In their own words: Racial/ethnic and gender differences in sources and preferences for HIV prevention information among young adults

In their own words: Racial/ethnic and gender differences in sources and preferences for HIV prevention information among young adults

WORLD CONFERENCE ON STDs, STIs & HIV/AIDS
July 26-27, 2017 | Vancouver, Canada

Dexter Voisin, Cheng-Shi Shiu, Anjanette Chan Tack, Cathy Krieger, Dominika Sekulska and Lauren Johnson

The University of Chicago, USA

Scientific Tracks Abstracts : Virology research J

Abstract:

Aims: The purpose of this study was to examine where young adults were obtaining their HIV prevention information, and determine if there were consumption preferences based on gender and race/ethnicity. Methods: We conducted a series of race/ethnic and genderconcordant 2-hour focus groups, and qualitative analyses identified common domains. Sixty adolescents attended 6 focus groups. Results: Findings revealed that primary informational sources were television and advertisements, educational settings, community health care centers, and family and friends. However, television commercials and advertisements were viewed as an ineffective approach, with mistrust of the “mainstream” media being very high for Black males. Recommendations centered on the need for more realistic scenarios related to living with HIV by other adolescents, greater parental involvement with HIV education, especially for minority youth, and the use of social media. Conclusion: Special attention should be given to the importance of social media for adolescents, and how the fear of HIV-related stigma influences HIV information consumption patterns among males.

Biography:

Dexter R. Voisin is a Professor in the School of Social Service Administration and a Faculty Affiliate at the Center for the Study of Race, Culture, and Politics and the Center for Health and the Social Sciences. His fields of special interest include community violence exposure, adolescent sexual risk behaviors, the role of gender in adapting to risks, international HIV prevention, and social work practice. Professor Voisin has authored more than 100 peer reviewed publications in such journals as AIDS, AIDS Care, AIDS and Behavior, AIDS Education and Prevention, the American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, the American Journal of Public Health, Behavioral Medicine, Children and Youth Services Review, Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health, Journal of Adolescence, among others. Due to his expertise on adolescent sexuality, trauma exposure, and international HIV prevention, he is highly sought after as a peer reviewer and has reviewed articles for various academic journals across many disciplines. His scholarship is recognized as being one of highest cited among Black scholars in top Schools of Social Work. Voisin was appointed a Visiting Professor (summers 2004, 2005, 2007) at the Center for AIDS Prevention Studies in the Department of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco. In 2010, he was appointed co-editor of the Journal of HIV/AIDS and Social Services. He was also appointed a consulting editor for Social Work: Journal of the National Association of Social Workers (2003-2008), the Journal of HIV/AIDS Education and Prevention (2004-2007), the Journal of HIV/ AIDS and Social Services (2003 to 2010). In 2012 he was appointed to the editorial boards of the Journal of Adolescent Health, BMC Public Health, and in 2013 Social Work Research. In 2010, he was appointed to the Illinois Statewide Committee for Juvenile Justice Programs, Disproportionate Minority Contact Subcommittee and in 2013 to the Illinois African American Family Commission by the Office of Governor Pat Quinn.

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