Shayesteh Jahanfar
Central Michigan University, USA
Scientific Tracks Abstracts: Reprod Syst Sex Disord
Reproductive health is a dynamic part of our lives with a broad spectrum of events. The study of twins can assist in investigating the relationship between environmental and hereditary causes of reproductive behavior, which would otherwise be difficult if not impossible to study. This descriptive study of the reproductive health of twins, investigated the heritability of qualitative and quantitative measured variables related to the reproductive behavior of adult twins. Subjects included 193 identical and non-identical twins, 15 years of age and above. Both basic and modern genetic analyses were adopted for analysis. Basic genetic analysis for variables related to reproductive behavior revealed that age of first pregnancy, number of pregnancies and age of first marriage were under genetic influence. Probandwise concordance rate analysis showed higher similarity between identical twins in adopting correct reproductive behavior such as undergoing pap smears and using family planning techniques. Model fitting analysis supported these findings. We concluded that genetic variation exists in individual differences in the reproductive behavior of young adults. It is recommended that genetic dispositions be incorporated into integrated models of sexual behavior to facilitate more effective health promotion and risk taking intervention.
Shayesteh Jahanfar is a Reproductive Epidemiologist with grounding in Public Health and Biostatistics. She completed her first PhD in Obstetrics and Gynecology from the University of New South Wales, Australia (1995) and her second PhD in Epidemiology and Healthcare from the University of British Columbia, Canada (2016). She has 23 years of academic experience in Reproductive Health and over 70 peer reviewed publications. Her research focuses on Reproductive Health, Women and Children’s Health, and Genetic Versus Environment Studies. She has established a number of twin studies in Australia, Malaysia, and Canada. She has conducted several epidemiological studies and produced over 15 systematic reviews in the areas of HIV/AIDS, Domestic Violence, Family Planning, Ultrasound Screening and Breastfeeding.
Email:jahan2s@cmich.edu
