Partner Incarceration and African-American Women’s Sexual Relationships and Risk: A Longitudinal Qualitative Study

Hannah L.F. Cooper; Bethany Caruso; Terrika Barham; Venita Embry; Emily Dauria; Claire D. Clark; Megan L. Comfort

doi:10.1007/s11524-015-9941-8

Partner Incarceration and African-American Women’s Sexual Relationships and Risk: A Longitudinal Qualitative Study

Hannah L.F. Cooper, Bethany Caruso, Terrika Barham, Venita Embry, Emily Dauria, Claire D. Clark, Megan L. Comfort

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

23 Scopus citations

Abstract

Racialized mass incarceration is associated with racial/ethnic disparities in HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the US. The purpose of this longitudinal qualitative study was to learn about the processes through which partner incarceration affects African-American women’s sexual risk. Four waves of in-depth qualitative interviews were conducted in 2010–2011 with 30 women in Atlanta, Georgia (US) who had recently incarcerated partners. Approximately half the sample misused substances at baseline. Transcripts were analyzed using grounded theory. For over half the sample (N = 19), partner incarceration resulted in destitution, and half of this group (N = 9) developed new partnerships to secure shelter or food; most misused substances. Other women (N = 9) initiated casual relationships to meet emotional or sexual needs. When considered with past research, these findings suggest that reducing incarceration rates among African-American men may reduce HIV/STIs among African-American women, particularly among substance-misusing women, as might rapidly linking women with recently incarcerated partners to housing and economic support and drug treatment.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	527-547
Number of pages	21
Journal	Journal of Urban Health
Volume	92
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/s11524-015-9941-8
State	Published - Jun 5 2015

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
We would like to thank the women who participated in this study and several community partners, including Fulton County Jail, Georgia Diagnostic and Classification State Prison, The Georgia Department of Corrections’ Division of Re-Entry Services, and the Atlanta Harm Reduction Coalition. This study was funded by a grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse titled, “Exploring HIV risk in drug-using Black women with an incarcerated partner” (R21DA026327; PI: Cooper). Support for M. Comfort was provided by R01DA033847. Support for E. Dauria was provided by 1F31MH096630.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2015, The New York Academy of Medicine.

Keywords

African-American women
HIV
Health disparities
Incarceration
Longitudinal methods
Qualitative methods
Sexually transmitted infections

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Health(social science)
Urban Studies
Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1007/s11524-015-9941-8

Cite this

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abstract = "Racialized mass incarceration is associated with racial/ethnic disparities in HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the US. The purpose of this longitudinal qualitative study was to learn about the processes through which partner incarceration affects African-American women{\textquoteright}s sexual risk. Four waves of in-depth qualitative interviews were conducted in 2010–2011 with 30 women in Atlanta, Georgia (US) who had recently incarcerated partners. Approximately half the sample misused substances at baseline. Transcripts were analyzed using grounded theory. For over half the sample (N = 19), partner incarceration resulted in destitution, and half of this group (N = 9) developed new partnerships to secure shelter or food; most misused substances. Other women (N = 9) initiated casual relationships to meet emotional or sexual needs. When considered with past research, these findings suggest that reducing incarceration rates among African-American men may reduce HIV/STIs among African-American women, particularly among substance-misusing women, as might rapidly linking women with recently incarcerated partners to housing and economic support and drug treatment.",

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author = "Cooper, {Hannah L.F.} and Bethany Caruso and Terrika Barham and Venita Embry and Emily Dauria and Clark, {Claire D.} and Comfort, {Megan L.}",

note = "Funding Information: We would like to thank the women who participated in this study and several community partners, including Fulton County Jail, Georgia Diagnostic and Classification State Prison, The Georgia Department of Corrections{\textquoteright} Division of Re-Entry Services, and the Atlanta Harm Reduction Coalition. This study was funded by a grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse titled, “Exploring HIV risk in drug-using Black women with an incarcerated partner” (R21DA026327; PI: Cooper). Support for M. Comfort was provided by R01DA033847. Support for E. Dauria was provided by 1F31MH096630. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2015, The New York Academy of Medicine.",

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Partner Incarceration and African-American Women’s Sexual Relationships and Risk: A Longitudinal Qualitative Study

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

UN SDGs

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