Intensifying the burden: the implications of individual responsibility messages in HIV public service announcements aimed at Black women

Abstract

In the USA, HIV transmission rates among Black women are four times higher than white women, even in the face of low-risk behaviours, a discrepancy often overlooked because of historical stereotypes. In this study, we deconstruct a specific government-sponsored HIV prevention campaign targeted at Black women. Critical discourse analysis reveals a heavy focus on individual responsibility, self-sacrifice, family and deference to men. The presence of historically relevant racial and gender-related constructs suggests intersectional implications for the campaign. We provide suggestions for avoiding linkage to destructive racial constructs in HIV prevention messages and allied forms of sexual health communication aimed at Black women.