ABSTRACT
Florida has the highest number of PLWH in the USA, with the highest incidence being among young African-Americans. The purpose of this qualitative inquiry was to gain an understanding of the knowledge and attitudes to HIV/AIDS among Afro-Caribbean adolescents. Using a faith-based community, we conducted four focus group sessions with 40 Afro-Caribbean teens. Descriptive content and thematic analyses were used to examine the data. Themes identified include awareness gap, temptation everywhere, testing anxiety and stigma. Recommendations include continued exploration and interventions to address stigma in faith-based communities. Implications are discussed.
Subject(s)
HIV Infections/psychology , Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice , Adolescent , Black or African American/psychology , Caribbean Region/ethnology , Florida/epidemiology , Focus Groups , HIV Infections/ethnology , Humans , Qualitative ResearchABSTRACT
This research attempted to test an HIV prevention intervention for Afro-Caribbean female teens. The purpose was to improve knowledge and attitudes concerning HIV/AIDS, improve mother-daughter sexual communication, and to reduce risky sexual behaviors. Using a community-based approach, sixty mother and daughter pairs were randomly assigned. One condition was experimental using the Making Proud Choices Caribbean Style (MPCCS); another was a comparison of General Health Education. Independent t-tests were used for analysis between the pretest, posttest and 90 days posttests. MPCCS indicated clear usage with other Caribbean teens. This study helped to support the theory when Afro-Caribbean (AC) teens feel they need to become sexually active (subjective norm), and have referent support (parental support), they may blend values, knowledge, and skills (control beliefs), and are likely to make proud choices to reduce risky sexual behavior in minimizing HIV in their communities.
