HBNS: Perceived Racism Not a Barrier to HIV Testing for N.C. Blacks

HBNS: Perceived Racism Not a Barrier to HIV Testing for N.C. Blacks: "African-Americans who perceive racism — whether subtle or overt — might be more likely to accept readily available HIV testing, according to a study conducted in a county public health STD clinic in North Carolina. Although one might expect awareness of racism to be a barrier, it seemed to have the opposite effect.

“We were investigating the extent to which [study participants] believe that most blacks still experience racism,” said lead study author Chandra Ford, Ph.D. “We wanted to understand whether they thought it was still prevalent, and if so whether this was a barrier to obtaining CDC-recommended HIV testing as has been hypothesized.”

Ford is an assistant professor in the department of community health sciences at the UCLA School of Public Health. The clinic-based, multilevel study included 373 blacks seeking sexually transmitted disease diagnoses or screening. The study appears in the April supplement of the American Journal of Public Health."