The Need for Parent-Adolescent Conversations About Racial Discrimination in HIV Prevention Interventions

Abstract

Black male adolescents and young adults (AYA) have eight times the rate of HIV compared to white male AYA [1]. To address this significant disparity, interventions that consider the social contexts and lived experiences of black males are critical, including racial discrimination and the role of parents in racial socialization and identity development [2–5]. Black males experience racial discrimination as early as preschool [6]. For example, black students are more likely than white students to be disciplined, expelled, and to be placed in juvenile detention facilities, especially black male students [6].