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The purpose of this study was to assess reproductive health professionals’ familiarity with and use of various electronic technologies to support health promotion. The study also examined the relationship between demographic characteristics and attitudes and beliefs of the effectiveness of new technologies and perceived barriers for usage. A total of 165 reproductive health professionals at two conferences related to reproductive health in the United States completed the study survey. Personal and organizational factors affected the adoption of electronic technologies for health promotion. This included lack of knowledge, skills, and confidence as well as privacy concerns. The results of the study also suggested that being from an older generation was associated with having lower levels of knowledge, skills, and confidence in using new media. These findings highlight the importance of creating learning opportunities on the use of new technology for health promotion as well as addressing specific perceived barriers among reproductive health professionals in order to promote the adoption of these technologies.

Objective. Adolescents and young adults remain at high risk for new HIV infections and for unknowingly transmitting the virus to others. Yet, they have demonstrated low rates of testing due to barriers such as stigma and difficulty accessing testing services. Few existing programs have successfully integrated family planning and HIV care services to improve testing and diagnosis rates among young adults and adolescents, particularly those of minority groups. This study describes the process of implementing HIV services into family planning clinics and how to train staff in routine, opt-out testing. Methods. This study used HIV screening data from 10 family planning clinics serving adolescents and young adults in Houston, Texas. A total of 34,299 patients were tested for HIV during a 48-month study period, from January 2010 through December 2014. Results. Patients tested included minors Conclusion. Routine, opt-out HIV testing integrated into family planning clinics increased rates of testing acceptance, receipt of test results, and HIV-positive diagnoses among adolescents and young adults.

The objective of this study was to assess the overall health, including sexual and reproductive health (SRH) knowledge and needs, sexual behaviors, and testicular health practices among young minority males. Anonymous questionnaires were administered to 18- to 25-year-old males receiving services at health clinics in a large southwestern U.S. city. The survey was completed by 258 males with a mean age of 20.8 years. Most young males (67.1%) identified as African American, and 32.9% as Hispanic. Results suggest study participants lack SRH knowledge related to pregnancy and condom effectiveness, and engage in risky sexual behavior including not using birth control at their last sexual encounter. Although 21.6% of participants had a sexually transmitted infection (STI) in the past year, approximately 80% perceived their STI/HIV risk as very low or low. Respondents had low engagement and lack of knowledge of testicular health practices. The majority of respondents (71.1%) reported having been in a physical fight one or more times and 18.1% reported being victims of intimate partner violence. These data support a need for comprehensive health services for minority young males.

Health care utilization of reproductive health care services among males is an emerging issue. This study examined ethnicity as a factor in reproductive health care utilization among 1,606 African American and Hispanic young males attending family planning clinics. Seventy percent were African American and 30% were Hispanic. Across groups, the most received service was treatment for a sexually transmitted infection (STI). African American males were more likely than Hispanic males to have health insurance, report a prior visit to a family planning/STI clinic, and have a history of an STI. Hispanic males had higher rates of employment. The most common source of referral for family planning services for both groups was either a current girlfriend or female friend. Hispanic males were more likely to use family as a referral source than African American males. Differences were also noted in regard to interest in health topics with African American males most interested in STI prevention and getting a job and Hispanic males in services related to working-out/eating well, controlling anger, feeling depressed, and getting along with family. Young males’ perceptions of what they consider to be important health care needs should be assessed carefully in order to maintain their interest in returning to the clinics.

The purpose of this study was to examine ethnic and marital status differences in family structure, risk behaviors and service requests among African American and Hispanic adolescent fathers participating in a community-based fatherhood program. Demographic factors, risk behaviors, and service requests were gathered at program entry. The results indicated that each group demonstrated distinct patterns associated with family structure, sexual risk behaviors, substance use, and criminal behavior. In comparison to African American fathers, Hispanic fathers were younger and were more likely to be married and present at the delivery of their child. African American fathers reported having more children than Hispanic fathers. Disparities in school-related measures were also found, with African American fathers having higher high school graduation rates than Hispanic fathers. The impact of marriage on risk behaviors had mixed results. Services requests were similar for both groups. The finding that different ethnic groups have specific patterns of risk behaviors highlights the importance of considering the ethnic composition of a population when developing future research and interventions.

Introduction: Harris County, Texas is the 3rd largest county in the United States, and home to a large ratio of racial/ethnic minorities and immigrants. It has one of the highest rates of cervical cancer, where nearly all cases are caused by human papillomavirus (HPV), with the incidence rate highest among African Americans and Hispanics/Latinos. A wealth of medical resources exist, yet HPV-related cancers have failed to improve over the past 10 years. Youth are particularly at risk for HPV infection and are more likely to not receive the HPV vaccine. The aim of this research was to better understand the factors influencing HPV vaccination among youth in Harris County and to develop an evidence-based approach to improve vaccine uptake. Methods: A socio-ecological framework was used to identify key stakeholders. Data was collected using a mixed methods approach between October 2014 and October 2015 in Harris County, Texas. One focus group and 31 focused interviews were conducted with parents of 5-18 year old children. Seven key informant interviews were conducted with school nurses; a political leader; and health professionals from adolescent health clinics, pediatric hospitals, health centers, community-based organizations (CBOs), and medical institutions. Three community advisory board (CAB) meetings were held with school nurses and board members; physicians; and health professionals from health departments, CBOs, and educational and advocacy organizations. Results: Parents Most parents lacked knowledge of HPV and the vaccine. Many felt the best way to receive education was from their providers. Others expressed interest in receiving education from schools, the media, seminars, and community involvement. Spanish-speaking parents emphasized the need for more linguistically appropriate literature. Some parents voiced discomfort with vaccinating 9-12 year olds, mainly due to safety concerns and vaccine efficacy. Physicians' recommendations were an influential factor in some parents' decision making regarding vaccination. Other key stakeholders Lack of education about HPV infection and the vaccine was cited as a major barrier to vaccination. CAB participants often felt misinformed by their providers, and stated some physicians lack time to hold discussions and fail to provide confident recommendations. Perceived negative side effects; cultural and religious beliefs; lack of reminders for the 2nd and 3rd doses; and labeling the vaccine as a cervical cancer and sexual vaccine were noted as other barriers. Health clinics felt some providers' recommendation approaches were a barrier. Mistrust of the healthcare system was reported as common in Hispanic/Latino communities, and lack of engagement in preventable activities was described as common in African American and immigrant communities. It was stressed that education targeting parents, use of the opt-out approach for provider recommendations, and promoting the vaccine as a cancer-prevention vaccine are essential to increasing HPV vaccine uptake. Conclusions: Comprehensive educational interventions at the provider-, school-, and community-level are needed to ensure that physicians, parents, patients, and educators receive accurate information. Provider trainings can equip physicians with the accurate knowledge needed to make confident recommendations; emphasize use of the opt-out approach for recommendations; and provide them with multilingual educational materials to share with parents and patients. Collaborative efforts with school board members and parent organizations/associations can encourage inclusion of HPV in the curriculum, and foster discussions among parents and educators. Community-based interventions should focus on innovative, culturally-appropriate ways to disseminate education messages in medically, underserved communities. Citation Format: Aba Coleman, Marva Mallory, Jane Montealegre, Peggy Smith, Ruth Buzi, Michael Scheurer, Maria Daheri, Maria Jibaja-Weiss, Matthew Anderson. Understanding the influential factors to human papillomavirus vaccination among youth in Harris County, Texas: A qualitative study. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Ninth AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2016 Sep 25-28; Fort Lauderdale, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2017;26(2 Suppl):Abstract nr A46.