Date of Conferral

2023

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Public Health

Advisor

Peter Anderson

Abstract

African Americans continue to carry the burden of new HIV cases and sexually transmitted infections and other comorbidity health problems more than any other social group in the United States. Except for New York; Washington, DC; and Maryland, 65% of all new HIV cases are in the Southern states. The U.S. Southern states make up 38% of the U.S. population, yet approximately 51% of annual HIV diagnoses are from the Southern U.S. states. In the Southern states, AIDS is among the leading cause of death for African American women. A gap exists in the associations of depression, social support, and sexual risk-taking behaviors of adult Black women in the South. The purpose of this study was to examine associations between depression, social support, and sexual risk behaviors among adult HIV-infected African American women in the Southeastern United States. The social ecological model was the framework. Secondary data were retrieved from Women Interagency HIV Study (WIHS) public data sets. A total of 123 cases from HIV-seropositive African American women enrolled in WIHS Florida, Georgia, and North Carolina sites were used in the study. Binary logistic regression results showed statical significance between depression and lack of condom use during anal sex (p = 0.05, Fisher's exact test) and poor social support and no barrier method during oral sex (p = 0.043). There was no statistical significance between depression and vaginal sex without a condom or number of sexual partners. Findings could support positive social change for public health research and intervention strategies in HIV reduction among Black women on an individual, community, and societal level.

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