Arab American Women's Health Study

Sexuality is an important aspect of health, in part because emotional conflicts over sexuality as well as unwanted sexual experiences can impact physical and psychological health; yet no studies have examined sexual health among Arab American women in the U.S. These women face the task of negotiating their heritage culture and the American culture in which they reside. This may result in bicultural identity conflict for some women as they try to negotiate these two identities, which may have implications for sexuality and sexual health due to the two cultures' disparate views on sexuality. Confidential discussion of these sensitive topics with a knowledgeable interviewer may yield beneficial effects.

The overall goal of the current study is to fill the gap in the literature on Arab American sexual health by examining how sexual health is related to physical and psychological health. This will be accomplished using both: a) correlational findings about sexual, physical, and psychological health from information gathered through self-report questionnaires and a 60-minute women's health interview; and b) an experimental test of the effects of the women's health interview on physical and psychological health. A sample of young adult Arab American women will be assessed at baseline via questionnaires for various constructs (sexual attitudes, cultural and religious identity, and physical and mental health), and then randomized to either an immediate or delayed health interview, with a 5-week follow-up reassessment.

It is hypothesized that lower sexual well-being, negative sexual self-schemas, and unwanted sexual experiences will correlate with more somatic and psychological health symptoms and lower satisfaction with life. It is also hypothesized that participants who have the immediate interview will report greater reduction in somatic and psychological symptoms and a greater willingness to discuss sexual health with medical providers compared to participants who are not interviewed (i.e., have a delayed interview after follow-up assessment).