Title of Research
Start Date
17-11-2017 10:00 AM
End Date
17-11-2017 11:30 AM
Abstract
Abstract
There is a disproportionate number of black men who have sex with men (BMSM) diagnosed with human immunodeficiency virus, also known as acquired immunodeficiency disease (HIV/AIDS) when compared to other populations such as Caucasian men who have sex with men. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) estimated that among all gay and bisexual men diagnosed with HIV in the United States, black men accounted for the highest number, followed by Caucasian, then Hispanics/Latinos. The purpose of this research is to understand why this disparity exists and how nurses can help mitigate it. A conceptual framework was necessary to comprehend this phenomenon. The Neuman Systems Model (1970) was utilized to support this research. Ten full text, peer reviewed studies written in English were included from 2011-2016 from CINAHL, PubMed, and PsychINFO databases. Several barriers to HIV testing were discovered. These included fear of discrimination, lacking health insurance and a healthcare provider, and a strong distrust of healthcare providers. Several risk factors were associated with a positive diagnosis. These included being under the age of 30, internalized homophobia, limited knowledge regarding prevention methods, and lacking health insurance and a primary care provider. Two educational interventions were reviewed for their efficacy to mitigate this health disparity. There were mixed results for one study and null results for the other. Future research should be focused on education interventions to increase awareness on how to prevent HIV infection among the BMSM population. Healthcare providers and nurses in particular should gain aim to gauge the knowledge level of their patients to improve the efforts to increase the efficacy and effectiveness of educating them in ways to prevent sexually transmitted diseases (STI’s). Finally, clinicians should be expected to provide a higher level of preventative care in a welcoming and judgment free environment.
Keywords: human immunodeficiency virus/ acquired immunodeficiency disease; black; men who have sex with men; health disparity
Included in
HIV/AIDS among Black Men Who Have Sex with Men
Abstract
There is a disproportionate number of black men who have sex with men (BMSM) diagnosed with human immunodeficiency virus, also known as acquired immunodeficiency disease (HIV/AIDS) when compared to other populations such as Caucasian men who have sex with men. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) estimated that among all gay and bisexual men diagnosed with HIV in the United States, black men accounted for the highest number, followed by Caucasian, then Hispanics/Latinos. The purpose of this research is to understand why this disparity exists and how nurses can help mitigate it. A conceptual framework was necessary to comprehend this phenomenon. The Neuman Systems Model (1970) was utilized to support this research. Ten full text, peer reviewed studies written in English were included from 2011-2016 from CINAHL, PubMed, and PsychINFO databases. Several barriers to HIV testing were discovered. These included fear of discrimination, lacking health insurance and a healthcare provider, and a strong distrust of healthcare providers. Several risk factors were associated with a positive diagnosis. These included being under the age of 30, internalized homophobia, limited knowledge regarding prevention methods, and lacking health insurance and a primary care provider. Two educational interventions were reviewed for their efficacy to mitigate this health disparity. There were mixed results for one study and null results for the other. Future research should be focused on education interventions to increase awareness on how to prevent HIV infection among the BMSM population. Healthcare providers and nurses in particular should gain aim to gauge the knowledge level of their patients to improve the efforts to increase the efficacy and effectiveness of educating them in ways to prevent sexually transmitted diseases (STI’s). Finally, clinicians should be expected to provide a higher level of preventative care in a welcoming and judgment free environment.
Keywords: human immunodeficiency virus/ acquired immunodeficiency disease; black; men who have sex with men; health disparity