HIV among African American Women - Research Paper Example

HIV among African American Women Name University Date Abstract HIV is a disease that is extensively spreading all over the United States. Recent researches show that this spread is specifically seen in high percentages among low-income young African American women. This paper is a literature of three articles, which discuss the different variables, causes and factors that increase the spread of HIV among African American women. The main aim of the paper is to review these articles, the methods of research used in the articles and the key findings of each article. Another major objective of this paper is to review the findings of each article and its application in the field of nursing, which is of very great importance to African American women affected by the HIV virus. HIV among African American Women Introduction The Human Immunodeficiency Virus has largely affected the United States of America. The number of men and women affected by HIV has increased dramatically over the last decade. According to a report by Centres for Disease Control and Prevention also known as the CDC (2003), “in 2003, women constituted 28% of Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS) cases in the United States and approximately 69% of those cases were among non-Hispanic black women. This virus has primarily affected heterosexual women more than men, many of who, are unaware of their condition. The CDC further reports that the rate of increase in non-Hispanic black women is19 times higher than that of non-Hispanic white women. The report further suggests that the risk of contracting HIV is greater in young black women as compared to the older women. The black teens are at the greatest risk of contracting the disease. The Centres for Disease Control also reports that black youth formed the single largest group that had contracted HIV. This large percentage of HIV among African American women has been widely attributed to various factors like survival sex, unwanted sex due to violence, abuse, fear and forced sex, poverty, discrimination, lack of awareness and poor health care. The economic, social and cultural intricacies are believed to be the most important reason for increased contraction of HIV among Afro Americans. Nursing is a very important practice that will help HIV affected patients to cope with their disease. It helps the HIV affected person to overcome the physical, social and psychological challenges of the disease. It helps reduce the pain and increase independency. Nursing also helps educate and encourage the family of the affected. This paper is a literature review of three articles, which have studied the causes and effective means of controlling HIV in Afro American women. The study has been made through systematic methodologies and correct interpretation of results. This paper also throws some light on how the articles and their research methods can be applied to nursing and also the implications of the same. Literature Review Article by James Whyte Purpose of research. The main objective or purpose of this research is to observe and study the relationship between the social and economic intricacies, relationship and the sexual behaviour of low-income African American women living in the southeastern region of the United States. The behaviour of these low-income Afro American women induced by social and cultural factors seem to be much more complicated than those induced by unprotected sex or drug abuse. The paper aims to study this through three questions. Firstly, it tries to find out the level of unwanted sexual activity for the sake of living arrangements and for the sake of safety of the woman in question. Secondly, it tries to gauge the relationship between the level of safe sex and survival sex. Thirdly, it identifies the relationship between sex to avoid getting hurt, sex to avoid any kind of abuse, sex for food and shelter, sex due to repeated requests, sex due to relationship loss and physically forced sex. Type of research. The type of research used here was a non-experimental descriptive correlational method. Firstly, community health centers that look after the primary care of low-income groups were located across the southeastern United States. A method known as the Convenience Sampling was used to employ participants from these community health centers. Women who showed an interest in participating in the survey were given study tools and were asked to finish them. The participants were then asked to fill out the HIV Risk Behaviour Questionnaire, which was tailor-made, specifically for Afro American women. Convergent validity, assertiveness and belief in personal control were then measured using various well-established instruments. Sample size and key findings. The sample size was 524 black women aged between 18 and 49 years, all located in across the southeastern United States. Primarily a rural area, southeastern United States houses many low-income black women between the above-mentioned age group. The results of the survey showed that, a significant percentage of women in the sample were forced to have sex or had sex to avoid any kind of abuse. Collins, Ellickson, Orlando, and Klein (2005) studied a significant sample of women and established a strong link between intimate partner abuse, alcohol use, and increased levels of HIV contraction. A very high percentage of women who reported to having sex to avoid relationship loss and to avoid loss of shelter were also seen. Giving in to repeated requests of unwanted sex also constituted a large percentage. It was also found that women engaging in survival sex or sex undertaken to meet economic needs, were likely to engage in more unsafe sex and thus contract HIV. Kipke, O’Connor, Palmer, and MacKenzie (1995) studied the survival behaviors in street youth, which included exchanging in sex for money, food or shelter. Strengths and weaknesses. The primary strength of this study is that it addresses a wide variety of variables that induce unwanted sex and proves clearly the relationship between them to help better understanding of the situation. The other strength is that the instrument kit, which is tailor-made for Afro American women of low-income, helps identify the ways for prevention as the risk of increase is more in black women. The 2 major weaknesses of the study are it’s geographical limitation. The results cannot be taken for other parts of the United States that may be affected by HIV. Secondly the study does not address all the reasons for engaging in unwanted sex, as there is a possibility of other reasons. Article by Donna Z. Shambley-Ebron and Joyceen S. Boyle Purpose of research. American women have become the most fast growing group of people contracting HIV. The purpose of this study is to survey the experiences, values and beliefs of mothering and self care amongst the Afro American women affected by HIV. In order to come up with culturally suitable nursing interventions for these women this study identifies how cultural affects management of illness, bringing up children with HIV and daily living. Type of research. The type of research employed here is called Critical Ethnography. Critical ethnography examines the cultural incidents and takes into account all major social and political issues like race, religion, oppression etc that have an effect on the lives of the sample women. The basic structure for this study is based on Africana womanism and Black feminism. African womanism identifies and concentrates on the needs, experiences and struggles of black women. Black feminism recognizes the culture and heritage of African American women and the social and political issues they go through. Three formal personal interviews were conducted with participants. The first interview aimed at building a rapport and gathering some basic details, the second interview gathered experiences on mothering practices. The third interview elaborated the participant’s experiences with discrimination, oppression etc. Sample size and key findings. The sample size was ten African American women with HIV/AIDS from various HIV clinics and physician offices across southeastern United States, where the population affected by HIV is maximum. All the participants were aged between 21 to 39 years of age. Each of these ten women was a mother of a child with HIV. These children who were HIV positive were all aged between 9 months to 11 years. All the participants except one were mothers of other children who were not HIV positive. The basic cultural background is what has helped these women create a meaningful life. Providing for the children and protecting them seemed to be their top most priority. The third important part of strong mothering included preparing the children for a future with AIDS. These mothers believe that the strength for mothering and finding meaning in life has been passed on to them through their grounded culture. As far as self-care is concerned these women turned towards spirituality and other religious practices. Instead of a planned health regimen suggested by the doctors, these women learned behaviors and practices from their own culture that healed them and provided wellness thereby giving them the strength to cope with their illness. Results also showed that these women strongly depended on their families to gain strength and feel well. According to Hine & Thompson, 1998; hooks, 1984; McAdoo, 1996, “Women in the current study went to extraordinary means to demonstrate self-reliance and mothering. These activities exemplified the valued and honorable tradition of Black motherhood” Strengths and weaknesses. The two strengths of this study include the personalized interaction with the sample women, which has given us correct insight into their experiences and the detailed analysis of the Afro American culture. The weaknesses are the small sample size, the results of which cannot be used across the nation and lack of proper proof to support the facts. Article by Charlotte Hurst, Arlene J. Montgomery, Bertha L. Davis, Cheryl Killion, Spencer Baker. Purpose of research. The main purpose or objective of this study is to analyze the relationship between social support and it’s effect on the capacity of African American women affected with HIV to accomplish self-care practices. Lacks of availability of resources restrict the ability of HIV affected women to perform self-care practices. This inability for self-care further hinders them from meeting some basic healthcare needs. Hence this study focuses on the relationship of all these variables. Type of research. Using Orem’s self-care model on the capacity of women to perform self-care duties, certain basic conditions like age, gender, health state, family system factors and pattern of living etc., that influence self-care agencies and self-care practices of women affected with HIV are first thoroughly analyzed. For this purpose a descriptive correlational, longitudinal model is being used. The study further used Norbeck Social Support Questionnaire, Denyes Self-Care Agency Instrument, Denyes Self-Care Practice Instrument and the Hurst Demographic Questionnaire to complete the research. To analyze the data Bivariate statistics and Pearson product moment correlations were used. Sample size and key findings. This study used a sample of 62 HIV positive women. These participants were conscripted from the population of outpatient clinic. All sample women were aged between 19 to 60 years of age with one or more children. Further they all belonged to category B classification of HIV. The research has also specifically picked out women with fluent reading and speaking skills in English. The key findings of this research tell us that there are positive links for three types of social support, which include functional, network and loss. Fluctuating links are found to be there in the relationship between social support, self-care agencies and self-care practices. Social support plays a very vital part in helping women to enhance their self-care practices. Functional social support enables women to continue relationships or form new ones. Extensive positive links were seen in women believed that they were healthy and performed self-care practices. Sowell et al (2001) spotted “children as one of the key components of a woman's social support network and considered children to be an important factor in the lives of African American women who are HIV positive”. Strengths and weaknesses The two strengths of this research are, the method used to arrive at conclusions using various instruments and a detailed and thorough analysis of links between variables. The two weaknesses include limited sample size, which may not be of use while applying to the entire HIV population and lack of correct information for more precise results. Application to nursing The findings of the article by James Whyte (2006) projects clarity on a very important area of nursing. This study stresses on the importance of taking detailed social histories of the clients. The nurses must spot the risk factors of each client by determining the client’s level of encounter with drugs, unsafe sexual practices etc. This will enable the nurses to gauge the level of danger they are in and provide the necessary medical and psychological help. The findings of the article by Donna Z. Shambley-Ebron and Joyceen S. Boyle (2006) enables the field of nursing to assist women with HIV with regards to self care and mothering within the boundaries of their own culture. The major findings of the article by Charlotte Hurst, Arlene J. Montgomery, Bertha L. Davis, Cheryl Killion, Spencer Baker (2005) proves the relationship between social support and self care. This further induces nursing to develop ways to extend timely, useful social support and self-care practices to Afro American women affected by HIV. Conclusion All of the above articles and their respective findings have discussed every variable connected with the spread of HIV among African American women. It is of great importance to note in detail the causes, circumstances and different reasons for the spread of HIV in order to provide specific nursing facilities. The findings of each of the articles have contributed different aspects towards innovating and improving nursing facilities extended to these women affected with HIV and gives them a better chance to live a meaningful life. References Hurst, C., Montgomery, A. J., Davis, B. L., Killion, C., & Baker, S. (2005). The Relationship Between Social Support, Self-Care Agency, and Self-Care Practices of African American Women Who are HIV-Positive. The Journal Of Multicultural Nursing & Health. 11(3), 47-60. Shambley-Ebron, D. Z. & Boyle, J. S. (2006). Self-Care and Mothering in African American Women With HIV/AIDS. Western Journal of Nursing Research. 28(1), 42-60 Whyte, James (2006). Sexual Assertiveness in Low-Income African American Women: Unwanted Sex, Survival, and HIV Risk. Journal Of Community Health Nursin.. 23(4), 235–244 Read More