ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: To describe and understand the attitudes, beliefs, and experiences towards organ and tissue donation among African American clergy in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. The secondary objective is to understand what messages clergy are providing to their parishioners relative to organ and tissue donation, and what their perceived role is in donation education. DESIGN: A qualitative study in which African American clergy (n=26) participated in four focus groups. RESULTS: African American clergy, though generally supportive of organ and tissue donation in principle, have serious reservations about donation due to perceived inequalities in the donation and transplantation system. The clergy did not personally hold religious concerns about donation, but expressed that these concerns were a major barrier to donation among their parishioners. None of the clergy knew the written position that their religion took on donation; they acknowledged the need for more education for them and their parishioners on this topic. They also felt that as religious leaders, they could play an important role in promoting organ and tissue donation among African American parishioners. CONCLUSIONS: African American clergy and religious leaders may play an important role towards improving willingness to donate among African American parishioners, but more education and advocacy is needed to prepare them for this role.
Subject(s)
Attitude to Health/ethnology , Black or African American/psychology , Clergy/psychology , Decision Making , Religion and Psychology , Spirituality , Tissue Donors/psychology , Tissue and Organ Procurement , Adult , Aged , Female , Focus Groups , Georgia , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Professional Role , Qualitative ResearchABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: This study is a meta-analysis of the literature exploring the relationship between child sexual abuse (CSA) and HIV risk behavior among women. Four outcome variables were tested: unprotected sex; sex with multiple partners; sex trading; and adult sexual revictimization. METHOD: Forty-six studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in the analysis, and separate meta-analyses were performed for each of the four dependent variables described above. RESULTS: Using the correlation coefficient r as an effect size estimate, results indicate an average effect size of .05 for the unprotected sex meta-analysis (N = 16 studies), .13 for the sex with multiple partners meta-analysis (N = 23 studies), .12 for the sex trading meta-analysis (N = 23 studies), and .17 for the adult sexual revictimization meta-analysis (N = 21 studies). We conducted a test of three potential moderator variables (source of sample, definition of CSA based on type of contact, and definition of CSA based on maximum age of victim). Results did not support the hypothesis that these three variables explain a significant amount of variability in effect sizes with one exception: Studies that define CSA more broadly to include adolescent victims (e.g., victims up to 17 years of age) had larger and more homogenous effect sizes for the sex trading meta-analysis than those that defined CSA as having occurred at younger ages. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest a small positive relationship between CSA and subsequent HIV risk behavior among women that varies as a function of how CSA and HIV risk behavior are operationalized.
