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The relationship between child sexual abuse (CSA) and adolescent and adult sexual functioning is explained. The symptoms and patterns associated with sexual problems are discussed.

A training program was developed for fellows in child psychiatry at the University of California-Los Angeles Neuropsychiatric Institute to acquaint them with school consultation in the area of sex education. Results of the program, which involved team teaching with fifth and sixth grade teachers, and implications for such programs are discussed. (JMD)

This study examined the prevalence and circumstances of child sexual abuse in a community sample of Latina women, 18 to 50 years of age. Chi-square tests of independence and t-test procedures were used to assess the prevalence, characteristics of the victim, assault, perpetrator, disclosure, and long-term effects. One in three Latina women reported incidents of sexual abuse, regardless of acculturation or citizenship status. More than one third of the women also experienced revictimization, with more than 80% of initial incidents occurring from the age of 7 years. The majority of the experiences occurred in private locations, by young male perpetrators, known to the victim. Four women were forced to marry perpetrators of their abuse. Treatment implications and community-based interventions for Latina survivors of child sexual abuse are discussed.

People of color are disproportionately affected by HIV/ AIDS, yet African American HIV/AIDS researchers are in short supply. Complex historical, structural, sociocultural, and personal barriers can prevent African Americans from becoming well-trained biomedical, behavioral, and social HIV/AIDS researchers. Institutional factors that influence the numbers of African Americans conducting HIV/AIDS research include the limitation of early-career decisions and a lack of exposure to research, research socialization, and mentoring. Two individual-level factors that influence the submission of federally funded research proposals are the limited availability of support for culturally congruent HIV research and African Americans' negative perceptions of their own competence and ability to contribute to society. We discuss progress toward eliminating disparities experienced by African American HIV/AIDS researchers at the individual, academic institution, and sociopolitical levels. (Am J Public Health. 2009;99: S48-S53. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2007.131094) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives. We investigated history of abuse and other HIV-related risk factors in a community sample of 490 HIV-positive and HIV-negative African American, European American, and Latina women. Methods. Baseline interviews were analyzed, and logistic regressions were used to identify predictors of risk for positive HIV serostatus overall and by racial/ethnic group. Results. Race/ethnicity was not an independent predictor of HIV-related risk, and few racial/ethnic differences in risk factors for HIV were seen. Regardless of race/ethnicity, HIV-positive women had more sexual partners, more sexually transmitted diseases, and more severe histories of abuse than did HIV-negative women. Trauma history was a general risk factor for women, irrespective of race/ethnicity. Conclusions. Limited material resources, exposure to violence, and high-risk sexual behaviors were the best predictors of HIV risk. (Am J Public Health. 2002:92:660-665) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Describes the demographic characteristics of private physicians and the prevalence of abortions performed in their offices in Los Angeles County, California. Factors influencing physicians' decisions to provide service; Demographic characteristics of women who obtained office abortions.

This article presents a brief discussion of the history of sexuality and rape in Colonial America and then describes a study designed to understand ethnic and cultural factors that may be associated with disclosure, consequences and expectations of rape among African American and White women. The findings indicate that, contrary to surveys based upon police reports, which identify Black women as most at risk for rape, no significant ethnic differences in the prevalence of rape incidents were noted. The discrepancy between those reports and the present data is probably a result of the demographic characteristics of the samples. In this study, women of both ethnic groups reported an average of 13 years of education and their income was comparable except for women below the poverty level. Most rapes reported to police involve women of lower socioeconomic status who tend to be single. Thus, when other variables were controlled, Black women in Los Angeles County were not more at risk for rape than White women.

The Survey of Afro-American Behavior (S.A.A.B.) is a scale devised for specific use with mental health professionals to assess the affective and cognitive components of attitudes toward positive (favorable), negative (unfavorable), factual and stereotypic statements regarding Afro-American behavior in seven areas, two of which are examined in this paper: 1) family life patterns and marital relationships, and 2) sexual values and behavior. Significant differences on the factual and stereotypic items emerged among six groups of therapists divided by age and sex. There were statistically significant differences on family life and marital relationship items between the means of Afro-Americans over 45 years of age, who agreed more with positive statements, and Anglo-A mericans under 35 years of age; and on sexual issues each of the three groups of Afro-Americans agreed more with the factual statements than three groups of Anglo-American cohorts. Sexual values and belief statements were the most controversial area of knowledge both within and between the two ethnic groups. The implications of this study are discussed in terms of prevention and early intervention programs for Afro-American communities with particular emphasis on the necessary training of mental health professionals to work effectively with Afro-Americans. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Introduction: Substantial unmet need for mental health services (MHS) exists in the United States, with pronounced disparities among people of color. Research highlights the need to identify facilitators and barriers to MHS utilization among Black and Latinx individuals to better promote overall health. We tested an expanded model of MHS use based on Andersen's (1995) conceptual framework of health care utilization. Associations were examined between sociodemographic variables, trauma and adversity burden, living with HIV, and unmet need for MHS in a community sample of underresourced Black and Latinx individuals. Barriers to MHS utilization are described. Methods: Five-hundred participants completed the UCLA Life Adversities Screener (LADS), sociodemographic measures, and items assessing need for and barriers to MHS. Results: 228 (46%) participants reported a need for MHS; of these, 115 (51%) reported receiving MHS. A binomial logistic regression model estimated the relative contribution of the LADS on need for MHS. Severity of LADS, younger age, and living with HIV predicted unmet need for MHS. Barriers to MHS included financial and time constraints and health system-related issues. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) tests revealed differences in mental health symptoms by MHS need. Discussion: The unmet need for MHS in this sample of Black and Latinx individuals highlights the importance of addressing the systemic roots of trauma and adversity burden, and eliminating structural barriers to treatment to reduce existing health and mental health inequities. Public Significance Statement: Substantial unmet need for mental health services (MHS) exists in the U.S. and disproportionately affects people of color. Using an extended conceptual model of health care use, this study examined the role of trauma and adversity burden in predicting need for MHS, and identified predictors of and barriers to MHS utilization among a sample of underresourced Black and Latinx individuals. The findings suggest that despite high rates of trauma and adversity and MHS need, approximately half of those who perceived a need for MHS did not receive it. Care-seeking in this sample was compromised by known systemic barriers such as financial burdens, competing life demands, difficulty navigating the health care system, childcare needs, stigmatization, and low mental health care literacy. National policies and programs that target systemic inequities and structural barriers to MHS for populations impacted by disparities are needed to eliminate health and mental health inequities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors consider how the care experiences of African Americans and Latinx people living with HIV (PLWH) could inform culturally relevant, multilevel strategies for managing public health crises like COVID-19 in the context of structural racism and bolster care for PLWH facing new health threats. Topics include conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic, public health strategies for HIV to COVID-19, and continuity of care and digital inclusion.

Background: African American women are disproportionately at risk for HIV infection. To increase women's readiness to consider taking pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), we conducted a pilot study of Women Prepping for PrEP Plus (WP3+). Adapted from an evidence-based HIV risk reduction intervention for African American couples who are HIV-serodiscordant, WP3+ is a group-based culturally congruent program designed for African American women without HIV., Methods: Women were screened for eligibility; if eligible, they were invited to participate in the four-session WP3+ group. Participants completed surveys at baseline (n = 47) and post-implementation (n = 28); surveys assessed demographics, HIV and PrEP knowledge, depression and posttraumatic stress (PTS) symptoms, substance use, sexual risk behaviors, health care-related discrimination, and social support. In a process evaluation, a subset of women completed qualitative interviews at baseline (n = 35) and post-implementation (n = 18); the interviews were designed to converge with (e.g., on HIV and PrEP knowledge) and expand upon (e.g., unmeasured perceived impacts of WP3+) quantitative measures. To triangulate with the quantitative data, deductive qualitative analysis concentrated on women's knowledge and awareness of PrEP and HIV, their relationship dynamics and challenges, and their considerations (e.g., barriers, facilitators) related to taking PrEP; inductive analysis focused on women's experiences in the intervention., Results: Participants in the WP3+ intervention reported: improved proportion of condom use in the past 90 days (p < .01) and in a typical week (p < .05); reduced PTS symptoms (p < .05); increased HIV knowledge (p < .0001) and awareness of PrEP (p < .001); and greater consideration of using PrEP (p < .001). In interviews, participants expressed not only increased knowledge but also appreciation for learning how to protect themselves against HIV, communicate with their partners, and take charge of their health, and they expressed greater receptiveness to using PrEP as a result of the knowledge and skills they gained., Conclusions: The WP3+ pilot study demonstrated preliminary efficacy and acceptability as an HIV-prevention program for African American women. A controlled trial is needed to confirm its efficacy for increasing PrEP use among African American women., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Black and Latinx people are disproportionately impacted by HIV, COVID-19, and other syndemic health crises with similar underlying social determinants of health. Lessons learned from the HIV pandemic and COVID-19 response have been invoked to improve health equity at the systemic level in the face of other emergent health crises. However, few have examined the potential translation of strategies between syndemics at the individual level. The current mixed-methods study examined strategies used to manage HIV during the COVID-19 pandemic and the extent to which they were helpful in managing COVID-19 vulnerability among Black and Latinx people living with HIV. Participants ( n = 30) were interviewed by telephone and completed demographic, mental health, alcohol and substance use, health literacy, and clinical measures in October and November 2020 in Los Angeles County. Rapid qualitative analysis, descriptive statistics, and mixed-methods merging were used to analyze the data. Qualitative results demonstrated that participants found HIV self-management strategies translated to aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic including hygiene and social distancing and coping with a health-related stressor. Although telemedicine provided continuity of HIV care for most participants, technology access and literacy posed a potential barrier, particularly to those facing other sociodemographic marginalization (i.e., low education, disability). Findings suggest providers can encourage leveraging individual HIV self-management strategies in response to other public health crises. However, these interventions must be culturally responsive and address intersecting social determinants of health. Future research should examine mechanisms that predict individual translation of HIV management strategies to other health concerns. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).