Social Correlates of HIV-Risky Behaviours among African Canadian Adolescents Living in British Columbia, Canada: A Secondary Data Analysis.

Studies have linked HIV-risky behaviours among young people to several socio-contextual factors. However, the social factors that might increase African Canadian adolescents' exposure to HIV-risky behaviours, including unprotected sex and forced or multiple-sexual partnerships, have received little or no attention in the literature. Using data from the British Columbia Adolescent Health Surveys (2003-2018) and guided by intersectionality and socio-ecological frameworks, we examined the social determinants of HIV-risky behaviours (HRB) among African Canadian adolescents in British Columbia. We observed a general decline in HRB from 2008 to 2018. However, more than half (54.5%) of the 1042 who were sexually experienced in 2018 reported having 2 or more sexual partners, and nearly half reported condom-less sex. Our results demonstrate an important need to evaluate the impacts of several social factors on health outcomes for a unique, marginalized population.

Social determinants of peripartum depressive symptoms among Black peripartum women living with HIV.

HIV infection during pregnancy, may present risk of developing depression during pregnancy and postpartum. This psychiatric mood disorder, and many others such as anxiety and HIV-related post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have been reported prevalent among pregnant and non-pregnant women living with HIV (WLWH). Multiple studies have found associations between social determinants of health and depressive symptoms in this population. However, despite deleterious effects on mother and child which may include suicidal ideations and infant death, only very few studies have examined this phenomenon for peripartum women, particularly Black women- a population prone to living in poor social and economic environments. Therefore, guided by the socio-ecologic model, this study examined predictors of peripartum depressive symptoms among Black peripartum WLWH. The study was a secondary data analysis of 143 Black women seen at special prenatal and women's health clinics in Miami, South Florida, USA. More than half of the women who experienced peripartum depressive symptoms (PDS) (n = 81, 57%) were of low socio-economic status. Low income was associated with increased odds of experiencing PDS. Women who endorsed intimate partner violence/abuse (IPV/A) were 6.5 times more likely to experience PDS; and compared to women with 1 or no childcare burden, women with 2 children-care burden were 4.6 times more likely to experience PDS. These findings demonstrate the negative impact of social factors on the psychological health of Black peripartum WLWH. Burdensome interpersonal relationships may have deleterious effects and trigger PDS among these women. Implications for nursing practice, education and research are also discussed.

HIV Testing Among Heterosexual Hispanic Women in South Florida.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of selected facilitators, barriers, beliefs, and knowledge suggested by the literature to be associated with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing among heterosexual Hispanic women. DESIGN: This study utilizes a cross-sectional design to analyze secondary data from SEPA III: The Effectiveness Trial. SEPA stands for Salud, Educacion, Prevencion y Autocuidado, which translates to Health, Education, Prevention, and Self-Care. The Social Cognitive Model (SCM) guided this study. METHODS: Three hundred twenty heterosexual Hispanic women 18 to 50 years of age participated in this study. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and logistic regression. FINDINGS: The most common facilitators for HIV testing were receiving recommendations from a healthcare provider (HCP) and the test is offered by an HCP rather than women asking for it. The most common barrier to testing was having no reason to believe they were infected. Most women believed a positive test result would encourage them to take better care of themselves. However, as much as 15% of women reported desires to kill or hurt themselves if they test positive. On the other hand, a negative result would make them assume their partners are negative and thus do not need to be tested. Significantly, explanatory variables related to HIV testing were knowledge and the HIV test is offered by an HCP instead of women asking for it. CONCLUSIONS: Strengthening HIV knowledge and offering HIV tests are significant contributions that nurses make to the health of Hispanic women. The SCM can be used to design programs to increase HIV testing among Hispanic women. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Nurses are encouraged to offer testing and provide culturally competent HIV prevention education to increase HIV testing among Hispanic women.