HIV Knowledge and Risk among Deaf Adolescents: Preliminary Findings

Introduction: Deaf adolescents, like their hearing peers, are at risk for HIV. Yet they have rarely been surveyed on this topic, principally because many in this group have difficulty with paper-and-pencil surveys.

Objective: To describe preliminary results from the first 373 deaf adolescents who took an HIV knowledge, attitudes, risk behavior survey conducted in American Sign Language(ASL) on laptop computer.

Methods: A laptop-based Video Survey, suitable for deaf adolescents was developed in ASL and written English. Items were included on: HIV knowledge , demographics, deaf identity, drug and alcohol use, and sexual risk behavior. After a rigorous translation process, an ASL 'script' was signed and programmed with English captions. Thus far, 373 students attending 10 high schools for the deaf have participated.

Results: Demographics: Age, mean=17.3 years (s.d.=1.7); Identity: deaf 68% ; heard-of-hearing 32%; Race: White: 43%; African-American: 19%; Latino: 16%; Asian 4%; Native American: 4%; mixed/others: 14%; HIV Knowledge (13items); mean=6.7 (s.d.=3.7); HIV risk behaviors among those who are sexually active (52%): 26.5% always use condoms; 19% had anal sex; 13% had a sex partner who was 5+ years older than respondent.

HIV knowledge score was higher among those identifying as hard-of-hearing vs. those identifying as deaf: 7.3 vs. 6.5 (p<.05).

Conclusion: HIV knowledge levels are low in this sample. Several HIV risk behaviors were high, (prevalence of anal sex; low rates of consistent condom use). Further analysis in a larger sample will examine which deaf adolescents are at highest risk and most in need of HIV prevention education.