Faculty Abstracts

Improving STD Services in Florida: Capitalizing on Department of Health and University Collaboration to Enhance Current Programs and Develop New Ones

SH Simpson(1) and KM Hood(2)
(1) University of Florida, Gainesville, FL; (2) Jacksonville University, Jacksonville

Background: In 2001 a collaboration arrangement was developed between the University of Florida College of Nursing and the Florida Department of Health, Bureau of STD Prevention and Control.  The purpose was to encourage innovative research on problems related to STD prevalence and access to services in the public health sector and to develop future STD nurse researchers.  Several projects involving qualitative and quantitative methods have been completed and several more are in process.

Objectives: To describe the range of research projects that have emerged from this collaboration.   To discuss ways to use this information to improve access, services and prevention, particularly among low income minorities and adolescents.

Content: The first presentation is an ethnographic study focused on community perception and declining attendance at DOH STD clinics in the Jacksonville area.  The second presentation compares male and female teens with repeat STDs and how gender and power differences may affect utilization of services.  The third presentation takes an in-depth look at Black male adolescents and how concepts of masculinity relate to STD risk.  The fourth presentation looks at how college students use the internet for sexually explicit information and whether this may affect sexual behavior.  The fifth presentation features the Chief of the Florida Bureau of STD Prevention and Control who will discuss the policy and program implications of these studies and the collaborative arrangement.

Implications for Programs, Policy, and/or Research: This session will provide information about STD acquisition and prevention gathered through a number of innovative approaches.  It will offer information that may be useful for STD programs, clinic staff and researchers.

Measurable Learning Objectives: By the end of this session, participants will be familiar with how information yielded by innovative approaches has provided guidance in program improvement and development for diverse populations.  Participants will also understand the importance of state and university collaboration to develop future STD researchers and the potential impact this may have.

Contact: Sharleen H. Simpson, PhD, ARNP
simpssh@nursing.ufl.edu
352-273-6415