We know little about the circumstances of the heterosexual transmission of AIDS worldwide that differ for women versus men. Information about the cultural, gender and relationship specific sanctions to engage in sex without contraceptives to become pregnant (procreational sex), or to engage in sex while using barrier methods (recreational sex) is needed. This is a revised application to continue funding for 18 months a study that has grown out of 13 years of research. We propose to conduct secondary analyses to build upon Phase I research. Three datasets are involved. Two datasets include random, multi ethnic samples of women in L.A.County, one with 248 African American and White women, ages 18 to 36, collected in 1983. The other includes 600 African American and White women, ages 18 to 50, in 1993. The third dataset includes a random sample of Jamaican women, ages 18 to 50. The dimensions of the Sexual health and Risk Taking Model, specifically interconnectedness (in Study II only), self esteem, sexual socialization, body touching, sexual health behaviors, sexual ownership and sexual judgement will be used to organize the hypotheses and guide the secondary analyses. Study I will assess consistency and changes in sexual patterns and risk taking between African American and White women, ages 18 to 36 between 1983 and 1993. In Study II, cross cultural factors and sexual risk taking between African American, Latina, White and Jamaican women ages 18 to 50, will be examined. Human Subjects Protection guidelines were met for all three studies and no new data will be collected. However, audio tape transcriptions from interviews will help to understand the circumstances of women's sexual risk taking. Data Analyses will proceed in 3 stages for both studies, including selection of comparable subsamples of datasets, data re coding and reduction. Rates of sexual behavior change across time in Study I will be compared using paired comparisons, odds ratios and log linear analyses. In order to highlight gender, ethnic and other issues that influence procreational and recreational sex in four ethnic and cultural groups, each of the hypotheses will be analyzed using either logistic regression or ordinary regression/analysis of variance. These findings will: inform efforts to develop an intervention specific to gender and ethnic issues for these groups nationally and internationally; and identify sexual risk taking that may require specialized interventions in order for women to maximize their sexual health.
