INTERPERSONAL CONTEXT OF HIV RISK IN IMPOVERISHED WOMEN

描述（由研究者提供）：艾滋病毒/艾滋病是贫困住房和无家可归妇女生活中的一个重要公共卫生问题。 然而，艾滋病毒风险和预防行为的决定因素（例如，避孕套使用）在这一人群中并不完全了解，尽管可能包括吸毒和性伴侣的伤害。为了更充分地了解艾滋病毒风险和预防行为的决定因素，必须了解贫困妇女发生这些行为的社会背景，这种环境可能涉及暴力和权力不平衡的经验，可能会削弱妇女保护自己免受艾滋病毒感染所需的自信心和沟通技能。 这项研究的目标是通过分析作为“贫困妇女吸毒、暴力和艾滋病毒/艾滋病研究”的一部分收集的数据，为这些问题的研究知识做出贡献，“贫困妇女研究”是第一项在无家可归和贫困住房妇女的大量样本中调查这些问题之间联系的研究。对居住在洛杉矶县随机选择的无家可归者收容所和低收入住房单元的18-55岁的非裔美国人、西班牙裔和非西班牙裔白色妇女进行基线结构化访谈（N = 898）和6个月随访访谈（预期N = 709）。 这里提出的工作是研究小组成员继续努力的结果，具体目标如下：1）调查妇女的药物滥用和性伴侣的受害经历与她们参与艾滋病毒风险和预防行为的时间关联，以及检查这些关联在多大程度上是由妇女在其性关系中的控制感和艾滋病毒自我保护的自信所介导的，保护; 2）确定女性与男性伴侣使用避孕套的情况是否因关系特征而异（例如，关系类型，长度和承诺），并探讨这些差异的原因;和3）确定艾滋病毒的风险和预防行为及其人际和个人内部的决定因素在住房状况组（住房，无家可归）和种族/民族群体（非西班牙裔白色，非洲裔美国人，西班牙裔）的相似性和差异。

DESCRIPTION (provided by investigator): HIV/AIDS is a critical public health problem in the lives of impoverished housed and homeless women. However, the determinants of HIV risk and prevention behaviors (e.g., condom use) are not fully understood in this population, although likely include drug use and victimization by sexual partners. To more fully understand the determinants of HIV risk and prevention behaviors, it is imperative to understand the social context within which these behaviors occur for impoverished women-an environment potentially involving the experience of violence and power imbalances in their relationships that may erode the assertiveness and communication skills necessary for women to protect themselves from HIV. The goal of this study is to contribute to research knowledge of these issues by conducting analyses of data collected as part of the "Drug Abuse, Violence, and HIV/AIDS in Impoverished Women Study," the first study to investigate associations among these problems in sizable samples of homeless and impoverished housed women. African American, Hispanic, and non-Hispanic white women between 18-55 years and residing in randomly selected homeless shelters and low-income housing units in Los Angeles County were administered a baseline structured interview (N = 898) and 6-month follow-up interview (anticipated N = 709). The work proposed here represents a continuation of effort by members of the research team, and has the following specific aims: 1) To investigate the temporal associations of women's experiences of drug abuse and victimization by sexual partners with their engagement in HIV risk and prevention behaviors, as well as examine the extent to which these associations are mediated by women's sense of control within their sexual relationships and assertiveness in HIV self-protection; 2) To determine whether women's use of condoms with their male partners differs by relationship characteristics (e.g., relationship type, length, and commitment) and explore reasons for these differences; and 3) To identify similarities and differences in HIV risk and prevention behaviors and their interpersonal and intrapersonal determinants across housing status groups (housed, homeless) and racial/ethnic groups (non-Hispanic white, African American, Hispanic).