It has been hypothesized that relationships between adolescent girls and older male partners have resulted in disparately high HIV rates among young women in Jamaica. Because they involve age, power, and sometimes economic asymmetries; relationships with older male partners limit the ability of adolescent girls to negotiate sexual decision-making and expose them to high-risk sexual behaviors that may lead to HIV/AIDS acquisition. The purpose of this study is to develop a grounded theory that helps explain and predict the HIV risk behaviors that may occur in the relationships between adolescent girls and their older male partners in Jamaica. Through interviews with late adolescent girls, the study aims to 1) Gain and understanding of how the socio-cultural environment impacts the decision-making of adolescent girls in Jamaica; 2) Identify how the process of developing a relationship with an older male partner influences the dyadic decision-making of adolescent girls in Jamaica; and 3) Explore how adolescent girls in Jamaica perceive the outcomes of their relationships with older men. Study results will enhance HIV prevention science in Jamaica by identifying culturally-specific areas for intervention. ? ? ?
| Wood, Elyssa B; Hutchinson, M Katherine; Kahwa, Eulalia et al. (2011) Jamaican adolescent girls with older male sexual partners. J Nurs Scholarsh 43:396-404 |
| Wood, E B (2010) HIV-related sexual risk behaviours among late-adolescent Jamaican girls with older male partners. West Indian Med J 59:403-8 |
