Do Blacks Believe That HIV/AIDS Is a Government Conspiracy against Them?

Background.We present the first study to explore the possibility that blacks believe that the human immunodeficiency virus was developed by the federal government in order to exterminate the black population. Methods.Five hundred twenty black adults sampled door to door in 10 randomly selected censu...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Preventive medicine 1999-05, Vol.28 (5), p.451-457
Main Authors: Klonoff, Elizabeth A., Landrine, Hope
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acculturation
Adolescent
Adult
African Americans - psychology
Aged
AIDS
AIDS/HIV
Attitude to Health
blacks' beliefs
California
conspiracy theories
discrimination
Educational Status
Female
Government
Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
HIV Infections - ethnology
HIV Infections - prevention & control
Homicide
Humans
Income
Logistic Models
Male
Middle Aged
Prejudice
Race Relations
racism
Socioeconomic Factors
Surveys and Questionnaires
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Summary:Background.We present the first study to explore the possibility that blacks believe that the human immunodeficiency virus was developed by the federal government in order to exterminate the black population. Methods.Five hundred twenty black adults sampled door to door in 10 randomly selected census tracts completed a written survey in exchange for $10. They indicated their degree of agreement with the statement, “HIV/AIDS is a man-made virus that the federal government made to kill and wipe out black people.” Results.Twenty-seven percent of blacks held AIDS-conspiracy views and an additional 23% were undecided. Endorsing AIDS-conspiracy beliefs was not related to blacks' age or income but was related to higher levels of education. Blacks who agreed that AIDS is a conspiracy against them tended to be culturally traditional, college-educated men who had experienced considerable racial discrimination. Conclusions.The prevalence and health-related implications of blacks' AIDS-conspiracy beliefs must be fully investigated, and such beliefs must be addressed in culturally tailored, gender-specific AIDS prevention programs for blacks.
ISSN:0091-7435
1096-0260
DOI:10.1006/pmed.1999.0463