title: Stigma as a Barrier to HIV-Related Activities Among African-American Churches in South Carolina.
abstract: South Carolina has one of the highest HIV/AIDS prevalence rates in the United States. More than 70% of those infected are African American. Traditionally, Black churches have been one of the primary sources of health outreach programs in Southern African-American communities. In this research, we explored the role of HIV-related stigma as a barrier to the acceptance of HIV-related activities in Black churches. A survey of African-American adults in South Carolina found that the overall level of stigma associated with HIV/AIDS was comparable to what has been found in a national probability sample of people in the United States. Consistent with the stigma-as-barrier hypothesis, the degree to which survey respondents endorsed HIV-related stigma was related to less positive attitudes concerning the involvement of Black churches in HIV-related activities.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Psychology , Illinois State University , Normal , Illinois , USA.
authors.forename: John B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Pryor
authors.forename: Bambi
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gaddist
authors.forename: Letitia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Johnson-Arnold
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012067:Religion; D057545:Social Stigma; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013022:South Carolina / Q000453:epidemiology; D013240:Stereotyping; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Black churches; HIV-related stigma