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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Danica Cook Davis, MEd, CHES, Health Education/Health Promotion, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 901 13th Street South, Rm 207, Birmingham, AL 35294-1250, 205-856-8447, dcd@uab.edu

For over two decades, public health has sought to stem the tide of new HIV infections. In 2003, the Centers for Disease Control initiated Prevention with Positives, a multifaceted approach to providing prevention interventions to those already infected. In response, health service and community based organizations have increased risk reduction counseling. Unfortunately, HIV education efforts rely on printed material to reinforce prevention recommendations, which can be problematic for those with low literacy skills. The National Adult Literacy Survey reports that 48% of adults lack the reading and numeracy skills required to fully understand and act on health information. Improving health literacy can have a positive influence toward consumer comprehension of risk reduction advice.

This study provides a critical review of the literature on the relationship between health literacy and HIV/AIDS in order to summarize and analyze the current knowledge base, and to identify gaps in the literature. Specifically this study will answer the following: 1) Do health literacy rates among those with HIV mirror those seen in the general population? 2) What effect does low health literacy have on the prevention behavior of patients with HIV? 3) What are future directions for HIV prevention and health literacy research?

With infection rates rising rapidly in disenfranchised populations, prevention efforts should be adapted to address the changing needs of those impacted by this epidemic. Policy recommendations include increasing low literacy HIV prevention materials, and training health professionals to assess and respond appropriately to consumer literacy needs.

Learning Objectives: