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HIV/AIDS knowledge, attitudes, and risk-behaviors among African-American and Caribbean college women

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Abstract

The HIV/AIDS knowledge, attitudes, and sexualrisk-taking behaviors of a sample ofAfrican-American and Caribbean college wereinvestigated. The study also explored therelationship between the women's self-esteem,self-efficacy, sexual communication, andreligiosity and their HIV knowledge, attitudes,and risk behaviors. Findings revealed thatwhile both groups of women were fairlyknowledgeable about HIV/AIDS transmission andprevention, their sexual risk-taking behaviorswere still relatively high. TheAfrican-American women were more knowledgeableabout HIV/AIDS than were the Caribbean women. Also, the African-American women engaged insignificantly fewer sexual risk-takingbehaviors than their Caribbean femalecounterparts. No significant cultural groupdifferences emerged on attitudes towardHIV/AIDS as a disease, HIV infected persons,and AIDS-related issues. A number ofsignificant correlations were found. The studyconcludes that HIV/AIDS counseling andprevention approaches that are ethnic,cultural, and gender appropriate are vital forincreasing both cognitive and behavioralchanges in culturally diverse young women.

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Authors
  1. Kisha Braithwaite
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  2. Veronica G. Thomas
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Braithwaite, K., Thomas, V.G. HIV/AIDS knowledge, attitudes, and risk-behaviors among African-American and Caribbean college women. International Journal for the Advancement of Counselling 23, 115–129 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1010611328452

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