Cover; Half Title; Title Page; Copyright Page; Dedication; Table of Contents; Foreword; Preface; Acknowledgments; Chapter 1. Introduction; Research Methods; Sampling; Data Collection; Data Analysis; Research Team; Definitions of Terms; Limitations of Study; Sample Description; Book Organization; Chapter 2. Background; Lesbian Women's Health Issues; Theoretical Framework; Chapter 3. Issues of Identity and Action; Identity Labels; Basis of Label Choice; Identity and Sexual Action; Sexual Action in Biographical Context; Chapter 4. Constructions of Risk and Protection
Perceptions of Susceptibility to STIs and HIVChapter 5. Risk and Protection; Protective Lines of Action; Typical Barriers to Protection; Anticipated Lines of Sexual Action; Talking About Risk: Focus-Group Conversations; Chapter 6. Discussion; Findings in Their Context; Theoretical Implications; Applied Implications; Appendix. Qualitative Respondents' Characteristics; References; Index
Summary
Interviewer: Where did you find out how to have safe lesbian sex?Val: I found out in jail. Why do so many lesbian women engage in sexual behavior that puts their health, even their lives, at risk? Many know they're at risk, yet somehow feel safe enough to behave as if there is no reason to practice safe sex. Lesbian Women and Sexual Health: The Social Construction of Risk and Susceptibility examines how lesbian women perceive their level of risk for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs). It describes how their perceptions of risk and susceptibility