Reproductive and Population Health

Higgins and Jacques publish in International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

A recent article published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health by UW Collaborative for Reproductive Equity Director Jenny Higgins, PhD, MPH, Laura Jacques, MD, of the UW Ob-Gyn Division of Academic Specialists in Ob-Gyn, and co-authors, used anonymized data from an online forum to examine how cost-related barriers affect peoples’ ability ... more

Green discusses Momnibus Act and wealth inequality with In These Times

A new article published by In These Times examines how the federal Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act, a package of legislation aimed at closing Black maternal health disparities, could improve lives in Wisconsin.In “The Momnibus Act Protects Wisconsin’s Black Babies from a Premature Death”, UW Ob-Gyn Assistant Professor Tiffany Green, PhD, of the Division of Reproductive an... more

HPV research from UW Ob-Gyn cited in PBS News Hour article

Misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines is abundant. One of the most pernicious myths – that COVID-19 vaccines can cause infertility – may be deterring people from getting the vaccine. (Michael Beninati, MD, of the UW Ob-Gyn Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, already dispelled that myth on a recent episode of the Women’s Healthcast!)Making up fertility concerns is a common ... more

Green’s course “Race in American Obstetrics and Gynecology” approved for medical school curriculum

Tiffany Green, PhD, of the UW Ob-Gyn Division of Reproductive and Population Health, will teach a new course to students in the UW School of Medicine and Public Health. “Race in American Obstetrics and Gynecology” will mainly be offered to M3s.Green’s innovative course sounds incredible:“Opportunity for medical students to survey the history of race in American obstetrics an... more

Green discusses ethics of deprioritizing care for unvaccinated patients with Wisconsin Examiner; Wisconsin Public Radio

As the Delta variant caused COVID-19 cases to surge across the country last summer, the ensuing rise in hospitalizations and deaths stretched the healthcare system in many states beyond capacity. In Texas, a physician group discussed the ethics of deprioritizing the unvaccinated. Tiffany Green, PhD, of the UW Ob-Gyn Division of Reproductive and Population Health, discussed ... more

Save the Dates: UW Ob-Gyn 2022 Research Events

Save the dates for three UW Department of Ob-Gyn research events in 2022:February 24, 2022 - Resident Research DayFeaturing a keynote presentation by Lisa Hollier, MD, MPH, professor of ob-gyn at Baylor College of Medicine and former president of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Resident research presentations by PGY-4 residents John Poehlmann, MD, an... more

Higgins publishes in SSM – Population Health

A publication currently available online in the journal SSM – Population Health examines physicians’ knowledge of referral for abortion care. UW Collaborative for Reproductive Equity Director Jenny Higgins, PhD, as well as former UW Ob-Gyn members Cynthie Wautlet, MD and Nicholas Schmuhl, PhD, are co-authors on the study.“Willing but unable: Physicians' referral knowledge as... more

Higgins talks about US Supreme Court case Dobbs v Jackson on NBC15

In early December, the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments in the case Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, a case involving a Mississippi state law that banned abortions after 15 weeks. UW Collaborative for Reproductive Equity Director Jenny Higgins, PhD spoke with NBC-15 about what that case could mean for abortion access in Wisconsin. A decision in the case is exp... more

Green presents to Duke Center for Child and Family Policy

Tiffany Green, PhD, of the UW Ob-Gyn Division of Reproductive and Population Health, presented to the Duke University Center for Child and Family Policy on October 28, 2021, as part of the center’s Early Childhood Initiative series. Green’s presentation “Income Gains, Pregnancy-Related Health, and Birth Outcomes: Evidence from the Marcellus Shale Economic Boom” was summarize... more

Green discusses health care disparities with Brava Magazine

Wisconsin has some of the starkest disparities in health outcomes between Black and white moms and babies. In an article in Brava Magazine, Tiffany Green, PhD, of the UW Ob-Gyn Division of Reproductive and Population Health, joined other community leaders who are working to understand and address health disparities in Madison and Dane County. In “Tackling Health Care Dispar... more

Higgins to lead Division of Reproductive and Population Health

The UW Department of Ob-Gyn is pleased to announce that Jenny Higgins, PhD, MPH will assume the role of Director of the UW Ob-Gyn Division of Reproductive and Population Health, effective September 1, 2021. Dr. Higgins joined the faculty of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Gender and Women’s Studies in 2012. In 2017, she joined our Department of Obstetric... more

Grand Rounds: Heisler and Higgins present Equity Badger Bytes

On July 15, 2021, researchers in the UW Department of Ob-Gyn presented a Badger Bytes research Grand Rounds. Jenny Higgins, PhD, MPH, of the Division of Reproductive and Population Health, presented “Economics and Erotic Inequity: Poverty and Sexual Wellbeing.” During her presentation, Higgins defined erotic equity and shared main findings from the literature and a new empi... more

Women’s Healthcast: Senderowicz discusses global reproductive health

Reproductive health care trends, norms and policies in the United States shape global reproductive health in a big way. UW Ob-Gyn Health Disparities Research Scholar Leigh Senderowicz, ScD, MPH joined the Women’s Healthcast to talk about the roots of international family planning programs, how to recognize reproductive coercion, and why we should pay attention to the way U.S... more

Senderowicz published in BMJ Global Health

Health Disparities Research Scholar Leigh Senderowicz, ScD, MPH published a new study in BMJ Global Health! The article “‘I haven’t heard much about other methods’: quality of care and person-centredness in a programme to promote the postpartum intrauterine device in Tanzania” used in-depth, qualitative interviews with pregnant people seeking antenatal care at five Tanzania... more

Senderowicz talks reproductive coercion with The Lily

Health Disparities Research Scholar Leigh Senderowicz, ScD, MPH shared insights on the history of reproductive coercion in the United States in an article from The Lily about revelations from Britney Spears’ conservatorship hearing. In the article, Senderowicz discussed the different levels at which reproductive coercion can occur, with a focus on the systemic: “Reproducti... more

Study by UW CORE researchers published in Contraception

A new study in Contraception uses data from a survey of UW School of Medicine and Public Health physicians to assess physician support for abortion access and abortion providers. The study also examines physicians’ perceptions of their peers’ attitudes towards abortion and abortion providers. “Physician attitudes about abortion and their willingness to consult in abortion c... more

HDRS postdoc Tran Smith receives AHEAD grant

Congratulations to Health Disparities Research Scholar Bikki Tran Smith, PhD, who earned a 2021 Advancing Health Equity and Diversity (AHEAD) Pilot Program grant from the UW Institute for Clinical and Translational Research! Tran Smith received the AHEAD grant for the project “In Our Own Voice: The Narrative Experiences of Latina Immigrants in Navigating Access to Healthcare... more

Huynh receives Undergraduate Research Scholars Exceptional Mentorship Award

Congratulations to UW Ob-Gyn Health Disparities Research Scholar Tuyen Huynh, PhD, MS, who received the Undergraduate Research Scholars (URS) Exceptional Mentorship Award for the 2020-21 academic year! As part of the URS program, Huynh mentors and trains early undergraduate students at UW-Madison through research and creative practices. Over the years, the program has demon... more

Green discusses reimagining health care with PBS Wisconsin

During Black Maternal Health Week in April, UW Ob-Gyn Assistant Professor Tiffany Green, PhD discussed maternal health disparities in Wisconsin, and how to change them, with PBS Wisconsin. In addition to her appointment in the UW Ob-Gyn Division of Reproductive and Population Health, Green is part of the UW-Madison Department of Population Health Sciences faculty. In the ar... more

Higgins published in JAMA Internal Medicine

A new study co-authored by UW Collaborative for Reproductive Equity Director Jenny Higgins, PhD and published in JAMA Internal Medicine examines the association of sexual satisfaction and self-reported sexual acceptability with continued contraceptive use over time. “Association Between Patients’ Perceptions of the Sexual Acceptability of Contraceptive Methods and Continued... more

Green, Brown offer commentary on maternal health equity in Obstetrics and Gynecology

In this must-read commentary in Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tiffany Green, PhD, of the UW Ob-Gyn Division of Reproductive and Population Health and Heidi Brown, MD, of the Division of Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery suggest new approaches to eliminating Black maternal health disparities in the U.S. “Rethinking Bias to Achieve Maternal Health Equity: Changin... more

Rice, Higgins make case for health care provider proficiency with contraceptives in Health Affairs blog

UW Ob-Gyn Department Chair Laurel Rice, MD, and UW Collaborative for Reproductive Equity Director Jenny Higgins, PhD, co-authored an article for Health Affairs outlining the reasons it’s critical that health care providers seek out accurate information on contraceptive care. Inaccuracies or misunderstandings about how birth control works shape public perception and affect he... more

Green discusses Black maternal health outcomes on WPR

On April 14, 2021, during Black Maternal Health Week, Tiffany Green, PhD joined The Morning Show on Wisconsin Public Radio to discuss Black maternal health outcomes. Green is an assistant professor in the UW Departments of Ob-Gyn and Population Health Sciences. During the interview, Green discussed the broader, systemic inequalities that drive disparities in Black maternal ... more

Green reframes vaccine disparities with WKOW

Tiffany Green, PhD, of the UW Ob-Gyn Division of Reproductive and Population Health, continues to add important context to conversations around inequities exposed by COVID-19. According to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, just over 28% of white Wisconsinites have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, but that’s only true for 11.5% of Black Wisconsini... more

Green joins WKOW’s Capital City Sunday to reflect on pandemic anniversary

One year after Wisconsin’s first pandemic-related emergency order, Tiffany Green, PhD joined Capital City Sunday on WKOW in Madison to talk about lasting lessons from this pandemic that could carry forward to future public health crises. On Sunday, March 14, 2021, Green discussed the ways the pandemic highlighted structural inequities in the U.S., and what she hopes will be... more

Green to appear on CDE Demography Seminar March 9

Tiffany Green, PhD, of the UW Ob-Gyn Division of Reproductive and Population Health, will offer comment on the UW-Madison Center for Demography and Ecology’s Demography Seminar on Tuesday, March 9 at 12:15pm. Green will respond to the presentation “Covering Undocumented Immigrants: The Effect of a Large-Scale Prenatal Care Intervention” by Associate Professor Laura Wherry, P... more

Schmuhl and Antony co-author article in BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth

A new article in the journal BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth examines prenatal care experiences for women with obesity. Medical student Danielle Hurst is lead author on the article, with co-authors Nicholas Schmuhl, PhD, of the UW Ob-Gyn Division of Reproductive Sciences and Katie Antony, MD, of the UW Ob-Gyn Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine. “Prenatal care experiences amon... more

Green joins Badger Talks to discuss vaccine equity

Tiffany Green, PhD, of the UW Ob-Gyn Division of Reproductive and Population Health, joined Veronica Rueckert of UW-Madison Communications on a recent Badger Talks to discuss inequities in COVID-19 vaccine distribution in Wisconsin. In the interview, Green outlined disparities in COVID incidence and severity in Wisconsin, and a mismatch in who has access to the COVID vaccin... more

Higgins publishes on contraceptive satisfaction in Journal of Sex Research

Jenny Higgins, PhD, MPH, director of the UW Collaborative for Reproductive Equity and member of the UW Ob-Gyn Division of Reproductive and Population Health, published a new study in the Journal of Sex Research. “Sexual Functioning, Satisfaction, and Well-Being Among Contraceptive Users: A Three-Month Assessment From the HER Salt Lake Contraceptive Initiative” followed new ... more

Green discusses Black Maternal Health Momnibus on WPR

Tiffany Green, PhD, of the UW Ob-Gyn Division of Reproductive and Population Health, appeared on the Wisconsin Public Radio program Central Time to discuss the federal Black Maternal Health Momnibus legislation, along with Wisconsin Congresswoman Gwen Moore. In the interview, Green talked about Wisconsin’s maternal mortality and preterm birth inequities, and speculation abo... more

Green discusses federal Momnibus legislation on WORT, Wisconsin Public Radio

Tiffany Green, PhD, of the UW Ob-Gyn Division of Reproductive and Population Health, joined WORT Community Radio in Madison to offer insight on the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act of 2021, including the Perinatal Workforce Act introduced by Wisconsin Senator Tammy Baldwin and Congresswoman Gwen Moore. In the interview, Green offers additional perspective on the Perinatal... more

Health Disparities Research Scholars recruiting new scholar

The Health Disparities Research Scholars program, a postdoctoral training program in the UW Ob-Gyn Division of Reproductive and Population Health, currently has an opening for a postdoctoral trainee. The goals of the Health Disparities Research Scholars (HDRS) Training Program are to foster training opportunities for the next generation of investigators within health dispar... more

Grand Rounds: Badger Bytes on opioids and women’s health

On Thursday, January 7, a multidisciplinary group presented Badger Bytes Grand Rounds lectures as part of the presentation “The Multiple Dimensions of Opioid Use for Women’s Health.” The session was moderated by UW Ob-Gyn Division of Reproductive and Population Health Director Deborah Ehrenthal, MD, MPH. Erin Nacev, MD/MPH student in the UW SMPH started off with “Prenatal O... more

Green included on list of 1,000 inspiring Black scientists

Congratulations to Tiffany Green, PhD, of the UW Ob-Gyn Division of Reproductive and Population Health! Green was included in a list of “1,000 inspiring Black scientists in America”, published by Cell Press. Green, who has a joint appointment with the UW-Madison Department of Population Health Sciences, made the list as part of the Rising Stars category. With her focus on m... more

Higgins, Schmuhl, Wautlet, Rice publish in American Journal of Public Health

Findings from a UW Collaborative for Reproductive Equity study on how doctors view access to abortion has been published in the December issue of the American Journal of Public Health. In the research-based editorial “The Importance of Physician Concern and Expertise in Increasing Abortion Health Care Access in Local Contexts”, Jenny Higgins, PhD, Nicholas Schmuhl, PhD, Cynt... more

Green gives McMaster University Labelle Lecture

Tiffany Green, PhD, of the UW Ob-Gyn Division of Reproductive and Population Health, delivered the McMaster University Centre for Health Economics and Policy Analysis Labelle Lecture on November 11, 2020! In the lecture “Saving Black Women and Babies: Leveraging Data and Community Engagement to Achieve Health Equity”, Green provided an overview of maternal and child health ... more

Senderowicz earns PRC grant

UW Ob-Gyn Health Disparities Research Scholar Leigh Senderowicz, ScD, MPH, earned a grant from the UW-Madison Prevention Research Center for the project “Understanding Structural Barriers To Contraceptive Autonomy Among Low-Income Black African Women In The Global South: An Exploratory Study.” The grants support research regarding maternal and child health, and health equity... more

Higgins discusses CORE research on Wide Awake in Wisconsin podcast

On the final episode of Wide Awake in Wisconsin, a podcast from the Wisconsin Alliance for Women’s Health, UW Collaborative for Reproductive Equity Director Jenny Higgins, PhD, MPH appeared to discuss UW CORE research on policy impacts! In the interview, Higgins talks about ongoing CORE research, and how CORE projects help inform policy decisions and development in Wisconsi... more

Ehrenthal published in Pediatrics

UW Ob-Gyn Division of Reproductive and Population Health and UW-Madison Prevention Research Center Director Deborah Ehrenthal, MD, MPH, published a new study in the journal Pediatrics. “Infant Mortality in Rural and Nonrural Counties in the United States”, co-authored by Hsiang-Hui Daphne Kuo and Russell S. Kirby, uses a social-ecological framework to explain infant mortali... more

Women’s Healthcast: Green discusses economic policy and health

Economic policy has a significant effect on our individual health. And policies are not always equitable. Tiffany Green, PhD, of the UW Ob-Gyn Division of Reproductive and Population Health, joined the Women's Healthcast to discuss ways systems and structures affect health: how health and economic security are cyclically linked, how COVID-19 has highlighted many structural ... more

Green writes about health disparities and election platforms in Medical News Today

Health care and reproductive health are important issues for many voters heading into the 2020 presidential election. In Medical News Today, Tiffany Green, PhD, of the UW Ob-Gyn Division of Reproductive and Population Health, evaluates policy platforms in terms of how they might affect maternal and infant health disparities. “What will the US election mean for Black-white d... more

Green co-chairs Black Maternal and Child Health Alliance of Dane County

Tiffany Green, PhD, of the UW Ob-Gyn Division of Reproductive and Population Health and UW-Madison Department of Population Health Sciences, was recently announced as co-chair of the Black Maternal and Child Health Alliance of Dane County. Congratulations, Dr. Green!The group will focus on improving rates of low birth weight and infant mortality for Black babies in Dane Coun... more

Higgins published in Contraception

UW Collaborative for Reproductive Equity Director Jenny Higgins, PhD published the article “Beyond Safety and Efficacy: Sexuality-Related Priorities and Their Associations with Contraceptive Method Selection” in Contraception!In the study, Higgins and colleagues assessed contraceptive preferences in people selecting new methods, and gauged whether (and to what degree) sexual... more

Brown, Schmuhl published in Journal of the American Geriatrics Society

Heidi Brown, MD, of the UW Ob-Gyn Division of Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery, and Nicholas Schmuhl, PhD, of the UW Ob-Gyn Division of Reproductive and Population Health, published the article “After the Randomized Trial: Implementation of Community‐Based Continence Promotion in the Real World” in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society!The study gat... more

Green publishes op-ed on implicit bias trainings in Scientific American

Tiffany Green, PhD, of the UW Ob-Gyn Division of Reproductive and Population Health, co-authored an editorial in Scientific American on the difference between intent and impact of implicit bias training.In “The Problem with Implicit Bias Training”, Green argues that, though implicit bias training is often a go-to option for organizations working to address racism, we lack th... more