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Sept. 21 — Professor publishes study on sexual assault survivors’ decision making
Jessica Draughon Moret, a professor at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis, published “Decision-making in HIV post-exposure prophylaxis: insights from sexual assault survivors” in the journal AIDS Care. Jessica, along with School of Nursing PhD alumnae Tequila Porter and Patricia Fernandez, explored how sexual assault survivors make decisions about HIV post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) during their initial post-assault health care visit. Survivors described provider communication, internalized shame and personal assumptions about HIV risk as key factors influencing whether they started and completed PEP. Jessica says the study suggests that improving trauma-informed communication during post-assault care may increase PEP acceptance and adherence while helping survivors feel supported, heard and respected.
