Black Women's Perspectives about Sexually Transmitted Infection Risk: A Grounded Theory Study

摘要

Abstract The purpose of this application is to provide the applicant training to become an independent investigator with a research program that investigates the sociocultural conditions contributing to sexually transmitted infection (STI) risk of young Black women. STIs are defined as preventable communicable diseases, such as chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis and genital herpes that can be acquired and transmitted through sexual contact. Annually more than 20 million Americans contract STIs and cost the health care system approximately $16 billion. Women are biologically more susceptible to STIs than men. Each year 1 in 4 women contracts an STI placing them at risk for pelvic inflammatory disease, infertility, HIV/AIDS, newborn morbidity, and death. Nearly half of newly diagnosed STIs occur in young people aged 15 to 24 years. More than 40% of infected young women have at least one subsequent STI within a year. Black females in this age group are disproportionately affected by STIs. Black women are twelve times more likely to contract gonorrhea and five times more likely to contact chlamydia than white women. Black women are nearly three times more likely to have a subsequent STI than women of other racial/ethnic backgrounds. The majority of STI research that includes Black women focuses on HIV/AIDS prevention and either excludes other STIs or considers them secondary to HIV. Most STI prevention studies focus on primary prevention of first infection, rather than recurrence among women previously diagnosed with STIs, who have a high likelihood of becoming re-infected. Limited research has been conducted on the prevention of recurring STIs. Gaining an understanding of the sociocultural conditions that influence sexual behavior is essential to inform interventions designed to reduce STI risk and recurrence. Thus, the purpose of the proposed grounded theory study is to develop a conceptual model from the perspectives of young Black women that explains the sociocultural conditions contributing to STI risk, specifically to the risk of recurrent infection. The proposed grounded theory study will facilitate development of a conceptual model, based on the interview data from 20 to 30 young Black women with a history of STIs, to explain the sociocultural conditions contributing to STI risk. The training grant will support coursework, directed study, mentorship, and resources to accomplish the short-term goal of building a foundation for a program of research focused on STI prevention in young Black women. The long-term goal is to develop evidence-based interventions to prevent STIs in women of color, including but not limited to Black women. The proposed study is well-aligned with the NINR priority of “Wellness: Promoting Health and Preventing Illness” by focusing on “nursing science that seeks to promote health and prevent illness….in minority and underserved populations.”