Rosanna F. DeMarco, PhD

University Of Massachusetts - Boston

Academic Titles

Professor, Nursing, University Of Massachusetts - Boston

Research Program Affiliation

Associate Member, Cancer Nursing Research

Research Abstract

My program of scholarship includes the study of women, marginalization, and health behaviors with special emphasis on the concept and outcome measure of "silencing the self" in African American women living with HIV and AIDS related cancers, African American teen girls at risk, cancer survivors who are nurses, and nurses in the workplace. I have a 15-year history of funded research in these areas and has over 100 publications in national and international practice and research journals.

I produced the HIV prevention intervention film called Women�s Voices Women�s Lives�. The film features four HIV+ women talking about their experiences living with HIV. Delivering culturally relevant and gender sensitive messages using this film is currently a multi-site prevention intervention research program for teens and women measuring the effect on stigma, adherence, and safe sex behaviors. It is also a teaching tool for healthcare providers. The film has been adopted many local AIDS service agencies in the area including the AIDS Bureau of the Massachusetts Department of Health. It is also being used in other HIV prevention areas across the country and was just translated in Vietnamese and Spanish language for use in Ho Chi Minh City and Nicaragua respectively.

I completed an RCT using the film as a prompt to a structured writing intervention that successfully showed increased safe sex behaviors and increased condom use negotiation and I am currently working in the area of developing interventions using social networking (peer navigation) with women living with HIV and uptake of cervical cancer screening and care.