Assessing and Expanding Gynecological Knowledge

Several adolescent gynecology clinics and local Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC), it has become clear there is a lack of adequate access to helpful gynecologic information in Houston for adolescent girls. Gynecologic issues can have a significant impact on a girl’s upbringing, and studies reveal that many girls miss multiple days of school due to gynecologic-related issues. We have the potential to improve school attendance and empower adolescent girls with knowledge about their bodies, helping to break down the sense of taboo surrounding women’s health, thereby building their confidence.This research project aims to better understand the scope of the lack of accurate gynecologic information for girls in the Greater Houston community by learning from various health care teams that care for them. By initially assessing the needs from those with whom young girls seek care for a variety of health-related issues and preventive care, this research will contribute to an improved understanding of adolescent gynecologic knowledge deficits which will aid future research and community outreach. By understanding this issue more, we can begin to understand which topics are most important to disseminate into communities and begin to acquire ideas for improvement or innovation in methods of communication with adolescent girls and their caregivers. Based on the proposal, the project aims to improve the health of young girls and to empower them with knowledge that will benefit them throughout their lifetime.