Representation of Asian American Populations in Medical School Curricula.

Importance: Despite being one of the fastest-growing populations in the US, the Asian American population is often misrepresented in and omitted from health research and policy debate. There is a current lack of understanding of how Asian American populations are portrayed in medical school curricula. Objective: To assess how Asian American populations and their subgroups are represented in medical school curricula. Design, Setting, and Participants: In this qualitative study, the content of 632 lectures from all 19 courses of the preclinical curriculum at a single US institution from the academic year 2020 to 2021 was analyzed to identify and characterize unique mentions of race and ethnicity as well as granular ethnicity. Among the 632 lectures, we identified 256 nonrepetitive, unique mentions of race and ethnicity or granular ethnicity. These unique mentions were coded and analyzed for emerging patterns of use. Main Outcomes and Measures: Study outcomes included (1) the frequency of specific racial and ethnic categories mentioned in the curriculum, (2) the relative proportion of mentions of race and ethnicity that involved or included Asian American data by courses and context, and (3) key themes representing emerging patterns found from qualitative analysis of curriculum content for mentions of Asian American populations or lack thereof. Results: Among the 632 lectures, 256 nonrepetitive mentions of race and ethnicity or granular ethnicity were identified; of these, Asian American populations and/or their subgroups were mentioned in 79 of the instances (30.9%). The most common terms used to denote Asian American populations were Asian, with 36 mentions (45.6%); followed by Japanese, with 10 mentions (12.7%); and Chinese, with 8 mentions (10.1%). Overall, there were 26 mentions (10.2%) of American Indian or Alaska Native populations, 12 mentions (4.7%) of Asian and Pacific Islander or Asian American and Pacific Islander populations, 67 mentions (26.2%) of Asian or Asian American populations, 143 mentions (55.9%) of Black or African American populations, 62 mentions (24.2%) of Hispanic or Latino populations, 4 mentions (1.6%) of Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander populations, and 154 mentions (60.2%) of White populations. During the analysis of the curriculum for representation of Asian American populations, the following 5 key themes emerged from the data: (1) omission, (2) aggregation, (3) inconsistent categorization, (4) misidentification of granular ethnicity, and (5) association of race and ethnicity with disease. Conclusions and Relevance: This qualitative study suggests that the curriculum from a single US medical school largely mirrors the inappropriate use of race and ethnicity found in published health literature and clinical guidelines. Solutions with long-term results will require collaboration among diverse groups of interest to adopt inclusive research programs and design. Such solutions could better equip students in combating race-based medicine and could promote community outreach programs built based on trust.

A Systematic Global Review of Condom Availability Programs in High Schools.

PURPOSE: High levels of HIV, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and pregnancy among adolescents has motivated some countries to consider the implementation of condom availability programs (CAPs) in high schools. In this present study, we analyzed the impact of CAP on students' sexual behaviors and health outcomes. METHODS: We conducted a systematic literature review of peer-reviewed articles published between 1990 and 2017. RESULTS: Twenty-nine articles from seven countries were included in this review. We found that CAP does not increase sexual activity nor lead to a greater number of sexual partners. It also does not lower the age of sexual initiation. A majority of the studies reported an increase in condom uptake and use at last sex among students with CAP. All the studies that examined STI found a decrease of STI symptoms and rates for students with CAP compared with the control group. The data on HIV rates was inconclusive. There was no difference in pregnancy rates associated with participation in CAP programs. CONCLUSION: This global literature review showed that the fears surrounding CAP and promiscuity are unfounded. Once CAP is in place, students utilize it, and condom use increases, which translates to improved sexual health outcomes.