Trust, Commitment, Fidelity, and Condom Use among Young Adults in Tanzania

With an estimated 7 percent of Tanzanian adults HIV positive and no cure or vaccine available, preventing HIV infection remains central to fighting the AIDS epidemic. For sexually active individuals there are two ways to avoid HIV infection: fidelity with an uninfected partner or consistent condom use. Trust and commitment play a complex but critical role in both fidelity and condom use. Research on the link between trust and condom use is emerging, yet the relationship between trust, commitment, and fidelity has yet to be explored. Of the three standard methods of AIDS prevention--abstinence, fidelity, and condom use--fidelity remains relatively under-researched. This dissertation aims to improve our understanding of trust and commitment in Tanzania and the relationship that trust and commitment have with fidelity and condom use using multiple theories and multiple methods (semi-structured in-depth interviews and in-person survey interviews). Analysis of in-depth interviews with young residents of Mtoni, Dar es Salaam suggests that the youth place an important value on satisfaction with their relationship, feeling that their partners understand them, being able to rely on their partners for instrumental and emotional support, and their partner's sexual fidelity. The youth in Mtoni often found it difficult to differentiate trust from commitment and trust from fidelity. Path analysis suggests that equity theory and investment theory do not accurately describe the development of commitment among Tanzanian youth. Identity theory, however, may accurately explain the development of trust and commitment among Tanzanian youth. We found associations in our data that are consistent with the identity theory model. Analysis of the in-depth interviews suggested that sexual fidelity, trust, and commitment are important to stable relationships yet that once sexual fidelity, trust, and commitment are established, the couple is unlikely to use condoms. However, the associations expected between these variables were not clearly evident in the quantitative data. A generalized trust in one's partner was not found to be associated with a lower level of condom use. Similarly, we did not find that a general trust in a partner or a general feeling of commitment was related to fidelity

Study of Sexual Exploitation in Boston

This project helps policymakers target resources and implement policies to facilitate the exit of prostituted individuals from sexual exploitation, and to deter those who facilitate the sale of sex and those who buy sex (“Johns”) from engaging in this exploitive behavior. This study interviews members of the Boston Police Department, survivors of sexual exploitation, Johns, and facilitators of the sale of sex. Boston is aiming to decrease demand for prostituted individuals by 20% over the next two years, and this research is the first step in that initiative

Demographic change and response: social context and the practice of birth control in six countries

This paper expands on Kingsley Davis’s demographic thesis of change and re- sponse. Specifically, we consider the social context that accounts for the primacy of particular birth control methods that bring about fertility change during specific time periods. We examine the relevance of state policy (including national family planning programs), the international population establishment, the medical profession, organized religion, and women’s groups using case studies from Japan, Russia, Puerto Rico, China, India, and Cameroon. Some of these countries are undergoing the second demographic transition, others the first. Despite variations in context, heavy reliance on sterilization and/or abortion as a means of birth control is a major response in most of these countries. The key roles of the medical profession and state policy are discussed, along with the general lack of influence of religion and of women’s groups in these countries

Defining the causes of sporadic Parkinson's disease in the global Parkinson's genetics program (GP2)

The Global Parkinson’s Genetics Program (GP2) will genotype over 150,000 participants from around the world, and integrate genetic and clinical data for use in large-scale analyses to dramatically expand our understanding of the genetic architecture of PD. This report details the workflow for cohort integration into the complex arm of GP2, and together with our outline of the monogenic hub in a companion paper, provides a generalizable blueprint for establishing large scale collaborative research consortia

Multi-ancestry genome-wide association meta-analysis of Parkinson?s disease

Although over 90 independent risk variants have been identified for Parkinson’s disease using genome-wide association studies, most studies have been performed in just one population at a time. Here we performed a large-scale multi-ancestry meta-analysis of Parkinson’s disease with 49,049 cases, 18,785 proxy cases and 2,458,063 controls including individuals of European, East Asian, Latin American and African ancestry. In a meta-analysis, we identified 78 independent genome-wide significant loci, including 12 potentially novel loci (MTF2, PIK3CA, ADD1, SYBU, IRS2, USP8, PIGL, FASN, MYLK2, USP25, EP300 and PPP6R2) and fine-mapped 6 putative causal variants at 6 known PD loci. By combining our results with publicly available eQTL data, we identified 25 putative risk genes in these novel loci whose expression is associated with PD risk. This work lays the groundwork for future efforts aimed at identifying PD loci in non-European populations

Learning from Our Students through Learning Assessments

Learning assessments can point to which pedagogical tools are most effective at improving students’ knowledge and skills. Inspired by the sociology department’s learning assessment program, we present a pre- and post-test assessment of students’ perceptions of their term paper writing skills in a senior seminar and a graduate seminar. Pedagogical techniques in these courses included incorporating the instructor’s research through parallel writing, bringing technology into the classroom through the iPads program, and collaborating with library staff to support student learning through library research. The pre-test captures students’ perceived abilities to find peer-reviewed resources, communicate ideas effectively in writing, cite sources, design a research project, analyze data, and avoid plagiarism. The posttest—to be conducted in early May 2015 after completion of a term paper—will again capture students’ perceived abilities. In addition, students will be asked the extent to which their final papers were improved through parallel writing, having access to the iPads in the classroom, sessions with the library staff, peer review, and professor’s comments on drafts. Students will rank these supports in terms of what most helped them produce a high quality paper. We will present a preliminary analysis of this assessment, engage participants in a discussion of the assumptions instructors make about the knowledge and skills students bring to higher level courses, give participants the opportunity to brainstorm their assessment plans for the fall semester, and discuss the implications that these assessments have for evolving course designs

Cohabitation, marriage, and 'sexual monogamy' in Nairobi's slums

The current study investigates the extent to which sexual exclusivity--the restriction of one's sexual engagements to a single partner--prevails across various marital status, union type, and co-residence categories among Nairobi's poorest residents, slum dwellers. This question is central to the spread of HIV in the increasingly urban and poor, high prevalence countries of sub-Saharan Africa, where transmission is primarily via heterosexual sex. In many circles, sexual exclusivity is considered a prominent feature of the marriage institution. Yet, marriage and cohabitation are often not easily distinguishable in sub-Saharan Africa, meaning that the frequent use, as a proxy, of the "in union" category, which includes married as well as cohabiting persons can, at best, be considered tenuous. Using the 2000 Nairobi Cross-Sectional Slum Survey (NCSS), this paper confirms that marriage is associated with higher reports of sexual exclusivity even in settings where poverty provokes risky behavior. The finding, here, is of lower risk of HIV infection for married respondents, with a smaller effect observed among non-married cohabiters. Converse to the implied benefits of marriage, though, women with co-wives are more likely to report multiple partners. The implications of these findings are discussed.Cohabitation Marriage Urban poverty Sub-Saharan Africa Sexual exclusivity HIV/AIDS Kenya

Lifting the curtain on the conditions of sexual initiation among youth in Ethiopia

PURPOSE: Deriving accurate estimates of the level of sexual coercion is challenging because of the stigma that is attached to the experience. This study examines the effectiveness of a nonverbal response card method to reduce social desirability bias in reports of the conditions of sexual initiation among youth in southwestern Ethiopia. METHODS: The conditions surrounding sexual initiation are examined using data from a pilot survey and a final survey of youth aged 13 to 24. Half of the respondents in each survey were randomly assigned to a nonverbal response card method for sensitive questions on sexual attitudes and behavior, and the other half of the respondents were assigned to a control group that provided verbal responses. Responses for the two groups to questions regarding the conditions of sexual initiation are compared. RESULTS: Respondents who used the nonverbal response card were more likely to report pressure from friends or a partner, having sex for money or another gain, and rape as conditions of sexual initiation than respondents who provided verbal responses. Among sexually experienced youth, 29.3% of respondents who used the card method reported some form of coercion during sexual initiation compared to 19.4% of respondents who gave verbal responses. CONCLUSIONS: The nonverbal response card provides an effective method for reducing social desirability bias when soliciting responses to sensitive questions in the context of an interviewer-administered survey. The analysis also suggests that coerced sexual initiation is underreported by youth in interviewer-administered surveys that use conventional verbal responses