Hispanic Females Reproductive and Sexual Health

Community education is crucial as a form of intervention to create awareness on health, as it gives society control over their health. Society is integrated through environmental, social, cultural and religious factors; thus, community education utilizes statistics from all these areas to create health awareness. Community education enhances health promotion through direct contact with individuals. Schools, workplaces, and health care facilities are the areas where education projects are mainly carried out as these settings provide a broad audience at once. Among one of the least discussed topics is sexual health, especially among Latin American women. Community education on sexuality is yet to attach the need shown by society, especially among women. Sexually active females need to be encouraged to discuss and open up on issues of sexual health, right from urinary tract infections (UTIs) and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) to the fertility, family planning, and parenthood. Adolescents and young adults are at the highest risk of STDs (Mann et al., 2016). A well designed and delivered educational health project is one of the easiest ways to give sexually active Hispanic females control over their health by preparing them to make informed health decisions. Knowledge to demystify myths and access to quality healthcare would significantly reduce female sexual health complications among Hispanic women. 

Pregnancy and Planned Parenthood, STDs, and HIV/AIDS are the top concerns among sexually experienced Hispanic females. With the introduction of Medicare, more women can access health care services at an affordable price, but sexual-related issues among Hispanic have not yet the expected national health standards. For instance, the US Preventive Services Task Force recommends that females below 24 years get screened for chlamydia annually (Tyler, Warner, Lorrie and Wand, 2015), but the numbers in Latin America are still low. Misinformation, myths, ignorance, reluctance, and poverty are still making it difficult for some Hispanic women to be in control of their health. New STDs and HIV/AIDS infections being on the rise, accompanied by an increased need for Planned Parenthood among sexually active Hispanic women necessitates an educational health promotion in the region. Females also need knowledge as a form of protection for the unborn and children. Mothers often transmit STDs and HIV to their unborn children due to lack of knowledge. Creating awareness of females' reproductive health, preventive measures, and Planned Parenthood thus reduces mother-child transmission during and after birth. 

Planned Parenthood 

The Hispanic population is the most rapidly growing population in the US, (Mann et al., 2016) majority of whom are within the reproductive age (20- 40 years). There is need to bolster resources and expedite health promotion strategies to these communities to meet individual citizen demands, which may not be possible over the years unless population control is achieved. In the last ten years, the Hispanic population has increased by 111% in New York only, which is an indication of the need for Planned Parenthood. According to Mann et al., 2017, Hispanic women are less willing to receive family planning services compared to white women. The number of unplanned pregnancies and the size of families is higher. According to research by Fehring and Rodriguez (2017), childbirth control and preventive measures for diseases do not improve significantly despite Hispanic women living in the US. They still desire more children in spite of knowing about contraception. The reluctance could be related to the cultural belief that birth control has significant side effects such as infertility and cancer. However, research has shown that there is no direct link between the use of contraception and cancer or infertility. Societal pressure not to use contraceptives, as they are related to unfaithfulness is also high, which makes women using family planning methods hide them from their partners and families. These societal beliefs must be demystified to give Hispanic women more freedom to plan parenthood. For those unwilling to use artificial family planning methods, Natural family planning that includes monitoring hormones, body temperature, and secretions are also an option, as long as it is diligently practised. 

Comparing family planning use among Hispanic and Non- Hispanic Women 

Data adapted from the Linacre Quarterly 

HIV/AIDS and STDs 

The high (11.6%) prevalence of HIV/AIDS also indicates the need to educate communities on prevention and management. Women are at a higher risk of being infected with HIV due to their anatomical disposition. However, ignorance is a factor that has increased the spread of HIV among Latino women (Mays & Cochran, 2016). The disease is often referred to as a "white gay disease" as it was first associated with gay people. Women, therefore, especially in areas with high HIV prevalence, get infected due to recklessness. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 100,000 Hispanic women have died of AIDS and related STDs. Therefore, there is a need to reverse the thought that the disease is a men's diseases. The risk of infection varies among Hispanics, with different ethnic groups having varying risk levels (Mays & Cochran, 2016). CDC has however been reluctant to release data on the same as a precaution against recklessness. Females are also at a higher risk due to high levels of poverty. In Latin America, sex tourism is prevalent, even among minors. Desperation drives females to indulge in sex without protection to earn money, a significant contributor to a high HIV and STD prevalence (Mays & Cochran, 2016). The government covers for HIV testing and STD screening for Chlamydia and gonorrhoea; thus, sexually active females only need the motivation to undergo the tests. Fear of the unknown is a barrier to testing, but the benefits of knowing one’s status surpass the short-term shock in case they are infected. Besides protecting the individual, they also prevent transmission to those around them. 

Conclusion 

78.6 % of Hispanic women between 20 and 40 years are sexually active; thus, there is a need for education on STDs, HIV/AIDS and Planned Parenthood. Lack of adequate knowledge, myths, and cultural beliefs are the main barriers to access to quality reproductive healthcare among Hispanic women. These barriers can be overcome by educating women on the importance of preventing other than curing. Besides providing health care solutions, medical practitioners also need to understand societal expectations, women’s fears and concerns on modern medical interventions, and the perceived side effects. By understanding these, practitioners will be able to integrate social, economic, health, environmental and welfare aspects to cater wholesomely for Hispanic women sexual health. 

References 

Mann, L., Tanner, A. E., Sun, C. J., Erausquin, J. T., Siman, F. M., Downs, M., & Rhodes, S. D. (2016). Listening to the voices of Latina women: Sexual and reproductive health intervention needs and priorities in a new settlement state in the United States. Health care for women international , 37 (9), 979-994. 

Mays, V. M., & Cochran, S. D. (2016). Issues in the perception of AIDS risk and risk reduction activities by black and Hispanic/Latina women. American psychologist , 43 (11), 949. 

Rodriguez, D., & Fehring, R. J. (2017). Family planning, natural family planning, and abortion use among US Hispanic women. The Linacre Quarterly , 79 (2), 192-207. 

Tyler, C. P., Warner, L., Gavin, L., & Barfield, W. (2015). Receipt of reproductive health services among sexually experienced persons aged 15–19 years—National Survey of Family Growth, United States, 2006–2010. MMWR Suppl , 63 (2), 89-98.