Changing behaviors : HIV prevention issues with African American women ages 19 to 27

Abstract

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) surfaced in the United States more than twenty years ago. The first identified victims were 12 gay men who presented with ailments that were rare. Since then, the face of HIV has changed. It now targets those populations that are impoverished, and those whose culture affects the decisions they make. The bleak reality is that the sexual and economic subordination of African American women fuels the HIV pandemic. This paper reviewed several programs that have been developed with different prevention plans. Unfortunately with the number of new infections in the African American women population, the current programs have not proven to be effective based on reported infections by the Center for Disease Control (CDC). The HIV educational program is failing, and the abstinence program is falling on deaf ears. If the woman is poor, then long term health risks may seem irrelevant in relation to her own family's survival. This in turn explains why prevention strategies that are limited to "knowing the facts" and "becoming aware of the risk" have not succeeded. Future recommendations are made for the development of new prevention plans, which enforce behavior change.

Notes

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Thesis Completion

2003

Semester

Spring

Advisor

Turnage, Barbara

Degree

Bachelor of Science (B.S.)

College

College of Health and Public Affairs

Degree Program

Social Work

Subjects

Dissertations, Academic -- Health and Public Affairs;Health and Public Affairs -- Dissertations, Academic;African American women -- Diseases;HIV infections -- Prevention

Format

Print

Identifier

DP0021772

Language

English

Access Status

Open Access

Length of Campus-only Access

None

Document Type

Honors in the Major Thesis

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