title: Post-traumatic stress disorder and HIV risk behaviors among rural American Indian/Alaska Native women.
abstract: We assessed the relationship between post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), binge drinking, and HIV sexual risk behavior by examining number of unprotected sex acts and number of sexual partners in the past 6 months among 129 sexually active American Indian women. A total of 51 (39.5%) young women met PTSD criteria. Among women who met the PTSD criteria, binge drinking was associated with a 35% increased rate of unprotected sex (IRR 1.35, p < .05), and there was a stronger association between increased binge drinking and risk of more sexual partners (IRR 1.21, p < .001) than among women who did not meet PTSD criteria (IRR 1.08, p < .01) with a difference of 13% (p < .05). HIV intervention and prevention interventions in this population likely would benefit from the inclusion of efforts to reduce binge drinking and increase treatment of PTSD symptoms.
authors.forename: Cynthia R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Pearson
authors.forename: Debra
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kaysen
authors.forename: Annie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Belcourt
authors.forename: Cynthia A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Stappenbeck
authors.forename: Chuan
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Lucy
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Smartlowit-Briggs
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Whitefoot
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000072957:Alaska Natives / Q000208:ethnology*; D063425:Binge Drinking / Q000208:ethnology*; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D007198:Indians, North American / Q000208:ethnology*; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000208:ethnology*; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000208:ethnology*; D047568:Unsafe Sex / Q000208:ethnology*; D055815:Young Adult