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Tuesday, September 20, 2016

Hi all, it’s Lucy Baglin, NCSD State Policy and Communications Manager. I’ve been in Atlanta for two days now and looking forward to the official National STD Prevention conference kick-off tonight!

Several members of the NCSD team arrived on Sunday to participate in two CDC, Division of STD Prevention Special Interest Group (SIG) grantee meetings on Monday.  The meetings, the first two of four SIG grantee meetings this year,  were a big success!  The goal of these meetings is to provide grantees the opportunity to interact with others who conduct STD AAPPS activities, provide CDC the opportunity to hear the unique needs and issues of grantees, encourage networking, and to work together to develop solutions.  I was lucky to be a part of these meetings last year, and they continue to provide a critical space for reflection and discussion between STD prevention colleagues.

Yesterday’s meeting was re-energizing and ignited thoughtful discussion on the current state and future of STD prevention efforts in the U.S.   It was the perfect warm-up for a week filled with exciting sessions and speakers, new reports, and innovative studies from the field.  I look forward to continuing the conversations this week with NCSD members and partners!

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Wednesday, September 21, 2016 

Hi all, this is Sara Stahlberg reporting from the National STD Prevention Conference. First-time attendee, long-time supporter.  I am the Senior Program Manager for Adolescent Sexual Health at NCSD, managing our projects with the Division of Adolescent and School Health (DASH).

As we wrap up Day 2 of the Conference, I can’t help but reflect on how fortunate we are to be a part of such a vibrant and passionate community of public health leaders and advocates interested in improving sexual health.  My experience in public schools and at NCSD is primarily focused on facilitating opportunities to improve sexual health outcomes for young people.  I was therefore pleased to attend today’s symposium on New Directions in Addressing Adolescent STD Risk, which highlighted innovative approaches to providing access to information and services for Gen X (adolescents).  Strategies include school-based STD screening programs, motion comics, edutainment, and online or mobile app provider locators.  This afternoon, I look forward to joining a session focused on school-based approaches to preventing and combatting STDs for youth—including further conversation around best practices and lessons from the field on school-based STD and HIV screening programs.  I look forward to incorporating lessons learned, promising practices, and exciting resources into the technical assistance and capacity-building assistance that we provide to state education agencies and member health departments.

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Thursday, September 22, 2016

From: Stephen Hicks, NCSD Health Equity and Capacity Building Manager
Today was a full day with a strong emphasis on strengthening social and racial justice within public health.  Thursday’s morning plenary, “Justice or Just Us,” discussed strategies at looking for intersections of race, gender, and class to tackle STDs throughout the US.  Sexual Behavior comes before gender identity, gender stability, gender constancy (before age 7) and sexual orientation. This was garnered from a panel session about Gender Fluidity. There were so many terms shared today that I do not hear as often in public health spaces but could serve as a catalyst for greater health equity for marginalized communities.

A number of sessions were dedicated to creating LGBTQ-inclusive spaces in schools and clinics to improve adolescent health. I even ran into my professor from grad school years ago, Dr. Lisa Lindley. She has conducted extensive research in adolescent sexual health. By far, this has been my favorite day at the session. I am eager to see what will happen between now and the next STD Prevention Conference in two years.

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Friday, September 23, 2016

Hello, Rebekah Horowitz, Senior Policy Manager, reporting.  I just landed in Baltimore on my way home from the STD Prevention Conference.  It has been an on-the-go week with sessions and posters and meetings starting in the early hours of the morning and going until the late hours of the night.  And let me tell you, I am exhausted – but energized at the same time!

This morning I attended two sessions which had presentations on the relationship between LARCs (long acting reversible contraception) and STDs.  These sessions really got me thinking.  I am a strong supporter of LARCs as a highly effective method of pregnancy prevention but I am also concerned about whether their use would impact: 1. the likelihood that users would use condoms to prevent STDs? – and – 2. the chance that users would get regular STD check-ups?

There are a lot of people who use LARCs that would not be considered at-risk for STDs, but as they are promoted to a larger audience, the number of users grows, and LARCs do not offer protection from STDs.  Neither of the LARC sessions I attended was able to answer questions, but I think that this is part of the joy of a conference like the STD Prevention Conference—you leave with as many questions as you have answers.   Those are the things that you chat about at the airport on the way home, think about in between conferences, and bring you back again to continue to seek information about in the years to come—maybe you even consider looking into the answer yourself!

I cannot wait to see everyone in a few months at the NCSD Annual Meeting in Phoenix in December, where we will aim to provide more answers, and create more questions!