Latinas and HIV/AIDS risk factors: implications for harm reduction strategies.
OBJECTIVE
We examined risk factors for HIV infection among Puerto Rican and Mexican American women aged 15 through 44 years.


METHODS
We used data from the 1995 National Survey of Family Growth. Analyses focused on the relation between sex role attitudes, sex education, anxiety, and consistent condom use.


RESULTS
Nearly 60% of Puerto Rican and Mexican American women received no sex education from parents. Twenty-one percent of Puerto Rican and 38.3% of Mexican American women reported no sex education in schools. Women with some sex education in school, less than 13 years of education, or higher sex role attitude scores were more likely than other women to have partners who consistently used condoms.


CONCLUSIONS
Harm reduction interventions must be designed to reach multiple Latino audiences by age, gender, and subgroup
Zambrana
Ruth E
RE
Department of Women's Studies, University of Maryland, College Park 20742, USA. rzambran@umd.edu
Cornelius
Llewllyn J
LJ
Boykin
Stephanie Sims
SS
Lopez
Debbie Salas
DS
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health / Q000208:ethnology; D017280:Condoms / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D005783:Gender Identity; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000208:ethnology / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D040261:Harm Reduction; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006306:Health Surveys; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000193:education / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008800:Mexico / Q000208:ethnology; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D020380:Needs Assessment; D011647:Puerto Rico / Q000208:ethnology; D012111:Residence Characteristics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012307:Risk Factors; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012736:Sex Education; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000208:ethnology*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014930:Women / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology