Keynote speaches
Väisänen, Heini. When a pregnancy does not end in a live birth: quantifying the untold stories of sexual and reproductive health.
British Society for Population Research Annual Conference, Invited Early Career Plenary, online, September 2021.
Abstract
Fertility is one of the core topics of demographic research, but less attention has been paid to researching pregnancies that do not end in live births. In my presentation, I argue that an understanding of full pregnancy histories, their causes, consequences and contexts are important for a comprehensive understanding of fertility behaviour, and the life courses of those who can become pregnant. I discuss how stigmatisation and data gaps affect the study of induced abortions and miscarriages particularly when using quantitative methods. I summarise what is already known and what remains to be discovered thus suggesting directions for future research.
Väisänen, Heini. A life course perspective to fertility and women’s health.
University of Exeter Q-estival, Invited plenary, Exeter, United Kingdom, September 2019.
Abstract
We know less about the life course determinants of women’s than men’s health. Traditional life course epidemiology tends to focus on key elements of male life course (e.g. work history), but family events are often ignored. First, work history may have a different effect on women’s than men’s health outcomes. Second, family and pregnancy histories can affect women’s mental and physical health outcomes directly and indirectly e.g. through social determinants of health, stress, and support from social networks. I will discuss how timing of pregnancies affects socioeconomic outcomes; the importance of family and fertility events on mental wellbeing in later life; and the effect of pregnancy history on physical health among post-menopausal women. Evidence spans countries such as Finland, the UK and Indonesia. Finally, I will outline the main research gaps and give suggestions for future studies.
Invited seminars
2023
Väisänen, Heini and Katherine Keenan. “Social inequalities in the risk of miscarriage in the United Kingdom.” Centre for Research on Families and Relationships, University of Oxford, January 2023.
2022
Väisänen, Heini and Katherine Keenan. “Social inequalities in the risk of miscarriage in the United Kingdom.” Quantitative Social Science (QSS) Seminar, University College London, UK, June 2022.
2021
Väisänen, Heini. Social Inequalities in the Risk and Aftermath of Miscarriage. INED Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights unit seminar, December 2021.
Väisänen, Heini and Ewa Batyra. “The Effect of Birth Intention Status on Maternal and Child Outcomes in 59 Low- and Middle-Income Countries. A fixed effects analysis.” Family lunch seminar, University of Southampton, UK, January 2022.
Väisänen, Heini, Hanna Remes and Pekka Martikainen. “Is healthy immigrant a wealthy immigrant? Migrant women’s reproductive health in Finland in 2000-17.” Midi de la Recherche, Université Catholique de Louvain, Belgium, November 2021.
Väisänen, Heini, A.M. Moore, O. Owolabi, M. Stillman, A. Fatusi and A. Akinyemi. “Sexual and reproductive health literacy, misoprostol knowledge and use of medication abortion in Lagos State, Nigeria: A mixed methods study.” INED Demography of the Global South unit seminar, May 2021.
Väisänen, Heini, A.M. Moore, O. Owolabi, M. Stillman, A. Fatusi and A. Akinyemi. “Sexual and reproductive health literacy, misoprostol knowledge and use of medication abortion in Lagos State, Nigeria: A mixed methods study.” Déj’Cryptage séminaire by Agence Française de Développement, Paris, France, May 2021.
Väisänen, Heini, Hanna Remes and Pekka Martikainen. “Is healthy immigrant a wealthy immigrant? Migrant women’s reproductive health in Finland in 2000-17.” INED Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights unit seminar, April 2021.
Väisänen, Heini. “What is FemQuant?” Family lunch seminar, University of Southampton, UK, February 2021.
2020
Väisänen, Heini, Hanna Remes and Pekka Martikainen. “Is healthy immigrant a wealthy immigrant? Migrant women’s reproductive health in Finland in 2000-17.” Family lunch seminar, University of Southampton, UK, October 2020.
Väisänen, Heini, Hanna Remes and Pekka Martikainen. “Birth and pregnancy complications among migrant women by socioeconomic status in Finland 2007-17.” Family lunch seminar, University of Southampton, UK, February 2020.
2019
Väisänen, Heini, A.M. Moore, O. Owolabi, M. Stillman, A. Fatusi and A. Akinyemi. “Health literacy and knowledge of misoprostol among women obtaining medication abortions in Lagos.” Human Rights, Reproduction, and Maternal Health Workshop, University of Southampton, UK, May 2019.
2018
Väisänen, Heini, A.M. Moore, O. Owolabi, M. Stillman, A. Fatusi and A. Akinyemi. “Understanding misoprostol use and health literacy among women obtaining abortions in Lagos, Nigeria.” Family lunch seminar, University of Southampton, UK, November 2018.
Väisänen, Heini, A.M. Moore, O. Owolabi, M. Stillman, A. Fatusi and A. Akinyemi. “Health literacy and managing medication abortion in Lagos, Nigeria.” Guttmacher Institute Brown Bag, New York, US, November 2018.
2017
Väisänen, Heini. “Does the association between teen births/abortions and own SES vary by parental background?” Family lunch seminar, University of Southampton, UK, January 2017.
2016
Väisänen, Heini, Päivikki Koponen, Mika Gissler and Osmo Kontula. “Contraceptive use among migrant women with a history of induced abortions in Finland.” Department of Social Statistics and Demography Student-Staff seminar, University of Southampton, UK, December 2016.
Väisänen, Heini. “Do adolescent births and abortions mediate the pathway from parents’ to own socioeconomic position?” Family lunch seminar, University of Southampton, UK, March 2016.
Väisänen, Heini. “A Life Course Perspective to Abortion in Finland.” Department of Social Statistics and Demography Student-Staff seminar, University of Southampton, UK, January 2016.
2014
Väisänen, Heini and Rachel K. Jones. “Using Panel Data to Examine Pregnancy Avoidance over Time.” LSE Population Brown Bag seminar, London, UK, October 2014.
Väisänen, Heini. “The association between socioeconomic characteristics and induced abortion in Finland: a cohort perspective.” Guttmacher Institute Brown Bag, New York, US, May 2014.
Väisänen, Heini. “The Association between Education and Induced Abortion in Finland: A Cohort Perspective.” LSE Population Brown Bag seminar, London, UK, March 2014.
2013
Väisänen, Heini. “The Wonderland of Statistics? History, access and uses of Finnish register data.” University of Goldsmiths’ Sociology Seminar series, London, United Kingdom, October 2013.
Heini Väisänen 