Lawrence O. Bryant

Association Between Exposure to Secondhand Smoke During Pregnancy and Low Birthweight: A Narrative Review

Exposure to secondhand smoke (SHS) during pregnancy may have adverse effects on the mother and infant. This study investigates the association of maternal exposure to SHS with low birthweight (LBW) in infants. Smoking during pregnancy has been linked to multiple complications for both mother and infant. To examine association of LBW and environmental tobacco smoke exposure during pregnancy, we reviewed 20 articles. Articles were accessed using the following electronic databases: CINAHL Plus with full text (EBSCO), PubMed, Embase, and MEDLINE. The findings of this review revealed that maternal exposure to environmental smoke is correlated with LBW in infants as well as numerous other adverse effects. The majority of the studies found negative consequences of SHS on the birthweight of infants born to nonsmoking women. Thus, this review helps to confirm the association between maternal exposure to SHS and LBW in infants.

Becoming Down Low: A Review of the Literature on Black Men Who Have Sex With Men and Women

The popular media has reinforced stereotypes of the down-low identity and Black men who have sex with men (BMSM) and women as being synonymous and directly responsible for the increased HIV infection rates among Black women in the United States. This review of literature found that the down-low identity was most often classified with the other MSM activities. HIV/AIDS were also closely associated with the down-low identity in much of the literature, either directly or indirectly. Results from this systematic literature, however, failed to support claims that risky sexual behaviors were directly associated with the down-low identity. None of the literature reviewed considered BMSM and womens gender expression within a bisexual context. Instead, this literature review generated new questions pertaining to the reductive manner in which Western societies organize BMSM and womens sexual identities, behaviors, and expressions.