From the fall 2017 issue of UNCG Research magazine
Dr. Amanda Tanner examines sexual and reproductive health, with a focus on HIV infections among young people. She is widely known for her innovative, multi-method approaches to behavioral health and interventions. The associate professor of public health education, who also holds an appointment at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, attributes her success to a diverse, national network of research collaborators; strong, interdisciplinary teams of colleagues and students; and an emphasis on community engagement.
A nontraditional path
“As a teenager, I witnessed how educational opportunities closed to young women who were pregnant. That inspired me to volunteer with a nonprofit bringing sex education to teenagers, and, after college, to join an international women’s health care organization. I loved the work and decided to get a master’s in public health to move forward with that career. Then, in grad school, I got involved in research and found my passion.
“My background keeps my feet on the ground. I’m committed to collaborating with communities and community-based organizations to ensure that my research is relevant to the populations I work with and can be implemented at an organizational and clinical level. I don’t want to work in an ivory tower, so UNCG’s dedication to community-engaged scholarship has been a great fit for me. We’re at the forefront of that type of work.
“Seeing my scholarship’s impact on interventions and policies and creating sustainable change — that’s what excites me.”
Reframing the issues
“While many of my projects focus on understanding and preventing HIV and STD transmission, more broadly my research is about promoting sexual and reproductive health — normal aspects of development. In my primary prevention work, we try to keep youth healthy and HIV-free. We don’t say, ‘Don’t have sex.’ We approach health from a risk reduction paradigm. We say, ‘Here are ways to be safe and healthy: use condoms, talk to your partner, get tested. Know your options.’
“I also do secondary prevention work with youth living with HIV. Thanks to biomedical advances, HIV is not the death sentence it used to be, and people who are infected can lead healthy, happy lives. Many people don’t know that once someone is virally suppressed with medication, their ability to transmit HIV becomes very, very small. It’s called ‘treatment as prevention.’ To realize the benefits, we must ensure that people diagnosed with HIV are linked to care quickly and that they stay engaged in care.”
Photography by Mike Dickens
