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Abstract: Black women in the United States continue to carry a disproportionate burden of adverse sexual and reproductive health (SRH) outcomes, despite public health initiatives to alleviate SRH disparities. The purpose of this study was to assess SRH topics in which Black women attending a wellness clinic in Atlanta were interested and about which they self-identified as having gaps in knowledge, along with evaluating past sources of SRH education among Black women. Our findings documented that there were various SRH topics that study participants desired to learn more about, in addition to apparent gaps in knowledge in specific areas. One specific area that participants had gaps in knowledge about was birth control. Another area in which women had gaps in knowledge and misconceptions was PrEP for HIV prevention. The large majority of our participants never received any standardized SRH education and stated that they primarily obtained SRH information through family, friends, or partners. As public health initiatives place an increased focus on reducing sexual and reproductive health disparities amongst Black women, there is a need for Black nurses, practitioners, and educators to be at the forefront of such initiatives in providing Black women with culturally sensitive SRH education.
Key Words: Sexual and Reproductive Health, SRH, Nurse Educator
INTRODUCTION
Black women in the United States continue to carry a disproportionate burden of adverse sexual and reproductive health (SRH) outcomes, despite public health initiatives to alleviate SRH disparities. Among women in the U.S., Black women account for 57% of new HIV infections, and are over five times more likely than White women to be diagnosed with chlamydia or gonorrhea (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2019a, 2020b). Although rates of unintended pregnancies in the U.S. have decreased among women of all races and ethnicities, Black women have the highest rate of unintended pregnancy, in addition to higher infant mortality rates and higher rates of preventable pregnancy-related deaths, compared to their White counterparts (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2019a, 2019b; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Minority Health, 2019; Finer & Zolna, 2016).
These aforementioned adverse SRH outcomes are multifactorial in cause. One factor driving these outcomes among Black women comprises receiving inadequate and inaccurate SRH information, resulting in low levels of comprehensive...