Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: This work applies quantitative techniques to an examination of the unique social locations created by the intersection of race/ethnicity, class, and gender. The majority of existing research on women’s sexual health practices posits minority race/ethnicity and working class status as risk factors which reduce the likelihood that women will undertake health practices related to the early detection of STD infection, including having undergone a Pap test and HIV antibody testing. This work uses an intersection approach to problematize the traditional use of race/ethnicity and social class in public health research by creating interaction terms to represent the unique social locations created by the intersection of the systems of patriarchy, racism, and capitalist exploitation. Logistic regression models reveal several significant interaction terms, suggesting that race/ethnicity and social class interact in meaningful and unexpected ways to predict women’s STD detection practices. These results challenge the traditional use of social categories in public health research and reaffirm the socially constructed nature of race/ethnicity, social class, and gender. In addition, this work illustrates both the difficulties and potential of using statistical techniques in intersection analysis.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: 253 undergraduate students participated in an online study asking about their relational status, sexual health knowledge, sexual health status, sexual attitudes, sexual behaviors, and safer sex practices. This investigation also measured levels of relational trust, satisfaction, commitment, investment, quality of alternatives, reasons an individual would not want to disclose a positive STD status, responses to a partner disclosing a positive STD status, and if responses to the disclosure varied due to the circumstances under which the partner had acquired the STD. Results indicated that while students are knowledgeable about safer sexual practices and are concerned about STDs and HIV, always using a condom during oral, vaginal, or anal sex is low in frequency. Most participants reported that the appropriate time to disclose STD status is before having sex for the first time. Casually dating partners report more alternatives to their relationship and less commitment, trust, investment, or satisfaction with their relationship than individuals in more advanced relational stages. Condom efficacy did not vary by relational stage, but condom use for vaginal sex decreased as relational stage increased. Reasons for not disclosing STD status included “embarrassment” and “fear of partner rejection”. Responses to the disclosure varied, from negative to more positively valenced reactions.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: The current study considers the relationship of gender and prior sexual victimization (PSV) with intimate partner violence (IPV). The sample consisted of 1,267 individuals randomly selected from a Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD) Clinic between January 2001 and January 2004. The majority were male (61.2%), Black (62.1%), single (70%), poor (71% had incomes below $20,000/year), and unemployed (51.6%), with a mean age of 32. PSV was experienced by 58% of the women and 21% of the men; 55% of the women and 47% of the men indicated they initiated severe IPV, while 71% of women and 43% of men indicated their partner initiated severe IPV. Relative to the men, women reported a greater likelihood to have burned or scalded or used a weapon on their partner. In contrast, women reported more pushing, slapping, kicking and choking from partners than men, which resulted in a higher incidence of broken bones and need for medical care in women. Differences were magnified for individuals who had prior sexual victimization. The results indicated that men and women have different IPV and PSV experiences, and that STD clinics may have high rates of PSV and IPV. Furthermore, results suggested that PSV increases the likelihood of IPV.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: People typically attribute more responsibility to those individuals who are infected with STDs than other diseases. This study tested how different routes (i.e., sexually transmitted or foodborne) of transmission have an impact on individuals’ general perception on stigma/shame and the attributions of responsibility (controllability, responsibility, and blame), when controlling for symptoms/conditions of the hypothetical virus infection. As predicted, people who were attributed with control over contracting the virus (i.e., sexually transmitted route) were likely to be assigned a greater level of personal responsibility and were more likely to receive blame from others than people who were attributed relatively less control over contracting the virus (i.e., foodborne). The relationship between the attribution of responsibility and communication efficacy was also assessed. The results supported our prediction that there was a significant association between the attribution of responsibility and communication efficacy. Practical applications by evaluating the effectiveness of the actual Merck’s Gardasil advertisement were discussed.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: Given the prevalence of STDs among college students and the scarcity of research on the psychological determinants of STD testing, the goals of this paper are twofold. Drawing on a reasoned-action framework we aim to identify (1) which underlying factors (e.g. attitudes, norms, perceived behavioral control) carry the greatest weight in predicting whether college undergraduates intend to get tested for STDs and (2) the specific beliefs that discriminate between intenders and non-intenders. Our findings suggest that subjects’ attitudes toward getting tested for STDs in the next 12 months contributed the most to intentions. Further, results of a belief-based analysis indicate that college students in our sample who do not intend to get tested for STDs may change their mind if they can be persuaded that getting tested would show that they respect their sexual partner or that getting tested would prevent them from spreading an STD to someone else.