The Role of Relationship Type, Risk Perception, and Condom Use in Middle Socioeconomic Status Black Women’s HIV-prevention Strategies

This research analyzes qualitative focus group and interview data from the Sister Circle Study—a pilot study that explored hiv risk among middle ses Black women ages 25–45 in North Carolina. Findings reveal that gendered relationship dynamics, perceptions of a sex ratio imbalance, and levels of trust in relationships may reduce some women’s ability to negotiate monogamy and condom use with their male partners. The research suggests that higher socioeconomic status does not fully buffer some middle ses Black women from hiv risk and highlights the role interpersonal and structural factors play in shaping hiv risk for this group.