Increasing Urban African American Women's Readiness for Pre-exposure Prophylaxis: A Pilot Study of the Women Prepping for PrEp Plus Program (WP3+).

Background: African American women are disproportionately at risk for HIV infection. To increase women's readiness to consider taking pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), we conducted a pilot study of Women Prepping for PrEP Plus (WP3+). Adapted from an evidence-based HIV risk reduction intervention for African American couples who are HIV-serodiscordant, WP3+ is a group-based culturally congruent program designed for African American women without HIV.

Need for Sexual, Reproductive, and Mental Health Promotion Among Diverse College Students in a COVID-19 Era.

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic forced unprecedented disruptions in higher education operations. While the adverse mental health effects experienced by college students due to these changes are well documented, less is known about the impact on their sexual and reproductive health (SRH), and the reciprocal relationships between SRH and mental health among adolescents and emerging adults. This position paper reviews existing literature on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on SRH, sexual violence, unintended pregnancy, sexually transmitted illness and human immunodeficiency virus rates and highlights issues specific to college-aged males, females, racial/ethnic and sexual minorities, and individuals with disabilities.

Novel methodologies using history to document the effects of African American sexual trauma: Perspectives of Gail E. Wyatt, PhD.

This article describes the nearly half a century career of Dr. Gail E. Wyatt, PhD, and her development of novel methodologies and measures of sexual trauma, specifically the Wyatt Sex History Questionnaire and the University of California, Los Angeles, Life Adversities Screener.

Implications of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Interpersonal Violence Within Marginalized Communities: Toward a New Prevention Paradigm.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, reports of domestic violence across the United States increased from 21% to 35%. Stay-at-home orders, designed to protect the public against the spread of COVID-19, along with heightened societal stressors as a result of the global pandemic, inadvertently increased rates of illicit drug and alcohol use, job loss, and isolation, resulting in increased stress and nonphysical (e.g.

Women-Centered Program for Women of Color (WC4WC): A Community-Based Participatory, Culturally Congruent Sexual Health Intervention in Los Angeles County, California.

The Women-Centered Program for Women of Color, a culturally congruent sexual health intervention, was implemented in 2018 in Los Angeles County, California, according to the principles of community-based participatory research: enhancing community capacity, establishing sustainable programs, and translating research findings to community settings. Participants exhibited significantly increased knowledge of and interest in preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) over time, but no significant change in condom use was evident. Booster sessions are needed to maintain interest in PrEP and PEP given concerns about reproductive and sexual health.

Race-based trauma and post-traumatic growth through identity transformation.

Race-based trauma has been linked to multiple adverse health and mental health outcomes, including hypertension, post-traumatic stress, anxiety, and depression. While the possibility of post-traumatic growth (PTG) has been investigated following other types of trauma, relatively less work has been done on PTG following race-based trauma. In this article, we present a theoretical framework integrating three areas of research: race-based trauma, PTG, and racial identity narratives.

Unmet need for mental health services utilization among under-resourced Black and Latinx adults.

Introduction: Substantial unmet need for mental health services (MHS) exists in the United States, with pronounced disparities among people of color. Research highlights the need to identify facilitators and barriers to MHS utilization among Black and Latinx individuals to better promote overall health. We tested an expanded model of MHS use based on Andersen's (1995) conceptual framework of health care utilization.

How Mental Health Professionals Can Address Disparities in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is an unparalleled crisis, yet also a unique opportunity for mental health professionals to address and prioritize mental and physical health disparities that disproportionately impact marginalized populations. Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) have long experienced structural racism and oppression, resulting in disproportionately high rates of trauma, poverty, and chronic diseases that span generations and are associated with increased COVID-19 morbidity and mortality rates. The current pandemic, with the potential of conferring new trauma exposure, interacts with and exacerbates existing disparities.