What did you enjoy most about STD Engage?

I enjoyed seeing how so many attendees were so passionate about the prevention and education of STDs. I enjoyed the speakers and presentations and how we were able to submit our questions to the panelists.  It almost seemed as if the speakers were able to answer more questions.  However, my favorite breakout session was the discussion on Unconscious/Implicit Bias. I truly enjoyed the opportunity to learn new things and to meet all my fascinating colleagues that share this passion for STD education and prevention.

What’s something you learned at STD Engage that you plan to put into practice in your work?

I learned two ways to explain syphilis titers in a more comprehensible style. I plan to share that knowledge with clients and their partners, colleagues, and medical professionals outside of the Mississippi Department of Health. My hope is that by describing syphilis titers as a pizza or ladder, a person with no medical knowledge can understand. I hope that using something they already have knowledge of will help them connect with the medical terminology.

In light of your work experience and what you learned at STD Engage, what do you think are the biggest challenges faced by DIS?

I think three of the biggest challenges faced by DIS are:  partner elicitation, partner notification, and inadequate testing, treatment, and diagnosis. It is becoming more and more difficult to obtain accurate information from clients about their partners. This is partly due to the popularity and anonymity of online dating apps. This also makes partner notification and location problematic. In some cases, it is also laborious to persuade partners to proceed with testing and treatment. The third challenge that I think some DIS face is encouraging medical professionals to adequately test, treat, and correctly diagnose syphilis/syphilis stages.