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Monogamy and Secondary Sexual Partnerships Among Afro-Amerindian Immigrant Women in New York City: A Qualitative Study

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Abstract

In New York City, HIV is increasingly concentrated in the foreign-born population, necessitating a greater exploration of the mechanisms through which changes in behavior and risk for HIV occur within migrant populations. Interviews were conducted with 22 Honduran-born Garifuna women to explore partnerships, sexual behaviors, and HIV risk in the context of migration, and transcripts were coded by thematic analysis procedures. Five themes emerged: (1) migration ends relationships, (2) new relationships in the U.S. form because of material and psychological needs, (3) secondary sexual partnerships are a man’s issue, (4) female secondary sexual partnership participation as a marker of equality, and (5) monogamy due to a lack of time. These findings suggest that greater attention be paid to women’s participation in secondary sexual partnerships for purposes other than economic need, and demonstrate a need for HIV interventions that are based in an understanding of how the social context of migration affects sexual behaviors.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Health, Behavior and Society, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, 624 N. Broadway, Room 753, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA

    Suzanne M. Dolwick Grieb

  2. EngenderHealth, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

    Jaughna Nielsen-Bobbit

Authors
  1. Suzanne M. Dolwick Grieb
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  2. Jaughna Nielsen-Bobbit
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Suzanne M. Dolwick Grieb.

Appendix: Selected Interview Questions

Appendix: Selected Interview Questions

Describe a typical day for you. Descríbame un día típico en su vida.

Are Garifuna women in NYC any different than Garifuna women back in Honduras? Is so, how? ¿Son diferentes las mujeres Garifunas en Nueva York que las mujeres Garifuna de Honduras? ¿Cómo?

What has been the hardest part about your migration experience? ¿Qué ha sido la más difícil de emigrar?

Has migration affected your interactions with men in any way? ¿Ha afectado la migración su relatión con los hombres?

What qualities do you like in a man? ¿Qué cualidades te gustan en un hombre?

Is it important to have a partner? ¿Es importante tener pareja/compañero?

Can you tell me about your current/last partner and your relationship with him? ¿Me puede hablar sobre su pareja actual/pasado y su relación con él?

How do you feel about men being faithful to their female partners? ¿Qué piensa sobre la fidelidad del hombre?

How do you feel about your partner being faithful to you? ¿Qué piensa sobre la fidelidad de su pareja?

Since learning about HIV/AIDS, do you think people’s behaviors have changed? Desde que se aprendió sobre la existencia del VIH/sida ¿piensa usted que ha cambiado el comportamiento de las personas?

Have you changed your behavior in any way? ¿Ha cambiado su comportamiento?

Is there anything else you would like to add about sexual relationships or HIV/AIDS? ¿Hay alguna otra cosa que quisiera agregar sobre las relaciones sexuales o el VIH/sida?

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Grieb, S.M.D., Nielsen-Bobbit, J. Monogamy and Secondary Sexual Partnerships Among Afro-Amerindian Immigrant Women in New York City: A Qualitative Study. J Immigrant Minority Health 15, 365–371 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-012-9615-5

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