Black Students, White Schools: HIV/STI Risk Behaviors of African American College Students Attending Predominantly White Institutions

Background: In 2004, African American college students comprised 12.5% of all college enrollment with 83% of those students enrolled in Predominantly White Institutions (PWI) (Knapp, Kelly-Reid, & Whitmore, 2006). The HIV/STI risk behaviors of African American college students at PWIs have not been well researched. Both culture and environment on predominantly white college campuses have been found to be different from those of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)(Kim, 2002). Thus studies examining HIV/STI risk behaviors of African American college student at HBCUs may not be an accurate reflection of students' risk at PWI. As HIV/AIDS continues to be a threat to the African American populations it is important to identify, HIV/STI risk behaviors specific to African American students attending PWI.

Methods: A secondary analysis was conducted with (n = 4,835) African American college students (aged 18-24 years) who completed the spring 2006 National College Health Assessment. HIV/STI risk behaviors including alcohol and substance use, number of sex partners, STI/HIV diagnosis and condom use was examined and compared by students based on gender.

Findings and Conclusions: Results indicated that some behaviors impact African American men and women's HIV/STI risk behaviors to a greater extent than others. These results rendered a picture of HIV/STI risk behaviors for this subset of the African American community and can serve as the foundation for future studies and contribute to the current body of knowledge concerning African American college students' HIV/STI risk.