Perspectives of Low-Income African Americans on Syphilis and HIV: Implications for Prevention

Infectious syphilis disproportionately affects African Americans living in poverty in metropolitan areas in the southeastern United States. In this population, where syphilis persists, the rates of HIV and AIDS are also persistently high. In an effort to facilitate the design of more effective preve...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of health care for the poor and underserved 2001-11, Vol.12 (4), p.474-489
Main Authors: Okwumabua, Jebose O, Glover, Vincent, Bolden, Delois, Edwards, Sheron
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome
Adolescent
Adult
African Americans - psychology
AIDS Serodiagnosis
Black American people
Black Community
Black people
Condoms
Female
Focus group interviews
Focus Groups
Health Education
Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
HIV
HIV Infections - epidemiology
HIV Infections - prevention & control
Human immunodeficiency virus
Humans
Intervention
Low Income Groups
Low income people
Male
Metropolitan areas
Middle Aged
Minority & ethnic groups
Patient Acceptance of Health Care
Poverty
Prevention
Prisons
Sexual Partners
Sexually transmitted diseases
STD
Syphilis
Syphilis - epidemiology
Syphilis - prevention & control
Tennessee
Tennessee - epidemiology
Urban Population
USA
Venereal Diseases
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Summary:Infectious syphilis disproportionately affects African Americans living in poverty in metropolitan areas in the southeastern United States. In this population, where syphilis persists, the rates of HIV and AIDS are also persistently high. In an effort to facilitate the design of more effective prevention programs, the present investigation employed focus groups to obtain information from low-income African Americans concerning the determinants of high rates of syphilis and HIV/AIDS in their communities. The subjects were 36 African American men and women ages 18 to 56 residing in metropolitan Memphis and surrounding Shelby County, Tennessee. Overall, the authors found significant lack of awareness of the magnitude of HIV/AIDS and syphilis in African American communities and lack of knowledge about the etiology and transmission of syphilis. The investigation points to the important role of women and partnerships of community organizations in preventing the spread of HIV, syphilis, and other sexually transmitted diseases in this population.
ISSN:1049-2089
1548-6869
1548-6869
DOI:10.1353/hpu.2010.0737