Black Women and HIV/AIDS: Findings from Southeast Regional Consumer and Provider Focus Group Interviews
1. Black Women and HIV/AIDS:
Findings from Southeast Regional Consumer
and Provider Focus Group Interviews
2011 National HIV Prevention Conference
MICHELLE BATCHELOR, NASTAD
NIASHA A. BROWN, UNC
2. Session Agenda
Review Goals and Objectives
Overview of NASTAD
NASTAD’s Black Women’s Portfolio
View “Street Conversations” video clip
Black Women Issue Brief II
– Recommendations and Considerations
3. Session Goals and Objectives
Goal:
Highlight the perspectives shared during focus group
discussion of HIV positive women and community providers
for consideration when designing, targeting and
implementing culturally relevant programs and interventions
for black women
Objectives:
Engage in meaningful discussion of existing resources
to respond to the identified needs of black women
Identify or provide suggestions to address the unmet
needs of black women
4. NASTAD’s Mission
NASTAD strengthens state and territory-based
leadership, expertise, and advocacy and brings
them to bear in reducing the incidence of HIV
and viral hepatitis infection and on providing
care and support to all who live with HIV/AIDS
and viral hepatitis.
6. Black Women’s Portfolio:
Regional Forum Series
Provide participating teams the opportunity to
examine and prioritize the barriers to providing
programs and services targeting black women in their
jurisdiction
Support participating teams with the development of
a year long action plan
Provide technical assistance to jurisdictions on
issues impacting the implementation of their action
plans
7. Black Women’s Portfolio:
Additional Resources
Women and Girls Sexual Health Summit
Technical Assistance/Capacity Building Assistance
Program Profiles
Webinars
Listserv
Black Women Issue Briefs I and II
Street Conversations Video Toolkit
www.NASTAD.org
8. Street Conversations
2009
Flip cameras
Four women in Southern region
Two questions:
– From your perspective, why are Black women
getting infected with HIV?
– What should we do about it?
9. Black women Issue Brief II:
Southeast Focus Groups
Summer 2009
Southeast region of the United States:
– Florida
– Kentucky
– Louisiana
– Mississippi
– North Carolina
– South Carolina
10. Black women Issue Brief II:
Southeast Focus Groups cont.
Methodology
Semi-structured focus group interviews
Each state hosted a minimum of three separate focus groups
Groups ranged in size from three to 18 participants
– health department staff
– community service providers
– consumers of services
Facilitators shared similar backgrounds, race and gender as
participants
11. Black women Issue Brief II:
Southeast Focus Groups cont.
Methodology
Broad questions were used to facilitate and guide
discussions:
– How would you describe the HIV epidemic among black
women in your state?
– How would you describe the specific issues and
problems that put black women in your area at risk?
– How would you describe access to prevention services
for black women at risk for HIV?
Probing questions were used to explore issues and salient
points mentioned by participants
12. Black women Issue Brief II:
Southeast Focus Groups cont.
Major Themes and Findings: Understanding The
Complexity of Black Women’s Lives
History, Culture, Faith and the Black Family
Sexuality and Sexual Communication
Impact of Abuse and Violence
Stigma and Disclosure
Dependency
Substance Use and Mental Health
13. Black women Issue Brief II:
Considerations
Holistic and Varied Support Groups
Groups that address a range of topics relevant to the
“entire person”
Provide information and resources regarding childcare,
employment and healthcare
Participation is dependent on the availability of childcare,
transportation and flexible schedules
Peer-to-Peer support
14. Black women Issue Brief II:
Southeast Focus Groups cont.
Affordable Housing
Accommodate women and families living with HIV/AIDS
Offer rent support that reflects the housing market in each
community
Establish terms and conditions that are in line with what
landlords can provide
Expand to include more units to accommodate the
growing numbers of homeless and transient populations
15. Black women Issue Brief II:
Southeast Focus Groups cont.
Transportation
Participants also expressed how the lack of reliable
transportation, limited public transportation
resources and infrequent [bus] routes make
transportation options scarce and influence a
woman’s ability to participate in programs
16. Black women Issue Brief II:
Southeast Focus Groups cont.
Prevention Messages, Media and Social
Marketing
Various literacy level and educational levels
Images of black women
Messaging campaigns which indicate that HIV/AIDS should
be a concern for black women
“If I was in charge, there would be more information on the
internet, more information on the radio, commercials on
television about HIV.” (Mississippi consumer)
17. Black women Issue Brief II:
Southeast Focus Groups cont.
Comprehensive Sex Education for All Women
For women and girls of all ages
Many adult women served by health departments have
misconceptions about reproductive health, contraceptive
methods, and HIV/STD prevention
Misconceptions and/or silence is often passed on to
children
Targeted and comprehensive education could create
opportunities for women to access prevention services and
health care in their communities
18. Black women Issue Brief II:
Southeast Focus Groups cont.
Clinician Education and Sensitivity
Many patients assume that if the doctor does not bring up sexual
and reproductive health, then it is not important
Participants noted that positive experiences communicating with
their healthcare providers can produce sustained health-seeking
behavior
A participant shared that the presence of accurate information
immediately following her HIV-positive diagnosis made a
difference in her long-term health
Other participants noted that some health care providers make a
quick assessment of their patients’ risk based on the general
characteristics of a patient’s gender, age, sexual orientation,
marital status or history of reported substance use
19. Black women Issue Brief II:
Southeast Focus Groups cont.
Interventions (including “Home-grown”) Specific to
Black Women
Provide both group-level and individual-level interventions
Cuts across the various aspects of a women’s identity
Florida’s Sistas Organizing to Survive (SOS)
– draws on black women’s common role of being gate
keepers, nurturers, and spiritual leaders in their community
– engages the existing social networks of black women to
provide accurate HIV prevention information
– allow flexibility in the approach and consider the time of the
day or week that interventions are offered
20. Black women Issue Brief II:
Southeast Focus Groups cont.
Advocacy
Black women policy issues and concerns addressed
at the local, state and national levels
Guidance to become their own advocates
21. Black women Issue Brief II:
Southeast Focus Groups cont.
Community Collaborations and Partnerships
(including Faith)
Facilitate awareness and support to meet the needs of black
women
Collaborate with faith leaders who were willing to integrate
HIV/AIDS education, risk reduction, and testing into larger
community health events
Allow a platform for faith leaders to better respond to the
realities and challenges of their parishioners
22. Black women Issue Brief II:
Southeast Focus Groups cont.
HIV Positive Black Women in Decision-Making
Engage women who are living with HIV to become civically
engaged in their local and regional community as both
political advocates and community partners
Improve recruitment and education to get a greater
response and participation from people who represent the
community the CPG is designed to serve
23. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Michelle Batchelor, M.A., Senior Manager, Health
Equity
Joy Mbajah, M.A., Manager, Prevention
Lynn Shaull, M.A., Senior Associate, Prevention
Sophia A. Nur, Ph.D., Fellow
Niasha A. Brown, M.A., NASTAD consultant
Jacqueline Coleman, M.Ed, MSM., NASTAD consultant
NASTAD thanks all the health department and
community stakeholders who participated in the focus
group process for their honest and open participation
24. Discussion
What is currently being done to address some of
the considerations that were presented?
– Holistic and Varied – Clinician Education and
Support Groups Sensitivity
– Affordable Housing – Interventions Specific to
– Transportation Black Women
– Prevention Messages, – Advocacy
Media and Social – Community Collaborations
Marketing and Partnerships
– Comprehensive Sex – HIV Positive Black
Education for All Women Women in Decision-
Making
25. Discussion
How can we better address some of the
considerations presented?
– Holistic and Varied – Clinician Education and
Support Groups Sensitivity
– Affordable Housing – Interventions Specific to
– Transportation Black Women
– Prevention Messages, – Advocacy
Media and Social – Community Collaborations
Marketing and Partnerships
– Comprehensive Sex – HIV Positive Black
Education for All Women Women in Decision-
Making
27. Thank You!!!
Michelle Batchelor, MA Niasha A. Brown, MA.
Senior Manager, Health Equity UNC, NASTAD consultant
mbatchelor@NASTAD.org nabrown@email.unc.edu
For additional information on NASTAD’s
resources for Black women visit:
www.NASTAD.org