Perceptions of Community HIV/STI Risk Among U.S Women Living in Areas with High Poverty and HIV Prevalence Rates

• Published in: Journal of health care for the poor and underserved 2015-08, Vol.26 (3), p.811-823
• Main Authors: Blackstock, Oni J, Frew, Paula, Bota, Dorothy, Vo-Green, Linda, Parker, Kim, Franks, Julie, Hodder, Sally L, Justman, Jessica, Golin, Carol E, Haley, Danielle F, Kuo, Irene, Adimora, Adaora A, Rompalo, Anne, Soto-Torres, Lydia, Wang, Jing, Mannheimer, Sharon B
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acquired immune deficiency syndrome; Adult; AIDS; Black or African American - psychology; Black or African American - statistics & numerical data; Female; Focus Groups; Health care access; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice - ethnology; Health Status Disparities; Hispanic or Latino - psychology; Hispanic or Latino - statistics & numerical data; HIV; HIV Infections - ethnology; HIV Infections - psychology; Human immunodeficiency virus; Humans; Longitudinal Studies; Perceptions; Poverty; Poverty Areas; Prevalence; Qualitative Research; Residence Characteristics - statistics & numerical data; Risk Assessment; Sexually transmitted diseases; Sexually Transmitted Diseases - ethnology; Sexually Transmitted Diseases - psychology; STD; United States - epidemiology; Womens health; Young Adult
• ISSN: 1049-2089; 1548-6869; 1548-6869
• DOI: 10.1353/hpu.2015.0069

Although studies have consistently demonstrated that women at high risk for HIV and non-HIV sexually transmitted infections (STIs) tend to underestimate their individual risk, little is known about how women at risk perceive their community's HIV/STI risk. We explored perceptions of community HIV/STI risk among U.S. women living in areas with high poverty and HIV prevalence rates as part of a qualitative substudy of the Women's HIV SeroIncidence Study. Semi-structured focus groups were conducted. Data were coded and analyzed using the constant comparative method. Participants expressed the perception that their communities were at elevated HIV/STI risk, mostly due to contextual and structural factors such as lack of access to health care and education. Findings suggest that HIV prevention messages that target U.S. women at high risk for HIV may be strengthened by addressing the high perceived community HIV/STI risk driven by structural factors.