Rhode Island medical journal (2013)
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Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) causing nearly all cases of cervical carcinoma and genital condyloma worldwide. While HPV vaccination rates are higher in Rhode Island compared to other states, still 27% of female adolescents are not fully vaccinated. ⋯ This requirement lies in stark contrast to the goals of the Family Planning Title X Program, which provides all adolescents with access to contraception and STI prevention and treatment without parental consent. In this commentary, we propose that HPV vaccination should be available to all pre-teens and adolescents as part of teen reproductive and sexual healthcare, and thus be exempt from parental consent in a similar way to other reproductive and sexual health services such as STI testing and contraception. [Full article available at http://rimed.org/rimedicaljournal-2018-09.asp].
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Unintentional opioid overdoses are a growing public health epidemic in the United States. Rhode Island is also faced with a challenging crisis of drug overdose deaths. The State Unintentional Drug Overdose Reporting Surveillance (SUDORS) data from the second half of 2016 were used to present opioid overdose deaths and characteristics in Rhode Island. ⋯ Over 83% of decedents had 2 or more substances attribute to causing their death, with fentanyl (71.1%) as the most common substance. Only 36.6% of decedents had naloxone administered. Fatal opioid overdose data are important for understanding this public health crisis and can guide overdose intervention efforts.