Understanding how child sexual abuse affects women's fertility and pregnancies
Impacts and mechanisms of child sexual abuse in women's impaired fecundity and pregnancy outcomes
This project aims to understand how experiencing child sexual abuse might affect a woman's ability to get pregnant and have healthy pregnancies.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Johns Hopkins University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Baltimore, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11159713 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Many women who experienced child sexual abuse face challenges with their reproductive health. Previous research hasn't fully explored how the timing, length, or combination of abuse types might influence these health issues. This project will look closely at existing health information to see how child sexual abuse impacts fertility, pregnancy outcomes, and preterm births. We also want to discover if factors like chronic inflammation or mental health challenges play a role in these connections. By filling these knowledge gaps, we hope to better support survivors.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: This research focuses on understanding the experiences of women who have survived child sexual abuse and their reproductive health journeys.
Not a fit: Patients who have not experienced child sexual abuse or are not concerned about reproductive health outcomes may not directly benefit from this specific research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to better ways to identify and support women who experienced child sexual abuse and are facing reproductive health challenges.
How similar studies have performed: While previous work has shown associations, this project aims to address limitations in past research by more thoroughly accounting for various factors and exploring underlying biological and psychosocial mechanisms.
Where this research is happening
Baltimore, United States
- Johns Hopkins University — Baltimore, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Assini-Meytin, Luciana C — Johns Hopkins University
- Study coordinator: Assini-Meytin, Luciana C
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.