame-day IUD placement was not associated with higher rates of PID. Concern for asymptomatic STI should not delay IUD placement, and efforts to increase the uptake of this highly effective reversible contraception should not be limited to populations at low risk of STI

Routine counseling about intrauterine contraception for women seeking emergency contraception

ObjectiveTo compare contraceptive knowledge and use among women seeking emergency contraception (EC) before and after an inner-city clinic began providing structured counseling and offering same-day intrauterine device (IUD) or implant placement to all women seeking EC.Study designFor 8 months before and 21 months after this change in clinic policy, women aged 15-45 who wanted to avoid pregnancy for at least 6 months were asked to complete surveys immediately, 3 and 12 months after their clinic visit. In addition, we abstracted electronic medical record (EMR) data on all women who sought EC (n=328) during this period. We used chi-squared tests to assess pre/post differences in survey and EMR data.ResultsSurveys were completed by 186 women. After the clinic began offering structured counseling, more women had accurate knowledge of the effectiveness of IUDs, immediately and 3 months after their clinic visit. In addition, more women initiated IUD or implant use (survey: 40% vs. 17% preintervention, p=0.04; EMR: 22% vs. 10% preintervention, p=0.01), and fewer had no contraceptive use (survey: 3% vs. 17% preintervention, p<0.01; EMR: 32% vs. 68%, p<0.01) in the 3 months after seeking EC. EMR data indicate that when same-day placement was offered, 11.0% of women received a same-day IUD. Of those who received a same-day IUD, 88% (23/26) reported IUD use at 3-months and 80% (12/15) at 12 months.ConclusionsRoutine provision of structured counseling with the offer of same-day IUD placement increases knowledge and use of IUDs 3 months after women seek EC.ImplicationsWomen seeking EC from family planning clinics should be offered counseling about highly effective reversible contraceptives with the option of same-day contraceptive placement

Asking for what she needs? Pregnancy testing or EC?

BackgroundWhen used within 5 days of unprotected sex, emergency contraception (EC) can reduce the risk of pregnancy. Our objective was to explore how often women seeking clinic-based pregnancy testing who do not desire pregnancy might benefit from EC and examine variables associated with patients asking for EC when use is indicated.Study designWomen seeking pregnancy testing or EC from an inner-city Title-X-funded family planning clinic between January 2011 and June 2012 were invited to complete surveys.ResultsTwenty-seven percent (n=79) of respondents were seeking EC, and 73% (n=215) were seeking pregnancy testing. Of those seeking pregnancy testing, 39% might have benefited from same-day use of EC pills. Women who had never used EC and who had more than one episode of unprotected sex within the past month were less likely to request EC when use was indicated, while single women were more likely to request EC.ConclusionsCounseling regarding EC options is particularly important for women seeking same-day pregnancy testing who do not desire pregnancy

Shape and interaction decoupling for colloidal preassembly

Creating materials with structure that is independently controllable at a range of scales requires breaking naturally occurring hierarchies. Breaking these hierarchies can be achieved via the decoupling of building block attributes from structure during assembly. Here, we demonstrate, through computer simulations and experiments, that shape and interaction decoupling occur in colloidal cuboids suspended in evaporating emulsion droplets. The resulting colloidal clusters serve as “preassembled” mesoscale building blocks for larger-scale structures. We show that clusters of up to nine particles form mesoscale building blocks with geometries that are independent of the particles’ degree of faceting and dipolar magnetic interactions. To highlight the potential of these superball clusters for hierarchical assembly, we demonstrate, using computer simulations, that clusters of six to nine particles can assemble into high-order structures that differ from bulk self-assembly of individual particles. Our results suggest that preassembled building blocks present a viable route to hierarchical materials design.ChemE/Advanced Soft Matte

Same-Day Intrauterine Device Placement is Rarely Complicated by Pelvic Infection

PurposeTo compare rates of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) among women who did and did not receive an intrauterine device (IUD) the day they sought emergency contraception (EC) or pregnancy testing.MethodsWomen, 15 to 45 years of age, who sought EC or pregnancy testing from an urban family planning clinic completed surveys at the time of their clinic visit (August 22, 2011, to May 30, 2013) and 3 months after their clinic visit. The surveys assessed contraceptive use and symptoms, testing, and treatment for sexually transmitted infections (STI) and PID. We reviewed the medical records of participants who reported IUD placement within 3 months of enrollment and abstracted de-identified electronic medical record (EMR) data on all women who sought EC or pregnancy testing from the study clinic during the study period.FindingsDuring the study period, 1,060 women visited the study clinic; 272 completed both enrollment and follow-up surveys. Among survey completers with same-day IUD placement, PID in the 3 months after enrollment was not more common (1/28 [3.6%]; 95% CI, 0%-10.4%) than among women who did not have a same-day IUD placed (11/225 [4.9%]; 95% CI, 2.7%-8.6%; p = .71). Chart review and EMR data similarly showed that rates of PID within 3 months of seeking EC or pregnancy testing were low whether women opted for same-day or delayed IUD placement.ConclusionsSame-day IUD placement was not associated with higher rates of PID. Concern for asymptomatic STI should not delay IUD placement, and efforts to increase the uptake of this highly effective reversible contraception should not be limited to populations at low risk of STI

A checklist approach to caring for women seeking pregnancy testing: Effects on contraceptive knowledge and use

OBJECTIVE: To assess how a checklist reminding clinicians to deliver a bundled intervention affects contraceptive knowledge and use 3 months after women seek walk-in pregnancy testing. METHODS: Pre-intervention, an inner-city family planning clinic provided unstructured care; during the intervention period, clinic staff used a checklist to ensure women received needed services. Women seeking walk-in pregnancy testing who wished to avoid pregnancy for at least 6 months were asked to complete surveys about their contraceptive knowledge and use immediately after and 3-months after visiting the study clinic. To assess the significance of changes over time, we used logistic regression models. RESULTS: Between January 2011 and May 2013, over 1500 women sought pregnancy testing from the study clinic; 323 completed surveys (95 pre-intervention and 228 during the intervention period). With this checklist intervention, participants were more likely to receive emergency contraception (EC) (22% vs. 5%, aOR=4.64, 95% CI 1.77-12.17), have an intrauterine device or implant placed at the time of their clinic visit (5% vs. 0%, p=0.02), or receive a contraceptive prescription (23% vs. 10%, p<0.001). Three months after visiting the study clinic, participants from the intervention period were more knowledgeable about intrauterine and subdermal contraception and were more likely to be using intrauterine, subdermal or injectable contraception (aOR=2.18, 95% CI 1.09-4.35). CONCLUSIONS: Women seeking walk-in pregnancy testing appear more likely to receive EC and to have switched to a more effective form of birth control in 3 months following their visit when clinic staff used a 3-item checklist and provided scripted counseling. IMPLICATIONS: A checklist reminding clinic staff to assess pregnancy intentions, provide scripted counseling about both emergency and highly-effective reversible contraception, and offer same-day contraceptive initiation to women seeking walk-in pregnancy testing appears to increase use of more effective contraception