A UCLA Fielding School of Public Health group has been awarded an NIH grant to study Asian immigrant women.

Dr. May Sudinarast, UCLA Fielding School of Public Health Associate Professor and Vice Chair of the Department of Community Health Sciences will lead a multi-year study focusing on the sexuality and reproductive health of Asian immigrant women in the US.

The $3 million study, designed to span five years in California, New York, Texas and Georgia, was funded by the National Institutes of Health, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The first grant for $640,606 was awarded by the NIH in September.

“Asian immigrant women report a greater chance of unintended pregnancy and are less likely to use sexual and reproductive health care compared to their U.S.-born counterparts, but they are often left unaddressed by policy,” Sudhiraseth said. “Our goal in this project is to provide comprehensive sexual and reproductive health data among diverse Asian immigrant women, which is critical to ensuring reproductive justice at a time when Asian women are under attack from multiple fronts.”

Today, there are over 20 million Asian Americans and Asians in America, 60% of whom are immigrants, and Asians are the fastest growing racial/ethnic group. By 2055, this demographic is expected to surpass Latinos as the largest immigrant group in the country. This includes 1.5 million undocumented Asians, who face more barriers to access than their registered peers.

“Asians and Asians in America are very different from Americans who came to America with their 19 ancestors.^Th century to the most recent immigrants; From Citizens to Undocumented; And from poor people to rich people and everything in between,” said Dr. Gilbert Gee, UCLA Fielding Professor of Public Health and Chair of the Department of Community Health Sciences. “Historically, national health statistics have often relegated Asians to the ‘other’ category or excluded them entirely, so one of the issues we’re trying to address is disaggregating data, so public health professionals can address problems and provide solutions that are focused and effective.”

The research project on Asian American and Pacific Islander (API) women is a joint effort of UCLA’s Fielding School, UC Irvine, Rutgers University, and the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF).

“There is a significant lack of information on the unique and interconnected life experiences of Asian American and Pacific Islander women, particularly the barriers that immigrant women face in accessing sexual and reproductive health services,” said NAPAWF Executive Director Sung Yoon Choimoro. “NAPAWF partnered with UCLA on this study to uncover the needs of API subgroups and strengthen the ability of API organizations to better serve the realities and needs of our community.”

Along with Sudinaraset and Gee, participating UCLA faculty include Dr. Jessica Gipson, the Fred H. Bixby Chair in Public and Reproductive Health, and Dr. Katherine Crespin, professor of biostatistics.

Sudinaraset is a faculty member with the UCLA Bixby Center for Population and Reproductive Health and has taught at the university since 2017. She received her Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins University in 2011.

In the year Founded in 1961, the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health is committed to advancing public health by conducting innovative research, training future leaders and health professionals from diverse backgrounds, translating research into policy and practice, and serving local communities and communities. Country and world. The school has 761 students from 26 nationalities to fulfill its vision of building a healthy future in greater Los Angeles, California, the nation and the world.