Understanding the relationship dynamics between female sex workers and their intimate partners in Kumasi, Ghana

This study was implemented by Boston University in collaboration with the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology with support from the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) through the U.S. Agency for International Development under Project SEARCH Task Order No. GHH‐I‐00‐07‐00023‐00, beginning August 27, 2010. The content and views expressed here are the authors’ and do not necessarily reflect the opinion or policy of USAID or the U.S. Government.This report presents findings from a qualitative study examining vulnerability to HIV and the prevention needs of men involved in intimate relationships with female sex workers (FSW) in Kumasi, Ghana. The study was conducted by a collaborative team of researchers from Boston University’s Center for Global and Health and Development (CGHD), Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), and FHI 360. It is the last of nine small qualitative studies conducted under the Operations Research among Key Populations in Ghana project designed to gather in-depth, personal information from members of key populations about their vulnerability to HIV and other threats to their health and well-being. This project was funded by the United States Agency for International Development Ghana in collaboration with the Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC). The findings will be used to strengthen harm reduction interventions for sex workers and their intimate partners. Intimate partners of FSW are a population of growing interest in Ghana, where interventions focused on sex workers and both their paying and non-paying partners are being implemented by FHI 360 and other local organizations with support from the GAC and USAID. In 2012 Boston University and KNUST conducted a qualitative study looking at the backgrounds, living conditions, vulnerabilities, and HIV prevention needs of young female sex workers in Kumasi. Most (22/24) of the young women participating in in-depth interviews reported having a boyfriend or intimate partner, and half reported either never or only sometimes using condoms with these partners (1). In addition, quantitative data from two previous integrated bio-behavioral surveillance studies (IBBSS) conducted in 2009 and 2011 provide critical data showing the degree to which these men and their female partners (both those involved in sex work and others) are highly vulnerable to HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. The specific objectives were to: explore the emotional, financial and other power dynamics within these relationships; describe the sexual behaviors and HIV knowledge and vulnerabilities of both partners; and document the perceived availability and accessibility of social support and health services.Support from the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) through the U.S. Agency for International Development under Project SEARCH Task Order No. GHH‐I‐00‐07‐00023‐00, beginning August 27, 201

Older Women Face Psychological and Physical Abuse

A shorter version of this article appeared on pp. 1–4 of the Summer 2017 print edition.This article examines psychological and physical abuse against women in Alaska who are aged 60 or older and compares these rates to national rates. Psychological abuse includes expressive aggression by intimate partners and coercive control by intimate partners. Physical abuse includes physical violence by intimate partners. It also includes sexual violence, by both intimate partners and non-intimate partners. Estimates are provided for both psychological and physical abuse. Alaska estimates come from the 2010–2015 Alaska Victimization Survey (AVS) and national estimates from the 2010 National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS). Results show that one in nine Alaskan women aged 60 or older (11.5%) experienced psychological or physical abuse in the past year. These rates are all significantly higher than national rates.[Introduction] / One in Nine Experienced Psychological or Physical Abuse / Alaska Rates Higher than National Rates / Risk Factors / Reference // SIDEBARS / National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey / Alaska Victimization Survey / Forms of Psychological Abuse / Forms of Physical Abus

Estimating the costs of gender-based violence in the European Union

The purpose of the study is to identify and recommend appropriate methodologies to measure the cost of gender-based and intimate partner violence in EU-28 Member States. To define gender-based and intimate partner violence for this study we draw on the definitions advanced by the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women (UN 1993) and Council of Europe (2011) respectively. These authorities focus on the forms of violence, violence perpetrated by intimate partners and other family members (domestic violence) and sexual violence that are disproportionality perpetrated against and disproportionality impact women

Reasons for non- use of condoms and self-efficacy among female sex workers: A qualitative study in Nepal

Background Heterosexual contact is the most common mode of transmission of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) including Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) in Nepal and it is largely linked to sex work. We assessed the non-use of condoms in sex work with intimate sex partners by female sex workers (FSWs) and the associated self-efficacy to inform the planning of STI/HIV prevention programmes in the general population. Methods This paper is based on a qualitative study of Female Sex Workers (FSWs) in Nepal. In-depth interviews and extended field observation were conducted with 15 FSWs in order to explore issues of safe sex and risk management in relation to their work place, health and individual behaviours. Results The main risk factor identified for the non-use of condoms with intimate partners and regular clients was low self efficacy. Non-use of condoms with husband and boyfriends placed them at risk of STIs including HIV. In addition to intimidation and violence from the police, clients and intimate partners, clients’ resistance and lack of negotiation capacity were identified as barriers in using condoms by the FSWs. Conclusion This study sheds light on the live and work of FSWs in Nepal. This information is relevant for both the Government of Nepal and Non Governmental Organisations (NGO) to help improve the position of FSWs in the community, their general well-being and to reduce their risks at work

Family, Intimate Partners, and Adult Self-Concept

This study evaluated the ways family (in childhood and adulthood) and romantic relationships differentially affected the self-concept of those raised in traditional and non-traditional families. Analyses of survey data from the 2012 New Family Structures survey (n=2,765, a subset of the original 15,058 respondents), and interviews with eight helping professionals, revealed that romantic relationships were the most relevant for positive adult self-concept, irrespective of early family structure. These findings reinforced the Chicago school of symbolic interactionism and self-concept. However, childhood family, and to some extent romantic relationships, were more influential for the self-concept of those who grew up in traditional than in non-traditional families, specifying the “boundary limiting” parameters of family influence. The findings also added to the literature on family structures, relationships, and well-being

The use of firearms in intimate murder-suicide in Australia and New Zealand

Although murder-suicide is relatively rare, the number of events per year is fairly constant and often occurs in the context of intimate or family relations. These intimate or familial murder-suicides are, in most cases, perpetrated by males who kill their female partners and/or children and are often preceded by incidents of domestic violence. This paper proposes that murder-suicide can be positioned at the extreme end of a continuum of violence. Using data from Australia and New Zealand for a period of twenty years from 1973¬1992, the article explores the use of firearms to show how domestic violence can culminate in tragic death

Intimate Partner Violence and Firearms

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), "intimate partner violence" (IPV) is actual or threatened physical or sexual violence or psychological and emotional abuse directed toward a spouse, ex-spouse, current or former boyfriend or girlfriend, or current or former dating partner. Intimate partners may be heterosexual or of the same sex. This fact sheet discusses the intersection of IVP and firearms

Social support, social control and health behavior change in spouses

Our work on support processes in intimate relationships has focused on how partners in committed relationships help one another contend with personal difficulties, and how partners elicit and provide support in their day-to-day interactions. We are particularly interested in how these support skills relate to marital outcomes (Pasch & Bradbury, 1998; Pasch, Harris, Sullivan, & Bradbury, 2004; Sullivan, Pasch, Eldridge, & Bradbury, 1998) and how they relate to behavior change in spouses (Sullivan, Pasch, Johnson, & Bradbury, 2006), especially health behavior changes. In this chapter, we review research examining the effects of social support and social control on spouses\u27 health behaviors, propose a theory to account for discrepancies in these findings, and report initial data examining the usefulness of this theory in understanding the relationship between social support, social control, and partner health behavior