Doctoral Dissertation Research: A Study of Family Violence and STDs/HIV: Anglo, African American, and Latina Women in Connecticut

家庭暴力是一个严重的妇女健康问题。先前的研究尚未解释遭受家庭暴力的女孩/妇女与随后导致其健康状况不佳风险增加的行为和认知之间的关系。妇科问题是影响受虐待妇女的特别突出的健康风险，包括性传播疾病、阴道感染、肌瘤、生殖器刺激、慢性盆腔疼痛和尿路感染。来自康涅狄格大学斯托尔斯分校的医学人类学家的这篇论文研究了家庭暴力和情感的生活史经历是否与使受虐妇女面临性病风险的不同生活史性事件和行为模式相对应，以及这种差异是否可以用资源获取理论和/或社会联系（控制）理论来解释。为了回答这些问题，研究人员将收集受虐待妇女的生活史，以引出受虐待产生的性病风险。该项目包括对受虐待和未受虐待妇女进行结构化调查，以衡量性病风险、暴力和情感经历、性病/艾滋病毒诊断以及资源获取指标和社会联系理论。这项研究所创造的新知识的广泛影响将对那些关心帮助受虐待妇女和那些旨在预防性病的人的计划者和服务提供者非常重要。几乎所有先前的研究和现有的政策/项目都针对暴力幸存者或感染性病的妇女。如果受虐待的妇女比未受虐待的妇女更有可能感染性传播疾病，她们可能有独特的保健需求，这意味着需要修改现有的干预服务。查明受虐待妇女和未受虐待妇女在社会控制和/或资源获取理论方面的这种差异的根本基础，应提出具体的修改方向。

Family violence is a significant women's health issue. Prior research does not yet explain the relationship between a girl/woman experiencing family violence and subsequent behavior and cognition that result in her increased risk of poor health. Gynecological problems are especially salient health risks affecting abused women and include sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), vaginal infection, fibroids, genital irritation, chronic pelvic pain, and urinary-tract infections. This dissertation research by a medical anthropologist from the University of Connecticut, Storrs, examines whether life-history experiences with family violence and with affection correspond with differing life-history sexual events and behavioral patterns that place abused women at risk for STDs, and whether this variation can be explained by resource access theory and/or social bonding (control) theory. To answer these questions the researcher will collect life histories of abused women to elicit abuse-generated STD risks. The project includes a structured survey of abused and non-abused women that measures STD risks, experiences of violence and affection, STDs/HIV diagnoses, and indicators of resource access and social bonding theory. The broader impacts of the new knowledge created by this study will be important for planners and service-providers concerned with assisting both abused women and those who aim to prevent STD. Nearly all prior research and existing policies/programs target either survivors of violence or women infected with STDs. If abused women, in comparison to non-abused women, are more likely to contract STDs, they may have unique health needs implying the need to modify existing intervention services. Identification of the underlying basis for such differences between abused and non-abused women in social control and/or resource access theories should suggest specific modification directions.