Publications and Research

Abstract

This research explores the ongoing sexually transmitted infection (STI) epidemic within African American communities. It seeks to trace epidemiological, historical, and sociocultural roots of care delivery. The Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) including poverty, healthcare accessibility, stigma, and systemic forms of discrimination. Parallels between historic contributions within the field of healthcare to the current pandemic rates of infection within the community are presented. The author centers the field of Social Work as a needed sector of engagement. The author desires for the implementation of the Social Work skillsets of resource brokering, harm reduction, and engaging ethical care models. Historical trauma is discussed with emphasis on the reproductive exploitation during slavery and unethical medical experiments. The importance of culturally grounded, and interdisciplinary interventions are presented as models useful to rebuild trust and promote equitable care within the scope of sexually transmitted infections within African American populations.

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Keywords: Social Determinants of Health, historical trauma, sexually transmitted infections, culturally responsive interventions

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APA Citation: Estes, K. (2025). Working Title: STI Disparities and Social Work: A scoping review of historic disease prevention models within African American Communities. The Journal of Equity in Behavioral Health Therapy, 2(1). Retrieved from https://journals.auctr.edu/index.php/jebht/article/view/2771

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Website Link: https://journals.auctr.edu/index.php/jebht/article/view/2771