Volta

Finding meaning: African American injection drug users’ interpretations of testing HIV-positive

In the US, African American injection drug users have increased risk for acquiring HIV and for not having long-term survival post AIDS diagnosis. This study examines the cognitive interpretations African American injection drug users make of an HIV-positive test result and the attitudinal and behavioural patterns that accompany those interpretations. Using snowball sampling techniques, street outreach was used to recruit 839 African American injection drug users and their partners for HIV testing and counselling. Subsequently, data were collected for 80 individuals who tested HIV-positive. Individuals who interpreted testing HIV-positive as a 'wake up call' displayed the attitudinal and behavioural patterns of 'being blessed', 'living clean' and 'advocacy'. Those that interpreted the test result as a 'death knell' displayed 'self-destructive', 'pleasure-seeking' …

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