292678
Characterizing HIV risk through qualitative inquiry of a continuum of sexual coercion among African American women in San Diego, CA
Natasha Ludwig-Barron, MPH,
Division of Global Public Health, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA
Background: African American women continue to be disproportionately affected by HIV and sexual violence. However, little is known about this intersection in rural settings. We studied sexual coercion as a risk factor for HIV among heterosexual African American women residing in San Diego, CA. Methods: In 2012, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 19 African American women aged 18-44 years with a lifetime history of sexual coercion by a current or former male intimate partner. Data were analyzed using an inductive approach. Results: Of 19 women, average age was 35 years. Lifetime drug use was reported by 68.4% of women; 42.1% reported current use. The most common type of sexual coercion reported was being pressured into sex by an intimate partner (94.7%) followed by being threatened or forced into unwanted sex (89.5%). Approximately 60% had been physically forced to have sex against their will. Qualitative inquiry revealed that less severe forms of sexual coercion often lead to more severe abuse, forced incidents involved the use of weapons (e.g., knife, screwdriver) to the vaginal/anal areas resulting in genital tearing, and perpetrators often administered alcohol and/or drugs to women or were under the influence at the time of the incident. Several women subsequently engaged in substance use as a coping mechanism. Conclusion: Incidents of forced or coerced sex in violent relationships put African American women at risk for HIV acquisition. Culturally and geographically tailored HIV prevention interventions are needed for underserved African American women with a history of sexual violence.
Learning Areas:
Public health or related research
Learning Objectives:
Describe how the continuum of sexual coercion contributes to HIV risk among African American women.
Demonstrate the need for culturally tailored HIV prevention interventions for women with a history of sexual violence in rural settings.
Keyword(s): Women and HIV/AIDS, Violence
Presenting author's disclosure statement:Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have been the study coordinator for multiple federally funded grants with the University of California, San Diego, and have submitted a mixed methods study which includes a secondary data analysis with qualitative results from in-depth interviews. I am under the direction of Jamila Stockman, PhD, MPH, who is first author on the submitted work.
Any relevant financial relationships? No
I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines,
and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed
in my presentation.
