Publications by authors named "Kristen D Witkemper"

A barrier to research with sexual assault survivors is the concern that research participation might be a negative experience for participants. We report the experiences with research of adult women sexual assault survivors participating in a large-scale, multi-site, prospective observational study that enrolled participants at the time of presentation for emergency care. Participants (n = 706, M = 28 years of age; 57% white, 15% Black) self-reported their experience with research 1 week, 6 weeks, 6 months, and 1 year post-assault.

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This study aims to develop and validate a brief bedside tool to screen women survivors presenting for emergency care following sexual assault for risk of persistent elevated posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) six months after assault. Participants were 547 cisgender women sexual assault survivors who presented to one of 13 sexual assault nurse examiner (SANE) programs for medical care within 72 h of a sexual assault and completed surveys one week and six months after the assault. Data on 222 potential predictors from the SANE visit and the week one survey spanning seven broadly-defined risk factor domains were candidates for inclusion in the screening tool.

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Objective: Emergency caregivers provide initial care to women sexual assault (SA) survivors. An improved understanding of the issues facing this population can aide emergency care practitioners in providing high quality care. The goal of this study was to share the experiences of women SA survivors with the emergency care practitioners that care for them.

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Adolescents in the United States face crucial sexual health behavior issues, including consequences of sexually transmitted infections and diseases, pregnancy, and sexual violence. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth are disproportionately affected by these issues. State policies about sex education in K-12 schools shape what is taught to students about sexual health.

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Purpose: Many students who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer (LGBTQ) face hostile school environments that can negatively impact their mental health and education. This study involved a photovoice project where high school students from a Gay-Straight Alliance in the rural southeastern United States took photographs that depicted the issues LGBTQ students were facing and then exhibited their photographs and stories to individuals from the school system and local community to promote awareness, dialogue, and action.

Methods: 20 adults who attended the photovoiceexhibit responded to an online survey about their experiences with the intervention.

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Synopsis of recent research by authors named "Kristen D Witkemper"

  • - Kristen D Witkemper's recent research primarily focuses on the experiences and needs of women sexual assault survivors, with a particular emphasis on their interactions with emergency care systems following an assault, and the implications for their mental health and well-being.
  • - Her studies include the development of practical tools for screening post-traumatic stress symptoms and understanding survivor experiences, which aim to improve care and support for this vulnerable population.
  • - Additionally, she explores broader topics related to sexual education policies and the experiences of LGBTQ youth, indicating a commitment to addressing various aspects of sexual health and safety within the community.