Population and Environmental Psychology Bulletin

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Population and Environmental Psychology Bulletin Population and Environmental Psychology Bulletin Vol. 27, No.3, Autumn, 2001 AUTUMN 2001 IN THIS ISSUE FEATURE ARTICLES Feature Articles 2001 Presidential Address....................................Harvey 1 2001 PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS Pardon My Mess...................................................Harris 6 Human Factors & Sustainable Design.................Wise 7 Preventing HIV/STDs and Unintended Pregnancies: Environmental Concerns & the Disadvantaged..Burningham 8 The Future of the WTC Site................................Various 9 A Decade of Challenges Division 34 Business............................................................... 9 S. Marie Harvey, Ph.D. Announcements........................................................................ University of Oregon, Eugene Books...................................................................................... 10 Symposia, Conferences, Calls for Papers............................. 11 As I began to contemplate this presidential address and what Researchers' & Authors' Queries........................................... 13 I might want to say, I found myself reflecting on my current program of research, and how it differs from my work in the early NEWSLETTER NEWS 1980s when I began my academic career. In that reflection, I PEPB is an unrefereed forum for sharing news, ideas and opinions realized that many population psychologists I know and in population and environmental psychology. Opinions are those of collaborate with have also evolved along a similar path. the authors and do not reflect the official policy of Division 34 My academic/research career started later in my life and was unless explicitly stated. a direct result of my earlier work as a social worker for the Los Call for Submissions Angeles County Department of Social Services - DPSS. I worked in AFDC (Aid For Dependent Children). Observing and treating Winter 2002: Understanding September 11th, 2001 (and not necessarily well) the consequences of unwanted children Deadline: January 15, 2002 inspired me to return to school in the field of public health and undertake a program of research with the goal of contributing to Though it may not be immediately apparent, population and the prevention of unintended pregnancies. My focus at that time environmental psychologists can play a role in our was limited to women and to the prevention of unwanted/mistimed understanding of the September 11th terrorist attacks. From pregnancy. research on disaster preparedness and studies of communal There were several reasons for my earlier focus on women at bereavement to discussions about the future of the WTC the exclusion of men. First, family planning has traditionally been site, P&E psychologists can contribute both to our considered a female-centered activity. In the United States, men’s understanding of the consequences of September 11th and to relative lack of involvement in preventing pregnancy can be traced our efforts to prevent future attacks. to such factors as the development in the 1960's of modern female forms of contraception, including birth control pills and the IUD. To initiate this theme, I have reprinted some opinions from Second, with the legalization of abortion in the 1970's, men the October Architectural Record about what should be done assumed women could terminate an unwanted pregnancy, which with the WTC site. These (mostly) architects and engineers consequently placed more responsibility for contraception on favour rebuilding the towers in some form, which is women. Finally, and very importantly, women bear the risks and somewhat at odds with the American people, who are burdens of pregnancy and childbirth, and therefore have the equally likely to prefer rebuilding the towers, building greatest stakes in protecting their own reproductive health. completely different buildings, and having a monument with However, the current epidemics of STDs, including HIV and no buildings (Khermouch, Businessweek Online, 10/1/01). what has been referred to as “the emerging female face in the U.S. epidemic,” altered my program of research in the early 1990's. It Please send commentaries, short research reports, abstracts became increasingly obvious to me that I must examine women’s and any other materials (announcements, teaching tips, reproductive health issues using a new and expanded paradigm. laboratory assignments, etc.) to Russ Parsons at: [email protected]. Division 34 on the www: http://web.uvic.ca/~apadiv34 /page 1 Population and Environmental Psychology Bulletin / APA Division 34 Vol. 27, No 3, Autumn, 2001 Engaging in unprotected sexual intercourse puts women Issues of power and control are particularly important at risk not only for unintended pregnancy but also for STDs when considering interdependent behaviors. These issues pose including HIV. Conducting research and designing programs several new and revive old challenges for behavioral scientists. that addressed both pregnancy and disease prevention became First, the predominant theoretical models prevalent in of paramount importance and created new challenges for me as understanding sexual risk behaviors have been justly criticized a researcher and a public health professional. Therefore, during as being individualistic in their conceptualization (e.g., health the last decade I have developed with my colleagues a program belief model [Becker, 1974], theory of reasoned action [Azjen of research that addresses both pregnancy and disease & Fishbein, 1977], social cognitive theory [Bandura, 1994], prevention among women. I will summarize these approaches transtheoretical stages of change model [Prochaska & in this presentation. More specifically, I will reflect on both the DiClemente, 1983, 1984], AIDS risk reduction model [Catania, need for and the challenges to this more inclusive approach, Kegeles, & Coates, 1992]). Their applications often ignore the dual protection, in my present program of research. In addition, social and cultural context of women's (and men's) sexual I will provide preliminary findings from some formative behaviors. They assume that the individual has total control research that examines the associations among relationship over behavior and do not address the diverse contextual factors power, sexual decision-making, and condom use within a related to gender (e.g., power differentials, gender roles) that sample of women at risk of HIV/STDs. likely influence these behaviors (Amaro, 1995). In the face of these theoretical shortcomings, we are The Need for a Focus on Pregnancy and Disease Prevention challenged to expand our individualistic conceptualization of An emerging public health priority is strengthening women’s reproductive health to include the impact of women’s ability to protect themselves from HIV/STDs and to relationship and contextual factors on safer sex behaviors. negotiate safer sex behaviors with their heterosexual partners. More specifically, we are challenged to develop theoretical A focus on disease prevention among women is important for frameworks that include couple interactions and couple several reasons. First, the proportion of HIV and AIDS cases dynamics as well as individual based factors (e.g., self-efficacy) that are women is steadily increasing (CDC, 1999). Women that we know are critical to behavioral change. Interpersonal represent 30% of new HIV infections and comprise 23% of relationships have particular relevance in the areas of fertility new cases of AIDS. African Americans and Latinas account and the prevention of STDs/HIV because the behaviors and for 63% and 18%, respectively, of female cases of AIDS outcomes of interest often, but not always, take place within the infection reported in 1999 (CDC, 1999). In addition, context of a relationship. heterosexual transmission accounts for 40% of current AIDS Second, we are challenged to move beyond including only cases among women and, in 1994, surpassed injecting drug use women in our studies and to also examine men’s involvement as the most common mode of HIV transmission to U.S. women in sexual decision-making and sexual risk-taking. We need to (CDC, 1999). know more about men’s intentions, motivations and behaviors, Other STDs are also a major health problem for women. and we need more data on men’s influence on women’s Many STDs are considerably more common than HIV, are attitudes, motivations, decisions and behavior related to the initially asymptomatic, and can have serious health prevention of HIV/STDs and unintended pregnancy. We must consequences (e.g., cancer, infertility) years later. Women are continue to build on the body of literature that presents clear disproportionately affected by STDs because they are more evidence that men play important roles in fertility decisions, biologically susceptible to some STDs than men, because STDs sexual behavior and contraception use. are less likely to be detected in women than men, and because Third, we are challenged to focus on and include couples STDs have more severe health effects for women than men in both our research and intervention studies. Fundamental to (Eng & Butler, 1997). this concept is the simplistic idea that it takes two to tango, two We cannot, however, neglect the need to focus on to prevent the transmission of STDs, and only couple studies pregnancy prevention as well. Despite the availability of can fully address issues involved in understanding the relative highly effective methods of contraception, almost a third influence of each member of a sexual dyad. Dyad-level
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