During the meeting, diverse multidisciplinary adolescent health professionals from throughout the world assembled to share, discuss, critique and generate strategies to ensure that all young people have full and equal access to opportunities that enable them to achieve healthy, productive and meaningful lives.
Griffin’s research focused on the usage of etonogestral implant (EI) birth control devices among African American adolescent females. The goal of her research was to seek ways to combat health disparities.
According to Griffin, African American adolescents are likely to have twice many teen pregnancies as other groups. Griffin said that this group demonstrated a better EI retention rate than previously reported by studies investigating adolescent use of EI devices. Her research concluded that African American adolescents recommended EI devices to friends and that the devices are strongly recommended for this demographic.
Griffin conducted her research with Dr. Daniel Preud'Homme, professor of pediatrics at the USA College of Medicine and a pediatric gastroenterologist with USA Physicians Group.
Griffin said that is essential for diversity to be represented in health care, as health care delivery is becoming increasingly diverse and specific to each individual.
Griffin said she is hoping to pursue a career in obstetrics and gynecology. She said that she feels it is important for medical students to participate in extracurricular research because it is a way for them to express themselves, and provides them with opportunities to become a better physician.
“Research gives you the freedom to explore medical topics of interest through your scope of choice. It also teaches you to think critically and to be methodological, concise and analytical,” Griffin said.
To view Griffin’s research abstract, click here.
To learn more about the 2018 Annual Meeting, click here.
