Perceptions of Multipurpose Prevention Technologies Aimed at HIV/STI/unintended pregnancy among African-American Women in the Deep South

项目总结 此NIH F31-多样性应用程序的目的是获得对PI Kristina Tymes-Wilbekin的支持，用于 在她的医学/博士培训中指导研究和职业发展活动，这将增强她的潜力 成为一名成功的内科科学家。该项目的目标是发展传染病方面的技能。 流行病学和生殖健康，将使PI能够研究行为和社会文化因素 用混合方法研究女性对性健康结果的体验和决策 申请。研究提案的主要目标是调查两国之间的潜在关系 阴道卫生、性行为和采用环状多用途预防技术的情况 意外怀孕和性传播感染风险增加的妇女 或者是艾滋病毒感染。目前，新的阴道环正在被开发和测试，作为多用途的预防 作为荷尔蒙避孕药并可以预防/治疗性传播感染或艾滋病毒的技术 感染。这个项目特别关注在阴道内环的背景下理解这些因素。 分娩，因为有证据表明连续避孕阴道环(CVR)方案具有潜力 可以提高妇女依从性的非避孕和药理方面的好处。这一项目旨在 定量描述肯尼亚妇女在使用CVR前后对月经抑制的感觉 (目标1)，然后利用调查结果开发和应用一种工具，以评估对 美国东南部的非裔美国妇女(目标2A和2B)。我们研究的长期目标是 是为了更好地了解妇女在CVR方面的经验，以便了解多用途预防技术 在高危人群中发展和改进性健康选择。 为PI提出的培训计划是由她的项目共同导师Jeanne Marrazzo博士和 萨迪普·什雷斯塔医生。培训计划中包括三个主要领域的目标，以帮助发展私人投资： (1)性传播感染/艾滋病毒、避孕和多用途预防技术领域的严格研究，包括 熟悉现有文献，批判性地评估已发表的研究，科学完整性原则和 负责任的研究、方法或严谨性和重复性；及(2)传染病 流行病学，包括方法学、研究设计和生物统计分析；以及(3)职业和专业 发展，包括通过演讲、期刊文章评论、赠款学习技能进行交流 为临床应用撰写和翻译研究成果。这项培训计划的总体目标是 为PI作为内科科学家的成功发展奠定基础，并进一步推动PI的终极 职业目标是与合作团队合作，弥合流行病学研究和 改善妇女的生殖和性健康结果。

PROJECT SUMMARY The purpose of this NIH F31- Diversity application is to obtain support for the PI, Kristina Tymes-Wilbekin, for mentored research and career development activities within her MD/PhD training that will enhance her potential to become a successful physician scientist. The project goal is to develop skills in infectious disease epidemiology and reproductive health that will allow the PI to study behavioral and socio-cultural factors that influence women’s experiences and decisions related to sexual health outcomes using mixed method study applications. The primary objective of the research proposal is to investigate potential relationships between vaginal hygiene, sexual behaviors and uptake of ring-based multipurpose prevention technologies among women at increased risk of unintended pregnancy and acquisition/transmission of sexually transmitted infections or HIV infection. Currently new vaginal rings are being developed and tested as multipurpose prevention technologies that act as a hormonal contraceptive and can prevent/treat sexually transmitted infections or HIV infection. This project is specifically focused on understanding these factors in the context of intravaginal ring delivery, due to a demonstration that a continuous contraceptive vaginal ring (CVR) regimen has potential noncontraceptive and pharmacological benefits that can increase women’s adherence. This project seeks to quantitatively characterize perception of menstrual suppression among Kenyan women pre- and post-CVR use (Aim 1), and then utilize the findings for development and application of a tool to assess similar perceptions in African-American women in the Southeastern U.S. (Aims 2A and 2B). The long-term objective of our research is to better understand women’s experience with CVRs in order to inform multipurpose prevention technology development and improve sexual health options among high-risk populations. The proposed training plan for the PI is sponsored by her project co-mentors, Dr. Jeanne Marrazzo and Dr. Sadeep Shrestha. Included within the training plan are objectives to help develop the PI in three major areas: (1) rigorous research in the STI/HIV, contraception, and multipurpose prevention technology fields, including familiarity with the existing literature, critically evaluating published studies, principles of scientific integrity and responsible conduct of research, and methods or rigor and reproducibility; and (2) infectious disease epidemiology, including methodology, study design, and biostatistical analysis; and (3) career and professional development, inclusive of communication through presentations, journal article review, learning skills in grant writing, and translation of research findings for clinical applications. The overall goal of this training plan is to give the PI a foundation for a successful progression as a physician scientist and furthering the PI’s ultimate career goal of working with a collaborative team that bridges the gap between epidemiological research and improvement in women’s reproductive and sexual health outcomes.