HSPop faculty and student co-author new scoping review published in the Journal of Adolescent Health
The Journal of Adolescent Health has published A Scoping Review of Sexual and Reproductive Health Interventions With Youth in U.S. Juvenile Facilities, co-authored by HSPop professor and department chair Megha Ramaswamy PhD, MPH; Online MPH alum Nekia Ivory, and Public Health-Global Health student Mira Menon.
The aim of the scoping review is to focus on the current state of sexual and reproductive health outcomes of youth placed in U.S. juvenile detention facilities (JDF) and identify recommendations for interventions, policy development, and care access. The reviewers used the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses for scoping review guidelines. They identified eighteen articles, many of which were studies that revealed sexual risk behaviors in combination with sexually transmitted infections, substance use, or partner violence. The minimal information available underscores a significant gap in the existing literature, with negative health outcomes for juveniles in detention facilities.
Despite the alarming prevalence of STIs and unplanned pregnancies within the population of youth in JDFs, this scoping review revealed a limited number of studies and an inconsistent application of evidence-based interventions that address this disparity, highlighting an urgent need to develop comprehensive sexual and reproductive health interventions tailored to the unique needs of detained youth.
Ramaswamy, whose public health work and research has centered around sexual and reproductive health and criminal legal systems for years, mentored one of the co-authors and guided the two UW SPH students, Ivory and Menon, through the literature review and creating the data tables. “This seemed like a good opportunity to get trainees at all levels involved,” Ramaswamy said. “It is so fun to work with students, and a great experience for them to be able to easily collaborate with scholars across institutions on a common public health goal.”
For Ivory, who collaborated closely with the co-authors to select and synthesize the most valuable findings to present in the review and data tables, the experience working on the scoping review “reinforced the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration in public health research.” Ivory hopes the paper will serve as a valuable resource for policymakers, healthcare providers, and intervention developers working to improve SRH outcomes for youth involved in the juvenile justice system. With professional experience across social work and crisis intervention services, Ivory says, “I plan to continue researching and advocating for equitable policies for structurally vulnerable populations, including youth in detention.”
“I have already cited this article in an interview with someone who is developing sexual health interventions for young men with criminal legal system involvement,” Ramaswamy adds, “I think the paper will be used as a resource for folks developing programming.” As for Ramaswamy, she won’t stop research or mentorship related to the scoping review—as she puts it: “It’s my life’s work.”