The Demographic and Behavioral Sciences Branch (DBSB) funds studies of sexual behaviors related to disease prevention in a variety of populations, and intervention studies to modify risky sexual behaviors. This includes basic and intervention research on the demographic, social, and behavioral aspects of the sexual transmission of HIV and other STDs. The Branch also promotes a population perspective on the HIV epidemic by examining the causes and consequences of the epidemic in and across populations. Specific areas of interest include:
- Population-based studies of sexual behaviors related to the risk of HIV infection and STDs in order to provide essential information for measuring and understanding the sources of vulnerability to infection across diverse populations;
- Studies of the interrelationships among social, institutional, economic, and cultural contexts and sexual behavior, such as:
- How relationships with partners, family, friends, and others influence sexual behaviors;
- The influence of social networks on HIV/STD risk and transmission;
- The influence of legal, educational, religious, fraternal, and health services institutions on HIV/STD risk and prevention;
- Cultural factors involved in HIV/STD risk and prevention, including shared norms, values and beliefs related to gender, the influence of the media on sexual behavior, and the influence of prevention messages;
- Economic factors influencing sexual risk and protective behaviors as well as testing and treatment for HIV/STD; and
- Other environmental influences, such as road systems, alcohol sales venues, housing availability, and general health of the community.
- Research on the interrelationships among pregnancy, pregnancy prevention, and HIV/STD prevention, e.g., the use of dual protection against unwanted pregnancy and infection;
- Studies that examine the social, demographic, economic, or other structural impacts of HIV/STD in populations;
- Studies that examine the implications of patterns of sexual behavior, testing, and treatment in a population for the spread of HIV and other STDs;
- Intervention studies, theoretically grounded in one or more of the scientific issues above; and
- Methodological research to develop and improve methods for studying sexual behavior, including reliable and unbiased measures, data collection methods that improve validity of self-reports, and methods for validation of self-report data.
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