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Misconceptions about HIV/AIDS transmission may still be common
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ATLANTA – Some women with HIV in rural Georgia believed that they were simply carriers of the infection and could not transmit it to their partners, according to findings presented at the 2009 National HIV Prevention Conference, held here.
Tanisha Grimes, PhD, MPH, CHES,of the University of Georgia, presented results of a study involving 17 black women with HIV in rural Georgia who were interviewed individually. “Basic HIV/AIDS education is still missing in many parts of the deep south, especially the rural areas,” she said. “Specifically, HIV-positive people are not receiving any information about how to reduce risk.”
The women who participated in the study were aged 18 to 45 years and were receiving treatment and services from a Ryan White clinic in rural south-central Georgia. Grimes said that they were trying to answer two basic questions: how the women became infected and what life has been like for them since infection.
Though 94% of the women disclosed their status to their current male partner and continued to stay in the relationship, only two of the women reported using condoms 100% of the time. The other women reported engaging in unprotected sex, often at the insistence of their partner. Two women were pregnant during the study period.
Grimes noted some of the reasons given for not using condoms from some of the men and women involved:
- “God didn't tell you that you have HIV, so you don't have it. So we don't need to use condoms.” (male partner)
- “I thought they cured that thing.” (male partner)
- “You don't really have HIV; you're just being used as a guinea pig for the government.” (male partner)
- “I'm just a carrier. I can't able to infect anyone.” (woman with HIV)
- “HIV can't be transmitted by sex.” (male partner)
- “It's God’s will if I get infected, so I'll take that risk.” (male partner)
Grimes said that many of the male partners also engaged in sex with other women outside of the relationship.
She also said that in addition to increasing testing initiatives, faith-based interventions could be an effective way of increasing HIV/AIDS education. “Religion is very important in many areas of the deep south,” she said. “Working through the black church could be a good avenue for prevention efforts.”
Grimes TS. A13-3. Presented at: 2009 National HIV Prevention Conference; Aug. 23-26, 2009; Atlanta.