A study on students at Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCU), led by Dr. Nanetta Payne of Jackson State University, was published in the December 2006 issue of the Journal of the National Medical Association.
A posting on Medical News Now website, HBCU Students Willing To Accept Rapid HIV Testing; Those Most Likely To Consent Have A High Perceived Risk Of Infection, provides a quick summary of findings and recommendations. Please visit the website for a quick summary and the journal for the published study.
The following are excerpts from the posting on Medical News Today —
Summary of Findings:
- In the full sample of 161 students, 84 percent perceived their risk of HIV to be low, yet 40 percent had unprotected vaginal sex and 16 percent had unprotected anal sex during the previous 3 months.
- Barriers to agreeing to undergo HIV testing included the effect of results on a current relationship, lack of information about local HIV test sites, and fear that the results would not remain confidential.
- Eighty-one students accepted the offer of rapid HIV testing, and 77 percent of students who had a high perceived risk of HIV underwent testing.
- In addition, 59 percent of participants who had unprotected vaginal sex and 62 percent who had unprotected anal sex during the previous 3 months accepted the offer of HIV testing.
Comments from Authors —These findings suggest that testing on college campuses may provide a model for student access to HIV testing, particularly males who may be less likely to get tested in traditional medical settings. This first step indicates the amenability of this population to HIV intervention and prevention efforts. Providing more accessible testing sites may potentially increase the percentages of African-American students who seek testing.
My Thoughts On This Study & Its Implication for Higher Education
This study suggests that there is more work needed at HBCUs and college campuses. Creating more testing sites on campuses, building trust and confidentiality, and normalizing HIV testing as a routine examination are some avenues for change.
These findings are consistent with challenges faced by many HIV/AIDS organizations serving Black and Latino communities. In my leadership of the Virgin Islands Community AIDS Resource & Education (VICARE), we found similar fears of confidentiality and the impact to relationships. St. Croix is a small island, largely Black and Latino, and the fear of that someone might find out was so strong that it prevented people from taking a HIV test. VICARE created many non-traditional testing sites at local events, community organizations, businesses, and governmental agencies.
Utilizing the recommendations of the study and the work of community organizations, it is imperative to reach students at HBCU and campuses across the country in non-traditional ways. I strongly feel that every campus should have HIV testing available — at the very least in the Health Center. I also feel that we should offer HIV testing at various sites on campus. At the University of Colorado at Boulder, I was the only non-Health Center office to offer HIV testing on campus. The Gay Lesbian Bisexual Transgender Resource Center (GLBTRC) was the first and only office to offer HIV testing. In partnership with the Health Center, we provided space for HIV testing at the GLBTRC.
When we create safe and trusting spaces, a non-traditional HIV testing site may increase students willingness to know their HIV status. As indicated in this blog and throughout The Red Ribbon Passion Project, the college aged students are at high risk for HIV. We can take the first step — Knowing Your Status — and offer HIV testing sites on campus. Beyond the testing, there we need more dialogue to reduce the risk of HIV on our college campuses.
Update 8/11/2010 — View the PDF of this research article in the Journal of the National Medical Association (December 2006).
