Building Capacity for Cervical Cancer Prevention in U.S.-Affiliated Pacific Islands: The Pacific Against Cervical Cancer Project.

The U.S.-affiliated Pacific Islands (USAPI) have higher cervical cancer incidence and mortality rates and lower screening coverage compared with the United States. This is likely because of economic, geographical, health care delivery, and cultural barriers for women living in these resource-constrained, isolated regions. The most recent U.S. and World Health Organization cervical cancer screening guidelines recommended primary human papillomavirus (HPV) testing as one screening option or the preferred screening modality. Primary HPV screening-based strategies offer several advantages over current screening methods in the USAPI. However, adoption of this newer screening modality has been slow in the United States and not yet incorporated into USAPI screening programs. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and partners initiated the Pacific Against Cervical Cancer (PACe) project in 2019 to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and cost-effectiveness of primary HPV testing-based strategies in Guam and in Yap, Federated States of Micronesia. This report provides an overview of the PACe project and outlines the approaches we took in implementing primary HPV testing as a new cervical cancer screening strategy (including the option of self-sampling in Yap), encompassing four core components: (1) community engagement and education, (2) medical and laboratory capacity building, (3) health information and system improvement, and (4) modeling and cost-effectiveness analysis. The PACe project provides examples of systematic implementation and resource appropriate technologies to the USAPI, with broader implications for never screened and under-screened populations in the United States and Pacific as they face similar barriers to accessing cervical cancer screening services.

Health workers' values and preferences regarding contraceptive methods globally: A systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: We sought to systematically review the literature on health workers' values and preferences related to contraceptive methods. STUDY DESIGN: As part of a larger review, we searched ten electronic databases for published articles from January 1, 2005 through July 27, 2020. We included studies that reported qualitative or quantitative data from the perspective of health workers providing family planning services globally. RESULTS: Forty-one studies met our inclusion criteria. These studies included 12,643 health workers and were conducted in 27 countries. Health worker values and preferences for contraceptive methods were affected by factors related to contraceptive method characteristics (e.g., bleeding pattern and convenience), the contraceptive user (e.g., medical history, parity), and the health worker themselves (e.g., training, environment). Differences were also noted between various professions/specialties (e.g., comfort level with contraceptive methods, depth of experience). While contraceptive counseling and provision were influenced by health worker values and preferences, they were also affected by health worker misconceptions and biases. CONCLUSION: Health worker values and preferences for contraception are affected by the client's history, medical eligibility, and the health worker context. Provision of contraception that is affected by harmful bias towards certain populations or about certain methods can negatively affect patient-centered care. Future work should address knowledge gaps and health worker biases by improving and standardizing education and training globally, to ensure high-quality, rights-based, and patient-centered contraceptive services.

Expanding Access to Contraception: Identifying Accessibility Gaps Across Hawai'i Communities.

In 2019, Hawai'i ended its Title X program resulting in a loss of federal family planning funds. Additionally, physician shortages have decreased family planning resources available to patients. The objective of this study was to assess contraception availability by determining the number and location of healthcare providers in Hawai'i that prescribed at least one form of contraception. A list of healthcare providers was compiled using Google searches, major health insurance, and hospital provider directories. Providers were organized by physical location (ie, address). Each location was contacted to inquire about each provider's ability to prescribe different forms of contraception (eg, intrauterine device, implant, injection, pill, patch, or ring). Of the 1,020 locations contacted, 274 prescribed at least one form of contraception. Of the 1,810 providers surveyed at these locations, 744 prescribed at least one form of contraception. In regard to insurance, 201 locations and 609 providers accepted at least one form of Medicaid. Most prescribing providers were located on the island of O'ahu. The majority of providers across the state prescribed the pill, patch, or ring. There are many additional barriers that were not addressed in this study, including factors that affect physician prescribing practices. Identifying these barriers is important to further address gaps in contraceptive accessibility. Consideration of improved support for training in specialties such as Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, and Pediatrics can expand access to contraception within primary care settings.

Contraceptive values and preferences of adolescents and young adults: A systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: We sought to systematically review the literature on values and preferences for contraception among adolescents and young adults globally. STUDY DESIGN: We searched ten electronic databases for articles from January 1, 2005 through July 27, 2020 regarding end-users' values and preferences for contraception. We included studies that report specifically on people up to 25 years old. RESULTS: Fifty-five studies out of 7,846 met our inclusion criteria. These studies included participants aged 10-25 years and were conducted in 16 countries. Through open coding, we identified 18 content areas. The five most commonly discussed content areas were: (1) general preferences regarding contraception, (2) contraceptive method benefits, (3) contraceptive method drawbacks, (4) the influence of the social context, and (5) the influence of myths and misconceptions, including safety and side effects, on contraceptive choice. Privacy and autonomy were important overarching themes, along with safety of the method. These considerations affected participants' access to and use of contraception. CONCLUSION: Various social, cultural, and method-specific factors influence a young person's values and preferences around contraceptive methods. Understanding their values and preferences can help providers and programs improve contraceptive care for young people.

Patients' Compliance With Quarantine Requirements for Exposure or Potential Symptoms of COVID-19.

Reducing Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) transmission relies on people quarantining after exposure to COVID-19 or if they experience COVID-19 symptoms, and isolating from others if COVID-19 positive. Quarantine and isolation last 10 to 14 days and can be state-mandated; however, the level of compliance is unknown. The University of Hawai'i Department of Family Medicine clinic called patients instructed by our physicians to quarantine for exposure risk or symptoms of potential COVID-19 infection between March 15, 2020, and April 15, 2020. None of the patients tested positive for COVID-19. Sixty-nine of 90 (77%) patients completed follow-up calls and self-reported whether they had stayed home. Of these 69 patients, 32 (46%) broke quarantine to buy groceries (36%), work (9%), visit others (6%), or for other reasons (12%). For patients living alone, 8 of 11 (73%) left home to buy groceries. For employed patients, 6 of 39 (15%) returned to work during their quarantine period. Nearly half of our patients did not quarantine for the entire period. Many persons left home to buy food or to work. Strong public health messaging is needed to educate communities about the requirement to quarantine. Clinicians can help by asking patients about social and financial ability to quarantine, schedule follow-up appointments to remind patients to stay home, and link patients to food programs, financial assistance, and other community resources to successfully quarantine and prevent COVID-19 transmission.

Attitudes Towards Family Planning among Bhutanese, Burmese, and Iraqi Refugee Women: A Qualitative Study.

The number of foreign-born people living in the United States continues to increase yearly. Foreign-born women in the United States, a group that includes both refugees and immigrants, continue to have higher birth rates when compared to their US-born counterparts. This study examines the cultural and socioeconomic factors influencing family planning choices of resettled refugee women living in the United States. Thirty-two Bhutanese, Burmese, and Iraqi women living in Philadelphia participated in interviews and focus groups. A grounded theory approach was used for analysis. Three overarching themes were identified: knowledge acquisition and experiential learning with trans-border migration and resettlement, changes in gender roles and family relations, and provider relationships and provision of care. Findings from the study show that a stable environment results in increased opportunities and personal freedoms, a sense of empowerment, and the desire for family planning. Women want to discuss options, but healthcare providers must begin the conversation. As health care providers in Hawai'i, a state with about 18% of residents being foreign-born, what can be learned from the Philadelphia refugee experience and family planning?

The use of international service learning initiatives for global health education: case studies from Rwanda and Mexico.

Global health education and health promotion have the potential to engage students, scholars, and practitioners in ways that go beyond the classroom teaching routine. This engagement in global communities, can range from reflection on continuing deep-seated questions about human rights and civic responsibility to the use of health education and promotion-related theoretical, intellectual, and practical skills. In the arena of global health education and promotion, these skills also range from leadership and advocacy to decision making, critical and creative thinking, teamwork, and problem solving. In recent times, there has been a growing interest in cross-cultural collaborations and educational initiatives to improve stakeholder's understanding of global health principles and practices, to enrich the experiences of health professionals, and to improve the lives of those who are disenfranchised and live across borders. In this article of Health Promotion Practice, we highlight two unique cases of cross-national collaborations and provide a glimpse of the various shapes and forms taken by cross-cultural educational initiatives for global health education and promotion. We summarize the history, philosophy, and current working practices relevant to these collaborations, keeping in view the global health domains, competencies, and activities. In addition, we also compare the key components and activities of these two case studies from Rwanda and Mexico, wherein communities in these two countries collaborated with academic institutions and health professionals in the United States.

Chloral hydrate sedation in term and preterm infants: an analysis of efficacy and complications.

BACKGROUND: Term and preterm infants are at risk of developing apnea after receiving general anesthesia. The risk of apnea after sedation with chloral hydrate (CH) in this population is unknown. In this study, we aimed to describe the clinical course of infants younger than 1 year who received CH for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), with regard to the efficacy of CH sedation, the need for additional sedative drugs, and the incidence of oxyhemoglobin desaturation or need for oxygen supplementation. We aimed to determine the relationship between these factors to chronological age in term infants and gestational and postconceptional age (PCA) in preterm infants (<37 weeks' gestation). METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study of 1394 infants undergoing MRI examination with CH sedation. Infants with an endotracheal tube, tracheostomy tube, or congenital heart disease were excluded. Patient charts were examined in detail to determine independent risk factors and dependent outcome variables up to 24 hours after MRI. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to determine risk factors for outcome variables. RESULTS: Postprocedure oxyhemoglobin desaturation was more likely in inpatients (P < 0.001) and was associated with a lower body weight (3.9 +/- 2.1 kg vs 6.6 +/- 3.0 kg; P < 0.001), history of apnea (33.3% vs 9.9%; P = 0.001), higher ASA physical status (P = 0.002), and younger chronological age (58.7 +/- 82.8 days vs 152 +/- 105.9 days; P < 0.0001). When the preterm group was analyzed separately, the risk of postprocedure oxyhemoglobin desaturation was directly correlated with younger chronological age (56.0 +/- 41.5 days vs 150.6 +/- 107.1 days; P = 0.012) and younger PCA (39.5 +/- 4.1 weeks vs 54.4 +/- 15.2 weeks; P = 0.005), but not gestational age. Preterm infants had more postprocedure bradycardia than term infants (P = 0.005). Postprocedural oxyhemoglobin desaturation was not seen in preterm infants older than 48 weeks' PCA. Because of the relatively small percentage of cases (8 of 262) of postprocedural oxyhemoglobin desaturation in preterm infants, we were not able to definitively determine the difference in incidence between preterm and term infants. Additional doses of CH or supplementation with midazolam did not increase the incidence of complications. CONCLUSIONS: The occurrence of postprocedural oxyhemoglobin desaturation was directly correlated with younger chronological age in term infants and younger PCA in preterm infants. Term infants who required extended oxygen supplementation were inpatients and had significant comorbidities.