OBJECTIVE: To estimate the effect of a 1% lidocaine paracervical nerve block on pain during intrauterine device (IUD) insertion compared with a sham block in adolescents and young women. METHODS: We conducted a multisite, single-blind, sham-controlled randomized trial in adolescents…

Youth living with HIV (YLWH) are less likely than older adults to achieve and sustain viral suppression. While treatment guidelines recommend decreased viral load (VL) monitoring in individuals with well-controlled HIV, the appropriateness of this strategy for adolescents is unknown…

PURPOSE: We explored attitudes and beliefs pertaining to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) among unmarried, female, resettled Bhutanese refugees 16–20 years. METHODS: Fourteen interviews were analyzed using the constant comparison method, and major themes were identified. …

ABSTRACT: Our primary aim was to explore themes regarding attitudes toward HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) among young transgender women (YTW), in order to develop a theoretical model of PrEP uptake in this population disproportionally affected by HIV. METHODS: Qualitative study…

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT), and questioning youth represent a diverse population who are affected by many sexual health inequities, including increased risk for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). To provide comprehensive…

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported more than 1.5 million chlamydia and 400,000 gonorrhea cases in 2015, mostly in adolescents and young adults. A relatively simple treatment can cure most patients of chlamydia and gonorrhea, but treating an infected patient…

PURPOSE: Parents and caregivers play an important role in sexual socialization of youth, often serving as the primary source of information about sex. For African American rural youth who experience disparate rates of HIV/sexually transmitted infection, improving caregiver–youth…

CONTEXT: Studies have shown that obesity is associated with increased sexual risk-taking, particularly among adolescent females, but the relationships between obesity, perceived weight and sexual risk behaviors are poorly understood. METHODS: Integrative data analysis was performed…

PolicyLab sought to understand the low uptake of HPV vaccines and conducted multiple studies to evaluate parents’ decision-making, barriers to access, and both health care provider and health care system influences on vaccine delivery. In this Evidence to Action brief, we discuss the…

ABSTRACT: Adolescents experience some of the highest rates of unintended pregnancy among women of all reproductive age groups. And despite the fact that adolescents often receive care in pediatric hospital settings, evaluation of pregnancy risk is inconsistent. Pregnancy risk…