Medical Students' Knowledge and Perceptions of Mpox in a High Incidence Region: Implications for Clinical Preparedness.

Introduction: In August 2022, mpox (formerly "monkeypox") was declared a public health emergency in the United States, yet there has been little published on medical providers' knowledge or perceptions of the disease. With one of the highest incidence rates in the United States being in South Florida, our Miami-based medical school aimed to assess students' perceived levels of knowledge and attitudes regarding mpox. Methods: An optional, anonymous survey consisting of multiple choice and Likert-type questions was emailed to all medical students. The first survey was sent out September 1, 2022, after which students received reminders on October 3, 8, and 31, 2022. We analyzed respondents' perceived knowledge and risk of contracting mpox by comparing responses between heterosexual and LGBTQ+ groups and preclinical and clinical groups. We used Mann-Whitney U or Kruskal Wallis tests for inferential statistical analysis. Results: Of 480 medical students, 168 (35.0%) responded to the survey. Most respondents (88.1%) were not concerned about mpox; 95.2% perceived their personal risk to be moderate or low. LGBTQ+ students were significantly more likely than others to report feeling at risk from mpox. The majority (72.0%) of respondents reported poor perceived knowledge of mpox. There was no significant difference between preclinical and clinical students' reported level of perceived knowledge (P=.0621); 76.2% of respondents were not confident in their ability to recognize mpox symptoms. LGBTQ+ students were significantly more confident in identifying symptoms than others (P=.0201). Conclusion: Medical students feel they lack critical knowledge of mpox and report being unprepared to recognize disease symptoms. The higher level of perceived risk and knowledge among LGBTQ+ students may stem from biases perpetuated by public messaging regarding mpox. These findings highlight the need for integrating education on emerging epidemics into undergraduate medical education to enable students to safely provide high-quality patient care.

Integration of Sex and Gender Minority Standardized Patients into a Workshop on Gender-Inclusive Patient Care: Exploring Medical Student Perspectives.

OBJECTIVES: Sexual and gender minority (SGM) communities experience significant health disparities. Although coverage of health issues specific to these communities has increased in the undergraduate medical curriculum, there is still opportunity for improved teaching about sexual diversity and inclusive care. The goal of this study was to assess students' perceptions of and satisfaction with a half-day workshop focused on sexual history taking and transgender health. METHODS: The second-year clinical skills course at the Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine includes a sexual history workshop that starts with a 1-hour lecture on sexual history taking. This is followed by a faculty-facilitated small group session during which students interview an SGM patient and debrief about this experience. In 2020, for the first time, the standardized patients were members of the SGM community, and the session was on Zoom. Students completed an optional, anonymous postsession survey assessing the workshop. RESULTS: Students overwhelmingly believed that the integration of SGM standardized patients into the session helped improve their knowledge, attitudes, and skills related to providing care for this population. They noted that the standardized patient interaction and debriefing were the most beneficial parts of the session. CONCLUSIONS: Given the positive feedback, future iterations of this session will continue to use the SGM community as standardized patients. In addition, student competency related to SGM patient care will be assessed through observed structured clinical examinations.

Addressing Food Insecurity during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Intervention Outcomes and Lessons Learned from a Collaborative Food Delivery Response in South Florida's Underserved Households.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted underlying disparities in health, healthcare access, and other social factors that have been documented for racial/ethnic minorities. The social-distancing mandate exacerbated the impact of social determinants of health, such as unemployment and food insecurity, particularly among underserved minority populations. We highlight intervention outcomes and lessons learned from the Florida International University (FIU) Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine (HWCOM) NeighborhoodHELP's response to pandemic-related food insecurity among Miami Dade County's underserved population. METHODS: Following the stay-at-home mandate, a weekly needs assessment of program households was conducted by the NeighborhoodHELP team, during which food insecurity emerged as a pandemic-related urgent need, rising from three percent of program Households in March 2020 to 36.9 percent six months later. Consequently, the program staff collaborated with another FIU department, community partners, and a benefactor to develop a food donation and delivery project. RESULTS: Fifteen hundred and forty-three culturally appropriate food boxes were delivered to 289 participating households, comprising 898 household members, over a 14-month period. CONCLUSION: This project underscores the importance of leveraging community assets to address their needs during a crisis and the significance of sustained community engagement for researchers and service providers who work in underserved communities.

Sexual Health Teaching in the Family Medicine Clerkship: Results of a CERA Survey.

INTRODUCTION: With growing efforts to provide comprehensive and inclusive sexual health care, family medicine clerkships are well positioned to educate learners about a spectrum of related topics. This study investigated the current state of sexual health instruction in family medicine clerkships, including specific factors impacting its delivery. METHODS: Questions about sexual health curricula were created and included as part of the 2020 Council of Academic Family Medicine's Educational Research Alliance survey of family medicine clerkship directors. The survey was distributed via email to 163 recipients between June 1, 2020 and June 25, 2020. RESULTS: One hundred five (64.42%) of 163 clerkship directors responded to the survey. Our results revealed that during family medicine clerkships, family planning, contraception, and pregnancy options counseling are covered significantly more often than topics related to sexual dysfunction and satisfaction and LGBTQ+ health. Most clerkship directors (91.5%) reported less than 5 hours of sexual health training in their curriculum. Those with more dedicated sexual health curricular hours were more likely to include simulation. Lack of time (41.7%) was the most frequently reported barrier to incorporating sexual health content into the clerkship. CONCLUSIONS: Coverage of sexual health topics during the family medicine clerkship is limited in scope and delivery. To support curricular development and integration, future studies should more thoroughly examine the factors influencing the inclusion of sexual health content in family medicine clerkships as well as the development of assessment methods to determine competency.

Caring for Vulnerable Communities in Miami Dade County during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine's Neighborhood Health Education Learning Program (NeighborhoodHELP) initiated a longitudinal assessment and mitigation of social and health care challenges for a population of approximately 850 underserved households. Here, we describe the needs assessment, ensuing interventions, and lessons learned during this pandemic.

Using a Hybrid Lecture and Small-Group Standardized Patient Case to Teach the Inclusive Sexual History and Transgender Patient Care.

OBJECTIVES: Previous negative experiences with the medical community often leave transgender people reluctant to seek medical care. Inadequate teaching and exposure to transgender health during medical training perpetuates the health disparities experienced by this community. Although undergraduate medical education is uniquely positioned to address these disparities, curricular coverage of these topics remains inadequate. METHODS: The second-year clinical skills course at the Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine includes a workshop consisting of a 1-hour lecture about the inclusive sexual history, followed by a 1.5-hour small group during which students interview a standardized patient playing the role of a transgender man and participate in a faculty-facilitated debriefing. To evaluate the 2019 workshop, students were provided with an optional, anonymous, pre- and postsession survey consisting of multiple choice and Likert-type questions. RESULTS: After the session, there was a statistically significant increase in students' knowledge of the components of an inclusive sexual history, in the number of students who believed that their medical training had prepared them to effectively provide care for transgender patients, and in the number who reported feeling comfortable taking a sexual history from a patient who identifies as transgender. Most students thought the standardized patient case was realistic and found the postencounter debriefing session helpful in identifying their own strengths and weaknesses. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that students found this brief, interactive sexual history workshop, which included a lecture and standardized patient case, to be an effective component of their medical training. Although our transgender patient case was acted primarily by cis-gender people, students perceived this as a realistic opportunity to actively explore the nuances of obtaining a history from a transgender patient. In addition, our findings suggest that it is possible to merge teaching on sexual history and transgender health care, which is important in time-limited undergraduate medical education curricula.

Moving Toward a Standardized National Family Medicine Subinternship Curriculum: Results From a CERA Clerkship Directors Survey.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Although the subinternship (sub-I) is considered integral in many medical schools' curricula, family medicine does not have standardized course recommendations. Given the variable nature of this clinical experience, this study investigated the potential role of a standardized sub-I curriculum in family medicine. METHODS: Questions about sub-Is were created and data were gathered and analyzed as part of the 2019 Council of Academic Family Medicine's (CAFM) Educational Research Alliance (CERA) survey of family medicine clerkship directors. The survey was distributed via email to 126 US and 16 Canadian recipients between June 19, 2019 and August 2, 2019 through the online program SurveyMonkey. RESULTS: A total of 101 (71.1%) of 142 clerkship directors responded to the survey. Most (84.2%) schools require sub-Is. There was a positive association between students matching into family medicine and having family medicine sub-Is at residency programs (P<.001). There was no relationship between higher family medicine match rates and the presence of family medicine sub-Is at nonresidency sites (P=.48) or having an advanced ambulatory rotation requirement (P=.16). CONCLUSIONS: A sub-I is a way to further expose students to family medicine, and increasing sub-I positions at residency programs may influence the number who pursue the specialty. Creation of a standardized sub-I curriculum presents an opportunity to enhance a critical educational experience in family medicine.

Pilot Study of a Free Long-Acting Reversible Contraception Program on a Mobile Health Center in Miami Dade County, Florida.

In 2016, the NeighborhoodHELP mobile health centers (MHCs) started to provide free long acting reversible contraception (LARC) for uninsured patients who lacked access due to cost. All female patients with appointments from May 1st, 2016 through April 30th, 2017 were identified. LARC uptake rate, as well as demographics for patients aged 15-44 who underwent LARC insertion versus those who did not, were determined. Of the 520 female patients seen on the MHCs during the study period, 170 were of reproductive age. Seventeen (10%) patients opted for LARC; 100 % of these patients spoke Spanish or English and 82 % identified as White and Hispanic/Latino. Results show a 10% LARC uptake, which is slightly above the national rate, but lower than rates in other studies in which cost barriers were removed. Further investigation into barriers influencing LARC uptake in our patient population is warranted.

Using multilevel models to evaluate the influence of contextual factors on HIV/AIDS, sexually transmitted infections, and risky sexual behavior in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review.

PURPOSE: To describe the use of multilevel models (MLMs) in evaluating the influence of contextual factors on HIV/AIDS, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and risky sexual behavior (RSB) in sub-Saharan Africa. METHODS: Ten databases were searched through May 29, 2016. Two reviewers completed screening and full-text review. Studies examining the influence of contextual factors on HIV/AIDS, STIs, and RSB and using MLMs for analysis were included. The Quality Assessment Tool for Quantitative Studies was used to evaluate study quality. RESULTS: A total of 118 studies met inclusion criteria. Seventy-four studies focused on HIV/AIDS-related topics; 46 focused on RSB. No studies related to STIs other than HIV/AIDS met the eligibility criteria. Of five studies examining HIV serostatus and community socioeconomic factors, three found an association between poverty and measures of inequality and increased HIV prevalence. Among studies examining RSB, associations were found with numerous contextual factors, including poverty, education, and gender norms. CONCLUSIONS: Studies using MLMs indicate that several contextual factors, including community measures of socioeconomic status and educational attainment, are associated with a number of outcomes related to HIV/AIDS and RSB. Future studies using MLMs should focus on contextual-level interventions to strengthen the evidence base for causality.

Human Papillomavirus Vaccination and Sexual Disinhibition in Females: A Systematic Review.

CONTEXT: Some parents believe human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination increases the chance of risky sexual behaviors among adolescents. This review summarizes the evidence available on adolescent girls and women engaging in risky sexual activity following HPV vaccination. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: Systematic review using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines was conducted in 2014 and updated in 2015. Literature was searched for articles published between 2004 and 2015 in MEDLINE, PsycInfo, CINAHL, Cochrane Database, Web of Science, and EMBASE without language limits. Studies were screened according to predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Methodologic quality of the included articles was assessed. EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS: The search resulted in 21 articles to be included in the review, with 527,475 participants. Included studies were conducted in 12 different countries using experimental and observational study designs. The review included data on girls aged as young as 11 years to women aged 40 years. Studies measured changes in sexual behaviors using a variety of outcomes, including age at sexual debut; risky sexual behaviors; use of condoms and contraception; and clinical indicators such as rates of sexually transmitted infections, HIV, and pregnancy terminations. Available data showed either no association between vaccination status and the outcomes of interest or a positive association between safer sexual behaviors, such as condom use and receipt of HPV vaccination. Methodologic quality of all but one study was moderate or weak. CONCLUSIONS: This review did not find sufficient evidence to support compensatory sexual risk behaviors following HPV vaccination among adolescent girls or women.