142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition

Annual Meeting Recordings are now available for purchase

312457
Who run the world? Girls?: A review of the literature on Theory of Gender and Power and HIV-risk in women

142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition (November 15 - November 19, 2014): http://www.apha.org/events-and-meetings/annual
Tuesday, November 18, 2014 : 11:30 AM - 11:45 AM

Su-Anne Charlery White, MPH , Department of Health Promotion and Behavior, University of Georgia, Athens, GA

Background: Caribbean women have the second highest percentage of people living with HIV/AIDS in the world, with sociocultural drivers such as forced/coerced sex, transactional sex, and cultural norms, greatly increasing their risk. Few Caribbean studies have addressed this gender disparity by incorporating theory that explains HIV risk from a gendered perspective such as the theory of gender and power (TGP). Purpose: To review published studies that use TGP to assess women’s HIV risk behavior. Implications of incorporating TGP in research on Caribbean women’s HIV risks are addressed. Methods: A literature search was conducted in January 2014 using electronic databases and the keywords “Theory of gender and power" AND “HIV”.  Studies explicitly stating the use of TGP to assess HIV risk in women were included. Forty-nine articles were initially yielded. Of those, 29 review articles, books, dissertations and duplicates were excluded. One study did not meet the inclusion criteria as it didn't assess any HIV-risk outcomes. Results: Nineteen studies were reviewed, with the majority being quantitative and targeting women of color. Four studies were conducted internationally. Overarching themes will be presented in more detail. Conclusions: HIV interventions using TGP strongly suggest increased HIV-protective behaviors, and the potential to achieve reductions in STIs and HIV in women. All studies highlight strong associations between gender and power differentials and HIV-risk behaviors in women. Evidence based research using TGP is deemed feasible and necessary in order to further address the associations between social norms that govern gender relationships and HIV-risk behaviors in Caribbean women.

Learning Areas:

Diversity and culture
Public health or related research
Social and behavioral sciences

Learning Objectives:
Discuss the published literature using Theory of Gender and Power to assess HIV-risk in women Demonstrate a need for incorporating the Theory of Gender and Power in researching HIV-risk in Caribbean women

Keyword(s): Women and HIV/AIDS, HIV Risk Behavior

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am a doctoral candidate with several years of experience conducting research on HIV prevention and risky sexual behaviors in minorities and women.
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.

Back to: 4138.0: Women and HIV/AIDS