'Protecting your body and loving yourself': strategies Black male caregivers use to protect Black girls sexuality in the USA.

Black girls in the USA face disproportionate rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), HIV, and sexual violence, prompting research into the sociocultural factors such as adultification, race and gender discrimination, and stereotyped messaging, impacting Black girls' sexual development. While existing literature finds that Black female caregivers utilise protective strategies to mitigate potential harm to Black girls, little is known about the role of Black male caregivers. This qualitative study employed the Becoming a Sexual Black Woman framework and one-on-one interviews to examine how 30 Black male caregivers of girls conceptualised parental protection and elated strategies. The thematic analysis revealed key themes of: Being a Provider, Being a Present Role Model, Protecting Black Girls' Bodies, Limiting Exposure to Stereotyped Messages, and Providing Emotional Protection. Black male caregivers navigated traditional gendered expectations and limited resources while utilising parental strategies that reflected patriarchal, sometimes misogynistic, and non-patriarchal ideals and norms. The study highlights the attitudes and beliefs of Black male caregivers regarding protecting Black girls from sexual violence and other related adverse outcomes. The findings offer insights for family-based interventions and programmes that empower Black girls to support their sexual development and health in the USA.

Patient Perspectives on Outpatient versus Inpatient Cervical Ripening for Induction of Labor.

OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to compare patient perceived control and experience with outpatient versus inpatient cervical ripening. STUDY DESIGN: This is a retrospective mixed-methods analysis of a quality improvement initiative focused on the impact to patients of incorporating outpatient cervical ripening into routine practice. Postpartum inpatients who had elected for outpatient cervical ripening (outpatients) and those who met criteria for outpatient cervical ripening but opted for an inpatient setting (inpatients) were invited to participate in the study. Patients completed the Perceived Control in Childbirth Scale, and scores were compared between outpatient and inpatient groups using Mann-Whitney U test. In addition, semistructured questions elicited feedback prior to hospital discharge, and these qualitative data were analyzed using iterative thematic analysis. RESULTS: The study population consisted of 36 outpatients and 38 inpatients. The median score on the Perceived Control in Childbirth Scale was 69 for outpatients and 67 for inpatients (p-value = 0.49), out of a maximum score of 72 (representing the highest level of perceived control). Both groups reported similarly high levels of perceived control, regardless of cervical ripening setting. In the qualitative analysis, pain was the most common theme in both groups. Inpatients reported more distress despite access to stronger pain medications. Outpatients utilized a variety of distraction techniques and expressed gratitude for their setting more than inpatients. CONCLUSION: Outpatient cervical ripening can be a patient-centered solution to obstetric throughput challenges arising from increased numbers of inductions. Those who underwent outpatient cervical ripening had similar perceived control to those who underwent inpatient cervical ripening, suggesting that individual patient preferences are most important in determining the optimal setting for care. The patients' reported experiences identified focus areas for process improvement efforts and future research, including improving patient education regarding expectations and innovating new pain management strategies for cervical ripening. KEY POINTS: · Patient experiences must inform patient-centered care.. · Perceived control with cervical ripening was high.. · Pain with cervical ripening was the most cited theme..

PEARL: A Guide for Developing Community-Engaging and Culturally-Sensitive Education Materials.

Community outreach and engagement has been a regular activity of the National Cancer Institute at its designated Cancer Centers. However, in 2016, community outreach and engagement became a required activity for all cancer centers. Yet there is a gap in the literature that provides guidelines for developing materials that resonate with communities. We developed the PEARL rubric to fulfill that gap from our work developing culturally sensitive breast cancer education materials for African American and Immigrant African women. We conducted a targeted literature review to understand the approaches that have been used for developing education materials for communities. We reviewed the literature and distilled key elements into our PEARL guide for creating culturally appropriate education materials. PEARL consists of five elements: Plain language and understandability, Explicit data, statistics, and graphs, Affirmative framing, Representative content, and Local connection. PEARL is a modern comprehensive guide that researchers can use for creating culturally sensitive materials. It is designed to guide researchers develop educational materials who have little to no experience in community engagement.