title: The role of public schools in HIV prevention: perspectives from African Americans in the rural South.
abstract: Though African-American youth in the South are at high risk for HIV infection, abstinence until marriage education continues to be the only option in some public schools. Using community-based participatory research methods, we conducted 11 focus groups with African-American adults and youth in a rural community in North Carolina with high rates of HIV infection with marked racial disparities. Focus group discussions explored participant views on contributors to the elevated rates of HIV and resources available to reduce transmission. Participants consistently identified the public schools' sex education policies and practices as major barriers toward preventing HIV infection among youth in their community. Ideas for decreasing youth's risk of HIV included public schools providing access to health services and sex education. Policymakers, school administrators, and other stakeholders should consider the public school setting as a place to provide HIV prevention education for youth in rural areas.
authors.affiliation: RTI International, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, 27709, USA. slloyd@rti.org
authors.forename: Stacey W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Lloyd
authors.forename: Yvonne Owens
authors.initials: YO
authors.lastname: Ferguson
authors.forename: Giselle
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Corbie-Smith
authors.forename: Arlinda
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ellison
authors.forename: Connie
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Blumenthal
authors.forename: Barbara J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Council
authors.forename: Selena
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Youmans
authors.forename: Melvin R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Muhammad
authors.forename: Mysha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wynn
authors.forename: Adaora
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Adimora
authors.forename: Aletha
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Akers
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003159:Community-Institutional Relations / Q000639:trends; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D054625:Healthcare Disparities; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009657:North Carolina / Q000453:epidemiology; D011050:Policy Making; D012424:Rural Population; D012574:Schools; D012736:Sex Education / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D055815:Young Adult