Exploring the racial gradient in reproductive health: an examination of challenges to sexual health care faced by black female college students.

OBJECTIVES: This study identifies and analyzes barriers to sexual and gynecological health care Black women face at a Historically Black College or University (HBCU) and a Predominantly White Institution (PWI) in southeastern America. DESIGN: Participants identified as Black women who were sexually active, age 18-25, and undergraduate students. The research team conducted in-depth interviews across two campuses via Zoom. Interviews were coded using inductive thematic analysis. RESULTS: We derived six specific themes that summarize Black female college students' barriers to care: Patient-provider Interactions, Economic Determinants of Health, Social Support, Access to Care, Lack of Primary Care, and No Challenges. CONCLUSION: Reproductive and sexual health disparities can be mitigated with attention to diversity in medical school, affordable care, and teaching young women to prioritize their care for long-term reproductive health.

Understanding Openness to Involvement in Sexual Health Care Research: Narratives from a Sample of Black College Women in the United States.

Little is known about Black college women's openness to participating in sexual health care research. Guided by literature on Black feminism, the current study involved qualitative interviews with 39 Black Women (aged 19-25, mean age 20.7) from one historically Black university and one predominantly white university who answered questions about participating in research on the sexual health of Black women. Results from our thematic analysis found that participants were willing to participate in research when they were recruited by trusted community members, particularly Black female researchers. The women were willing to participate because they saw the value in having Black women's perspectives on sexual health research and improving Black women's lives. We found that participants believed that non-Black women researchers should receive training to increase understanding of the issues facing Black women and create safe and judgment-free spaces to engage Black Women in sexual health research. Participants wanted non-Black female and all male researchers to demonstrate a genuine interest in their lives as Black women. The findings highlight the importance of listening to the perspectives of participants and their experiences with sexual health care providers.

Mother-daughter communication and health: A cross-cultural comparison.

Mother-daughter communication about health is one of the most important experiences that young women can have to promote a healthy lifestyle, but the success of that communication depends on a variety of factors. Three factors that influence health motivation and behavior were examined in this study: (1) the frequency mothers and daughters communicate about health, (2) the quality of those interactions, and (3) their country. Participants were 168 female college students (74 from Jamaica and 92 from the United States) who completed online surveys regarding the relationship with their mothers, how often they talked with their mother about a variety of health topics, how they were motivated, and how often they engaged in healthy and unhealthy behaviors. Both the frequency and quality of interactions about health were important, but this effect was stronger for Jamaican women than for Americans. Implications for health research regarding culture and relationships are discussed.