HIV Risk among Male Parolees and their Female Partners

描述（由申请人提供）：在美国，艾滋病毒/艾滋病对囚犯的影响不成比例。在美国，有色人种妇女和低收入妇女的艾滋病毒感染率和艾滋病诊断率也高得不成比例。最近的研究表明，监禁方面的种族差异可能与健康差异有关，包括艾滋病毒/艾滋病方面的差异。研究被监禁的男性和低收入有色人种女性中不成比例的艾滋病毒/艾滋病水平之间的关系至关重要。拟议的研究将对男女夫妇的双方成员进行，其中男性伴侣最近从监狱释放并在假释监督下（“男性假释者”）。本研究的具体目的是：1)采用定量方法，评估夫妻双方的艾滋病毒风险行为，确定个人层面和夫妻层面对艾滋病毒风险和风险降低的心理社会影响；2)使用定性方法，我们将描述男性监禁的背景对涉及艾滋病毒风险和降低风险的夫妻决策过程的独特影响；3)采用定量和定性相结合的方法，研究男性和女性对艾滋病毒风险和降低风险的看法如何影响他们自己的行为和夫妻之间的行为。我们的初步研究强调了理解男性监禁的背景如何影响涉及艾滋病毒风险和降低风险的夫妻决策过程的复杂性，并迫使我们对这一问题进行夫妻层面的研究。公共卫生研究人员已经确定，有必要为受监禁影响的人制定和提供针对特定人群的艾滋病毒干预措施和服务，这些人既在监狱中，也在释放后的家庭社区中。这项拟议的研究将提供有关男性假释者与其女性伴侣之间二元关系中艾滋病毒风险和风险降低的关键信息，这些信息可用于为每年经历自己或伴侣监禁的数百万低收入有色人种开发适合人口的有效干预措施。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): HIV/AIDS disproportionately affects prisoners in the United States. Women of color and low-income women in the United States also have disproportionately high rates of HIV infection and AIDS diagnosis. Recent studies have shown that racial disparities in incarceration can be linked to health disparities, including disparities in HIV/AIDS. Research exploring how the disproportionate levels of HIV/AIDS among incarcerated men and among low-income women of color are related is crucial. The proposed study will be conducted with both members of male-female couples in which the male partner was recently released from prison and is under parole supervision ("male parolees"). The specific aims of the proposed study are: 1) Using quantitative methods, we will assess the HIV-risk behaviors of each member of the couple and identify individual-level and couple-level psychosocial influences on HIV risk and risk reduction; 2) Using qualitative methods, we will describe the unique influence of the context of a man's incarceration on couples' decision-making processes involving HIV risk and risk reduction; 3) Using quantitative and qualitative methods, we will investigate how males' and females' perspectives on HIV risk and risk reduction influence both their own behavior and behavior within the couple. Our preliminary studies have underscored the complexities of understanding how the context of a man's incarceration influences couples' decision-making processes involving HIV risk and risk reduction and have compelled us to undertake couple-level research on this issue. Public-health researchers have identified the necessity of developing and providing population-specific HIV interventions and services for people affected by incarceration both in prison and in their home neighborhoods post-release. The proposed research will yield critical information about HIV risk and risk reduction in dyadic relationships between male parolees and their female partners that can be used to develop population-appropriate and effective interventions for the millions of low-income people of color who experience their own or their partner's incarceration each year.