WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.500 Hey y 'all, welcome to Questions You Didn't Ask. 00:00:02.839 --> 00:00:07.179 Did you know that this very spot could be showcasing 00:00:07.179 --> 00:00:10.320 your business or event? Whether it's an audio 00:00:10.320 --> 00:00:14.460 ad on our podcast, or a visual ad on our new 00:00:14.460 --> 00:00:18.100 YouTube station, or even both, we've got the 00:00:18.100 --> 00:00:21.620 space for you. Nyesha Frey Consulting is reaching 00:00:21.620 --> 00:00:24.420 a growing audience of over a thousand leaders 00:00:24.420 --> 00:00:27.839 who are passionate about health equity, social 00:00:27.839 --> 00:00:32.070 justice, and civil rights activism. These are 00:00:32.070 --> 00:00:35.329 professionals just like you working across higher 00:00:35.329 --> 00:00:40.409 education, research, healthcare, nonprofit, government, 00:00:40.590 --> 00:00:44.030 and even public health sectors. If you're ready 00:00:44.030 --> 00:00:46.630 to get your message in front of a dedicated and 00:00:46.630 --> 00:00:52.469 engaged audience, send me an email at naishafrayconsultingllc 00:00:52.469 --> 00:00:57.149 at gmail .com. Let's talk about how we can help 00:00:57.149 --> 00:00:59.710 you connect with the people who need to hear 00:00:59.710 --> 00:01:02.829 about your services and products that advance 00:01:02.829 --> 00:01:06.969 health equity and wellness. Don't miss out. Get 00:01:06.969 --> 00:01:09.269 in the mix and let's make an impact together. 00:01:20.390 --> 00:01:23.510 Hey, friends. Welcome back to Questions You Didn't 00:01:23.510 --> 00:01:27.430 Ask. I'm Nyesha Frey. In this episode, Dr. Shanita 00:01:27.430 --> 00:01:30.689 Randolph and Dr. Reagan Johnson join me to talk 00:01:30.689 --> 00:01:33.950 about the Updose Protective Style Study, salon 00:01:33.950 --> 00:01:37.069 -based outreach, and what real -world research 00:01:37.069 --> 00:01:40.810 looks like in action. Let's jump into it, doing 00:01:40.810 --> 00:01:43.549 it for ourselves. I hope that my audience is 00:01:43.549 --> 00:01:45.930 picking up on some themes that keep coming up 00:01:45.930 --> 00:01:47.709 in our conversations with you. You all are so 00:01:47.709 --> 00:01:51.430 consistent in regard to, you know, being motivated 00:01:51.430 --> 00:01:55.250 from your core. who you are and your values. 00:01:55.549 --> 00:01:59.689 Also, you're very empathetic to what is happening 00:01:59.689 --> 00:02:02.230 in your community and that motivates you even 00:02:02.230 --> 00:02:06.049 more. But also you extend that further through 00:02:06.049 --> 00:02:09.819 collaboration by listening. and asking and being 00:02:09.819 --> 00:02:12.860 present and being responsive. But then the other 00:02:12.860 --> 00:02:15.620 thing that I'm picking up on is this bi -directional 00:02:15.620 --> 00:02:17.719 partnership. You know, one of the things that 00:02:17.719 --> 00:02:20.419 I think that really gets in the way of building 00:02:20.419 --> 00:02:23.280 that trust in the community is that, you know, 00:02:23.280 --> 00:02:26.280 people in our community are overwhelmed, right? 00:02:26.360 --> 00:02:28.840 A lot of people in the world, okay, are overwhelmed. 00:02:28.900 --> 00:02:31.360 But our community is, you know, we're overwhelmed 00:02:31.360 --> 00:02:35.280 with... more stressors, more challenges, more 00:02:35.280 --> 00:02:38.939 barriers and obstructions, right? And so coming 00:02:38.939 --> 00:02:41.639 to them and asking them to participate in one 00:02:41.639 --> 00:02:44.979 more thing can be really, really daunting. And 00:02:44.979 --> 00:02:47.740 so the fact that you are going and asking them, 00:02:47.819 --> 00:02:50.680 if you were to participate, what would that look 00:02:50.680 --> 00:02:55.439 like? And how can we be of service? And what 00:02:55.439 --> 00:02:58.960 would make it worth your while? I think is reflective 00:02:58.960 --> 00:03:03.539 of your heart. but also a really good research 00:03:03.539 --> 00:03:06.699 strategy, right? For developing effective research 00:03:06.699 --> 00:03:09.680 questions, interventions, things of that sort. 00:03:09.919 --> 00:03:13.979 Because oftentimes what you see is people coming 00:03:13.979 --> 00:03:17.180 in and asking of the community, wanting to examine 00:03:17.180 --> 00:03:19.340 the community, being curious about the community 00:03:19.340 --> 00:03:22.219 and then bounce, you know, I'm gone, peace, see 00:03:22.219 --> 00:03:24.780 ya. And that's it. But what you just explained 00:03:24.780 --> 00:03:29.000 with the evolution from the talk. and its success, 00:03:29.199 --> 00:03:31.860 and that partnership, which I think is powerful, 00:03:32.039 --> 00:03:35.360 and then how that led to establishing Safe Cultures, 00:03:35.379 --> 00:03:38.460 and that the opportunity there is to actually 00:03:38.460 --> 00:03:43.020 build capacity of one of your partners. That 00:03:43.020 --> 00:03:46.120 doesn't necessarily advantage the heat lab directly. 00:03:47.120 --> 00:03:50.599 I mean, right? Am I missing something? I mean, 00:03:50.620 --> 00:03:54.120 it does. Because, and I'm going to say we, because 00:03:54.120 --> 00:03:56.699 I'm going to speak for Shanita on this too. We 00:03:56.699 --> 00:04:01.719 are who we say we are. Yep. And when you operate 00:04:01.719 --> 00:04:05.099 in that, then it advantages you to be the person 00:04:05.099 --> 00:04:07.199 that you said you are. If we say that we are 00:04:07.199 --> 00:04:10.319 people who. uh prioritized bi -directional partnerships 00:04:10.319 --> 00:04:13.360 that we want to give to the community as much 00:04:13.360 --> 00:04:16.639 as we take and sometimes more than we take then 00:04:16.639 --> 00:04:19.879 that's who you have to be and so then it advantages 00:04:19.879 --> 00:04:23.040 the heat lab because it increases trust as you 00:04:23.040 --> 00:04:28.040 said it shows the framework for a blueprint that 00:04:28.040 --> 00:04:31.360 we go back the blueprint of how other teams and 00:04:31.360 --> 00:04:34.339 labs should operate particularly in community 00:04:34.339 --> 00:04:36.759 engaged research and i would say community engaged 00:04:37.290 --> 00:04:40.350 Amongst all communities, we specifically, or 00:04:40.350 --> 00:04:43.750 I specifically, engage Black communities. But 00:04:43.750 --> 00:04:46.029 this should be the way that you engage people 00:04:46.029 --> 00:04:50.110 in general. Like Lauren Hill said, reciprocity, 00:04:50.129 --> 00:04:55.050 okay? Yes, darling. We should take as much pleasure 00:04:55.050 --> 00:04:59.709 in seeing someone else's dream or goals succeed 00:04:59.709 --> 00:05:03.310 as we do in ensuring that our own. One time for 00:05:03.310 --> 00:05:05.610 tearing down that capitalistic mindset, okay? 00:05:06.199 --> 00:05:10.000 and worldview and coming back into, into who 00:05:10.000 --> 00:05:12.620 we are, what we say we are. Thank you so much 00:05:12.620 --> 00:05:15.639 for that reframe because that's critical. That's 00:05:15.639 --> 00:05:18.180 critical in what sets you apart and that's critical 00:05:18.180 --> 00:05:21.800 to the blueprint. So thank you. Stand toes down 00:05:21.800 --> 00:05:26.300 on that. Yes. Ten toes down. Like, listen, and 00:05:26.300 --> 00:05:31.860 I think this is why, I mean, we really care about 00:05:31.860 --> 00:05:37.480 our mission. And I think this is, you know, as 00:05:37.480 --> 00:05:42.279 Reagan said, is who we are. I am appreciative 00:05:42.279 --> 00:05:47.160 if the work leads me to a promotion. I really 00:05:47.160 --> 00:05:51.439 don't care about promotion and tenure aside from 00:05:51.439 --> 00:05:55.680 doing the work that I'm purposed to do. And you 00:05:55.680 --> 00:05:57.899 can't create that. Either you have that and that's 00:05:57.899 --> 00:06:01.089 who you are or not. And that relates back to 00:06:01.089 --> 00:06:03.350 what Reagan said about her career choice. Right. 00:06:03.430 --> 00:06:06.810 She said, I want to help my people. I think I 00:06:06.810 --> 00:06:09.149 want to do it through medicine. Oh, that didn't 00:06:09.149 --> 00:06:11.670 work. Well, then how else can I do it? Oh, nursing 00:06:11.670 --> 00:06:14.089 is a strategy to do it. Either way, I'm going 00:06:14.089 --> 00:06:19.509 to get it done. Right. So one thing that I got 00:06:19.509 --> 00:06:21.350 so many questions for y 'all and I know I can't 00:06:21.350 --> 00:06:25.529 ask them all, but the heat lab isn't just about 00:06:25.529 --> 00:06:31.970 data and research. I learned that you all are 00:06:31.970 --> 00:06:35.629 about so much more than that. Can you share more 00:06:35.629 --> 00:06:38.410 about initiatives like the Science of Soul and 00:06:38.410 --> 00:06:43.250 how they support holistic healing? Yes, the Science 00:06:43.250 --> 00:06:48.769 of Soul. This was an amazing event that we had 00:06:48.769 --> 00:06:52.209 in the spring of last year, integrating the arts 00:06:52.209 --> 00:06:59.399 with science and the community. I'll just share 00:06:59.399 --> 00:07:02.379 this story for the listeners who may not have 00:07:02.379 --> 00:07:08.220 context of it. But Science of Soul was a vision 00:07:08.220 --> 00:07:11.639 that I had in a concert listening to Raheem Devon 00:07:11.639 --> 00:07:15.660 and Lettucey at the DPAC in Durham. And at the 00:07:15.660 --> 00:07:20.620 end of the concert, Raheem's sex session. He 00:07:20.620 --> 00:07:22.620 started talking about Black women and giving 00:07:22.620 --> 00:07:25.160 stats and started talking about PrEP. Well, come 00:07:25.160 --> 00:07:27.959 to find out, he was an ambassador for Gilead 00:07:27.959 --> 00:07:31.079 Sciences around this, and he has his own foundation 00:07:31.079 --> 00:07:34.939 that focuses on HIV. I text Reagan in March of 00:07:34.939 --> 00:07:41.240 2023, 24, and I said, we're going to get Raheem 00:07:41.240 --> 00:07:44.399 Debon to Durham. That's what we're going to do. 00:07:44.439 --> 00:07:49.879 Well, March of 2025, he was here. And it was 00:07:49.879 --> 00:07:53.860 an amazing two -day event. And when you talk 00:07:53.860 --> 00:07:56.860 about how they support holistic healing, we had 00:07:56.860 --> 00:08:00.399 TED Talks from community members that were paired 00:08:00.399 --> 00:08:03.959 with many TED Talks from clinicians and researchers 00:08:03.959 --> 00:08:08.959 on mental health, maternal child health, caregiving, 00:08:09.240 --> 00:08:13.240 HIV AIDS. We had a community partner that shared 00:08:13.240 --> 00:08:16.930 her personal story with living with HIV. And 00:08:16.930 --> 00:08:19.389 followed by her, we had a researcher that talked 00:08:19.389 --> 00:08:25.350 about the research aspect of HIV. For this two 00:08:25.350 --> 00:08:29.050 -day event, we had dancing. We had live music. 00:08:29.170 --> 00:08:33.450 Rahim did a mini concert for us. And it was a 00:08:33.450 --> 00:08:39.950 moment of healing that we did not recognize. 00:08:41.049 --> 00:08:43.590 how much we needed it and how much the community 00:08:43.590 --> 00:08:47.070 needed it. It was a chance for us to understand 00:08:47.070 --> 00:08:50.710 science, understand these issues, have some resources 00:08:50.710 --> 00:08:54.049 to address them in our community and doing that 00:08:54.049 --> 00:08:59.029 in such a way that brought us healing. And I 00:08:59.029 --> 00:09:01.789 think that as we are addressing, you know, even 00:09:01.789 --> 00:09:05.230 our work, how do we look at the whole self? How 00:09:05.230 --> 00:09:08.210 do we consider where people work, live and play 00:09:08.210 --> 00:09:14.000 and socialize? into our solutions. And so, you 00:09:14.000 --> 00:09:17.620 know, it is our goal to continue things like 00:09:17.620 --> 00:09:21.120 the science of soul. Yeah, I'm speechless. I'm 00:09:21.120 --> 00:09:22.899 sorry. Every time I think about it, like the 00:09:22.899 --> 00:09:26.600 impact that it had was just so great. And so 00:09:26.600 --> 00:09:31.649 we are. Planning now to look at sponsors to be 00:09:31.649 --> 00:09:35.330 able to support it in its next iteration. I'm 00:09:35.330 --> 00:09:37.590 so committed to it, though, if I got to sell 00:09:37.590 --> 00:09:42.850 donuts and fish plates. I hope Science of Soul 00:09:42.850 --> 00:09:46.870 happens again in 2020. Well, y 'all heard it 00:09:46.870 --> 00:09:49.090 here. We're looking for some sponsors for Science 00:09:49.090 --> 00:09:51.730 of Soul. Don't be shy. Come on, come through 00:09:51.730 --> 00:09:54.129 with your checks, your checkbooks. You know, 00:09:54.289 --> 00:09:59.879 you got to tap. We got you. So unfortunately, 00:10:01.379 --> 00:10:04.840 in the climate that we're in now with cuts in 00:10:04.840 --> 00:10:09.940 higher education and reprioritizing and organizations 00:10:09.940 --> 00:10:13.139 having to shift things, it's not going to be 00:10:13.139 --> 00:10:15.360 funded through the organization that funded it 00:10:15.360 --> 00:10:19.740 last year. And so we are having to rethink how 00:10:19.740 --> 00:10:23.399 we're going to make it happen. And that's a common 00:10:23.399 --> 00:10:25.940 theme for a lot of researchers and practitioners 00:10:25.940 --> 00:10:29.820 that do things to support health equity, addressing 00:10:29.820 --> 00:10:32.440 health disparities in marginalized communities 00:10:32.440 --> 00:10:35.620 is that pivot. We've been talking about that 00:10:35.620 --> 00:10:37.879 quite a bit. How do we pivot? How do we shift? 00:10:37.980 --> 00:10:40.340 How do we change? How do we innovate in the midst 00:10:40.340 --> 00:10:44.120 of so much upheaval? And Reagan, you played a 00:10:44.120 --> 00:10:46.539 major role in bringing the science of soul together. 00:10:46.840 --> 00:10:50.039 What did that mean for you? How do you think 00:10:50.039 --> 00:10:53.820 it helped? the community, and the heat lab? I 00:10:53.820 --> 00:10:57.480 keep using the word benchmark and revolutionary 00:10:57.480 --> 00:10:59.799 and all of these words, but I think they really 00:10:59.799 --> 00:11:02.679 do fit what the heat lab has done and Science 00:11:02.679 --> 00:11:06.299 of Soul was no different. I think the Science 00:11:06.299 --> 00:11:10.759 of Soul has the opportunity to change the way 00:11:10.759 --> 00:11:14.039 organizations, particularly academic organizations, 00:11:14.360 --> 00:11:17.879 partner with the community to disseminate information. 00:11:19.480 --> 00:11:24.200 The engaging nature of these many TED Talks invoked 00:11:24.200 --> 00:11:27.259 a level of emotion that you saw in the room, 00:11:27.419 --> 00:11:31.840 but it also sparked curiosity. So from our evaluations, 00:11:32.080 --> 00:11:35.799 like a lot of people express how much they learned 00:11:35.799 --> 00:11:38.500 and what they learned and what that led them 00:11:38.500 --> 00:11:41.220 to go look up for themselves. And that's the 00:11:41.220 --> 00:11:44.120 very nature of what we should be doing, right? 00:11:44.259 --> 00:11:48.440 We're conduits of education. We're conduits of 00:11:48.440 --> 00:11:51.919 health. Right. We're not there to just give all 00:11:51.919 --> 00:11:55.240 the answers to people. What we said, ain't nobody 00:11:55.240 --> 00:11:59.299 come to save us. We have to save ourselves. And 00:11:59.299 --> 00:12:04.179 this was a way that I see the community being 00:12:04.179 --> 00:12:06.799 able to do that and us being able to play a part 00:12:06.799 --> 00:12:09.480 in the community saving themselves. You said 00:12:09.480 --> 00:12:13.759 a whole word. Ain't nobody coming to save us. 00:12:14.059 --> 00:12:20.740 Nobody. And when we recognize that, we can. develop 00:12:20.740 --> 00:12:25.500 innovations like these that educate, entertain, 00:12:26.179 --> 00:12:29.879 bridge together community members. Because Ryan 00:12:29.879 --> 00:12:32.340 Devon is a celebrity, a star, but he's also a 00:12:32.340 --> 00:12:35.039 community member. Like he shared some personal 00:12:35.039 --> 00:12:38.519 stories throughout this that made him seem like 00:12:38.519 --> 00:12:41.379 everybody else in the room. I think people, you 00:12:41.379 --> 00:12:44.240 know, until he started singing, everybody has 00:12:44.240 --> 00:12:47.779 started to believe, oh, he just. you know, a 00:12:47.779 --> 00:12:50.820 regular person, he's normal like me. And he goes 00:12:50.820 --> 00:12:52.480 through the same things that I go through and 00:12:52.480 --> 00:12:55.539 he made this decision. Maybe I should consider 00:12:55.539 --> 00:12:58.320 how I can make this decision for my health as 00:12:58.320 --> 00:13:01.779 well. And that's the tie that bind, right? Maybe 00:13:01.779 --> 00:13:05.139 that's what we need to, in this day and age where 00:13:05.139 --> 00:13:09.279 everybody's on social media, everybody is pop 00:13:09.279 --> 00:13:13.360 culture critics and lovers of pop culture stands. 00:13:14.000 --> 00:13:18.730 And how do we use that? in order to help people 00:13:18.730 --> 00:13:22.830 increase advanced health. If you're enjoying 00:13:22.830 --> 00:13:26.029 the show as much as we love creating it, consider 00:13:26.029 --> 00:13:29.429 showing your support by buying us a cup of coffee. 00:13:29.809 --> 00:13:35.309 Visit buymeacoffee .com slash Nyesha Frey O. 00:13:35.789 --> 00:13:42.750 That's buymeacoffee .com forward slash Nyesha 00:13:42.750 --> 00:13:47.700 Frey O. All one word. Each cup is just five dollars 00:13:47.700 --> 00:13:51.279 and every single one helps us continue to produce, 00:13:51.600 --> 00:13:54.840 develop and sustain the high quality content 00:13:54.840 --> 00:13:57.940 you've come to expect from questions you didn't 00:13:57.940 --> 00:14:01.440 ask. Thank you for your continued support. And 00:14:01.440 --> 00:14:05.159 let's keep the conversation going. Yes. And one 00:14:05.159 --> 00:14:06.980 thing that I loved about being a part of the 00:14:06.980 --> 00:14:10.539 science of soul was how it brought people together 00:14:10.539 --> 00:14:13.639 from. Multiple sectors, right? Because you all 00:14:13.639 --> 00:14:16.399 had politicians from the federal level, from 00:14:16.399 --> 00:14:19.860 the state level that either sent remarks, sent 00:14:19.860 --> 00:14:23.720 their staff, what have you. You had community 00:14:23.720 --> 00:14:26.360 folks, just everyday community folks that were 00:14:26.360 --> 00:14:29.580 welcome, whether it was in the academic setting 00:14:29.580 --> 00:14:32.179 or in the community setting where we were ready 00:14:32.179 --> 00:14:37.179 to party. We ate. And everybody was on the same 00:14:37.179 --> 00:14:40.970 floor. Everybody was able to talk and connect 00:14:40.970 --> 00:14:45.210 and engage in conversation. And people welcome 00:14:45.210 --> 00:14:51.090 that. I definitely felt very at home with both 00:14:51.090 --> 00:14:54.629 listening to Raheem speak and then engaging with 00:14:54.629 --> 00:14:58.070 him, even just for a picture. Because again, 00:14:58.230 --> 00:15:01.529 it seemed like he was really there because this 00:15:01.529 --> 00:15:05.970 was who he is and what he wants to convey to 00:15:05.970 --> 00:15:10.080 other people. that share his you know his journey 00:15:10.080 --> 00:15:12.840 and in different ways right so i think that that's 00:15:12.840 --> 00:15:15.519 just really important that you all are facilitating 00:15:15.519 --> 00:15:19.980 these events that are very high quality very 00:15:19.980 --> 00:15:23.899 very well put together very well organized beautiful 00:15:23.899 --> 00:15:28.940 decorations celebratory and folks feel like they 00:15:28.940 --> 00:15:32.620 are a part of it, right? They're not just observing 00:15:32.620 --> 00:15:36.379 it from afar or being a fan, but you're a part 00:15:36.379 --> 00:15:39.539 of it. You are a part of the community. And so 00:15:39.539 --> 00:15:42.019 no matter where you're at, and I saw some pretty 00:15:42.019 --> 00:15:44.940 high level, you know, well -known researchers, 00:15:45.659 --> 00:15:47.919 you know, deans, what have you, and they were 00:15:47.919 --> 00:15:51.720 letting their hair down, right? They needed a 00:15:51.720 --> 00:15:55.600 space and they took full advantage of it because 00:15:55.600 --> 00:15:58.990 they felt welcome. Right. So I just want to say 00:15:58.990 --> 00:16:01.950 that, you know, not all researchers are stuffy, 00:16:01.950 --> 00:16:04.129 not all researchers are stuck up in the ivory 00:16:04.129 --> 00:16:07.250 tower. And I'm thankful that the heat lab is 00:16:07.250 --> 00:16:09.429 one is one of those places where where people 00:16:09.429 --> 00:16:12.009 can come and feel like they are a part of something. 00:16:12.309 --> 00:16:14.750 And one thing that I want people to feel a part 00:16:14.750 --> 00:16:18.370 of or to know more about is this amazing research 00:16:18.370 --> 00:16:25.399 study called Updo's Protective Styles. And so 00:16:25.399 --> 00:16:29.259 let's talk about it. Shanita, what is it and 00:16:29.259 --> 00:16:32.100 how does it address health equity for Black women? 00:16:32.600 --> 00:16:38.580 Yeah, so HIV is still a thing. Black women make 00:16:38.580 --> 00:16:42.299 up about 12 to 14 percent of the United States 00:16:42.299 --> 00:16:45.879 population, but over 50 percent of new cases 00:16:45.879 --> 00:16:49.460 of HIV are among Black women. They get it through 00:16:49.460 --> 00:16:52.820 heterosexual contact. That doesn't necessarily 00:16:52.820 --> 00:16:56.519 have to be the story. There is PrEP, which is 00:16:56.519 --> 00:17:01.259 a medication that if taken consistently can improve 00:17:01.259 --> 00:17:04.700 or decrease one from getting HIV. And it's been 00:17:04.700 --> 00:17:07.400 proven up to 99 % effective. There are different 00:17:07.400 --> 00:17:10.000 ways now. There are injectables. There's oral 00:17:10.000 --> 00:17:13.299 medication. But what we know is that it's been 00:17:13.299 --> 00:17:17.880 out since 2012. FDA approved less than 2 % of 00:17:17.880 --> 00:17:20.779 Black women actually take PrEP. for a number 00:17:20.779 --> 00:17:24.380 of reasons so in the heat lab we have with beauty 00:17:24.380 --> 00:17:27.660 salons with stylists who have been consultants 00:17:27.660 --> 00:17:30.660 and with black women we have co -created updos 00:17:30.660 --> 00:17:32.859 using prep doing it for ourselves protective 00:17:32.859 --> 00:17:37.859 styles and our goal as we always say we're not 00:17:37.859 --> 00:17:41.220 prep pushers that's how have i like to say it 00:17:41.220 --> 00:17:45.039 right i'm not pushing it no that sounds like 00:17:45.039 --> 00:17:50.039 a song but What we do believe is that women should 00:17:50.039 --> 00:17:53.900 have the information that they need to make an 00:17:53.900 --> 00:17:56.400 informed decision about their own sexual health 00:17:56.400 --> 00:17:58.740 and sexual health should be defined for them 00:17:58.740 --> 00:18:02.599 in the way that they want it best defined. And 00:18:02.599 --> 00:18:04.940 so we want to bring awareness to this. We also 00:18:04.940 --> 00:18:08.220 recognize that some of the barriers in clinical 00:18:08.220 --> 00:18:12.259 and research is that we evaluate the effectiveness 00:18:12.259 --> 00:18:16.779 of PrEP as a yes or no. Like I started it. And, 00:18:16.779 --> 00:18:19.599 you know, I'm on it. But what we look what we're 00:18:19.599 --> 00:18:23.500 looking at is, you know, even if a woman reaches 00:18:23.500 --> 00:18:27.140 out to a telehealth provider about PrEP, even 00:18:27.140 --> 00:18:29.859 if she goes from not knowing about PrEP to now 00:18:29.859 --> 00:18:32.660 understanding about PrEP, we just want women 00:18:32.660 --> 00:18:35.240 to have that informed decision. So it's three 00:18:35.240 --> 00:18:38.700 components. One is a stylist training where we 00:18:38.700 --> 00:18:42.160 are training stylists across North Carolina to 00:18:42.160 --> 00:18:45.259 be opinion leaders. They receive continuing education 00:18:45.259 --> 00:18:49.220 units for completing the training. It's a two 00:18:49.220 --> 00:18:53.460 -hour training. And they also received Ask Me 00:18:53.460 --> 00:18:55.700 About Prep signage to go in their beauty salons. 00:18:56.000 --> 00:18:58.700 Component number two is a six -week entertainment 00:18:58.700 --> 00:19:02.339 video where we have co -created with a creative 00:19:02.339 --> 00:19:05.700 agency that really tells the story through drama, 00:19:05.759 --> 00:19:10.799 entertainment about prep and about sexual health. 00:19:11.200 --> 00:19:13.759 that the women would actually view this six week. 00:19:13.980 --> 00:19:16.779 And then we've partnered with a telehealth agency 00:19:16.779 --> 00:19:20.559 where women can actually reach out in the privacy 00:19:20.559 --> 00:19:23.259 of their own home, talk to a telehealth provider, 00:19:23.660 --> 00:19:26.880 get HIV testing delivered to their home. And 00:19:26.880 --> 00:19:29.420 if they choose to, they could even have PrEP 00:19:29.420 --> 00:19:32.039 delivered to the home. Earlier, we were talking 00:19:32.039 --> 00:19:35.680 about how things change, even in creating this, 00:19:35.720 --> 00:19:38.160 a lot of changes have happened. When we first 00:19:38.160 --> 00:19:40.779 started this project, there was only oral. Now 00:19:40.779 --> 00:19:43.579 there's injectable. When we first started, the 00:19:43.579 --> 00:19:47.599 agency, you know, had funding to be able to offer 00:19:47.599 --> 00:19:50.059 it free. Right now, some things have shifted 00:19:50.059 --> 00:19:52.779 in government with Medicaid and Medicare, but 00:19:52.779 --> 00:19:55.019 we are still moving forward and shifting things 00:19:55.019 --> 00:19:57.880 as as we need to around that. So that's updo's 00:19:57.880 --> 00:20:00.579 protective styles, using PrEP, doing it for ourselves. 00:20:02.679 --> 00:20:05.460 Awesome. Now, Reagan, I'm going to ask you, you 00:20:05.460 --> 00:20:08.059 know, one thing that you all need to know about 00:20:08.059 --> 00:20:10.279 Reagan and Shanita is that these are some not 00:20:10.279 --> 00:20:12.720 just powerful black women, but they are beautiful. 00:20:12.859 --> 00:20:16.380 When I say they be quaffed. OK, so tell us a 00:20:16.380 --> 00:20:19.839 little bit more about why beauty salons. I mean, 00:20:19.859 --> 00:20:21.720 we've talked a lot about your partnership, Heat 00:20:21.720 --> 00:20:23.900 Lab, with beauty salons and barbershops. Why 00:20:23.900 --> 00:20:27.619 them? Yeah, it's so crazy because everything 00:20:27.619 --> 00:20:30.319 goes back to my college days, right? So when 00:20:30.319 --> 00:20:33.299 I was in nursing school, I'm aging myself. So 00:20:33.299 --> 00:20:35.960 I worked at a pager shop, a beeper shop a long 00:20:35.960 --> 00:20:39.660 time ago. Very popular in the city. Like everybody 00:20:39.660 --> 00:20:41.859 came to this beeper shop and right next door, 00:20:42.039 --> 00:20:46.180 a slash beauty salon that everybody went to this 00:20:46.180 --> 00:20:48.000 barbershop beauty salon. There'd be a million 00:20:48.000 --> 00:20:51.079 people in there. So I needed to practice, you 00:20:51.079 --> 00:20:54.160 know, my blood pressures. And the barber would 00:20:54.160 --> 00:20:56.319 be like, girl, just come in here and do all your 00:20:56.319 --> 00:20:58.119 blood pressures in here. And on Saturday mornings, 00:20:58.220 --> 00:21:00.980 I would camp out in the barbershop and do a ton. 00:21:01.079 --> 00:21:05.059 Anybody who let me practice blood pressures, 00:21:05.079 --> 00:21:08.700 that kind of just really gave me some kind of 00:21:08.700 --> 00:21:12.880 meaning to this is a good space to talk to people, 00:21:12.960 --> 00:21:17.200 educate people. At that time, people would spend 00:21:17.200 --> 00:21:22.269 hours in the shop. And then when I got into my 00:21:22.269 --> 00:21:26.289 master's program, I heard another researcher 00:21:26.289 --> 00:21:30.390 in Philly was doing a barbershop program around 00:21:30.390 --> 00:21:34.589 HIV specifically. And I was like, oh, that's 00:21:34.589 --> 00:21:37.430 super interesting to pair the two things that 00:21:37.430 --> 00:21:39.390 I'm interested in, the two things that I like. 00:21:39.410 --> 00:21:42.150 I like getting my head on. I like teaching people 00:21:42.150 --> 00:21:45.170 about HIV and preventing HIV. And so that's kind 00:21:45.170 --> 00:21:48.970 of where... It started with me thinking of this 00:21:48.970 --> 00:21:53.470 as a good space to kind of share information, 00:21:53.670 --> 00:21:56.950 share education and innovate, because think about 00:21:56.950 --> 00:21:59.710 all the things that you hear in a beauty salon 00:21:59.710 --> 00:22:03.130 or a barbershop, all the things that you tell 00:22:03.130 --> 00:22:06.750 your stylist or your stylist. My stylist tells 00:22:06.750 --> 00:22:10.910 me a lot, too. So you get to know so much about 00:22:10.910 --> 00:22:13.849 the people who you're in community with because 00:22:13.849 --> 00:22:18.819 that's a community. Right. Yes. So that's what 00:22:18.819 --> 00:22:20.940 started it. And I think it's been a perfect, 00:22:20.980 --> 00:22:25.799 trusted place to engage in this work. That's 00:22:25.799 --> 00:22:29.599 awesome. I mean, I love what you said, too, about, 00:22:29.599 --> 00:22:31.759 you know, this whole bidirectional thing has 00:22:31.759 --> 00:22:35.019 been planting a seed in you for a long time. 00:22:35.200 --> 00:22:39.309 Right. Because. here you are you know a young 00:22:39.309 --> 00:22:42.650 person working towards your nursing degree and 00:22:42.650 --> 00:22:45.390 you're also physically like working right you 00:22:45.390 --> 00:22:47.250 got to go to work to pay for school or whatever 00:22:47.250 --> 00:22:49.289 it is that you need right it's your business 00:22:49.289 --> 00:22:56.029 but but here is this barbershop i mean he is 00:22:56.029 --> 00:22:59.410 successful barbershop owner everybody loves his 00:22:59.410 --> 00:23:02.549 spot and he cares about you and your education 00:23:03.980 --> 00:23:06.839 And because of that, he invited you into, you 00:23:06.839 --> 00:23:08.660 don't work at his barbershop, you work at the 00:23:08.660 --> 00:23:14.799 pager shop. And he invited you in to get your 00:23:14.799 --> 00:23:20.220 clinical experience from his customers. And you 00:23:20.220 --> 00:23:22.240 want to talk about informed consent, right? So 00:23:22.240 --> 00:23:24.859 you had to ask because not everybody wanted to 00:23:24.859 --> 00:23:28.119 be bothered with you, right? Right, right. Now 00:23:28.119 --> 00:23:31.319 they can say no, but the barber and rest in peace. 00:23:32.700 --> 00:23:35.480 the barber lindsey brown he'd be like y 'all 00:23:35.480 --> 00:23:38.359 gonna let reagan do her blippers because this 00:23:38.359 --> 00:23:41.000 girl gotta get her education because we need 00:23:41.000 --> 00:23:45.640 her we need her to be great we need her and she 00:23:45.640 --> 00:23:48.140 gonna remember us when she finish and get on 00:23:48.140 --> 00:23:51.380 the other side and here you are co -director 00:23:51.380 --> 00:23:53.180 of the heat lab y 'all give it up y 'all give 00:23:53.180 --> 00:23:57.740 it up give it up all right like give it up for 00:23:57.740 --> 00:24:01.450 the him the other stylists and all the patients. 00:24:02.069 --> 00:24:04.430 Look, I'm calling them post -patients. The clients 00:24:04.430 --> 00:24:07.849 and the barbershops that allow that. I'm so, 00:24:07.950 --> 00:24:09.869 so grateful for everybody who's been a part of 00:24:09.869 --> 00:24:12.359 my journey. You've been listening to Questions 00:24:12.359 --> 00:24:15.640 You Didn't Ask, hosted by Nyesha Frey with Dr. 00:24:15.880 --> 00:24:18.940 Shanita Randolph and Dr. Reagan Johnson. If you're 00:24:18.940 --> 00:24:21.900 inspired by doing it for ourselves, subscribe, 00:24:22.380 --> 00:24:26.420 like, comment, and share this episode. Find every 00:24:26.420 --> 00:24:30.019 episode and more about the Heat Lab at nyeshafrey 00:24:30.019 --> 00:24:34.279 .com slash podcast or on your favorite platform. 00:24:34.799 --> 00:24:37.339 Together, we're doing it for ourselves.