SHARE SHaping Awareness of Reproductive Education

1. SHARESHaping Awareness of Reproductive Education

2. Outline • What to expect at a SHARE event • Cultural sensitivity and communication • When you are counseling • Culture specific communication • Review all SHARE materials

3. What to expect at a SHARE event • Duration: 2-4 hours • Settings: clinics, retail, shelters • Public: underserved populations of various backgrounds • Attire: what you’d wear to lab, including lab coat and name badge • Your role: to answer questions mainly focused on, but not limited to, SHARE topics

4. Available Materials • Brochures • Birth Control Guide (FDA) and Additional Information on Birth Control • STDs • Medicine and Pregnancy (FDA) • Pregnancy and Medicine: What is Safe to Use and What to Avoid • Flyers about drug use during lactation • List of Local Clinics • Pregnancy and Lactation Poster • Free condom samples

5. Cultural sensitivity and communication • Use simple words • Be careful to avoid medical language and words related to the body/STDs that might be considered offensive • Be aware of your patients’ tone of voice and body language and mimic them • In some cultures, it is rude to look at someone straight in the eye or to speak very loudly

6. Cultural sensitivity and communication • Some people may just want to talk • This is also a form of counseling and patient contact • If you are comfortable with this, they will likely walk away feeling like you helped them

7. When you are counseling • If unsure, please double-check info on your Lexi-Comp/Micromedex • If you do not know how to answer a question, refer the person to one of the SHARE coordinators or the precepting Pharmacist

8. When you are counseling • Please DO NOT endorse certain medications or make diagnoses. Only give suggestions: • “You may have heartburn, you could try X” instead of “You have heartburn, X is the best to use” • Go over the brochures with your patient: • Explain what is unclear to him or her • Point out info relevant to that person (specific condition/med)

9. Culture Specific Communication • American Indian • Talking loudly is rude • Personal space is important and is greater than the one of European Americans • Physical contact except shaking hands from strangers is unacceptable • A lot of questions may foster mistrust • Direct eye contact and finger pointing is disrespectful LPN Notes 2008

10. Culture Specific Communication • Arab Heritage • Shake hands only with the right hand; men should not initiate handshake with women and girls • Pork and alcohol are prohibited by Muslims; medications should not contain alcohol and gelatin made out of pork • Direct eye contact between members of opposite sex is disrespectful • May be reluctant to talk about personal information LPN Notes 2008

11. Culture Specific Communication • Asian Heritage • Direct eye contact may cause uneasiness • Avoid unnecessary touching • Men should not initiate handshake with women and girls • Patients may seek first traditional or alternative treatment before accepting Western medicine • Actions considered disrespectful: discussion of mental illness, direct eye contact, pointing, touching the head, placing the feet on desk or table LPN Notes 2008

12. Culture Specific Communication • Mexican Heritage • May seek traditional or alternative healers first • Being overweight is seen as positive • Avoid direct eye contact with older generation • Russian Heritage • Patients may be standoffish to health-care workers until trust is established • Diets are high in fat and sodium LPN Notes 2008

13. Summary • Come to the event prepared – look professional! • Review this presentation • Bringing Lexi-Comp might be helpful • Use your best judgment on how to communicate with people from other cultures • Next event – Friday, February 26: 1-4 pm (tentative)

14. Questions?