The Prevention Needs of Older Women with HIV

描述（由申请人提供）：在美国，大约29%的艾滋病患者年龄在50岁及以上，到2015年，超过一半的艾滋病毒感染者年龄将超过50岁（CDC, 2008）。老年艾滋病毒感染者的性危险行为是一个被忽视的研究领域，因为人们假设他们不再从事性活动。对于与年龄相关的身体和社会心理变化如何影响感染艾滋病毒的老年人的性行为和性风险行为，我们知之甚少。研究者的职业目标是成为一名独立的研究人员，设计和实施老年妇女艾滋病毒预防干预措施，从而解决老年艾滋病毒感染者预防需求的差距。该职业发展奖的重点是加强研究者在老龄化和艾滋病预防方面的实质性知识和研究技能。这位研究者将在一个项目中提升她的研究技能，该项目将探索衰老如何影响感染艾滋病毒的女性的性健康和性风险行为。培训目标是：1)在感染艾滋病毒的妇女中发展有关衰老、性健康和性危险行为之间相互关系的专门知识和先进知识；2)通过将混合方法应用于设计适合文化和发展的艾滋病毒行为干预措施，建立应用混合方法的技能；3)熟练掌握艾滋病预防规划和评估方法，包括艾滋病预防研究的伦理行为；4)通过传播研究成果和提交源于我的职业发展活动和培训的资助申请，以独立研究者的身份进步。以下具体目标指导了研究计划：1)描述衰老与性风险行为（如性行为）之间的关系。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): In the US about 29% of all people with AIDS are aged 50 and older and by 2015, more than half of all HIV infected individuals will be over the age of 50 (CDC, 2008). The sexual risk behaviors of older people with HIV are a neglected area of research due to the assumption that they are no longer engaging in sexual activity. Very little is known about how age-related physical and psychosocial changes impact sexual and sexual risk behaviors in the older adult living with HIV. The investigator's career goal is to become an independent researcher who designs and implements HIV-prevention interventions for older women with HIV, thereby addressing the gap in prevention needs of older people with HIV. This Career Development Award focuses on strengthening the investigator's substantive knowledge and research skills on Aging and HIV prevention. The investigator will advance her research skills in a project that will explore how aging affects sexual health and sexual risk behaviors among women with HIV. Training goals are to: 1) Develop expertise and advanced knowledge regarding the interrelationships between aging, sexual health, and sexual risk behavior among women with HIV infection; 2) Build upon skills in the application of mixed methods approaches by applying them to the design of culturally and developmentally appropriate HIV behavioral interventions; 3) Become proficient in methods of HIV prevention program planning and evaluation for PLWHA, including the ethical conduct of HIV prevention research; and 4) Advance as an independent researcher by disseminating research findings and through the submission of grant applications stemming from my career development activities and training. The following specific aims guide the research proposal: 1) To describe the relationship between aging and sexual risk behavior (e.g., unprotected anal or vaginal sex with a partner whose status is unknown or negative) among HIV+ and HIV-women currently aged 50 years and older; 2) To identify the psychosocial and interpersonal factors that account for variations in sexual risk behavior among older women with HIV, using mixed methods; and 3) To utilize information from Aim 1 and 2 to adapt and pilot test an evidence-based behavioral intervention to address sexual health and sexual risk among this group of older women.