Coley, Jade
(2014)
Sexual and reproductive health care access for African American sexual minority women.
Master's Thesis, University of Pittsburgh.
(Unpublished)
Abstract
Background: African American sexual minority women (AA SMW) face several layers of discrimination when seeking healthcare. Chronic stress and existing health disparities slow access to health care. Discrimination is most clearly shown in obtaining timely preventative screenings and having pertinent sexual and reproductive health care information. This review investigated the current state of, as well as the barriers and facilitators to, sexual and reproductive health care quality and access for AA SMW.
Methods: A review of the literature was conducted using nine Boolean search terms in the PubMed database. Studies were included if they contained results related to the population and health outcomes described above.
Results: AA SMW are about a third less likely than heterosexual African Americans to have health insurance. A substantial portion of AA SMW do not disclose their sexual behaviors/orientation to their health care provider. To date, there is no existing literature on HPV vaccination specific to AA SMW. Mammogram uptake was higher than expected, indicating a need to investigate resiliency factors for AA SMW. The public health significance of this thesis is presented in the discussion of the results, which suggest the most promising intervention strategies for increasing health care access for AA SMW.
Conclusions: Interventions should aim to improve the patient-provider relationship for AA SMW, while also empowering AA SMW to disclose their sexual behaviors and request screenings. Further, accessible, culturally relevant sexual and reproductive health care information is needed for AA SMW. Future research should inquire about sexual behavior as well as identity. Future interventions should be adapted interventions that have proven to be successful with African American heterosexual women.
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Details
| Item Type: |
University of Pittsburgh ETD
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| Status: |
Unpublished |
| Creators/Authors: |
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| ETD Committee: |
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| Date: |
27 June 2014 |
| Date Type: |
Publication |
| Defense Date: |
26 March 2014 |
| Approval Date: |
27 June 2014 |
| Submission Date: |
6 April 2014 |
| Access Restriction: |
No restriction; Release the ETD for access worldwide immediately. |
| Number of Pages: |
52 |
| Institution: |
University of Pittsburgh |
| Schools and Programs: |
School of Public Health > Behavioral and Community Health Sciences |
| Degree: |
MPH - Master of Public Health |
| Thesis Type: |
Master's Thesis |
| Refereed: |
Yes |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: |
LGBT, access to care, African American, sexual minority, literature review, lesbian, bisexual, sexual health |
| Date Deposited: |
27 Jun 2014 22:15 |
| Last Modified: |
15 Nov 2016 14:18 |
| URI: |
http://d-scholarship.pitt.edu/id/eprint/21030 |
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