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Building from a panel at the 2022 National Communication Association (NCA) annual convention, the present article seeks to ground communication studies/sciences as central to interdisciplinary conversations surrounding sexuality education and communication. Communication is integral to sexuality education, and topics of communication, sex, and sexuality education are researched across disciplines. Still, research on sexuality education within communication studies remains under-attended, and interdisciplinary sexuality education research remains siloed by academic discipline. Presenting a forum featuring both emerging and leading scholars in the field of communication researching sex(uality) education, the present article seeks to establish the academic discipline of communication as integral to research on sexuality education. To do so, we first discuss communication as an academic discipline and its advancements in sexuality education research. Next, communication scholars offer their expertise in sex(uality education) communication topics including family conversations, cultural influence, health inequities in education, and medicine. Collectively, these perspectives offer an understanding of current sexual health research in the field of communication, as well as next steps through direct application to conversations about sex, improvement to our medical and education systems, and community-based education and intervention. It is our hope that this article fosters a larger conversation about the importance of communication (studies/sciences) in sexuality education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When conducting research on sensitive topics, it is challenging to use new methods of data collection given the apprehensions of Institutional Review Boards (IRBs). This is especially worrying because sensitive topics of research often require novel approaches. In this article a brief personal history of navigating the IRB process for conducting sex communication research is presented, along with data from a survey that tested the assumptions long held by many IRBs. Results support some of the assumptions IRBs hold about sex communication research, but do not support some other assumptions. (Contains 3 tables.)

This paper explores auto-photography as a form of research practice in the area of identity and self-esteem research. It allows researchers to capture and articulate the ways identity guides human action and thought. It involves the generation and examination of the static images that participants themselves believe best represent them. Auto-photography is an important tool for building bridges with marginalized groups in the research process, since it offers researchers a way to let participants speak for themselves. Furthermore, by using this method researchers can avoid exclusive reliance on survey questionnaires and other such research instruments that may be culturally biased. I present two research projects using auto-photography: one involving adolescent Latina girls and one involving Indian women. Based on the experience of these projects, I discuss auto-photography's importance in identity and self-esteem research. Finally, I discuss some of the benefits and challenges of working with this method. (Contains 1 table.)

The purpose of the activity described here is to integrate McGregor's Theory X and Theory Y into a group application: design a syllabus that embodies either Theory X or Theory Y tenets. Students should be able to differentiate between Theory X and Theory Y, create a syllabus based on Theory X or Theory Y tenets, evaluate the different syllabi created by the class, and draw conclusions about organizational communication based on Theory X and Theory Y. Moreover, this activity will challenge student assumptions about ontology and epistemology, and the reasons they are in college. Students will theorize why professors employ certain pedagogical approaches. This activity is intended for the following courses: Introduction to Organizational Communication, Introduction to Communication Studies, and Communication Theory.

The current research project is an exploration of male interpersonal communication about sex in Puerto Rico. This study looks at how, when, and why men talk (or do not talk) about sex; particularly with their partners. Attention is given to interpersonal, communicative, and cultural aspects of sex and safe sex practices of Puerto Rican men. Seventeen heterosexual Puerto Rican men participated in this study. Overall, the ability to have meaningful communication about sex and take recommended precautions for safe sex (i.e., monogamy, discussion of previous sexual partners, and condom use) is limited, according to the participants. Keywords: interpersonal communication, sex, safe sex, sexual partners, The geographical nature of Puerto Rico as an island presents unique intricacies that need to be considered in research. While there are many studies of sexuality that include Puerto Rican [...]

The manner in which word-of-mouth (WOM) marketing agents perceive communication quality, value, impact, relational change and conversational control in everyday and WOM episodes is discussed. The conversational geography of WOM marketing episodes is analyzed to identify differences related to the institutional nature of the WOM, sex of respondent, conversational partner and relationship type.

Research on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on communication on Tinder is presented in this article. This research examines reported changes in communication about sex and health during COVID-19 and the potential implications of those changes on hookup culture and sexual health communication beyond the pandemic. Data from 29 in-depth qualitative interviews with 20 female and 9 male college students are reported. Results include discussion of how college students are managing uncertainty, particularly uncertainty about health status, changes in communication and information-seeking strategies, different COVID-19 safety measures they have employed, and the future impact on communication about sexual health post-COVID-19. Participants in this study use uncertainty reduction communication strategies to gauge whether the risks of remaining on Tinder or meeting in person are worth the benefit. Results show that the quality and quantity of communication around first time in-person meetings have been modified, as the traditional public spaces for meeting have been reduced or eliminated and replaced by private spaces. Participants stated that they communicate more frequently and more directly about health, sexual health, and infection transmission. Finally, results indicate that participants have a strong desire to be more cautious and cognizant of health and safety in the future by using some of the communication strategies they developed during COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As nurses’ communication is essential to prevent, intercept, and resolve medical mistakes, it is important to understand how they learn to communicate about medical errors. In this study, we identify memorable messages about communicating about mistakes that nursing students receive during their training and how they make sense of these messages. Data were acquired through individual interviews with 68 nursing students. The data were analyzed using a thematic constant comparative method. While open and honest communication about medical errors was the overarching message participants formally and informally learned, for nursing students, communicating about medical errors is a much more complex process than using open and honest communication. When dealing with medical errors, nursing students relied on three major memorable messages to guide their communication: (a) Not everyone hears about errors, (b) hierarchy matters, and (c) passive communication is the best way to interrupt or report an error. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The ways providers story their mistake experiences help to explain how providers understand medical errors and how they communicate about those errors. Communication scholars have slowly begun to explore the communicative nature of medical error experiences, with communication research becoming more abundant over the past few years. Missing from this discussion is how students in health professions, in this case nursing students, tell medical errors narratives and how the stories help them determine how to respond to mistakes. In this article, we explore how nursing students narrativize their medical errors experiences during clinicals. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 68 nursing students. The interviews were transcribed and resulted in a total of 1,261 single-spaced pages of data. We found that nursing students told three different narratives: (a) the “save the day” narrative, (b) the “silence” narrative, and (c) the “not always right” narrative. Finally, we discuss the implications of these narratives and their impact on nursing education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the Institute of Medicine's landmark report on medical mistakes, To Err Is Human, was published, considerable attention has been given to training medical professionals about medical mistakes. However, little research has been conducted to explore the experiences of nursing students with mistakes made during their clinical rotations. If nurse educators are to teach nursing students how to deal with mistakes appropriately, it is necessary to have a more complete understanding of the types of mistakes nursing students make during their training, how and if they communicate about their mistakes, and students' perceptions of how prepared they were to address the mistakes. Greater knowledge in this area will help nurse educators better prepare nursing students to intercept and report mistakes. This article presents research results from three components of a larger qualitative research study that explored the socialization processes of nursing students in regard to medical mistakes. [J Nurs Educ. 2014;53(3,Suppl.):S34-S37.] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the accounts of 27 medical residents regarding how they make sense of their feelings about medical malpractice lawsuits and communication strategies to deal with mistakes. The study uncovered 4 distinct ways residents discursively constructed lawsuits—as inevitable, as recourse, as the result of unrealistic expectations, and as a gamble—and the implications of each construction. Further, the analysis suggests that it is essential to understand the role of the medical hierarchy and the resident–attending physician relationship to understand how residents make sense of their feelings toward lawsuits and strategies used to handle mistakes and the threat of lawsuits. The article concludes with implications for people supervising medical residents and for risk managers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This multimethod study explored challenges faced by women in close heterosexual relationships who decided to test for HIV, and their experiences with instituting safer sexual practices and partner testing. Eighty-one women who sought HIV counseling and testing and had a regular male sexual partner were interviewed on five occasions, and 18 of these women and 15 men later took part in one of four focus groups (women only, men only, or couples). Findings identified difficulty understanding the unpredictability of HIV transmission, gender differences in how partners interpret their susceptibility to HIV, and male resistance to safer sex and testing. We also identified a pervasive phenomenon of “testing by proxy”—the belief that if one partner tests negative for HIV after having unprotected intercourse, the untested partner's serostatus is deemed to be negative. This dangerous practice must be addressed in public health prevention efforts. Programs aiming to reduce heterosexual HIV risk for women must include their male partners and incorporate effective interpersonal communication skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies involving minority populations and safer sex have traditionally been approached from a public health perspective as a way to identify cultural and gender variables that can be used to quantify unsafe behaviors. This article offers a critical reflection on the process of conducting research in cross-cultural settings, exploring both participant and researcher concerns. Data were collected through an in-depth qualitative research study that investigated communication about sex in the relational lives of more than 40 adult men and women in Puerto Rico. The focus of this article is to explore the level of awareness of participants regarding the cultural and gender limitations of communication in their particular cultural context. Three major themes are reviewed, addressing the areas that participants identified as problematic: the teasing/joking attitude regarding sexual relationships; the need to create more open, honest communication with partners; and needed societal level changes involving machismo and institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Currently, widespread HIV testing is the best preventive action against further spread of the HIV epidemic. However, over 40% of the U.S. population has never been tested for HIV and 25% of those with HIV have never been tested. To increase testing rates, in 2006 the CDC advised healthcare settings to conduct testing on an opt-out basis., Methods: Qualitative, semi-structured interviews with ten seropositive patients and ten seronegative were conducted to address the lack of studies investigating patients' acceptance of and attitude towards this and more novel testing models, e.g. incentivized or anonymous mandatory testing. Participants were asked about their HIV testing history and attitudes towards opt-out, incentivized, and mandatory anonymous HIV testing., Results: Major themes were identified using grounded theory data analysis. All participants were receptive to opt-out testing, and saw the removal of separate written consent as beneficial as long as patients were given the opportunity to consent in some form., Conclusion: Ultimately, both mandatory and opt-out testing were equally indicated by participants as being the most effective testing model at increasing testing rates. A firm understanding of patients' perspectives allows for development of effective HIV testing initiatives that are patient-sensitive and can substantially reduce HIV infection rates.

Medication errors are a serious and costly problem. This study focuses on the socialization of pharmacy students regarding medication errors. The qualitative interview protocol contained 28 questions on topics such as communication-related medication errors and training on how to handle medication errors. In-depth interviews were conducted with 44 students enrolled in a 6-year entry-level pharmacy program. Five main themes emerged regarding medication errors and communication: (a) pressure to be perfect, (b) feeling comfortable talking about mistakes, (c) assuming and communicating responsibility for mistakes, (d) learning how processes can contribute to errors and their prevention, and (e) inadequate and inconsistent training on how to handle medication errors. Study results indicate that pharmacy students experience both incomplete and inconsistent socialization to the role of communication in medication errors and in their prevention.

Efforts to use information technology (IT) to link pediatric primary care patients in the home with their clinicians have been rudimentary to date. We have developed a model information system that uses a ubiquitous user-interface, the telephone, and the electronic health record (EHR) to support health behavior change and weight loss for overweight urban children and their parents. In this paper, we present the technical architecture and underlying psychological theories used to build the system.