title: Longitudinal association of HIV conspiracy beliefs with sexual risk among black males living with HIV.
abstract: Research is needed to identify culturally relevant factors that may contribute to sexual risk among African Americans. We investigated HIV-specific medical mistrust as one such cultural factor, often exhibited as conspiracy beliefs about HIV (e.g., "AIDS was produced in a government laboratory"), which may be indicative of general suspicion of HIV treatment and prevention messages. Over a 6-month time-period, we measured endorsement of HIV conspiracy beliefs three times and frequency of condom use monthly among 181 HIV-positive African American males. A hierarchical multivariate repeated-measures logistic random effects model indicated that greater belief in HIV conspiracies was associated with a higher likelihood of reporting unprotected intercourse across all time-points. An average of 54% of participants who endorsed conspiracies reported unprotected intercourse, versus 39% who did not endorse conspiracies. Secondary prevention interventions may need to address medical mistrust as a contributor to sexual risk among African Americans living with HIV.
authors: Division of General Pediatrics, Department of Medicine, Children's Hospital Boston & Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, 21 Autumn Street (Room 220.4), Boston, MA, USA. laura.bogart@childrens.harvard.edu
authors: Laura M
authors: LM
authors: Bogart
authors: Frank H
authors: FH
authors: Galvan
authors: Glenn J
authors: GJ
authors: Wagner
authors: David J
authors: DJ
authors: Klein
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology*; D002140:California; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000208:ethnology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010258:Paranoid Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology*; D012747:Sexual Partners; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D035502:Trust / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult