Evaluating Interactional Dynamics in Reproductive Life Plan Counseling

• In Event: 174 - Section on Racial and Ethnic Minorities Roundtables (one-hour)
  In Refereed Roundtable: Table 12. Race and Health

Abstract

Reproductive life plan counseling (RLPC) is recommended by the CDC and Office of Population Affairs to be an integral part of every preventive healthcare visit for women of reproductive age. It involves an in-depth discussion between provider and patient about the role of reproduction in the patient’s future life plan. The aim of RLPC is to distill abstract notions of pregnancy intention into concrete ideas in an effort to supply the appropriate medical interventions to support or prevent pregnancy. Due to the racialized history of family planning efforts in the United States, it is critical to evaluate the racialized implementation of this health intervention. No studies to date have evaluated the interactional dynamics of RLPC. This study will do so using race discordant and race concordant patient-provider dyads in a publicly funded family planning clinic system. Using modified grounded theory, several patient-provider interactions taking place during comprehensive gynecological visits will be qualitatively analyzed to determine how racial dynamics operate during the RLPC intervention. Following the patient-provider interaction, both parties will be interviewed individually to evaluate their perspectives on the quality of the interaction.

Author

• Aalap Bommaraju, University of Cincinnati