The Latinas & AIDS Research Project: exploring the differences in AIDS sexual knowledge, beliefs and behaviors for Mexican, Mexican American, and white women of different sexual orientations and sexual behavior groups in Los Angeles County 1987-1992.
Int Conf AIDS 1993 Jun 6-11; 9:121 (abstract no. WS-D18-6) Ramos LJ, Fischbach L, Samaniego L; Comm Health Sci Dept, School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles.
The Latinas & AIDS Research Project (LARP) was developed to address the dearth of information on women's sexual behaviors which would put them at risk for AIDS. With the increasing numbers of women with HIV/AIDS, assessing the full range of women's sexual behaviors is essential in developing appropriate AIDS prevention programs and services for women. Latinas have been disproportionately represented in the US AIDS epidemic (21%) compared to their proportion in the US population (8.6%). 127 women were ethnographically interviewed to provide initial data on Latinas' perceptions of AIDS, sexual orientation, and reported sexual practices. New methods of collecting and analyzing sexual behavior and sexual orientation data were developed. 1. Sexual behavior data was collected using a descriptive format rather than labels. 2. Comparisons of women's beliefs about specific AIDS risks for particular sexual behaviors were compared to her beliefs about her own and her partner's reported sexual behaviors. 3. Taxonomic analysis of the effect of women's self identified sexual orientation on the ability to apply AIDS risk knowledge to her reported efforts to protect herself from sexual transmission. Almost all the women, whether they had sex with women &/or men reported sexually risky behaviors. Implications for further research on women's sexual behaviors and AIDS & STD prevention programs for women of different sexual behavior groups, sexual orientations, and ethnic groups will be discussed.
Keywords: AEGIS, Hispanic Americans, Whites, Mexican Americans, Sex Behavior, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, Caucasoid Race, Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice, Knowledge, Sex, Los Angeles, United States, Human, Female, Male, ICA9
930606
WSD186
