This project examines sociocultural factors that influence women and men's sexual decision making, reasons for sexual risk taking and heath protection, (specifically unintended pregnancies (for women)), and sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV. The goal is to refine and implement the Sexual Health and Risk Taking Model (SHM), to assess sexual health (the knowledge and care of sexual reproductive organs to minimize disease and other unwanted sexual outcomes) and risk taking, and serve as a template for a risk reduction and health protection intervention. Several studies will help to refine the model for use with HIV-positive women and men: An ongoing study of 862 African-American and white breast cancer survivors' sexual functioning; 2) secondary analyses comparing socio-cultural, economic and relationship factors influencing changes in 248 African-American and White women and 605 African-American and White women's risk taking over a decade, as well as cultural, and economic factors predicting 905 African- American, Latina, white and 1602 Jamaican women's risk taking and health; and 3) an ongoing longitudinal study of stress, coping, and other psychosocial and medical factors affecting a multiethnic sample of 626 HIV-positive and negative women and their partners. Regression analyses and structural equation modeling will further refine the SHM. The model will be implemented with women and men in two medical HIV Clinics at UCLA and Drew Medical Center. Efforts to mentor scholars in HIV research and build relationships in the community to increase the inclusion of under- represented populations in behavioral science research and medical HIV treatment will ultimately help to broaden knowledge about effective HIV-related risk reduction interventions for women, men, and ethnic minorities.
| Wyatt, G E (1994) The sociocultural relevance of sex research. Challenges for the 1990s and beyond. Am Psychol 49:748-54 |
