Rollins Research Review: Youth Sexual Violence and Media in Vietnam, Novel Oral Rehydration Therapy, and Pharmacy Integration of PrEP Services

By Shelby Crosier

This month, Rollins researchers authored papers on a wealth of public health topics. Find summaries of a few highlights below.

Title:The Media and Sexual Violence Among Adolescents: Findings from a Qualitative Study of Educators Across Vietnam

Journal: Archives of Sexual Behavior

Rollins Authors: Katherine Anderson; Alicia Macler; Irina Bergenfeld; Kathryn Yount, PhD

Important Takeaways:

• Southeast Asia has a high prevalence of sexual violence, and youth getting their information about sex through media can contribute to the issue.
• Researchers interviewed key informants from schools and youth organizations in Vietnam to learn about sexual violence and gender and sexual norms among youth.
• Participants shared that youth in Vietnam recently have increased access to media about sex because of technology. Some of that media includes incorrect or inappropriate information, and some depicts coercive or violent sexual activity that prompts imitation.
• Comprehensive sexual health curriculum in Vietnam should respond by adapting to this media landscape and focusing on sexual violence prevention.

Title:Assessing Safety and Efficacy of a Novel Glucose-Free Amino Acid Oral Rehydration Solution for Watery Diarrhea Management in Children: A Randomized, Controlled, Phase III Trial

Journal: eClinicalMedicine

Rollins Author: Rina Das

Important Takeaways:

• Diarrheal disease is a major health threat for children under three years old globally. Glucose-based oral rehydration therapy (ORT) is effective in combatting it, but it is not widely used.
• In this trial, researchers tested a new, glucose-free ORT for children 6-36 months old.
• The results show that glucose-free ORT is safe and effective, reducing the duration of diarrhea compared to glucose-based ORT.
• More research should be done to investigate the wider clinical implications and uses of glucose-free ORT.

Title:Implementation Science of Integrating Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis in Pharmacist-Led Services in the United States

Journal: Current HIV/AIDS Reports

Rollins Authors: Christina Chandra; Alexis Hudson; Daniel Alohan; Natalie Crawford, PhD

Important Takeaways:

• There are stark racial inequities in both HIV and use of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) in the U.S. Making PrEP more accessible by allowing it to be prescribed and managed by pharmacists could help close the gap.
• In this article, researchers reviewed past studies about pharmacy-based PrEP services to examine implementation science outcomes. These include things like adoption, accessibility, feasibility, and cost.
• The evidence shows that integrating PrEP into pharmacies is feasible, but there are still gaps in evidence about the sustainability and scalability of such interventions.
• Further research using an implementation science framework will help support policy efforts to expand pharmacy integration of PrEP.