While school-based comprehensive sex education (CSE) is effective in HIV prevention among young people ages 10–24 years, Ghana’s national sexual and reproductive health education policy promotes abstinence. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health’s HIV prevention programs provide more comprehensive school-based education. This qualitative study evaluated the HIV/AIDS education program in the Lower Manya Krobo Municipality to assess the perspectives of students and educators in 10 schools on school-based sexual and reproductive health programs, including HIV/AIDS education and conflicting HIV/AIDS sex education policies. HIV prevalence in the Lower Manya Krobo Municipality of Ghana was more than twice the national average at 5.64% in 2018, and prevalence among youth in the municipality aged 15–24 was the highest in the nation at 0.8%. Educators have mixed feelings regarding abstinence-based and CSE approaches. However, students generally endorse abstinence and describe the limitations of condom use. Ambiguity in overarching policies is identified as a factor that could influence the orientation of school-based health educators, create disharmony in sex education interventions, introduce confusing sex education messages to young people, and create a potentially narrow curriculum that limits the gamut of HIV/AIDS sex education to exclude young people’s risky sexual behaviours and diverse teaching and implementation strategies. Policies and the scope of sex education should be realigned to ensure the transparent implementation of HIV/AIDS sex education programs in Ghana.

With the emergence of the novel SARS-CoV-2 and the disease it causes; COVID-19, compliance with/adherence to protective measures is needed. Information is needed on which measures are, or are not, being undertaken. Data collected from the COVID Impact Survey, conducted by the non-partisan and objective research organization NORC at the University of Chicago on April, May, and June of 2020, were analyzed through weighted Quasi-Poisson regression modeling to determine the association of demographics, socioeconomics, and health conditions with protective health measures taken at the individual level in response to COVID-19. The three surveys included data from 18 regional areas including 10 states (CA, CO, FL, LA, MN, MO, MT, NY, OR, and TX) and 8 Metropolitan Statistical Areas (Atlanta, GA; Baltimore, MD; Birmingham, AL; Chicago, IL; Cleveland and Columbus, OH; Phoenix, AZ; and Pittsburgh, PA). Individuals with higher incomes, insurance, higher education levels, large household size, age 60+, females, minorities, those who have asthma, have hypertension, overweight or obese, and those who suffer from mental health issues during the pandemic were significantly more likely to report taking precautionary protective measures relative to their counterparts. Protective measures for the three subgroups with a known relationship to COVID-19 (positive for COVID-19, knowing an individual with COVID-19, and knowing someone who had died from COVID-19) were strongly associated with the protective health measures of washing hands, avoiding public places, and canceling social engagements. This study provides first baseline data on the response to the national COVID-19 pandemic at the individual level in the US. The found heterogeneity in the response to this pandemic by different variables can inform future research and interventions to reduce exposure to the novel SARS-CoV-2 virus.

The ubiquity of public-space sexual harassment (PSH) of women in the global South, particularly in South Asia, is both a public health and gender equity issue. This study examined men's experiences with and perspectives on PSH of women in three countries with shared cultural norms and considerable gender inequalities - Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan. The three-country survey in 2021-2022 was completed by 237 men who were generally young, urban, single, well-educated, and middle-/high-income. Among the 53.3% who witnessed PSH, 80% reported intervening to stop it or help the victim. A substantial share of men worried about PSH, and bore emotional, time, and financial costs as they took precautionary or restorative measures to help women in their families avoid PSH or deal with its consequences. Most respondents articulated potential gains for men, women, and society if PSH no longer existed. However, a non-negligible share of participants held patriarchal gender attitudes that are often used to justify harassment, and a small share did not favour legal and community sanctions. Many called for stricter legal sanctions and enforcement, culture change, and education. Men's perspectives offer insights for prevention of harassment and mitigation of its consequences.

Background: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are among the most prevalent mental disorders among school-aged youth in South Korea and may play a role in the increasing pressures on teachers and school-based special education programming. A lack of support for special education; tensions between teachers, students, and parents; and limited backup for teacher absences are common complaints among Korean educators. New innovations in technology to screen and treat ADHD and ASD may offer relief to students, parents, and teachers through earlier and efficient diagnosis; access to treatment options; and ultimately, better-managed care and expectations. Objective: This narrative literature review provides an account of medical device use and development in South Korea for the diagnosis and management of ADHD and ASD and highlights research gaps. Methods: A narrative review was conducted across 4 databases (PubMed, Korean National Assembly Library, Scopus, and PsycINFO). Journal articles, dissertations, and government research and development reports were included if they discussed medical devices for ADHD and ASD. Only Korean or English papers were included. Resources were excluded if they did not correspond to the research objective or did not discuss at least 1 topic about medical devices for ADHD and ASD. Journal articles were excluded if they were not peer reviewed. Resources were limited to publications between 2013 and July 22, 2024. Results: A total of 1794 records about trends in Korean medical device development were categorized into 2 major groups: digital therapeutics and traditional therapy. Digital therapeutics resulted in 5 subgroups: virtual reality and artificial intelligence, machine learning and robot, gaming and visual contents, eye-feedback and movement intervention, and electroencephalography and neurofeedback. Traditional therapy resulted in 3 subgroups: cognitive behavioral therapy and working memory; diagnosis and rating scale; and musical, literary therapy, and mindfulness-based stress reduction. Digital therapeutics using artificial intelligence, machine learning, and electroencephalography technologies account for the biggest portions of development in South Korea, rather than traditional therapies. Most resources, 94.15% (1689/1794), were from the Korean National Assembly Library. Conclusions: Limitations include small sizes of populations to conclude findings in many articles, a lower number of articles discussing medical devices for ASD, and a majority of articles being dissertations. Emerging digital medical devices and those integrated with traditional therapies are important solutions to reducing the prevalence rates of ADHD and ASD in South Korea by promoting early diagnosis and intervention. Furthermore, their application will relieve pressures on teachers and school-based special education programming by providing direct supporting resources to students with ADHD or ASD. Future development of medical devices for ADHD and ASD is predicted to heavily rely on digital technologies, such as those that sense people’s behaviors, eye movement, and brainwaves.

Individuals with substance use disorders may be more susceptible to COVID-19 outcomes due to damage in their immune, pulmonary and respiratory systems. The aim of our study is to investigate COVID-19 outcomes among individuals with a history of substance use disorders compared to individuals without substance use disorders. This study was a population-based cohort study. Using the Utah Population Database, individuals with substance use disorder history (2015-2020; n = 227,277) were individually matched by age and sex to individuals without substance use disorders (n = 227,277). COVID-19 outcomes from 2020 to 2023 were assessed with conditional logistic regression to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Individuals with substance use disorders had higher odds of hospitalization (OR: 2.90, 95% CI: 2.78-3.02), ICU admission (OR: 2.92, 95% CI: 2.72-3.13), all-cause death (OR: 2.94, 95 % CI: 2.81-3.08), and COVID-19-specific death (OR: 1.34, 95% CI: 1.14-1.57). The ORs for COVID-19 outcomes were similar for individuals with alcohol use disorders and opioid use disorders. COVID-19 outcomes were strongly associated with substance use disorders, highlighting the need for targeted health strategies for individuals with substance use disorders.