Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Building The Hiv Public Health Service Structure By Quality Improvement, Graham F. Watts Sr

Florida Public Health Review

Quality improvement (QI) is a tool in the public health inventory. It has value in that it provides a modality for accelerating science-based intervention into routine public health practice. In doing so, it holds promise to make transparent how care and service systems demonstrate efficiencies in the structure, operations, and outputs that should translate into improvements in population health outcomes. One HIV health services grant in Northeast Florida touches the lives of over 4,200 persons. How to render services so that it maximally benefits all clients is ongoing work. Service recipients engage nine HIV care funded providers, who differentiate on …

Using Surrogate Partner Therapy In Counseling: Treatment Considerations, Kelly Emelianchik-Key, Kimberleigh Stickney

Journal of Counseling Sexology & Sexual Wellness: Research, Practice, and Education

When working with clients on issues of sexuality, clinicians often avoid the treatment approach of surrogate partner therapy due to lack of information and understanding. Surrogate partner therapy is a grey area within legal and ethical boundaries of various mental health professional associations. This article offers an intensive exploration of surrogate partner therapy, including its history, ethical considerations, benefits, and challenges. Best practices and treatment considerations when working with a surrogate partner therapist are discussed. Although there is a lack of research and evidence-based practice information, the available literature demonstrates that surrogate partner therapy is an effective intervention that can …

Sexual Wellness And Rare Disease Considerations: A Behavioral Case Conceptualization And Approach To Counseling Treatment, Jessica Z. Taylor, Chrystal L. Lewis, Leslie E. Davis

Journal of Counseling Sexology & Sexual Wellness: Research, Practice, and Education

Sexual wellness is infrequently addressed with individuals with a rare disease. Counselors must be competent in working with sexual wellness issues, especially those related to medical conditions, since clients may not share those concerns with healthcare providers. This article presents a case scenario involving a client living with a rare disease called Hereditary Angioedema, the symptoms of which present challenges to her intimate and sexual relationship with her partner due to unpredictable and painful swelling. A behavioral theoretical lens is used to conceptualize the case scenario and inform treatment. Implications for counselor competency, interdisciplinary collaboration, and client empowerment toward advocacy …

Clinical Implications In Vaginal Orgasm Response, Lindsey M. Brown Mccormick, Sherry Todd, Laura Schmuldt, Kathryn Russ, Cristen Wathen

Journal of Counseling Sexology & Sexual Wellness: Research, Practice, and Education

Previous research has shown that counselors feel uncomfortable addressing clients’ sexual concerns due to a lack of education on topics related to human sexuality. Various studies have attempted to identify the characteristics of vaginal orgasm, including whether women and other people with vaginas (PWV) can achieve different kinds of orgasms. The current study examines responses to participants surveyed across the United States on their orgasm response and compares responses of participants who achieved orgasm through masturbation and those who achieved orgasm through sex with a partner to determine whether PWV experience one kind of orgasm during masturbation and experience a …

The Use Of Technology In Sexual Exploration Among A Rape Culture Youth, Kelley R. Holladay, W. Bryce Hagedorn

Journal of Counseling Sexology & Sexual Wellness: Research, Practice, and Education

The present investigation sought to address the gap of research surrounding rape myth acceptance attitudes and cyber-sexual assault (CBSA). Researchers examined data collected from a college sample of 94 undergraduate psychology students. The purpose of this investigation was to explore whether this sample of college students reported any potential stereotypes pertaining to cyber-sexual assault victims and whether the college students utilized technology for sexual exploration (e.g., creation, distribution, and receiving of sexually explicit material). In addition to identifying cyber-sexual victims, this study explored the correlation of gender with those responses. Results are reported, and suggestions for counselors are offered. The …

Medical Marijuana Policy Reform Reaches Florida: A Scoping Review, Khadesia Howell, Alexandria Washington, Paula M. Williams, Arlesia L. Mathis, John S. Luque

Florida Public Health Review

Background: Florida became the first state in the U.S. South to legalize the use of medical marijuana to treat a variety of health conditions including chronic pain, epilepsy, and spasticity symptoms from multiple sclerosis. While there are over 200,000 medical marijuana patients in Florida, there remain financial, psychological, and insurance coverage barriers which reduce access for many patients. Purpose: This scoping review, with a focus on state health policy, first describes some clinical studies examining the therapeutic benefits of medical marijuana. Next, there is a discussion of the Florida regulatory environment and major legislation. Also, the review describes how the …

Social Determinants Of Health And Hiv/Aids In Florida, Alane C. Ertel, Robert J. Zeglin

Florida Public Health Review

As of 2016, there were reported to be 135,986 people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWH) in Florida alone, and its cities lead the nation’s incidence rates at around 5,000 new HIV diagnoses annually. Using a few social determinants of health (SDH) associated with deaths of despair (DOD), this paper aims to connect HIV rates to SDH to gain more understanding of how SDH can aid in the alleviation of HIV through public health policy and social change. Methods: This analysis evaluated the predictive ability of the SDH: Education, Insurance, Race, and RaceXEducation for HIV incidence in Florida using regression analysis. Results: …

Evaluation Of Rapid Syphilis Testing Using The Syphilis Health Check In Florida, 2015–2016, Jennifer Richards, James Matthias, Charlotte Baker, Craig Wilson, Thomas A. Peterman, C Perry Brown, Matthew T. Dutton, Yussif Dokurugu

Florida Public Health Review

The Syphilis Health Check (SHC) had low estimated specificity (91.5%) in one Florida county. We investigated use of SHC by a range of Florida publicly-funded programs between 2015 and 2016 to estimate specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), field staff acceptance, and impacts on programmatic outcomes. All reported SHC results were extracted from routinely collected program data. Field staff were surveyed about SHC’s utility. Analyses investigated differences between SHC and traditional syphilis testing outcomes. Of 3,630 SHC results reported, 442 were reactive; 92 (20.8%) had prior diagnoses of syphilis; 7 (1.6%) had no further testing. Of the remaining 343; 158 (46.0%) …

Lessons From The Field: A Systems Thinking Approach For Case Management Documentation, Graham F. Watts Sr, Angela E. Prince, Heather Vaughan, Porschia Mccray Watts, Beth Parker

Florida Public Health Review

Case management is a core HIV health service that focuses on service coordination—the seamless access to an array of integrated services. Integration aims to reduce barriers to medical care. In the busy HIV health services environment, inadequate documentation of case management activities limits the capacity of stakeholders to know what happens during care encounters. This study used theory and qualitative inquiry to uncover best practices that support optimal case management documentation. Two research questions guided the inquiry: What principles should arise in higher order cognitive functioning among case managers during client encounters? What characteristics of a system level approach to …

Efforts Targeting Factors Of Health Disparities That Impair Hiv Treatment Engagement, Graham F. Watts Sr, Heather Vaughan

Florida Public Health Review

Health disparities exist in Northeast Florida. Some locations experience morbidities at higher rates than others. Health zone 1 is a prime example. Differences in disease rates are interlaced with the social determinants of health, (SDOH). Long-standing social and structural influences of disparities are beyond the scope of Ryan White programs. However, empowerment for health promotion is a strategy for targeting health disparities. The Theory of Health Empowerment targets sense of agency and offers some leverage for helping people living with HIV/AIDS, (PLWHA) despite environments blemished by SDOH. Eclectic leadership occurring in a climate of respectful point-counter point discussions established the …

Understanding Motivations For Sti Testing: Comparing Presenters And Non-Presenters Using The Theory Of Planned Behavior And Health Belief Model, Lindsay Neuberger, Megan Pabian

Florida Public Health Review

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are a leading health risk to the college-aged population with young adults age 15- 24 accounting for half the new STI diagnoses in the United States (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2018). Despite these alarming numbers, approximately 50-70% of college students have not been tested for STIs (Barth, Cook, Downs, Switzer, & Fischhoff, 2002; Bontempi, Mugno, Bulmer, Danvers, & Vancour, 2009; Boudewyns & Paquin, 2011). The current manuscript draws on the Theory of Planed Behavior and the Health Belief Model to explore how attitudes, norms, perceived behavioral control, and barriers contribute to STI testing intentions. …

After Implementation Of The Aca – Coverage Gaps Among Rural Latinos Still Remain, Arlesia L. Mathis, Matthew Dutton, Ivette A. López, Alan Becker, C Perry Brown

Florida Public Health Review

In this study, we assessed health needs and insurance coverage among a rural Latino population. A health needs survey was conducted in 2015 with approximately 100 Latino residents living in a rural Florida county. The survey included questions on socio-economic characteristics, type of insurance coverage, lapses in coverage, delays in care and satisfaction with health services. Only 15% of respondents had insurance through their employer, and 11% had Medicaid. Over 45% of participants had no health insurance, and 20% had no insurance for more than three years. One in ten had a medication delay due to lack of coverage/money, and …

The Importance Of Revising Florida’S Motorcycle Helmet Laws To Prevent Traumatic Brain Injury – A Commentary, Mohammed S. Uddin, Iveris L. Martinez

Florida Public Health Review

No abstract provided.

Epidemiology And Ideology: Why Health Equity Is Problematic In The United States, Cynthia R. Hall

Florida Public Health Review

Health and healthcare are central elements to the achievement of social justice. Braveman and Gruskin are proponents of health equity as a means to realize social justice. They define health equity as the “absence of systemic barriers to health” that are derived from the unequal power, influence, and capital of marginalized groups within societies (2003, p. 254). John Rawls and Norman Daniels have theorized that social justice requires a fair distribution of goods in a society and that good health is of moral importance to this effort, respectively. Thus, having fair access to a healthy life is a crucial element …

Community-Based Participatory Research: An Ethical And Practical Model For Academic Public Health And Clinical Research, Cynthia R. Hall

Florida Public Health Review

Community-based participatory research (CBPR) is a strategy for performing health-related research in vulnerable communities that have been exploited by traditional research in the past. CBPR focuses on mutual collaboration between the community and the researchers involved. This form of research is ethically compelled to instill transparency and trust into the research enterprise. CBPR envisions the involvement of the community in all aspects of the research: design, implementation and dissemination of research results. This collaborative process necessitates an analysis of ethical considerations because it implies additional moral principles beyond the traditional ethics enunciated in the Belmont Report, the foundational guideline for …

Public Opinion Report Of Nutrition Education And Nutrition-Related Behaviors, Kristen Hicks-Roof, Robert J. Zeglin, Daniel Manson, Corinne A. Labyak

Florida Public Health Review

Objectives: Sources of obtaining credible evidence-based nutrition knowledge appears to be more and more limited as nutrition information becomes widespread. The purpose of this study was to determine sources of nutrition information and corresponding nutrition-related behaviors among Florida residents. Study Design: A cross-sectional study.

Methods: A telephone survey was conducted using probability sampling with residents of Florida in October 2017.Results: A total of 611 respondents completed the survey from 45 different counties across Florida. A significant relationship was established between age and primary source of obtaining nutrition information. Young, middle age and elderly adults preferred media, registered dietitians and physicians/nurses …

A Cross-Sectional Questionnaire-Based Descriptive Study Exploring The Presence Of Behavioral Risk Factors For Infection With Zika Virus Among Students And Employees At An Institution Of Higher Education In South Florida., Dorothy Contiguglia-Akcan, Shasank Chennupati, Sebastian Cuitiva, Christian-Immanuel Oliveros, Carol Marie Fraley, Tiffany Race, Daniel Garrido

Florida Public Health Review

In 2016 and 2017, South Florida was involved in an outbreak of locally-transmitted Zika virus. This questionnaire- based descriptive pilot study demonstrated the presence of behaviors that may be associated with increased risk of Zika transmission in a sample of respondents selected from an institution of higher education in the region. The majority of the 101 respondents living in Miami-Dade County reported inconsistent or no use of mosquito bite prevention methods, over one third (38.6%) traveled to local areas of active transmission, and almost two thirds (64.7%) of those reporting that their sexual partners traveled to local zones of viral …

Sociodemographic Correlates Of Bariatric Surgery By Procedure Type Among A Statewide Ethnically Diverse Patient Population, Alisha Monnette, Tulay Koru-Sengul, Nadia L. Fleurantin, Sarah E. Messiah, Wayway M. Hlaing

Florida Public Health Review

Florida Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) 2013 inpatient data was used to conduct a retrospective review using International Classification of Diseases 9th edition (ICD-9) procedure codes to examine the sociodemographic correlates of three bariatric procedures [Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass (RYGB), Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Banding (LAGB), and Sleeve Gastrectomy (SG)]. Race-ethnic groups included non-Hispanic white (NHW), non- Hispanic black (NHB), Hispanic, and other. The sample (n=6,424, mean age 46 years) was predominantly NHW (57.4%), female (74.9%), commercial-insurance carriers (51.2%), and severely obese (98.8%). SG was the most common procedure (57.9%) followed by RYGB (39.3%), and LAGB (2.8%). Regardless of bariatric …

Differences In Current Hookah And Cigarette Smoking Status Attitudes And Beliefs At A Florida University: A Discriminant Analysis, Gail Castañeda, Tracey E. Barnett, Sergio Romero, Mi Jung Lee, Jann Macinnes

Florida Public Health Review

Rising college hookah use, in the absence of cigarettes, suggests attitudinal differences among both forms of tobacco consumption. This study examines which smoking attitudes/beliefs are most distinguishing across current non-smokers, cigarette smokers, hookah smokers, and dual (cigarette and hookah-only) smokers at a Florida university. Self- administered questionnaire data from 373 university students were categorized into four groups based on self-reported 30-day smoking status. Discriminant analysis was used to examine maximal differences between groups across perceived peer acceptability of cigarette smoking, peer acceptability of hookah smoking, hookah smoking harmfulness, and attitude toward peer hookah smoking. Descriptive analyses indicated an overall awareness …

Changes In Hiv Related Risk Behaviors: A Comparative Analysis Of Florida’S 2013 And 2016 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Survey., Daniel Diyaolu

Florida Public Health Review

Background: Identifying changes in HIV related risk factors is essential to reducing HIV rates in Florida. This study examines if changes occurred in HIV risk factors between 2013 and 2016. Methods: The study utilized secondary data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System from 2013 and 2016. A logistic regression analysis was conducted to examine the changes between the years regarding health care coverage and routine HIV testing. Additionally, a separate analysis was performed for the 2016 dataset analyzing if HIV risk behaviors varied by gender, race, age, insurance coverage and HIV testing.

Results: The findings of this study suggest …

Full Issue, Journal Of Counseling Sexology & Sexual Wellness Jcssw

Journal of Counseling Sexology & Sexual Wellness: Research, Practice, and Education

No abstract provided.

Too Taboo?: Preliminary Explorations Of Counselor Experiences Of Client Sexuality, Molly R. Wilson

Journal of Counseling Sexology & Sexual Wellness: Research, Practice, and Education

For many years, researchers and clinicians have discussed the weakness in the counseling profession surrounding education and training specific to sexuality. Previous research has largely focused on quantitative approaches to explore why client sexuality is a source of discomfort for counselors. This study sought to explore the qualitative experience of two counselors to begin filling in the gaps left by similar quantitative research. Through narrative interviews, themes related to avoidance of and motivators for discussing sexuality with clients were identified. Results from this research can help influence counselors in practice, counselor educators and future areas of sexuality counseling research.

Lgbtq* Responsive Sand Tray: Creative Arts And Counseling, Melissa Luke, Harvey C. Peters

Journal of Counseling Sexology & Sexual Wellness: Research, Practice, and Education

This article builds upon a heuristic framework for sand tray in supervision, multicultural focus areas, and the supervisory roles of teacher, consultant, and counselor to propose a framework for LGBTQ* responsive sand tray. This proposed framework provides supervisors with a creative arts-based structure to assist both counselors-in-training and practitioner supervisees in working with LGBTQ* persons, in a way that is culturally responsive and affirmative of their LGBTQ* identity. This article provides a group supervision case example and discussion to highlight to enactment and process of utilizing the proposed creative-arts framework.

A Population At Risk: Counseling Sexual Minorities With A Serious Mental Illness, Anthony Zazzarino, Corinne W. Bridges

Journal of Counseling Sexology & Sexual Wellness: Research, Practice, and Education

Sexual minorities are at a greater risk for experiencing a serious mental illness (SMI) compared to heterosexuals, and sexual minorities suffering from a SMI experience stigma and discrimination that leads to a greater need for counseling services. Current research does not address the needs of sexual minorities with a SMI and how to prepare counselors to work with this population, as most sexual minorities with a SMI find that counseling services do not meet their unique needs. The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study, grounded in a Husserlian philosophical and minority stress model conceptual framework, was to explore the experiences …

Counseling The Kink Community: What Clinicians Need To Know, Stephanie M. Yates, Anita A. Neuer-Colburn

Journal of Counseling Sexology & Sexual Wellness: Research, Practice, and Education

Recent media portrayals of Kink are prevalent, but not always culturally accurate and can perpetuate a stigma that impacts the therapeutic environment when working with Kink-oriented individuals. Misunderstanding the culture can increase prejudice, misdiagnosis, and maltreatment of Kink-oriented clients. The authors provide readers with an introductory primer on language used within the Kink culture, avoiding the pathology of cultural and personal preferences, and myths associated with Kink community practices. Implications for best practices are offered.

“It’S Happiness And Relief And Release”: Exploring Masturbation Among Bisexual And Queer Women, Carolyn Meiller, Candice N. Hargons

Journal of Counseling Sexology & Sexual Wellness: Research, Practice, and Education

Researchers have argued that masturbation contributes to sexual health, yet historically, masturbation has been stigmatized (Coleman, 2003). Only a handful of qualitative studies have investigated masturbation (e.g., Fahs & Frank, 2014), and none of these studies have specifically examined queer women’s masturbation. In the current study, ten bisexual and queer women (age 19-48; 4 Black, 6 White) were interviewed about their masturbation. Using thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006), six themes were identified: reasons for masturbating, politics of pornography, use of sex toys, feelings after masturbation, promoting masturbation, and silence around masturbation. Implications for sexual health and counseling are discussed.

Letter From The Editors, Robert J. Zeglin, Jason Patton

Journal of Counseling Sexology & Sexual Wellness: Research, Practice, and Education

This issue is the inaugural issue of the Journal of Counseling Sexology & Sexual Wellness: Research, Practice, and Education (JCSSW), the official journal of the Association of Counseling Sexology & Sexual Wellness. We are very excited about this new resource in the counseling field that is dedicated to advancing the research related to human sexuality and sexual wellness, especially as it concerns the work of counselors and other helping professionals. This letter from the editors is designed to welcome readers to the journal, share a bit of the history of the journal, and to thank the many people and …

Spring 2019 Table Of Contents, Journal Of Counseling Sexology & Sexual Wellness Jcssw

Journal of Counseling Sexology & Sexual Wellness: Research, Practice, and Education

No abstract provided.