SEXGEN LAB

Reconceptualizing Gender & Health Project

Reconceptualizing Gender & Health, a project of the SexGen Lab, is exploring how people’s gender identity and experiences influence their health in both positive and negative ways. We are particularly interested in the repercussions other people and institutions create when we conform and don’t conform to gender expectations. We are conducting interviews with people with a wide-range of gender and health experiences with the goal of creating more inclusive and structural focused research tools and interventions to combat gendered health inequity.

Reconceptualizing Gender & Health is funded by a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Foundation.

Want more information? Please email rgh-sgl@sp2.upenn.edu.

Want to Participate

Community Commitment

What will the interview be like?

The Reconceptualizing Gender & Health interview is an informal, guided conversation with a member of our team about your gender experiences and how you think they have affected your health. You decide what specific information you want to share and how you want to tell your story! We are interested in talking with folks of all genders and all health experiences. The length of the interview will depend on how much information you want to share and the amount of time you have. They average about 1 to 1-1/2 hours. The interviews are done on zoom or the phone, at a time that’s convenient for you. We can provide assistive support, including ASL interpreters. You will receive a $100 gift card for your time and be offered a transcript of the interview.

Informed Consent

What’s a collective dialogue memo?

Developed by Jennifer E. James, a collective dialogue brings together participants and the person who conducted their interview to clarify and enrich the information shared during the interview. Each interview participant will have the opportunity to clarify and react to a one-page reflection of their interview. Not only is this an opportunity to deepen the conversation after time to reflect on the interview, but also brings people who have been interviewed into the theorizing process. Responding to the memo is completely voluntary – you do not have to agree to participate in the collective dialogue to be interviewed.

What is the RGH quantitative survey?

Building upon the in-depth interviews, RGH is conducting a quantitative survey with 800 people from the community to determine how widespread and salient the components of the RGH model are across age and gender identities. Participants will be over the age of 18 and live in the U.S. There is not open-enrollment for the survey but do watch for findings coming early summer!

Our Team

Anne Esacove (she/her)

Principal Investigator/Interviewer

Having grown up in suburban Los Angeles, I lived much of my life being told I was a failure of a cis-girl/cis-woman. After years of ill-health and disregard in biomedical health care settings, I’ve found relief in somatic and integrative health modalities. Swimming, getting my hands in the soil, and fiber arts also always helps.

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Janelle Purnell (she/her)

Research Coordinator

Janelle is the research coordinator for the RGH project. Her professional background is in clinical research trials, particularly device trials. Now she is broadening her experience into qualitative research outside of hospital settings. Outside of work Janelle is an avid sci-fi reader (especially Afrofuturism) and enjoys both TTRPGs and video games.

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Tristen Maxwell Rafuse (he/him)

Research Assistant

Tristen is a research assistant for the RGH project and a current MSW student at the University of Pennsylvania. Coming from Texas to study and do research, Tristen is interested in exploring how gender, LGBTQ+ identities, and public policy intersect and how to create a kinder and more equitable world for all. In his free time, Tristen loves to play Fortnite and watch romcoms with his fiancé and dog.

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Nia Simmons (they/them)

Interviewer

I am a recent graduate from the Bloustein School at Rutgers University where I received a Bachelors in Science in Public Health with a concentration in health disparities. I am a current MFT student at Drexel’s School of Nursing and Health Professions. As a family and couples therapist in training, I am focused on creating and sustaining liberatory and holistic forms of interpersonal care for queer and trans people. I write and spend time working with plants as ways to stay embodied and grounded.

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