No abstract available. / Thesis (M.PH.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2004.

The study examined correlates of HIV perceived risks and protective strategies among adolescents in rural Malawi i.e. whether there was an association between socio demographic characteristics of adolescents and subsequent HIV perceived risks and protective strategies. Age at sexual debut is a variable of interest in this study. The objectives were to investigate whether age at first sexual intercourse does influence adolescents’ individual’s risk perceptions of HIV and protective strategies, i.e. does age at first sex set a precedence in the thinking of adolescentswith regards HIV risks and protective strategies such as condom use. Data: This study uses cross sectional data from Wave 3 of a wider study, the Malawi Diffusion and Ideational Change Project (MDICP).The MDICP is a joint collaboration between researchers from the Population Studies Centre at the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Malawi‘s College of Medicine and Chancellor College. In this study, a multiple regression analysis on the cross sectional data from the 2004 wave 3of the Malawi Diffusion and Ideational Change Project was done. The focus of this study is on the relationship between age at first sexual intercourse and the individual‘s perception of risk of HIV/AIDS and protective strategies, it examines if there is an association between the two factors. Descriptive analysis: Descriptive statistics to obtain the frequencies of the main variables of interest such as the background characteristics of respondents (gender, marital status, mean age at sexual debut, education, economic status of household) were computed in order to better understand the population under study. Multivariate Analysis: Three separate models were employed; two multinomial regression analysis measuring worry and likelihood of infection against socio demographic variables and a binary logistic regression measuring condom use and the socio demographic variables. Relative Risk Ratios were used to interpret the multinomial logistic regression output while odds ratios were used to interpret the logistic output. Results: Consistent with existing literature, results indicate that early age at first sex is a predictor of HIV risk perceptions and protective strategies. Age at first sex does set a precedence in the future thinking of adolescents with regards to how they perceive HIV risks, as well as how they perceive protective strategies against HIV-particularly condom use. This study confirms that age at first sex alongside with other socio demographic variables are significantly associated with HIV risk perceptions HIV and condom use, while other factors may matter, such as gender, region, HIV knowledge, religion or educational level. Limitations: The information on age at first sexual encounter was based exclusively on respondent’s self–reports. This data collection method often has limitations that are attributed to the tendency for people to under-report socially unacceptable behaviours (e.g. having multiple sex partners) and to over-report socially acceptable behavior. The other limitation is that the study lacks longitudinal data to allow a more in-depth analysis of trends in HIV/AIDS-related indicators. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2011.

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) are infectious diseases wreaking irreparable havoc on the lives of millions all around the world. Of those infected and affected by HIV in the United States, African Americans disproportionately bear the burden of this disease, which has resulted in a major crisis within the African American community. In 2010, African Americans accounted for approximately 44% of all new HIV infections among adolescents, 13 years of age and older, and adults [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2012). These statistics become even more dismal when both race and gender enter the equation. In regards to global HIV/AIDS, the leading cause of death among women of reproductive age is AIDS-related illnesses (Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS [UNAIDS], 2012). According to the CDC (2012), 64% of estimated new HIV infections in women in the United States in 2010 were in African Americans. This study examined the effectiveness of increasing protective HIV behaviors through the use of the SAHARA program, a computer-based, gender-specific and culturally appropriate HIV behavioral intervention program. More specifically, the SAHARA intervention was created to encourage consistent condom use during penetrative vaginal sex through mediating components of the intervention such as HIV knowledge, condom use self-efficacy, barriers to condom use, and frequency of partner communication for a population of African American women living in areas of Kentucky and Georgia. Convenience sampling was used to recruit participants from college campuses and community areas. Fifty-two African American female study participants completed surveys through the use of a quasi-experimental non-randomized pretest-posttest design. Significant group differences were observed for scores on STD/HIV Risk Behavior Knowledge and Condom Barrier Scale. Results suggest that the SAHARA prevention intervention produced clinically significant changes in STD/HIV knowledge and perception of condom barriers in the SAHARA group compared to the control group.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 174-184). / Also available by subscription via World Wide Web / xv,184 leaves, bound ill. 29 cm

Thesis (Dr. P.H.)--University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, School of Public Health, 2008. / "May 2008." Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 69-02, Section: B, page: 0968. Adviser: Maria Fernandez. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Australian National University, 2000. / Title from PDF title page (viewed on May 2, 2005). Includes bibliographical references (p. [243]-264).

Magister Psychologiae - MPsych / In this study, the two most dominant sexual discourses were the male sexual drive discourse and the have/hold discourse. These discourses, together with traditional gender constructions, made condom negotiation difficult for women. Nevertheless, the discourses and constructions were also resisted and challenged. This study was limited by its focus on heterosexual women and the negotiation of condom use. Future studies which explore alternate forms of safe sex, sexual orientation and allow men’s experiences to emerge would provide greater insight.

This study assessed the relationship of variables from the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) with intentions to use condoms at next sex and action planning for condom use for main partners and for casual partners among an online of men who have sex with men (MSM) in a Midwestern state. The purpose of this study was to investigate variables of TPB among an online sample of HIV negative, Midwestern MSM and assess significant predictors of intentions separately by casual partners and main partners. Next, action planning was assessed as a potential variable to address the intention-behavior gap. The sample was recruited through an online social networking site, a lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) - themed statewide newspaper and website. Participants completed an online survey that took 15-20 minutes to complete. Items assessed variables related to the TPB as well as action planning, stages of change, alternative strategies to reduce risk of HIV, and demographic variables including age, urban or rural residence, and HIV status. The results revealed that all TPB variables were strongly, significantly related for both casual and for main partners. The final regression models to predict intentions to use condoms at next sex accounted for 62% of the variance for main partners and 68% for casual partners. The regression models to predict action planning differed by partner type. For main partners, perceived behavioral control and intentions were significant predictors and explained 40% of the variance in action planning. For casual partners, self-efficacy was the significant predictor in the final model and explained 72% of the variance. Potential reasons for the differences in models by partner type for action planning are offered. Action planning is suggested as a potential mediating variable between intention and behavior that requires further research. Implications for HIV prevention interventions with MSM are discussed in light of reduced funding for low incidence states.

Despite the continual prevention efforts in the United States, an estimated 1 million people are infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and 25% of them are unaware of their infection status. There are no national surveillance data available on the incidence or prevalence of HIV/AIDS in the transgender population; this absence of data is a matter for concern. Guided by the health behavior model and social cognitive theory, this study utilized a quantitative approach to examine the associations between HIV/AIDS-related knowledge, attitudes regarding HIV/AIDS and condoms, and condom use self-efficacy as predictors of condom use in African American transgender young adults--one of the most disenfranchised and marginalized groups at increased risk for HIV infection--in the District of Columbia. Descriptive statistics, multiple regression, and chi-square analyses were used to analyze the research questions. There was no statistically significant relationship found between the dependent and independent variables at last intercourse with a steady partner. However, there was a statistically significant relationship when predicting condom use in the last 30 days and last 6 months with a steady partner. There was a statistically significant relationship for predicting condom use at last intercourse and intercourse in the last 30 days among nonsteady partners. There was no statistically significant relationship found between the dependent and independent variables at intercourse in the last 6 months with nonsteady partners. The findings could inform public health practitioners to develop and implement programs targeting African American transgender populations; the findings could also reinforce the public health policies and practices in favor of this cohort.

Since the human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) was first reported in Sierra Leone in 1987, its prevalence rate has stabilized at 1.5% in the nation's general population. However, concerns exist regarding the potential increase in high-risk populations, particularly among mineworkers and commercial sex workers. The potential spread of HIV/AIDS as a result of labor migration may threaten the mining sector, which has been identified as a critical driver of recent economic growth and development. A gap remains in the literature regarding the contextual factors in mining communities that lead to high rates of HIV/AIDS. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to quantitatively examine the association between labor migration and of sexual risk behaviors among mineworkers in the Marampa Mines in Lunsar, Sierra Leone. Grounded in the ecological model and using a cross-sectional design, 296 mineworkers from the Marampa mining communities were surveyed using a standardized survey questionnaire. Research questions were answered using simple linear and binary logistic regression analyses. Analyses of the results indicated a significant relationship between labor migration and condom self-efficacy, where migrants were predicted to have condom self-efficacy scores 7 times higher than nonmigrants. However, the results showed no statistically significant relationship between labor migration and engagement in multiple sexual partnerships and commercial sex among the mineworkers. These findings will provide important implications for positive social change in the development of multilevel HIV intervention programs to reduce sexual risk behaviors that transmit HIV, thereby improving the health and wellbeing of miners and that of their partners and families in the mining communities.