BIO

I was born and raised in Miami Beach, Florida to a Cuban mother and Italian father. I am fluent in English, Spanish, and Italian. I am currently an undergraduate student in the College of Social Sciences and Public Policy. My major is Public Health and my minor is Women's Studies. My current career goal is to attend medical school and become a physician. As of now, my preferred specialty would be pediatrics as I love working with kids and find the specialty to be very interesting. During my time at Florida State, I have chosen to get involved in Dance Marathon and served the organization as a Family Relations Captain this past year. In addition, I am interested in women's health, social justice, and politics.

Long-Acting Reversible Contraceptives Health Literacy Study

Abstract

Background: Of all developed countries, the U.S. has the highest rate of unintended pregnancies. This study aims to identify gaps in health literacy within the medical field regarding Long-Acting Reversible Contraceptives.
Methods: Participants for this project were chosen randomly from a pool of OB/Gyn, Pediatrics, and Family Medicine residency programs and contacted through email to complete an e-survey based on the health literacy framework. The data was analyzed using SPSS; frequencies regarding participant demographics and availability of LARCs in their medical practice were found.
Results: Among participants (n=13) in the Family Medicine specialty, 53.8% were female. When asked about the availability of the contraceptive implant and intrauterine device at their practice, 84.6% said both were available. Among participants (n=23) in the Pediatric specialty, respondents were majority female (82.6%) and white (78.2%). 91.3% of respondents said that the implant is available at their practice while 87.0% said that the IUD was available. In the OB/Gyn specialty, the majority of respondents (n=17) identified as white (94.1%) females (82.4%); of all respondents, 35.3% said their program was religiously affiliated. All (100%) respondents said that the IUD is available where they practice and 94.1% said the implant was available.
Conclusions: Data analysis is ongoing; based on preliminary findings, LARC availability differs for each residency program. Future data analysis will assess predictors of shared decision-making, LARC counseling and insertion practices, and associations between health literacy domains and participants.

Keywords: women's health, public health, LARC