Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #115466

Donna L. Richter, EdD¹, Melva Thompson-Robinson, DrPH², Marya Shegog, MPH, CHES¹, Denethia Sellers, MSW, PhD³, and Vanisha Brown, MPH⁴. (1) Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Health Sciences Building, Columbia, SC 29208, 803-777-6256, shegogm@mailbox.sc.edu, (2) School of Public Health, Department of Health Promotion, University of Nevada-Las Vegas, 4505 S. Maryland Parkway, Box 453050, Las Vegas, NV 89154-3050, (3) Department of Health, Physical Education and Recreation, Florida A&M University, 206 Gaither Office Complex, Tallahassee, FL 32307, (4) Institute of Public Health, Florida A&M University, College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 207C Science Research Center, Tallahassee, FL 32307

Acknowledgements: This project was funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Grant Number) U36/CCU300430-20). Purpose: African American women have a 12 times greater chance of contracting HIV than Caucasian American women (CDC, 2003). Denial, poverty and partners at risk have been identified as increasing African American women's likelihood of contracting HIV. The Ecological Model is helpful in conceptualizing the multiple layers of influence on African American women's perceptions of HIV risk. Methods: Seven focus groups were conducted with African American women ages 18-55 in urban and rural areas in the southeastern United States. Recording from all the focus groups were professionally transcribed verbatim and were analyzed using Nvivo 2.1. Two investigators coded the data independently for emergent and recurring themes. Findings: Age and rural versus urban locality did not seem to have a direct impact on the participants' attitudes about HIV risk. Items affecting these women's perceptions of HIV risk included low self-esteem, definition of love, historical and current institutional influences, and community and societal influences. The women were aware of male sex partners sleeping with both men and women, and related this phenomenon to the high incarceration rate of African American males. The interaction between the individual, community and institutional factors all must be addressed when providing a comprehensive prevention program for African American women.

Learning Objectives:

By the end of the presentation, the participant will be able to (
• explain the constructs of the Ecological Model and their relevancy to HIV risk in African American women; (
• identify several key factors that are currently placing African American women at risk for HIV; and (
• describe how the various strata, as defined in the Ecological Model, impact HIV risk for African American women of South East.

Keywords: HIV Risk Behavior, Health Disparities

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.