Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #110578

Shelby McMillan, BA, Jennifer Hult, BA, Catherine Magee, BA, and Ruby-Asuncion Turalba, BA. Department of Health Education, San Francisco State University, 15344 Mendocino Street, San Leandro, CA 94579, 510-614-1995, shelbylocks@aol.com

Research confirms that health disparities in the United States persist along lines of race, class, and gender. Among women in prison, a population that is disproportionately women of color and at higher risk for negative health outcomes, this trend is apparent. The rising population of women prisoners, and their deleterious health status, demands greater public attention and an expansion of the depth and breadth of preventive healthcare for these women. As part of the Practicum Experience in San Francisco State University's Master of Public Health program, a team of four students conducted a community health assessment to explore reproductive healthcare at a California state women's prison. In partnership with Justice Now, a legal advocacy firm in Oakland, California, the students examined women prisoners' experience of the Pap smear process at this institution. Using various methods, this assessment revealed important strategies that can be employed to address current health disparities. First, by utilizing qualitative interviews, the assessment gives voice to a disenfranchised population of women typically excluded from discourse on public health programs and policy that impact their lives. Secondly, the interviews served to empower women prisoners to advocate for their health and revealed the opportunities for self- and community-advocacy within this community. The interdisciplinary collaboration between the SFSU assessment team and Justice Now provided an opportunity to exchange valuable skills, resources and knowledge and allowed for access to a hard-to-reach population. Finally, this assessment raised political consciousness by creating an opportunity for public health advocates to become public health activists.

Learning Objectives: By the end of this session, participants will be able to

• understand the value of a social justice- and practiced-based Master of Public Health program;
• describe how qualitative data can serve to inform the discourse on public health issues; and
• enumerate the benefits of interdisciplinary collaboration in addressing public health issues.

Keywords: Prisoners Health Care, Participatory Research

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.