ABSTRACT
The aim of this study was to examine how depressive mood, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, self-efficacy, and social support are associated with HIV risk behaviors. Participants were sexually active women (N = 1488) recruited when attending gynecological consultations in primary care settings. Standardized questionnaires were administered to assess for depressive mood, abuse/assault-related PTSD, social support, self-efficacy, stress, and sexual risk behavior. The resulting association models showed that demographic factors, mental health problems, and resources are associated with sexual risk behavior. Detecting and treating mental health problems and interventions that bolster women's psychosocial resources are warranted.
Acknowledgments
The authors thank all women that agreed to participate in this study.
Funding
This work was supported by the Center for Philosophical and Humanistic Studies of the Portuguese Catholic University, funded by the Foundation for Science and Technology under grant number PEst-OE/FIL/UI0683/2014.