Date of Conferral
8-22-2024
Date of Award
August 2024
Degree
Doctor of Public Health (DrPH)
School
Public Health
Advisor
Patrick Dunn
Abstract
In 2016, there were 17,072 people living with HIV in Puerto Rico. Most HIV cases were among men, with the primary mode of transmission identified as men who have sex with other men followed by heterosexual contact. Among women, heterosexual contact was the primary mode of HIV transmission. The rise in the numbers of individuals infected with HIV through heterosexual contact suggest the prevalence of high-risk sexual behaviors including multiple sexual partners and unprotected vaginal and anal sex. Guided by the health belief model, the purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between the likelihood of HIV testing and individual characteristics such as age, sex, unprotected sex, and promiscuity as wells as the likelihood of participation in HIV behavioral intervention, and personal perceptions associated with HIV vulnerability and stigma among adult heterosexuals in Puerto Rico. This study used a quantitative research approach with a correlational method. Multiple linear regression analysis was conducted using 596 survey results from the National HIV Behavioral Surveillance. The study results identified that age was the individual characteristic found to be statistically significant that favored a positive relationship with the likelihood of HIV testing, with participants less likely to report HIV testing with increasing age. However, individual characteristics such as sex, unprotected sex, and promiscuity were negatively associated with the likelihood of HIV testing. In addition, personal perceptions of HIV vulnerability and stigma were negatively associated with the likelihood of participation in HIV preventive behavior. The study results contribute to positive social change by increasing awareness of individual characteristics and perceptions related to high-risk sexual behaviors associated with HIV testing to inform future prevention strategies in the island.
Recommended Citation
Au Lay, Jose, "The Influence of Individual Characteristics on Human Immunodeficiency Virus Testing in Puerto Rico" (2024). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 16396.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/16396
