title: HIV-related stigma among African-American youth in the Northeast and Southeast US.
abstract: HIV-related stigma inhibits optimal HIV prevention and treatment among African-Americans. Regional differences in HIV/AIDS prevalence may be related to stigma among young African-Americans. Baseline data (N = 1,606) from an HIV prevention intervention were used to investigate regional differences in HIV-related stigma and knowledge among African-American adolescents in four midsized cities in the Northeastern and Southeastern US. Analyses indicated greater HIV-related stigma among adolescents from the Southeast relative to adolescents from the Northeast (F = 22.23; p < 0.0001). Linear regression indicated a negative relationship between HIV stigma and HIV knowledge (b = -0.65; p < 0.0001). Addressing HIV/AIDS in high prevalence locales should include efforts to reduce HIV-related stigma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Criminology, University of Windsor, 401 Sunset Ave, CHS 50-1, Windsor, ON, N9B 3P4, USA, jkerr@uwindsor.ca.
authors.forename: Jelani C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Kerr
authors.forename: Robert F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Valois
authors.forename: Ralph J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Diclemente
authors.forename: Faith
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fletcher
authors.forename: Michael P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Carey
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Romer
authors.forename: Peter A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Vanable
authors.forename: Naomi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Farber
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology*; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology*; D006266:Health Education; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015337:Multicenter Studies as Topic; D009511:New England / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D011788:Quality of Life; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D057545:Social Stigma; D015144:Southeastern United States / Q000453:epidemiology