Cultural, gender, and psychosocial influences on HIV-related behavior of African-American female adolescents: implications for the development of tailored prevention programs.
This paper presents epidemiologic data describing the risk of HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases for African-American female adolescents relative to their white peers. Diverse cultural, psychosocial, and gender influences affect behavior; these should be considered in the development and implementation of culturally sensitive HIV prevention interventions tailored toward African-American female adolescents. These influences include sex-role socialization issues, the African-American family; issues related to racial identity; communication styles common among African-American youth; normative influences in adolescent heterosexual relationships; and factors affecting feelings of self-efficacy, empowerment, and gender rules in the African-American female adolescent. Strategies for incorporating cultural, psychosocial, and gender influences into the development of HIV risk-reduction interventions are suggested. Culturally specific interventions tailored toward this population may be more effective at motivating the adoption and maintenance of HIV-preventive behaviors.
Wingood
G M
GM
Department of Health and Social Behavior, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115.
DiClemente
R J
RJ
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American; D003469:Culture; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D005783:Gender Identity; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D015995:Prevalence; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012649:Self Concept; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology