HIV Beliefs Among African Americans with HIV/AIDS in the Deep South Can Time Heal Old Wounds?

Abstract

This study explored rumors about HIV among HIV+ African Americans in Louisiana, comparing the results of surveys conducted in 2000/2001 and 2010/2011. This investigation sought to determine if the passage of time would diminish malicious intent and benign neglect beliefs. The study employed quantitative descriptive statistics to produce the comparison. This research should be considered exploratory only because of the stated limitations. The results indicated that the benign-neglect belief of government truthfulness about the disease had not diminished in the decade. In contrast, the strength of belief in the malicious-intent rumor of HIV/AIDS as genocide had declined. The study further examined relationships between the HIV beliefs and certain characteristics of the samples. Bivariate analyses revealed that education was not related to HIV beliefs in 2000/2001 but was related to the HIV/AIDS as genocide in 2010/2011. Further, emotional well-being was mildly related to HIV beliefs in both samples. Several recommendations are offered for future research. Although this study frequently used the term “conspiracy” – the common nomenclature for this type of research, the author joins with others to caution researchers to rethink labeling these beliefs among African Americans as conspiracies. That label too easily casts Black Americans in a light as being paranoid rather than understandably suspicious considering the lived experiences of that group in the Deep South.