This study examined relationships among ethnic identity, gay identity, sexual sensation seeking, and HIV risk-taking behaviors among 302 men of color recruited from gay bars, bathhouses, community agencies, and the 1998 United States Conference on AIDS. The sample included 24% African American, 28% Latino, 25% Asian/ Pacific Islander, 19% Caucasian, 1% American Indian, and 3% other ethnicity. Logistic regression analysis identified sexual sensation seeking, having an undefined gay identity, being in a sexually exclusive relationship, not being HIV seronegative, and length of stay in the country (for those born overseas) as significant predictors of unprotected anal intercourse (insertive and penetrative) among men of color who have sex with men.

In 2006, the United States Congress passed the Pandemic All-Hazards Preparedness Act (PAHPA) which mandated that all emergency preparedness planning shall address at-risk populations. Further, in 2013, the reauthorization of this act, known as PAHPRA, defined at-risk individuals as "children, older adults, pregnant women, and individuals who may need additional response assistance." This vague definition leaves emergency managers, planners, and public health officials with the difficult task of understanding what it means to be at-risk. Further, once identified, the geographic location of at-risk individuals must be obtained. This research first uses the concept of social vulnerability to enhance the understanding of what it means to be "at-risk." Then, by comparing two data disaggregation techniques, areal weighted interpolation and dasymetric mapping, I demonstrate how error of estimation is affected by different scenarios of population distribution and service area overlap. The results extend an existing framework of vulnerability by stratifying factors into quantifiable and subjective types. Also, dasymetric mapping was shown to be a superior technique of data disaggregation compared to areal weighted interpolation. However, the difference in error estimates is low, 5 percent or less in 72 percent of the test cases. Only through local collaboration with community entities can emergency planners access the appropriate data to both: 1) understand the nature of at-risk individuals in their service areas and 2) spatially target resources needed to ensure all individuals are planned for in case of a bio-emergency.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Currently, 1.2 million people in the United States are living with HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) infection, while one in eight are unaware of their infection status. The purpose of this study was to test the ability of the expanded ARRM to see if the model contributed something to the research of why people protect themselves from HIV. To add to the research regarding motivating factors of HIV protection, we decided to add two concepts to the ARRM; partner protection and relationship preservation. Findings of the study suggest HIV-positive partners are motivated to using condoms to protect their partners especially when they believe their partners are at risk for contracting HIV. Relationship preservation results illustrated that when people fear of losing their relationship they are willing to do whatever it takes to keep the relationship going, even at the cost of contracting HIV. By extending the ARRM, as well as incorporating HIV status, we now can begin understanding the many motivating factors towards why people are and are not using condoms to protect themselves or their partner.