The implications of these findings suggest sexual health promotion programs may focus on improving women's estimate of the effectiveness of condoms to prevent pregnancy and addressing women's reliance on testing for STI prevention.

The present study examined the self-perceptions of 28 Black single mothers enrolled in a four-year college program in the U.S. Participants ( M age = 30 yr., SD = 6.1) described their experiences and self-narratives as Black single mothers who are studying and working in addition to their child-raising duties. A structured interview format was utilized to collect the data, which were analyzed qualitatively. The fi ndings indicated that these mothers successfully navigated their various roles. Six themes emerged from the interviews: these mothers focused on family cohesiveness, education, spirituality, support networks (family and government), motivation for a better life in addition to teaching their children to respect others. Implications for practice are off ered for enhancing the parenting success of single Black mothers.

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Family interactions play a central role in creating relationships. The dynamic roles of intersectionality and biopsychosocial factors including culture, race, gender and environments stimulate the synergistic effects of relationships. Sociocultural contexts provide meaning to individual lives. The mechanisms within a family dynamic impact the formation of life decisions and overall health, spiritual and mental well-being. The purpose of this chapter is to explain and expand on how many African American women and LGBTQ couples create and interpret family dynamics and romantic relationships; specifically investigating the influential impact of kinship support, the role of the sandwich generation and the occupation of the Black woman as a primary caregiver.