Four studies were conducted to develop and validate the Sexual Assertiveness Scale (SAS), a measure of sexual assertiveness in women that consists of factors measuring initiation, refusal, and pregnancysexually transmitted disease prevention assertiveness. A total of 1,613 women from both university and community populations were studied. Confirmatory factor analyses demonstrated that the 3 factors remained stable across samples of university and community women. A structural model was tested in 2 samples, indicating that sexual experience, anticipated negative partner response, and self-efficacy are consistent predictors of sexual assertiveness. Sexual assertiveness was found to be somewhat related to relationship satisfaction, power, and length. The community sample was retested after 6 months and 1 year to establish test-retest reliability. The SAS provides a reliable instrument for assessing and understanding women's sexual assertiveness. Sexual assertiveness is important for attainment of sexual goals and self-protection from unwanted or unsafe sexual activity. However, traditional gender roles include expectations for men to initiate sexual activity and for women to respond to men's attempts to initiate sexual behavior (Morokoff, 1990; Muehlenhard & McCoy, 1991). Specific problems are associated with women's compliance with gender-based norms for sexual behavior. One problem is that by adopting a sexually passive role, women do not have the opportunity to assert their own sexual interests by initiating sexual activity. Research has shown that although men may often be the first to directly express sexual interest, women indicate sexual interest indirectly, for example by smiling, touching, or gazing into a partner's eyes (Perper & Weis, 1987). Evidence

A comprehensive model was designed to predict risky, HIV‐related sex in women from a set of behavioral, interpersonal, and psychoattitudinal measures. Survey measures were administered to two university samples of 234 and 263 women. Three sets of dependent measures assessed Partner‐Related HIV Risk, Unprotected Vaginal Intercourse, and Anal Intercourse. There were three multifaceted sets of independent variables that involved 12 factors. The first set, behavioral risk, involved (a) Social Substance Use, (b) Hard Substance Use, (c) Foreplay Sexual Experience, and (d) Advanced Sexual Experience. The second set, interpersonal risk, examined (a) Victimization, (b) Anticipated Partner Reaction, (c) Birth Control Sexual Assertiveness, (d) Refusal Sexual Assertiveness, and (e) Initiation Sexual Assertiveness. The third set, psychoattitudinal risk, involved (a) Psychosocial Functioning, (b) Psychosexual Attitudes, and (c) Self‐Efficacy for AIDS Prevention. Substantial variance was explained using structural modeling methods, with the strongest prediction involving behavioral and interpersonal HIV risk factors. Psychoattitudinal factors were less central, although still important. The results supported and extended previous findings and suggested that the biggest HIV risk factors for women include: greater social substance use, greater sexual experience, anticipated or actual victimization, low assertiveness about requesting birth control, overly positive psychosocial attitudes, negative attitudes about sexuality, and less self‐efficacy about avoiding HIV risk.

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A team of academic researchers, clinicians, prison administrators and undergraduate and graduate students came together to conduct an evaluation of a pre-release discharge planning program in a women's prison facility. This paper describes differences between academic and corrections systems, adaptations needed in order to work within the correctional system, pragmatic and ethical issues addressed by our team, and the joys and benefits we experienced doing the project. Team members who had not previously worked in a prison setting found it an extraordinary, transformative learning experience in spite of the challenges.