Nature of partnership development and maintenance among impoverished African-American men and women living in a violent community

Introduction: Given the increasing prevalence of HIV/AIDS in African-Americans living in the U.S. and the inability of individual-level factors alone to explain HIV incidence disparities, there is a need for research on how community-level factors influence sexual health. The goal of this qualitative study was to collect exploratory data concerning the ways in which romantic partnerships develop and are maintained in a violent neighborhood context. Methods: This qualitative study consisted of semi-structured interviews with 38 African-Americans who were relocating from concentrated housing complexes as a part of the national Housing Opportunities for People Everywhere VI (HOPE VI) initiative. Interviews covered several topics including perceptions of social and sexual relationships and of local violence. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and data were analyzed using grounded theory methods which consisted of open, axial and selective coding procedures. Results: Preliminary results suggest that participants' development and maintenance of romantic relationships were significantly influenced by community violence. Due to the threat of violence, participants described distancing and isolating their relationships from the community in order to sustain romantic relationships and maintain personal safety. In some cases, community violence towards “outsiders” influenced partner selection. Some participants chose not to date at all, chose to only date people from within their community, or chose to conduct their relationships entirely outside of their neighborhood. Conclusions: Men and women in this sample forged their partnerships partially in response to their experiences of local violence. Additional research is needed on the implications of these adaptations for HIV risk behaviors.