Coping with sexual abuse: development and evaluation of a videotape intervention for nonoffending parents.

OBJECTIVE: The aims of the study were: (1) to develop, apply, and evaluate a videotape intervention that targeted the development of supportive behaviors in mothers of children who were being examined because of suspected molestation; and (2) to examine the relationship between mothers' reported responses to and beliefs about the molestation and their children's perceptions of support. METHOD: Mothers (N = 87) who had children 4 to 12 years of age were recruited and randomly assigned to view either a treatment or control videotape during the time when their child was being examined. Observers who were blinded to this assignment observed and rated parent-child interactions in the waiting room prior to and again after the mothers viewed the videotape. One week after this brief intervention, 64 of the mothers and 30 of the children (8- to 12-years-old) were interviewed. RESULTS: Mothers who viewed the treatment tape were more likely to engage in supportive behaviors with their child immediately after viewing the tape, and were able to identify more supportive behaviors at the 1-week followup. In addition, mothers' reports of how they responded to the molestation (including perceived blame) was related to child perceptions of parental support. CONCLUSIONS: The findings indicate that children who have been sexually molested are sensitive to the initial reactions of their nonoffending parent to the disclosure. In addition, there is some evidence that we can design and deliver cost-effective interventions during the early disclosure period that promote more positive (or supportive) responses by the nonoffending parent.

Differences in sexual behavior among HIV discordant and concordant gay men in primary relationships.

We investigated differences in unprotected anal intercourse among gay men in HIV concordant and discordant primary relationships. Individuals were recruited in 1992 from household- and bar-based samples of gay/bisexual men in Portland, Oregon, and Tucson, Arizona. Respondents were men who reported that they were in primary relationships of > or = 1 month and who reported their own and their partner's HIV status (n = 785). Comparisons were made between three groups: (a) HIV + respondents/HIV + partners; (b) HIV- respondents/HIV- partners; and (c) respondents whose partner's HIV status was different from their own (discordant), on sexual behavior, psychosocial, and demographic variables. Men in HIV concordant relationships reported significantly higher rates of unprotected anal intercourse (54% for +2 and 48% for --) than discordant couples (17%). HIV- men in concordant relationships were more likely to be monogamous (58%) and younger (22% < or = 25 years) than the other two groups. There were no significant differences among the groups regarding the kind of sexual behaviors they engaged in with nonprimary partners. The substantially lower rate of unprotected anal intercourse among men in discordant relationships compared to men in concordant relationships suggests that individuals and couples make judgments about sex and behavior based on knowledge of one's own and one's partner's HIV status.

Olfactory dysfunction in Down's Syndrome.

Down's Syndrome subjects over 40 years old show neuropathology similar to that of Alzheimer's disease. The olfactory system is particularly vulnerable in Alzheimer's disease, both anatomically and functionally. Several measures of sensory and cognitive functioning were studied in the older Down's Syndrome patient, with the hypothesis of significant olfactory dysfunction. Participants were 23 Down's subjects, and 23 controls. The Dementia Rating Scale showed mean scores of 103 for Down's subjects and 141 for controls. Down's subjects showed significant deficits in odor detection threshold, odor identification, and odor recognition memory. Normal performance in a taste threshold task, similar to the olfactory threshold task in subject demands, suggested that the Down's syndrome subjects' poor performance was not due to task demands. Deficits in olfaction may provide a sensitive and early indicator of the deterioration and progression of the brain in older subjects with Down's Syndrome.