The purpose of this study is to describe risk-related sexual practices of a representative sample of low-income women who are separated or divorced from a partner or spouse. Existing sexual behavior studies have focused on small samples of clinic clients, women seeking contraception, adolescents, intravenous drug users, and homosexual men, and have been predominantly in large metropolitan areas. A major need is to examine the risk-related sexual behaviors of a representative sample of low-income separated women residing in a less densely populated area, and to target behaviors with individual partners subsequent to the separation. The proposed study will use the tested nursing theoretical framework, The Interaction Model of Client Health Behavior (IMCHB), to explore sexual risks after separation from regular partner or spouse. This survey is a retrospective, cross-sectional correlational inquiry about the quantity and direction of relationships among the variables in the IMCHB's Client Singularity element and the Health Outcome of condom use. The inquiry relies on a previously tested self-report questionnaire. The sample consists of single, previously married or partnered, low- income women between 18 and 60 years of age. A random 3-stage cluster sampling plan includes all eligible women in 200 households from low-income census blocks in Columbia, South Carolina. The analysis includes descriptive and relational statistics and exploration (path analysis) of links among the variables. An explanatory model with IMCHB's demographic, social, previous sexual health experience, environmental resources, cognitive, affective, and motivational influences on risk reduction sexual behaviors will be developed. There will also be a comparison of this sample's data with previously collected data from a sample of middle-class divorced or separated women. This study will provide a much needed description of risk- related sexual behaviors of separated low-income women. From these data, nurses can develop and implement interventions to help women reduce their risk for sexually transmitted diseases.
