Abstract
Description of problem: APIs in the US have experienced an increase of AIDS cases at a rate greater than other ethnic communities due to relatively low levels of knowledge regarding HIV and mechanisms of transmission, the high prevalence of risky sexual practices, and the absence or lack of educational interventions designed to reach API communities. Findings from this study further public health in terms of HIV prevention by providing information about the ideas APIs have about HIV/AIDS. Objectives: 1) To describe API knowledge level with regards to HIV/AIDS. 2) To identify HIV risk-related behavioral characteristics of APIs. 3) To identify types of prevention/intervention activities accessible to the API community. Methods: This study utilized a descriptive research design. Key informant participants recruited from the University of Pittsburgh Community were interviewed with questions about HIV/AIDS using a snowball sampling method, that is, request peoples reference to other key informant participants. Subjects were paid $20 for their participation. The data was collected through a single 60-minute tape-recorded interview session in a common setting where the participant would not feel labeled in any manner and could openly participate. Confidentiality was guaranteed to encourage honest responses because the participants had to reveal personal information such as HIV status and HIV risk-related behaviors. Results: The participants demonstrated good levels of knowledge with regards to HIV/AIDS; the relationship between HIV and AIDS, and also about ways their community can be at risk. Participants mentioned using condoms as a safe activity that places people less at risk for HIV/AIDS and not using condoms as an unsafe activity that puts their ethnic community more at risk of HIV/AIDS. Discussion: The myth that American APIs are the model minority is contradicted as APIs are often underserved in healthcare due to cultural, linguistic and lack of peer and community support for sexual and racial diversity hindering self-esteem and positive self-identity. Therefore, such issues are identified within the API community that are important to consider when developing HIV prevention and education programs, benefiting the target community, health professionals and researchers reaching a diverse population for future studies and interventions being promoted.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:PITT/oai:PITTETD:etd-12092004-000147 |
| Date | 13 December 2004 |
| Creators | Salud, Margaret Cabotage |
| Contributors | Rodger L. Beatty, PHD, LSW, Linda R. Frank, PHD, MSN, ACRN, Emilia L. Lombardi, PHD |
| Publisher | University of Pittsburgh |
| Source Sets | University of Pittsburgh |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | http://etd.library.pitt.edu/ETD/available/etd-12092004-000147/ |
| Rights | unrestricted, I hereby certify that, if appropriate, I have obtained and attached hereto a written permission statement from the owner(s) of each third party copyrighted matter to be included in my thesis, dissertation, or project report, allowing distribution as specified below. I certify that the version I submitted is the same as that approved by my advisory committee. I hereby grant to University of Pittsburgh or its agents the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible, under the conditions specified below, my thesis, dissertation, or project report in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. I retain all other ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis, dissertation or project report. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis, dissertation, or project report. |
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