No abstract

Prevention needs of FSW in this area include increasing rates of HIV testing and putting in place effective programmes that can help extend HIV prevention behaviours across a range of sexual and drug use risk behaviours.

Dental school and professional practice are well‐documented sources of stress. Although students and dentists risk developing stress‐related disorders, no empirically evaluated method for helping dental students cope with stress has been reported. A group of 17 dental students participated in a six‐session program that included instruction in self‐relaxation and time management; exercise and leisure planning; and cognitive modification techniques. From pre‐ to post‐training, subjects showed improvement on a variety of self‐report and physiological measures relative to a waiting‐list control group. A three‐month follow‐up assessment revealed continued reductions in stress‐related behavior. The importance of stress‐management training for dental students is discussed as well as suggestions for future research.

Previous studies have reported an inverse relationship between condom use and emotional intimacy. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between condom use and emotional intimacy. The study was a gonorrhoea case-comparison study with the samples being drawn from public health clinics (cases) and select bars/nightclubs (places) of Houston, TX (n = 215). Data were collected by questionnaires administered on a laptop computer. The majority of respondents were African-American (97.7%), women (69.3%) and had either high school or GED education (72.6%). Condom use with the last sexual partner was analysed along with intimacy with that partner assessed on a 3-point scale. Analysis showed that higher intimacy was related to greater condom use which was significant in men but not in women. In conclusion, these data were opposite to those of previous studies, which showed an inverse relationship between condom use and emotional intimacy. We hypothesize that in a high-risk environment, people exert more effort in protecting those they feel closer to. These data suggest a need to further explore the complex relationship between emotional intimacy and condom use.