Gender differences in HIV knowledge amongst Haitian adolescents

Within HIV research in the U.S., there is a lack of baseline data on Haitian Americas' knowledge of HIV, especially amongst adolescents. The aim of this study was to assess Haitian American adolescents' knowledge of HIV and the influence of that knowledge on their sexual activity. Utilizing convenience sampling, 268 adolescents, (66% were female, mean age = 15.5, range 14-17 years) were interviewed using previously validated instruments. Adolescents were recruited from youth programs and local schools of Miami, FL. Participants were at least third generation Haitian meaning themselves, a parent, or a grandparent was born in Haiti. Entry criteria for the study included fluency in spoken English. The HIV Knowledge Questionnaire was used to assess HIV knowledge. Knowledge scores ranged from 0 to 18, with levels stratified into 3 levels indicating low (0-11), medium (12-14) and high (14+). Adolescents were deemed sexually active if they reported occasionally having vaginal, oral, or anal sex with a partner. Chi-square tests were conducted using SPSS. Findings revealed that although there were no significant gender differences in reported sexual activity, overall female adolescents had a higher level of HIV knowledge than their male counterparts (p<0.05). While 66.9% of females were coded as having a high level of HIV knowledge, only 33.1% of males had a high level. These results suggest Haitian American adolescent males need more knowledge-based emphasized HIV interventions than females. Future research should analyze the best methods for applying these results when developing effective and efficient HIV prevention interventions targeting Haitian adolescents.