A central tenet of the health professions is that of equitable access to health care. However, disparities in equitable healthcare provision continues to be a challenge in many societies due to prejudices against the LGBTQ community. This study was aimed at exploring the attitudes of medical students toward LGBTQ patients in Malaysia. A qualitative approach was adopted to seek depth of understanding of clinical year medical students’ perceptions and attitudes toward LGBTQ patients. Data were collected in 2018 through individual interviews and focus group discussions with a total of 29 participants, using a semi-structured question guideline. Purposive sampling comprised representation from the three major ethnic groups in Malaysia. Thematic analysis using NVivo highlighted three main themes i.e., neutrality, in compliance with the Professional Code of Conduct; implicit biases and tolerance of an Odd Identity; explicit biases with prejudices and stereotyping. The lack of knowledge and understanding of the nature and issues of sexuality is problematic as found in this study. They are primarily biases and prejudices projected onto marginalized LGBTQ patients who must contend with multiple jeopardies in conservative societies such as in Malaysia. With some state policies framed around Islam the concern is with the belief among Malay/Islamic students for LGBTQ individuals to go through conversion ‘therapies’ to become cisgender and heterosexual.

Unplanned pregnancy remains a critical reproductive health and social equity issue in the United States, disproportionately affecting women of color. In th

Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is an irreversible brain disorder that affects thinking, memory, reasoning, and daily functioning. According to World Health Organization (2020), there are approximately 50 million people diagnosed with AD, and nearly 60% of them are living in low- and middle-income countries. In Malaysia, the prevalence of dementia is 8.5% among older adults aged 60 and above. Listed as one of the leading causes of death in 2020, curbing AD is not only a burden to the public health system but also brings perpetual stress to the family members who often undertake the primary caregiving role. The research has indicated that adult children as AD patients' primary caregivers (adult-child caregivers) experience higher psychological burdens than other caregiver groups. This qualitative study intended to explore the experiences and coping strategies of adult children as the primary caregivers of AD patients in Malaysia. The recruitment was conducted with the assistance of the Alzheimer’s Disease Foundation Malaysia, whereby eight participants took part in the in-depth interviews. Both face-to-face and telephone interviews were conducted to facilitate the full engagement of the participants in the research. Thematic analysis technique was used to analyze the data. The results showed that, at the personal level, adult children constantly felt emotional burnout, as they were overwhelmed by not knowing how to manage the stress they experienced. The findings reflected that caregiving for parents with AD involves a process that was depicted as the discovery of behavior changes, having difficulties accepting the diagnosis, making an adjustment to the role of a caregiver, and finally accepting their function and the reality of the disease. Recommendations for interventions and further research have been discussed.

Sexual and reproductive health research has often centered women’s contraceptive and pregnancy-related experiences, while young men’s perspectives on sexual behavior, STI prevention, and reproductive responsibility remain less visible. This qualitative study explored how young Black heterosexual college men understood sexual health knowledge, masculinity, STI risk, condom use, pregnancy prevention, and readiness for fatherhood. Thirteen self-identified Black college men aged 19–22 years participated in individual semi-structured interviews at a Historically Black College/University (HBCU) in the southern United States. Interviews were conducted online, transcribed, de-identified, and analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. Four themes were identified: fragmented sexual health knowledge and informal learning; learning masculinity through sexual socialization and developing sexual autonomy; experiential learning, STI stigma, and the negotiation of sexual risk; and reproductive responsibility and pregnancy prevention. Participants described limited formal sexual health education, peer and media influences on masculinity, risk judgments shaped by trust and familiarity, and stronger concern for pregnancy prevention than for STI prevention. Findings suggest that sexual health education and campus-based prevention should engage young Black men as reproductive actors with distinct needs, responsibilities, and relational contexts. Programs should integrate STI prevention, condom counseling, partner communication, alcohol-related risk reduction, and reproductive-intention counseling into male-centered, stigma-sensitive approaches.

Unplanned pregnancy can disrupt higher education, yet less is known about how college women of color navigate educational pathways following pregnancy-related disruption. This qualitative phenomenological study examined the academic consequences of unplanned pregnancy and the conditions shaping persistence, interruption, return, and completion. A focused reanalysis was conducted using interviews from a broader study of sexual and reproductive health. Eleven college women of color with experiences of unplanned pregnancy participated in semi-structured interviews. Data were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. Four themes characterized participants’ educational experiences: pregnancy as academic disruption; relational and academic support for persistence; nonlinear educational pathways involving delay, return, redirection, and completion; and educational decision-making under pregnancy pressure. Pregnancy affected education through withdrawal, reduced academic engagement, health and financial pressures, and competing responsibilities. Family members, partners, childcare networks, and faculty flexibility supported continuation and return. Importantly, temporary interruption or changes in educational direction did not necessarily indicate educational disengagement. Educational persistence following unplanned pregnancy may instead involve adaptation, interruption, reentry, and altered pathways toward completion. The findings suggest that higher education institutions may better support pregnant and parenting students through coordinated academic, financial, childcare, and reentry assistance that reduces reliance on individual circumstances and informal support networks.

Some church leaders work to increase HIV testing and spread messages to reduce stigma. This study focuses on how leaders of North Carolina churches considered welcoming and affirming by the LGBTQ+ community discuss and disseminate information about HIV/AIDS to church members and communities. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six leaders of different denominations between April and May 2023. A thematic analysis of the transcribed interviews found three main approaches: 1) HIV is not addressed directly, but we are here; 2) provide access to educational resources; and 3) fight stigma. Results confirm welcoming/affirming churches could play a significant role in, not only educating their communities about HIV, but also reducing the stigma associated with the disease.