Date of Defense

12-4-2013

Date of Graduation

12-2013

Department

Nursing

First Advisor

Kimberly Searing

Second Advisor

Alice De Young

Abstract

Based off of the Healthy People 2020 goals regarding sexual health behaviors and reduction in the proportion of gonorrhea infections among males and females ages 15-44, the purpose of this thesis to provide the necessary evidence that a sexual health education intervention needs to be implemented into the campus of Western Michigan University in order to reduce the rates of gonorrhea among college students aged 20-24 in Kalamazoo County. This is a secondary analysis that compared the reported gonorrhea rates in Kalamazoo County, Michigan to the reported rates of gonorrhea in Jackson County, Michigan. Several components were compared within each county to evaluate the overall similarities and differences they possessed as well as contributing factors to the high rates of gonorrhea reported. A major difference within the counties was that Kalamazoo has a university whereas Jackson does not. With a functioning university present, it was predicted that it would be a contributing factor to the high rates of gonorrhea reported in Kalamazoo. The major findings verified that gonorrhea is problematic in both counties, more specifically within the age group of 15-19 and 20-24 (college age students) and females within those age groups. With these findings it was recommended that, although the university was not supported as a contributing factor that causes higher reports of gonorrhea, it is essential to implement an education intervention within the population at Western Michigan University.

Access Setting

Honors Thesis-Open Access

Additional Files
K_BolterDefense.pdf (473 kB)
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