Acceptability and Perceived Utility of Virtual Reality Among People Who Are Incarcerated Who Use Drugs.

People who are incarcerated are at heightened risk of overdose upon community reentry. Virtual reality (VR) may provide an innovative tool for overdose prevention intervention in corrections facilities. This mixed methods study sought to understand incarcerated individuals' perspectives on VR for overdose prevention and explore physiological arousal associated with use of VR equipment.

Housing Insecurity and Other Syndemic Factors Experienced by Black and Latina Cisgender Women in Austin, Texas: A Qualitative Study.

Austin, Texas emerged as one of the fastest-growing cities in the U.S. over the past decade.

Hard-to-Reach or Hardly Reached? The "Difficulty" of Engaging Cisgender Black Females in Sexual Health Research.

Rather than placing the onus on stigmatized and disenfranchised communities as hard-to-reach in sexual health research, we challenge researchers to recognize and provide outreach to populations who are hardly reached, such as cisgender Black women. We posit that the disparate human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and sexually transmitted infection (STI) rates experienced by Black women in the USA are due in part to social and structural inequities and lack of researcher outreach within these communities. Social inequities give rise to racial and gender discrimination, which often results in structural barriers that researchers may not acknowledge.

A Qualitative Exploration of PrEP Interests, Barriers, and Interventions Among Black and Latina Cisgender Women in the U.S.

Black and Latina cisgender women (BLCW) are disproportionally affected by HIV, particularly in the southern U.S. In Austin, Texas, Black women contract HIV 18.

Combatting negative bias: a mental contrasting and implementation intentions online intervention to increase help-seeking among individuals with elevated depressive symptomatology.

Background: There are many reasons why individuals with depression may not seek help. Among those with elevated depressive symptomatology, some previous interventions aimed at increasing help-seeking have unintentionally decreased help-seeking intentions. Beck's cognitive theory of depression posits that individuals with elevated depressive symptomatology process information differently from those without depression (i.

Superwoman schema: uncovering repercussions of coping strategies used among Black women at high risk for HIV.

The Superwomen Schema (SWS) describes a social framework that encompasses the role that many Black women adopt in response to chronic stress, financial pressures, and an intersection of oppression. Woods-Giscombé (Superwoman Schema: African American Women's Views on Stress, Strength, and Health. Qualitative Health Research 20 (5): 668-683, 2010) characterizes SWS using five tenets: obligation to manifest strength, obligation to suppress emotions, resistance to vulnerability or dependency, determination to succeed despite a lack of resources, and an obligation to help others.

A Longitudinal, Qualitative Exploration of Perceived HIV Risk, Healthcare Experiences, and Social Support as Facilitators and Barriers to PrEP Adoption Among Black Women.

Black women contract HIV at much higher rates than White or Hispanic women. Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is an underutilized prevention tool among this population. We sought to determine participants' interest in PrEP and facilitators and barriers to PrEP adoption.

Examining COVID-19 and HIV: The impact of intersectional stigma on short- and long-term health outcomes among African Americans.

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the health disparities and structural racism among African Americans. We examined overlaps between the COVID-19 pandemic and HIV epidemic using an intersectional stigma framework through the lens of Critical Race Theory. Intersectional stigma, medical mistrust, and decreased likelihood of referral for HIV and COVID-19 testing leads to decreased engagement in the healthcare system.

Exploring patterns of substance use among highly vulnerable Black women at-risk for HIV through a syndemics framework: A qualitative study.

Black women who use alcohol, marijuana, and other drugs are disproportionately affected by health disparities. Black women's HIV diagnosis rates are 15 times higher than White women, and is among the leading causes of death among Black women in the US. Previous studies support the association between substance use and HIV risk, yet it is essential to better understand the specific factors experienced within the context of substance misuse and recovery among vulnerable Black women at-risk for substance misuse, HIV, and adverse life experiences.

Structural and syndemic barriers to PrEP adoption among Black women at high risk for HIV: a qualitative exploration.

In the USA, Black women are at disproportionately higher risk for HIV compared to women of other races/ethnicities, which can be explained by the Substance Abuse, Violence and AIDS (SAVA) syndemic. Disparities in HIV, substance use and violence are driven by multiple influences, including structural factors (e.g.

Polytraumatization, Mental Health, and Delinquency Among Adolescent Gang Members.

Adolescent gang members are at high risk for polytraumatization (i.e., experiencing two or more types of trauma), which may contribute to behavioral problems, such as delinquency or drug distribution, and mental health symptoms, such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression.

Translation of basic research in cognitive science to HIV-risk: a randomized controlled trial.

Many people enrolled in drug diversion programs are not receiving evidence-based prevention for HIV or hepatitis. This study translated basic research from cognitive science to increase screening for infection and condom use in this population. A parallel three-condition randomized trial was conducted in a drug diversion sample (N = 358), comparing a memory practice condition with two active control conditions.

Strength of Implementation Intentions to Use Condoms Among Men Who Have Sex with Men.

Although pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) use is increasing among men who have sex with men (MSM), condoms remain key to HIV prevention. Implementation intentions-which link a behavioral action plan with a situation or cue-may predict condom use. The Strength of Implementation Intentions Scale (SIIS), which assesses condom use implementation intentions, has not been evaluated among MSM.

Predictive utility and measurement properties of the Strength of Implementation Intentions Scale (SIIS) for condom use.

Background: Implementation intentions are situation-linked action plans that increase health behaviors such as condom use. Few studies have measured the strength of implementation intentions, especially regarding condom use. Non-injection drug users are at high risk for HIV due to risky sexual practices.

Childhood Adversity and the Continued Exposure to Trauma and Violence Among Adolescent Gang Members.

This study investigates interfaith groups from across the United States to understand how these religious settings may serve as mediating structures to facilitate individual political action. Based on a multilevel modeling analysis with 169 individuals from 25 interfaith groups, we found that core activities of the group, such as group members sharing community information (e.g.

Gender Norms and Age-Disparate Sexual Relationships as Predictors of Intimate Partner Violence, Sexual Violence, and Risky Sex among Adolescent Gang Members.

Unequal gender norms and age-disparate sexual relationships can lead to power imbalances and are also associated with intimate partner violence (IPV), sexual coercion and violence, and sexual risk behaviors. The present study examined these variables from both victim and perpetrator perspectives among adolescent gang members. Age-disparate sexual relationships were defined as sex partners 5 or more years older among female participants and 5 or more years younger among male participants.

Neurological changes in brain structure and functions among individuals with a history of childhood sexual abuse: A review.

Objective: Review literature focused on neurological associations in brain structure among individuals with a history of childhood sexual abuse (CSA).

Methodology: A review of literature examining physiological irregularities in brain structures of individuals with a history of CSA was conducted.

Results: Results revealed that a history of CSA was associated with irregularities in the cortical and subcortical regions of the brain.

The development of a new condom use expectancy scale for at-risk adults.

Rationale: Engaging in risky sexual behavior increases transmission of HIV.

Objective: The present study used previously elicited salient outcomes of condom use to examine the factor structure and test the predictive utility of a condom use expectancy scale.

Methods: Participants were drug offenders from court ordered drug diversion programs in Southern California.

Response inhibition moderates the association between drug use and risky sexual behavior.

Background: HIV infection is problematic among all drug users, not only injection drug users. Drug users are at risk for contracting HIV by engaging in risky sexual behaviors.

Objective: The present study sought to determine whether inhibitory processes moderate the relationship between problematic drug use and HIV-risk behaviors (unprotected sex and multiple sex partners).

Effects of a one-hour intervention on condom implementation intentions among drug users in Southern California.

Approximately 36% of HIV cases are related to substance abuse. Substance abusers, including non-injection drug users, are at a high-risk for contracting HIV due to risky behaviors, including unprotected sex. Due to these behavioral and infection risks, feasible interventions that focus on condom use within this population are imperative.

Prevalence and factors of addictive Internet use among adolescents in Wuhan, China: interactions of parental relationship with age and hyperactivity-impulsivity.

Purposes: This study examined the prevalence of addictive Internet use and analyzed the role of parental relationship in affecting this behavior among a random sample of adolescents in Wuhan, China.

Methods: Students (n = 1,101) were randomly selected from four schools, including 638 boys and 463 girls with a mean age of 13.8 (standard deviation = 1.

Brief Sensation Seeking Scale for Chinese - Cultural Adaptation and Psychometric Assessment.

International behavioral research requires instruments that are not culturally-biased to assess sensation seeking. In this study we described a culturally adapted version of the Brief Sensation Seeking Scale for Chinese (BSSS-C) and its psychometric characteristics. The adapted scale was assessed using an adult sample (n=238) with diverse educational and residential backgrounds.