Condoms and Consequences: HIV/AIDS Education and African American Women

• Published in: Human organization Vol. 57; no. 3; pp. 273 - 283
• Main Authors: BARKER, JUDITH C., BATTLE, ROBYNN S., CUMMINGS, GAYLE L., BANCROFT, KATHARINE N.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oklahoma City, OK Society for Applied Anthropology 01-10-1998; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome; African Americans; AIDS; Black communities; Black people; California; Children; Cognitive problems, arts and sciences, folk traditions, folklore; Condoms; Disease transmission; Diseases; Education; Educational Programs; Elementary education; Empowerment; Ethnology; Health; Health Education; HIV; HIV infections; Human immunodeficiency virus; Human sexual behavior; Intervention; Low Income Groups; Men; Mothers; Oakland; Prevention; Psychoeducational intervention; Risk; Self efficacy; Sex Education; Sexual Behavior; Traditional and modern medicine; public health; Traditional sciences and medicine; U.S.A; Women; North America; United States of America; California; United States > US; San Francisco California; Applied anthropology; Sexual behaviour; Afro-American; Cultural minority; Health; Woman's condition; AIDS; Contraception; Preventive medicine; Health education; Risk behaviour; Social psychology; Mother; Group dynamic; Sexually transmissible disease; Woman
• ISSN: 0018-7259; 1938-3525
• DOI: 10.17730/humo.57.3.4064h66n46811451

Low income African American mothers of elementary school children in Oakland, California, participated in six prevention training sessions that fused education about HIV/AIDS with other life-skills and resources. This exploratory intervention, known as the Healthy Mamas Project, was based on the Theory of Reasoned Action with inclusion of self-efficacy. Responses to a questionnaire at baseline and at 3-month follow up show that all women (N=15) entered the training program with, and sustained, a high level of knowledge about HIV/AIDS. Based on self-reports of attitudes and behaviors at the 3-month follow-up, training affected only some women beneficially. Overall, 42% of the participants expressed increased trust in and resolve to use condoms to reduce the likelihood of acquiring HIV infection. Differences in demographic characteristics and sexual practices distinguished women who accepted the educational messages about condoms from participants who did not. The intervention did not sufficiently recognize or address the social contexts that informed the beliefs and behaviors of the women. In particular, women who were not beneficially influenced by the training prioritized short-term goals (such as establishing a sexual relationship, fulfilling emotional needs, providing for children) over long-term goals (such as avoiding HIV infection).