Encouraging discussion with partners and building negotiation skills: HIV prevention strategies for women in relationships in Brazil, Tanzania and Indonesia.

PIP: Results from an ongoing 4-phase research and intervention project on women in relationships in Brazil, Tanzania, and Indonesia are discussed. The project is being conducted with the goal of increasing the levels of discussion with women's partners about sex, health, and ways to protect themselves from AIDS. Like men, women are at risk of contracting HIV from both their own behavior and that of their partners. Regarding condom use, however, women are at a particular disadvantage in that they must ask for and subsequently receive the consent of male partners before condoms will be used. Talking, discussing, and negotiating are therefore important processes to understand and employ when helping women to reduce their exposure to HIV. Preliminary results suggest that many women recognize the benefits of communicating in protecting themselves against AIDS, in bringing them closer to their partners, and in helping men change their behavior. Participants also recognize the potential of communication and negotiation in making male partners angry and suspicious, ultimately driving them away. Women who talked with their partners differed significantly from those who did not in their perceptions of what significant others, such as closest friends, doctors, church members, thought they should do. Strategies are discussed for increasing dialogue, with special attention given to the challenges of applying consumer research tools in developing countries.^ieng