African American Women and HIV Risk Perception Messages

Despite numerous health messages the rate of human immunodeficiency virus and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) infections continues to grow, particularly among African Americans. African American women are over 20 times more likely to be infected than White females, yet there are few messages that are designed specifically for this highly susceptible population. This paper provides a brief background on the problem of HIV/AIDS within the African American community, particularly among African American women. A review of several studies on risk messages specifically designed for African American women were analyzed. One study critiqued, involved African American women from a low-income area to view public service announcements about HIV/AIDS. The study included a standard video condition, an ethnically and gender controlled condition, and a culturally relevant condition. The study found that women in the culturally relevant condition were likely to view HIV/AIDS as a personal threat and to display risk reduction behaviors, such as seeking condoms or getting tested for HIV. The study provides a greater understanding on the need for public health professionals to develop and measure culturally relevant HIV/AIDS messages for improved health outcomes, particularly among African Americans.