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将超过50岁(CDC，2008年)。老年艾滋病毒携带者的性危险行为是一个被忽视的研究领域，因为他们的假设是他们不再从事性行为。关于与年龄相关的生理和心理社会变化如何影响艾滋病毒携带者的性和性危险行为，人们知之甚少。调查员的职业目标是成为一名独立研究人员，为老年艾滋病毒携带者设计和实施艾滋病毒预防干预措施，从而解决老年艾滋病毒携带者在预防需求方面的差距。这一职业发展奖的重点是加强研究人员在老龄化和艾滋病毒预防方面的实质性知识和研究技能。这位研究人员将在一个项目中提高她的研究技能，该项目将探索年龄如何影响艾滋病毒携带者的性健康和性危险行为。培训目标是：1)发展关于艾滋病毒感染女性中年龄、性健康和性危险行为之间相互关系的专业知识和高级知识；2)通过将混合方法应用于设计符合文化和发展需要的艾滋病毒行为干预措施，在应用混合方法方面的技能；3)精通PLWHA的艾滋病毒预防计划规划和评估方法，包括艾滋病毒预防研究的伦理指导；以及4)通过传播研究结果和提交我职业发展活动和培训所产生的拨款申请，作为一名独立研究员取得进步。以下具体目标为研究建议提供指导：1)描述目前50岁及以上的艾滋病毒携带者和艾滋病毒携带者之间的老龄化与性危险行为(例如，与身份不明或阴性的伴侣发生无保护的肛交或阴道性行为)之间的关系；2)使用混合方法确定导致艾滋病毒携带者老年妇女性危险行为差异的心理社会和人际因素；以及3)利用目标1和2的信息，调整和试点以证据为基础的行为干预措施，以解决这一老年妇女群体的性健康和性风险。公共卫生相关性：调查员的职业目标是发展一条独立的研究路线，为妇女老龄化和性危险行为之间的关系提供信息，并解决艾滋病毒预防研究中现有的针对老龄化的限制。这一职业发展奖提高了调查员在老龄化方面的知识和专业技能，并加强了她在艾滋病毒预防方面的技能，以满足感染艾滋病毒的老年妇女的独特需求。 公共卫生相关性：这项研究将着眼于心理社会和人际变量如何影响携带艾滋病毒的老年妇女的性危险行为。这些信息将被用于制定一项计划，以减少50岁及以上艾滋病毒携带者的性行为危险行为。更多地了解这一点可以帮助我们找到方法，帮助防止艾滋病毒传播到老年人口中。

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. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The investigator's career goal is to develop an independent line of research to inform knowledge of the relationships between aging and sexual risk behavior among women and address existing aging-specific limitations in HIV prevention research. This Career Development Award advances the investigator's knowledge and expertise on Aging and strengthens her skills in HIV prevention to meet the unique needs of older women with HIV. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: This study will look at how psychosocial and interpersonal variables may influence the sexual risk behaviors of older women with HIV. This information will be used to develop a program to reduce sexual risk behaviors of women with HIV who are 50 years old and older. Learning more about this can help us to find ways to help prevent the spread of HIV into the older adult population.