Pediatric providers can improve Black girls’ sexual and reproductive health, paper says

Pediatric providers are uniquely positioned to improve the sexual and reproductive health of Black girls, who disproportionately face poor health outcomes, according to a recent paper from UIC College of Nursing assistant professor Natasha Crooks.

Noting that sexual health education in schools is often minimized or eliminated due to competing priorities and resources, the authors emphasize the importance of pediatric providers to "fill this void." The paper was published in the Journal of Pediatric Psychology.

"Pediatric providers can and must adopt evidence-based practices that support and facilitate optimal (sexual and reproductive health) for Black girls," the authors wrote. "Schools cannot carry the entire burden of comprehensive sex education. Pediatric providers can fill this gap by providing accurate, comprehensive, non-judgmental (sexual and reproductive health) information."

Crooks and her co-authors make three recommendations to pediatric providers, which include physicians, nurses, social workers and psychologists.

These recommendations include asking pediatric providers to:

• Recognize their responsibility for educating Black girls about sexual and reproductive health and highlight the impact of structural racism on the health-care experience of Black girls.
• Avoid inducing shame or judgmental interactions when discussing sexual and reproductive health.
• Partner with Black girls' families to increase their safety and protection.

According to the paper, Black girls have significantly higher rates of unintended pregnancies, HIV and sexually transmitted infections, and they experience more sexual violence. They often develop secondary sex characteristics and reach menstruation at a younger age than other demographic groups, leading to Black girls' "adultification" - or treatment of children as adults.

For instance, the authors note, providers should consider whether language about puberty may make Black girls feel stigmatized. "Are Black girls experiencing 'early puberty,' or are they experiencing puberty earlier than white girls?" the authors ask in the paper.

Crooks is principal investigator on an National Institutes of Health-funded study called IMAGE (IMARA for Black Male Caregivers and Girls Empowerment), which teaches girls and their male caregivers about HIV and sexually transmitted infection prevention and effective communication and promotes healthy relationships. Crooks notes that the programming, currently being delivered in Chicago, is one way to engage families.

The IMAGE study and its National Institutes of Health funding were not part of the Journal of Pediatric Psychology paper.