Taking Control With Safer Sex: Perceptions of African American Women

Purpose: African American women continue to experience higher rates of sexually transmitted infections when compared to women of other race/ethnicities (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2017). In one southern state in the United States, African American women ranked 8^thin rates of primary and secondary syphilis and 7^thand 14^thin rates of gonorrhea and HIV (Johnson, 2018). Controlled safe sex is a concept used globally with women to give them control over their sexual lives. Yet, the concept of controlled safe sex has not been examined by researchers in the conceptualization of a mobile app that could be used to provide sexual safety among women.The purpose of the study was to examine African American women’s perceptions of controlled safer sex to guide the development of a safer sex mobile app.

Methods: Guided by the theory of empowerment (Kanter, 1993) we conducted an exploratory study to examine how the concept and antecedents of controlled safer sex could be used in the development of a mobile app for African American women. A sample of 17 women, 18 to 45 years of age, and involved in heterosexual relations participated in semi structured interviews to examine their personal risks involved with controlled safer sex behaviors. Each interview was conducted by one moderator in a medical clinic in North Carolina. Each interview was audio taped and transcribed. Data were coded for content analysis using the components of Kanter's theory of empowerment.

Results: The women identified attributes, antecedents, and consequences (positive and negative) of controlled safer sex that resulted in a feeling of control, empowerment, and safety. Based on Kanter's theory participants provided examples of how to - access information, access support, assess resources, access opportunities to grow and learn, and learn informal and formal power skills with controlled safer sex behaviors. These findings will be used in mobile app development.

Conclusion: Researchers can begin to identify how women keep themselves safe among risks of sexually transmitted infections including HIV in real time. Globally women can be empowered to take control of their sexual health by using technology to increase their knowledge of reproductive health, enhance body awareness, increase self-efficacy with protective barriers, and competency with sexual negotiations.