Private MD News

What encourages African-American women to practice safer sex?

Category: HIV

Sexually active individuals need to understand that it's important to regularly get tested for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) to help ensure that they are healthy. Furthermore, community leaders and health advocates need to stress that the most effective ways to prevent the spread of STDs while engaging in sexual activity is to wear a condom and utilize STD testing services after each new partner. Unfortunately, studies have shown that some populations are less likely to engage in safer sex practices than others. For example, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, individuals between the ages of 15 and 24 have the highest rate of STDs.

Furthermore, African-American women also seem to have a greater chance of contracting STDs and HIV than other populations. In response to this, researchers from the University of California, Berkley set out to determine what motivates these women to engage in sexual activity and when they are more likely to use protection.

What encourages people to be safe?
The scientists conducted a series of interviews and focus groups in order to get their answers. The majority of study participants were African-American women in their early 20s who had low incomes and an average of 1.2 sex partners in the past month.

When asked about factors that made them likely to engage in sexual activity, the women said that love, feelings and fun were the top reasons for having sex. They were least likely to use condoms while having sex when they felt as though they were being pressured into sexual activity by their peers or partner. Furthermore, being inexperienced with sex also seemed to make it less likely for the women to use condoms.

"The findings highlight the need for tailored interventions to increase condom use in casual relationships, where perceived risk is already high, and in primary relationships, where motivations for condom use may be low," said study authors in a statement. "Interventions that address mediators of sexual risk, including self-esteem and coping, may be more effective than those focusing solely on risk perceptions."

Older women may need help as well
While the study participants were only in their 20s, older African-American women need to protect themselves against STDs and HIV as well. According to an article published my MinorityNurse.com, African-American women over the age of 49 have been contracting HIV at a concerning rate, but they are rarely included in prevention interventions. The article pointed out that between 1988 and 2001, the number of African-American women over the age of 49 with HIV rose dramatically.

The new source stated that often, older women are overlooked because people mistakenly believe that women past a certain age do not engage in sexual activity often or at all. In contrast, individuals over the age of 50 actually represent one of the fastest-growing populations that's contracting HIV.

MinorityNurse.com added that due to vaginal dryness and thinning vaginal tissue, older women are more susceptible to contracting HIV, which is why it's particularly important for this population to practice safer sex.

The news source added that the three best ways to help reduce the spread of HIV are to encourage people to wear condoms, practice abstinence and remain monogamous. Furthermore, African-American women should look into support groups in their area that can teach them more about how to stay safe while engaging in sexual activity.

STDs are 100 percent preventable, and all women need to know the best ways to keep themselves safe, and that they have a risk of contracting these infections and viruses, regardless of how how old they are. Furthermore, women of all ages should utilized STD testing services so they can stay informed about their health.