Whitney Sewell
Biographic Data
| ID | 134416 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Whitney Sewell |
| GIVEN NAMES | Whitney |
| FAMILY NAME | Sewell |
| SIGNATURE | SEWELL W |
| AFFILIATIONS | Boston College |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-8228-7206 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 17 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 26 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 17 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2016 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 1 |
Integrating preexposure prophylaxis into gynecologic care: Determinants and strategies
Background Preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is highly effective for HIV prevention, yet cisgender women remain underrepresented among PrEP users relative to their HIV burden in the United States. Obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN) settings—where many women receive routine sexual and reproductive health care—represent a promising but underutilized venue for PrEP delivery. Despite professional guidance endorsing PrEP discussion and prescribing in OB/…
Barriers and facilitators to implementing status-neutral HIV care in an urban jail system
BACKGROUND: People who use drugs face barriers to accessing HIV prevention tools. The status-neutral model for HIV care starts with the HIV test and offers linkage to HIV treatment if the person tests positive and linkage to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) if the person tests negative. The goal of this study was to evaluate barriers and facilitators impacting the implementation of a status-neutral HIV model of care in the jail setting. METHODS: B…
Preferences for long-acting injectable HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis service delivery among male and female sex workers in Uganda: A discrete choice experiment
In Sub-Saharan Africa, limited data exist on the delivery of injectable HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). We explored service delivery preferences for injectable cabotegravir (CAB-LA) among heterosexual male sex workers (MSWs) and female sex workers (FSWs) in Uganda. We conducted a discrete choice experiment (DCE) among HIV-negative sex workers in two high HIV-prevalence Ugandan cities between October and December 2024. Participants selected f…
Educating, demystifying, destigmatising’: Black women’s perspectives on effective PrEP messaging in the USA
Black cisgender women in the USA are disproportionately affected by HIV but remain underrepresented in HIV-related pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) messaging. Despite PrEP's efficacy in preventing HIV, uptake among Black cisgender in the USA women remains low. This qualitative study explored how PrEP messaging can better resonate with Black women's interests and needs by focusing on their experiences and preferences. We conducted semi-structured i…
From protection to self-reliance: Media exposure to police use-of-force and Its impact on black emerging adult women
This study examined the mediating role of perceived police legitimacy in the relationship between exposure to videos of police use-of-force and personal safety behaviors among Black emerging adult women. Using surveys from 152 participants, findings showed that greater exposure to police use-of-force videos was associated with decreased reliance on police for personal safety, and this relationship was mediated by perceptions of police legitimacy.…
Situating Implementation Science (Is) in Res(is)tance: A conceptual frame toward the integration of scholarship from the black radical tradition
This manuscript undertakes a disciplinary self-critique of the field of implementation science, a field which attempts to bridge the gap between evidence-based interventions and their practical application. Despite the heightened emphasis on health equity and racial disparities, the field’s current discourse is limited by key epistemic shortcomings. First, even though prevalence of implementation gaps between racialized groups in the United State…
Social and structural factors associated with interest in HIV preexposure prophylaxis among Black women in the United States
In a nationwide sample of cisgender Black women in the US, we assessed the associations between social and structural factors and interest in using HIV preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP). Among 315 respondents, 62.2% were interested in PrEP if it were provided for free. Positive social norms surrounding PrEP, including injunctive norms (perceived social acceptability of PrEP use) and descriptive norms (perceived commonality of PrEP use), were positiv…
A Call for PrEP Discussions With Black Women—Be a Gardener
This Viewpoint discusses the importance of proactively discussing preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) with Black cisgender women
Avoiding Shots in the Dark: Learning from the Past To Inform the Implementation of Long-Acting Injectable Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis for Black American Cisgender Women
Just the Stigma Associated with PrEP Makes You Feel Like It's HIV Itself”: Exploring PrEP Stigma, Skepticism, and Medical Mistrust Among Black Cisgender Women in Urban and Rural Counties in the U.S. D…
Preferences for HIV Preexposure Prophylaxis Products Among Black Women in the U.S
Surviving the white space: Perspectives on how middle-class Black men navigate cultural racism
Due to widespread, deeply entrenched racial residential segregation, public spaces in the United States are often overwhelmingly white. Middle-class Black Americans frequently work, live and recreate in predominantly white settings. Based on focus groups with Black men in St. Louis, we found that middle-class Black men often (1) survive the white space; (2) were hyper-visible, or in the spotlight; and (3) were vigilant. Study findings illuminate …
Perceived HIV risk as a predictor of sexual risk behaviors and discrimination among high-risk women
HIV risk perception and discrimination are important determinants of HIV prevention among vulnerable populations. Using Detroit's 2016 National HIV Behavioral Surveillance (NHBS) Survey, we evaluated demographic variables, risk behaviors, and perception of HIV stigma and discrimination stratified by perceived HIV risk (high, medium, low) in a sample of high-risk women. Significant variables were identified using Pearson Chi-squared tests and one-…
The Impact of Traumatic Experiences on Risky Sexual Behaviors in Black and White Young Adult Women
Adolescent Neighborhood Environments and Latino Intraethnic Disparities in Trajectories of Serious Violent Behaviors
The purpose of this study was to describe the longitudinal trajectories of risk for serious violent behaviors among Latinos of different ancestry in the United States and to examine the impact of neighborhood perceptions, socioeconomic status (SES), and racial/ethnic and immigrant concentration during adolescence in long-term risk. Guided by sociological theories and life-course frameworks, we utilized data from Mexican ( n = 755), Cuban ( n = 18…
“Racism?!?. . . Just Look at Our Neighborhoods”: Views on Racial Discrimination and Coping Among African American Men in Saint Louis
Recent events in Ferguson underscore the need to better understand the unique challenges, stressors, and coping mechanisms of African American men. To this end, a focus group study was conducted in Saint Louis, a few miles from Ferguson. Although numerous stress-related themes were discussed, racial discrimination and structural racism emerged as pervasive stressors among these men. Participants described experiences of discrimination in multiple…
Vile vigilance: An integrated theoretical framework for understanding the state of Black surveillance
The family is the principal source of socialization and protection against racism for many Blacks. Transmitting values, norms, morals, and beliefs (i.e., racial socialization) to successive generations is done to promote racial awareness and to prepare an individual to survive in racist environments. Further, developing a sense of security, resiliency, and cultural pride provides psychological protection against racial prejudice and discriminatio…
Vile vigilance: An integrated theoretical framework for understanding the state of Black surveillance
The family is the principal source of socialization and protection against racism for many Blacks. Transmitting values, norms, morals, and beliefs (i.e., racial socialization) to successive generations is done to promote racial awareness and to prepare an individual to survive in racist environments. Further, developing a sense of security, resiliency, and cultural pride provides psychological protection against racial prejudice and discriminatio…
From protection to self-reliance: Media exposure to police use-of-force and Its impact on black emerging adult women
This study examined the mediating role of perceived police legitimacy in the relationship between exposure to videos of police use-of-force and personal safety behaviors among Black emerging adult women. Using surveys from 152 participants, findings showed that greater exposure to police use-of-force videos was associated with decreased reliance on police for personal safety, and this relationship was mediated by perceptions of police legitimacy.…
Just the Stigma Associated with PrEP Makes You Feel Like It's HIV Itself”: Exploring PrEP Stigma, Skepticism, and Medical Mistrust Among Black Cisgender Women in Urban and Rural Counties in the U.S. D…
“Racism?!?. . . Just Look at Our Neighborhoods”: Views on Racial Discrimination and Coping Among African American Men in Saint Louis
Recent events in Ferguson underscore the need to better understand the unique challenges, stressors, and coping mechanisms of African American men. To this end, a focus group study was conducted in Saint Louis, a few miles from Ferguson. Although numerous stress-related themes were discussed, racial discrimination and structural racism emerged as pervasive stressors among these men. Participants described experiences of discrimination in multiple…
Vile vigilance: An integrated theoretical framework for understanding the state of Black surveillance
The family is the principal source of socialization and protection against racism for many Blacks. Transmitting values, norms, morals, and beliefs (i.e., racial socialization) to successive generations is done to promote racial awareness and to prepare an individual to survive in racist environments. Further, developing a sense of security, resiliency, and cultural pride provides psychological protection against racial prejudice and discriminatio…
Adolescent Neighborhood Environments and Latino Intraethnic Disparities in Trajectories of Serious Violent Behaviors
The purpose of this study was to describe the longitudinal trajectories of risk for serious violent behaviors among Latinos of different ancestry in the United States and to examine the impact of neighborhood perceptions, socioeconomic status (SES), and racial/ethnic and immigrant concentration during adolescence in long-term risk. Guided by sociological theories and life-course frameworks, we utilized data from Mexican ( n = 755), Cuban ( n = 18…
The Impact of Traumatic Experiences on Risky Sexual Behaviors in Black and White Young Adult Women
Perceived HIV risk as a predictor of sexual risk behaviors and discrimination among high-risk women
HIV risk perception and discrimination are important determinants of HIV prevention among vulnerable populations. Using Detroit's 2016 National HIV Behavioral Surveillance (NHBS) Survey, we evaluated demographic variables, risk behaviors, and perception of HIV stigma and discrimination stratified by perceived HIV risk (high, medium, low) in a sample of high-risk women. Significant variables were identified using Pearson Chi-squared tests and one-…
Surviving the white space: Perspectives on how middle-class Black men navigate cultural racism
Due to widespread, deeply entrenched racial residential segregation, public spaces in the United States are often overwhelmingly white. Middle-class Black Americans frequently work, live and recreate in predominantly white settings. Based on focus groups with Black men in St. Louis, we found that middle-class Black men often (1) survive the white space; (2) were hyper-visible, or in the spotlight; and (3) were vigilant. Study findings illuminate …
Preferences for HIV Preexposure Prophylaxis Products Among Black Women in the U.S
Situating Implementation Science (Is) in Res(is)tance: A conceptual frame toward the integration of scholarship from the black radical tradition
This manuscript undertakes a disciplinary self-critique of the field of implementation science, a field which attempts to bridge the gap between evidence-based interventions and their practical application. Despite the heightened emphasis on health equity and racial disparities, the field’s current discourse is limited by key epistemic shortcomings. First, even though prevalence of implementation gaps between racialized groups in the United State…
Social and structural factors associated with interest in HIV preexposure prophylaxis among Black women in the United States
In a nationwide sample of cisgender Black women in the US, we assessed the associations between social and structural factors and interest in using HIV preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP). Among 315 respondents, 62.2% were interested in PrEP if it were provided for free. Positive social norms surrounding PrEP, including injunctive norms (perceived social acceptability of PrEP use) and descriptive norms (perceived commonality of PrEP use), were positiv…
A Call for PrEP Discussions With Black Women—Be a Gardener
This Viewpoint discusses the importance of proactively discussing preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) with Black cisgender women
Avoiding Shots in the Dark: Learning from the Past To Inform the Implementation of Long-Acting Injectable Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis for Black American Cisgender Women
Just the Stigma Associated with PrEP Makes You Feel Like It's HIV Itself”: Exploring PrEP Stigma, Skepticism, and Medical Mistrust Among Black Cisgender Women in Urban and Rural Counties in the U.S. D…
Preferences for long-acting injectable HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis service delivery among male and female sex workers in Uganda: A discrete choice experiment
In Sub-Saharan Africa, limited data exist on the delivery of injectable HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). We explored service delivery preferences for injectable cabotegravir (CAB-LA) among heterosexual male sex workers (MSWs) and female sex workers (FSWs) in Uganda. We conducted a discrete choice experiment (DCE) among HIV-negative sex workers in two high HIV-prevalence Ugandan cities between October and December 2024. Participants selected f…
Educating, demystifying, destigmatising’: Black women’s perspectives on effective PrEP messaging in the USA
Black cisgender women in the USA are disproportionately affected by HIV but remain underrepresented in HIV-related pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) messaging. Despite PrEP's efficacy in preventing HIV, uptake among Black cisgender in the USA women remains low. This qualitative study explored how PrEP messaging can better resonate with Black women's interests and needs by focusing on their experiences and preferences. We conducted semi-structured i…
From protection to self-reliance: Media exposure to police use-of-force and Its impact on black emerging adult women
This study examined the mediating role of perceived police legitimacy in the relationship between exposure to videos of police use-of-force and personal safety behaviors among Black emerging adult women. Using surveys from 152 participants, findings showed that greater exposure to police use-of-force videos was associated with decreased reliance on police for personal safety, and this relationship was mediated by perceptions of police legitimacy.…
Integrating preexposure prophylaxis into gynecologic care: Determinants and strategies
Background Preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is highly effective for HIV prevention, yet cisgender women remain underrepresented among PrEP users relative to their HIV burden in the United States. Obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN) settings—where many women receive routine sexual and reproductive health care—represent a promising but underutilized venue for PrEP delivery. Despite professional guidance endorsing PrEP discussion and prescribing in OB/…
Barriers and facilitators to implementing status-neutral HIV care in an urban jail system
BACKGROUND: People who use drugs face barriers to accessing HIV prevention tools. The status-neutral model for HIV care starts with the HIV test and offers linkage to HIV treatment if the person tests positive and linkage to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) if the person tests negative. The goal of this study was to evaluate barriers and facilitators impacting the implementation of a status-neutral HIV model of care in the jail setting. METHODS: B…
Psychology (11 works) · HIV/AIDS Research and Interventions (9 works) · Sociology (9 works) · Medicine (8 works) · Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health (7 works) · Gender Studies (7 works) · Pre-exposure prophylaxis (6 works) · Public health (6 works) · HIV, Drug Use, Sexual Risk (5 works) · Political science (5 works)