Assessing and Promoting Sexual Health for Patients at Risk for Sexually Transmitted Infections: A Mixed Methods Study - PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT The overall goal of this K23 proposal is to provide Olivia Van Gerwen, MD, MPH with the necessary mentorship and career development to become an independent investigator whose work will contribute to improving the sexual health of key populations. The focus of her research is identifying sexual health priorities of patients and the providers who care for them, particularly pertaining to vaginal health. Symptoms such as irritation discharge, odor, and dyspareunia are seen in the setting of atrophy and dysbiosis and not only do they cause significant discomfort to those experiencing them, but these changes can increase the risk of HIV and sexually transmitted infection acquisition. Despite their significance, vaginal symptoms and infections are poorly characterized. There is a critical knowledge gap in how healthcare providers should assess these symptoms (both through history-taking and clinical specimen collection) in a patient centered manner. In this study, we will perform mixed methods research to inform the development of clinical tools for use by healthcare providers to collect both vaginal history data and clinical specimen data. This research will allow providers to better assess and manage vaginal symptoms, ultimately optimizing the sexual health of patients and decreasing the impacts of HIV and sexually transmitted infections. Aim 1: Develop a survey instrument measuring the vaginal symptoms experienced by patients for use in clinical settings. Aim 2: Examine the psychometric properties of the items to finalize the instrument. Aim 3: Characterize the acceptability and feasibility of vaginal specimen self-collection and quantify the frequency of bacterial vaginosis among a subset of patients. With guidance from my mentorship and advisory team, I have created a training plan that will allow me to gain expertise in mixed methods research, community engagement, and sexual health outcomes research through didactic coursework, hands-on training, and expert mentorship. Upon completion of the research aims in this proposal, I will develop an R01 proposal which will utilize the tools and data generated to develop a multi-level intervention focused on improving the patient-provider experience in sexual health settings.
