Victim Researcher Profile

BIO

My expertise is in theory-based prevention science focused on addressing health disparities in women’s sexual health (such as risks for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections [STIs]) in he U.S. especially in the context of their intimate partner relationships and histories of violence. I have conducted several studies linking intimate partner violence (IPV), and increased HIV/STI risk behaviors among women and girls in the US living in socioeconomically challenged urban areas to inform intervention development. Most recently, we have found IPV to interfere with HIV testing among women living in poor urban areas. I have identified subtle forms of coercion by male partners that discourage condom use, which I called “condom coercion” associated with unwanted unprotected sex among adolescent girls. These findings were used to develop the intervention Stand UP Together, an HIV/STI and partner abuse prevention curriculum for adolescent girls. In a pilot RCT, adolescent women who received the Stand UP Together Intervention showed improved safer sex behavior while also showing improvements in physical, sexual and threat types of IPV. I have also studied HIV/STI risk behaviors of young adult women with a history of intimate partner violence. I recently completed a study on trauma-informed care training among primary care providers in the U.S. Another important focus of my research, has been to examine how histories of childhood sexual abuse and intimate partner violence interferes with HIV/STI prevention among adults and adolescents living in impoverished black townships and informal settlements in South Africa. We found that an HIV/sexually transmitted disease risk-reduction intervention that reduced sexual risk behavior & sexually transmitted disease prevalence (prior findings), also reduced the perpetration and experience of forced sex among South African adolescents assessed at 54 and 42 months, respectively.

VICTIMIZATION FOCUS

Child Abuse and Sexual Abuse, Dating Violence (Teen), Domestic and Family Violence

SPECIAL POPULATIONS

Child victims, Urban high crime neighborhood victims, Women and girls

RESEARCH EXPERTISE

Data collection, Descriptive studies, Ethnography, Qualitative studies, Quantitative studies, Quasi-experimental studies, Randomized controlled trial, Training and/or technical assistance

VICTIM RESEARCH EXPERIENCE

Data collection, Descriptive studies, Ethnography, Qualitative studies, Quantitative studies, Randomized controlled trial