Division Announcements

Julia López, PhD, MPH gives oral presentation at the APHA 2020 Annual Meeting and Expo

Julia López, PhD, MPH, LCSW, instructor of medicine, infectious diseases, presented at the American Public Health Association (APHA) 2020 Virtual Annual Meeting and Expo on October 28. The presentation,  “Political ideology and sexual behaviors: Does sex partner accumulation matter?”  is based on collaborative work with Alexis Duncan, PhD, associate professor of public health, Brown School.

Understanding that there are many factors that influence political ideology (like gender, socioeconomic status, personality traits to name a few), and considering that our ideology also shapes our decision-making skills on issues such as who you seek out for healthcare and consumer patronage, the likelihood that there is an association to our sexual behaviors is also just as relevant to explore. The discussion of sexual behaviors continues to be a stigmatizing topic for many people; therefore, this study provided opportunity to reduce the gap in knowledge as it relates to political ideology and sexual behaviors. As public health professionals, we should consider political ideology in our dialogue especially at the juncture of health program planning and promotion.