Longitudinal predictors of male sexual partner risk among Black and Latina women in their late thirties: ethnic/racial identity commitment as a protective factor.
Kerstin Pahl, Ariadna Capasso, Helen-Maria Lekas, Jung Yeon Lee, Jewel Winters, Rafael E Pérez-Figueroa
Author Information
Kerstin Pahl: Division of Social Solutions and Services Research, The Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, 140 Old Orangeburg Road, Orangeburg, NY, 10962, USA.
Ariadna Capasso: NYU School of Global Public Health, New York University, 715/719 Broadway, 12th Floor, New York, NY, 10003, USA. ac7113@nyu.edu. ORCID
Helen-Maria Lekas: Division of Social Solutions and Services Research, The Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, 140 Old Orangeburg Road, Orangeburg, NY, 10962, USA.
Jung Yeon Lee: Department of Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine, 1 Park Avenue, 8th Floor, New York, NY, 10016, USA.
Jewel Winters: NYU Langone Orthopedic Hospital, 301 E. 17th Street, Room 213, New York, NY, 10003, USA.
Rafael E Pérez-Figueroa: Department of Health, Behavior, and Society, College of Public Health, University of Kentucky, Bowman Hall Room 356, 151 Washington Avenue, Lexington, KY, 40536, USA.
This study aimed to investigate predictors of male sexual partner risk among Latinas and Black women in their late thirties. We used multiple regression analysis to examine factors associated with male sexual partner risk among 296 women who participated in two waves of the Harlem Longitudinal Development Study (New York, 2011-2013 and 2014-2016). Women who experienced childhood sexual abuse had higher risk partners than those who did not [b = 0.16, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.06, 0.28]. Earlier marijuana use was a risk factor for partner risk in the late thirties (b = 0.12, 95% CI = 0.04, 0.27). Higher levels of ethnic/racial identity commitment mitigated this risk (b = - 0.15, 95% CI = - 0.26, - 0.04). Ethnic/racial identity commitment can be protective against male sexual partner risk among Latina and Black women who use marijuana. Further research should explore the protective role of different dimensions of ethnic/racial identity against sexually transmitted infections, including HIV.
