FROM BLACKER THE BERRY TO DARKER THE FLESH: GENDERED RACIAL MICROAGGRESSIONS, ETHNIC IDENTITY, AND BLACK WOMEN’S SEXUAL BEHAVIORS

• Main Author: Dunn, Chelsie E
• Format: Others
• Published: VCU Scholars Compass 2018
• Subjects: sexual health behaviors; gendered racial microaggression; Black women; intersectionality theory; ethnic identity; Health Psychology
• Online Access: https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/etd/5641; https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=6725&context=etd

Race- and gender-related contextual factors influence Black women’s sexual behaviors, attitudes, and outcomes. Contextual factors of Black women’s sexual behaviors include stereotypes, microaggressions, ethnic identity, and self-concept. Little to no research has examined race- and gender-specific microaggressions (i.e., gendered racial microaggressions; GRM) impact on Black women's sexual health. Responsively, using an intersectional approach, this study hypothesized that ethnic identity’s influence on the relationship between GRM and sexual behavior (i.e., condom use, lifetime sexual partners) is conditional on self-conceptualization moderated effect on ethnic identity and sexual behavior. Participants included 124 unmarried Black women, recruited from mTurk, a southeastern university and community. Moderated moderation analyses revealed the relationship between GRM and number of lifetime sexual partners is conditionally based on one's level of ethnic identity and self-conceptualization. Findings could potentially enhance existing HIV interventions by increasing awareness of GRM and implementing coping strategies to combat GRM’s effect on sexual behaviors.