American journal of preventive medicine
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Although evidence indicates that Black gay, bisexual, and other sexual minority men experience vast psychological and behavioral health inequities, most research has focused on individual rather than structural drivers of these inequities. This study examines the associations between structural racism and anti-lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer policies and the psychological and behavioral health of Black and White sexual minority men. ⋯ Results highlight the intersectional nature of structural oppression and suggest that racist and anti-lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer policies must be repealed to rectify health inequities facing Black sexual minority men.
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Dentists are a common source of opioid exposure. This study investigates the association between initial dental opioid prescription characteristics and subsequent persistent use and examines the rate of opioid overdose after initiation. ⋯ Among people who initiated a dentist-prescribed opioid, 1 in 23 experienced persistent use, and persistence was associated with the characteristics of the prescription. Prescribing lower doses, prescribing for shorter durations, and avoiding long-acting formulations may be an opportunity to lessen the risk of persistent opioid use.
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Intimate partner violence is associated with adverse health consequences among people with diagnosed HIV, which could have implications for disease progression and transmission. However, nationally representative estimates of intimate partner violence among people with diagnosed HIV are lacking. Investigators used nationally representative data to estimate the prevalence of physical violence by an intimate partner among adults with diagnosed HIV and examine the differences by selected characteristics. ⋯ This study's findings support the need for screening people with diagnosed HIV for intimate partner violence and offering linkage to supportive services. Screening for intimate partner violence among people with diagnosed HIV, coupled with supportive services and counseling, may lead to improved safety and HIV clinical outcomes and decreased need for emergency and inpatient medical services.
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Opioid use disorder has grown rapidly over the years and is a public health crisis in the U.S. Although opioid use disorder is widely studied, relatively little is known about it among older adults. The goal of this study is to gain a better understanding of opioid use disorder among older Medicare beneficiaries over time and across several sociodemographic dimensions. ⋯ The descriptive trends between 2013 and 2018 indicate that estimated opioid use disorder prevalence has increased greatly over the study period in all sociodemographic subgroups of older adults, highlighting an urgent challenge for public health professionals and gerontologists.
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Paid sick leave laws have received more attention in recent years as a way to improve public health. This study estimates the impact of paid sick leave laws on the use of preventive services using a quasi-experimental design created by the implementation of Connecticut's paid sick leave law in 2012, the first statewide mandate in the U.S. ⋯ This study found that adult workers' use of preventive services increased in Connecticut after implementation of its paid sick leave law. State-paid sick leave laws can improve public health by supporting the use of preventive care services among workers.