73. Increasing High School Students’ Researcher Identity and Research Interest Through Myhealth: A Year-Long Mentored Research Training Program

Providing insight for schoolteachers and communities can inform innovative clinic, school, and family-level strategies for adolescents.This study looked at the knowledge gap on SOGI among 9-12th graders and the effectiveness of physician-led CSE discussions using pre and post-presentation survey assessments.Methods: This descriptive and comparative analysis was conducted at a private Honolulu high school on the island of O'ahu, from September 2022 to September 2023.3 health classes of 9th-12th graders (N¼52) were surveyed pre-presentation and showed ageappropriate SOGI videos from Amaze.org followed by a roundtable discussion with the physician-speaker, concluded with a post-presentation questionnaire.Thematic analysis was conducted for the participants' open-ended questions and percentages of responses were calculated with Microsoft Excel.Results: Gender and SOGI were defined pre-and post-presentation.31% defined gender as their own, 25% as a biological difference and 13% as a choice.Others were that gender is a social construct (11%), maleness or femaleness (10%), and what is assigned at birth (10).73% defined GI as one's individual identity while 26% stated their own GI.63% defined SO as physical, sexual, or romantic attraction.18% stated their own SO, and 18% gave examples of sexual identity.Post-presentation showed 91% increased their knowledge about GI, 77% learned more on SO (p<0.05) while knowledge on gender is unchanged especially with learning bisexuality and pansexuality.Furthermore, 78% reported learning about gender expression and 68% reported learning how body parts can differ from identity.Comments included acknowledging their new understanding of the difference between sex assigned at birth and one's gender identity.Conclusions: The study revealed improvement in high schools students' knowledge on SOGI after the physician-led presentations and discussions.The intervention allowed students to learn best in a classroom, a safe setting, with trusted adults(teacher) and experts(physician).Physician-led CSE should be part of high schools' health class curriculum.