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January 2006 Monthly Monitor
Advocates for Youth's Youth of Color Initiative
Feature: young Women of color *
Rates of HIV infection are disproportionately high among young women of color*, especially those who are members of the working poor and, therefore, lack health insurance and easy access to health care. These young women need gender-specific and culturally appropriate HIV prevention programs.[1]
Young Women of Color Suffer High Rates of HIV Infection.
- Black women and Latinas account for 79 percent of all reported HIV infections among 13- to 19-year-old women and 75 percent of HIV infections among 20- to 24-year-old women in the United States although, together, they represent only about 26 percent of U.S. women these ages.[2]
- Black women account for 60 percent of cumulative AIDS cases among women ages 13 to 24, although they are only about 14 percent of women this age. Latinas represent 19 percent of cumulative AIDS cases among young women, although Latinas comprise only about 12 percent of the female population this age.[2,3]
- Asian and Pacific Islanders (API) and American Indians and Alaska natives account for about one percent of reported HIV infections among women ages 13 to 24.[2]
Young Women of Color Face Barriers to HIV Prevention.
- Latina women face cultural barriers to consistent condom use, such as machismo and Catholicism's opposition to birth control. For example, Puerto Rican women's greatest obstacle to negotiating safer sex, including condom use, is the cultural expectation to respect males and to be submissive. [4]
- In a study of African American women ages 13 to 19, 26 percent felt little control over whether or not a condom was used during intercourse; 75 percent agreed that, if a male knew a female was taking oral contraceptives, he would not want to use a condom. Sixty-six percent felt that a male sex partner would be hurt, insulted, angry, or suspicious if questioned about his HIV risk factors. [5]
- For many women, negotiating condom use also seems to question trust and fidelity. In one study, African American teenage women felt that not using a condom with a steady partner was a symbol of trust in their partner and relationship. Moreover, considering asking a partner to wear a condom sometimes brought up fear of rejection or violence.[3,5]
- According to one study, Native American women who did not consistently use condoms also felt little vulnerability to HIV and were unprepared to change their risky sexual behaviors as compared to their peers who used condoms regularly.[6]
- Persistent inequality and painful memories of medical abuses and the consequent anger and mistrust of the U.S. government contribute to conspiracy theories, such as HIV as an agent of genocide, that hamper HIV education efforts in some ethnic communities.[7]
- One study found that many African Americans and Latinos held misperceptions about HIV transmission, trusted the accuracy of partners' reported histories, and, particularly among women, misunderstood the meaning of safer sex.[8]
- Urban minority female adolescents reported high levels of worry about AIDS, but they reported equal or greater concerns about having enough money to live on, general health, doing well in school, getting pregnant, and getting hurt in a street fight.[5] For these women, HIV risk reduction could be secondary to basic needs, such as housing, food, transportation, and child care.[3]
- Women of color experience higher rates of medical indigence than do white women, and they often confront a series of financial, cultural, and institutional barriers in obtaining health care.[1] For many young women of color, publicly funded health insurance provides limited access to comprehensive, adolescent-appropriate health services.[1]
Young Women of Color Need Effective, Culturally Specific Programs.
- Young women of color need HIV/AIDS information framed within their specific cultural context [4]; gender-specific information and services that address their situation and pay attention to their less than equal power status in many relationships [4,9]; interventions that enhance self-esteem, address depression and substance use, and give youth hope for the future.[10]
- Young women of color need confidential access to contraceptive services, including condoms and HIV testing and treatment.[11]
- Young women need programs that build their skills in communication, negotiation, and assertiveness.[4,9,10,12]
- Experts have found that HIV prevention is also contingent on women's sexual history, their understanding of the effects of physical and sexual trauma, and their willingness to learn communication skills.[3,4,5,7,9]
- Effective HIV/AIDS prevention programs include youth and other community members in program planning, design, and implementation and draw staff—including youth—from the local community.[13]
*This fact sheet focuses on heterosexual young women of color—African American, Latina, Asian Pacific Islander, and Native American women between the ages of 13 and 24. Here, black and African American are not used interchangeably. Black may include African American as well as other ethnicities.
For information on young women of color and on sexual health programs and service especially designed for young women, please check out the resources at the end of this Monthly Monitor.
References:
* This feature summarizes Young Women of Color and the HIV Epidemic, by J. Augustine, [The Facts], Washington, DC: Advocates for Youth, 2003.
- Office of Research on Women’s Health. Women of Color Health Data Book: Adolescents to Seniors. Bethesda, MD: National Institutes of Health, 1998.
- Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. HIV/AIDS Surveillance Report 2002; 12(2):1-44
- AIDS Action. What Works in Prevention for Women of Color. Washington, DC: Augustine, M., 2001.
- Weeks MR et al. AIDS prevention for African American and Latina women: building culturally and gender-appropriate intervention. AIDS Educ Prev 1995; 7:251-63
- Overby KJ, keegles SM. The impact of AIDS on an urban population of high-risk female minority adolescents: implications for intervention. J Adolesc Health 1994; 15:216-27.
- Morrison-Beedy D et al. HIV risk behavior and psychological correlates among Native American women: an exploratory investigation. J Womens Health Gender Based Med 2001; 10:487-94.
- Pittman KJ et al. Making sexuality education and prevention programs relevant for African American youth. J Sch Health 1992; 62:339-44.
- Essien EJ et al. Misperceptions about HIV transmission among heterosexual African American and Latino men and women. J Natl Med Assoc 2002; 94:302-12.
- CDC. HIV/AIDS among US Women: Minority and Young Women at Continuing Risk. Atlanta, GA: The Centers, 2002.
- University of California at San Francisco Center for AIDS Prevention Studies. What Are Adolescents’ HIV Prevention Needs? San Francisco, CA: The Center, 1999.
- Eng TR, Butler WT, ed. The Hidden Epidemic: Confronting Sexually Transmitted Diseases. Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 1997.
- Wyatt GE et al. Adapting a comprehensive approach to African American women’s sexual risk taking. J Health Educ 1997; 28 (6 supp): S52-S59.
- United Nations Development Programme. Empowering People: A Guide to Participation. New York: UNDP, 1998.
Capacity building & professional development
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Association of Schools of Public Health (ASPH), through the CDC/ASPH Institute for HIV Prevention Leadership, will begin accepting registrations, starting January 8, 2006, for the third course in the unique capacity-building program series Steps to Success in Community-based HIV/AIDS Prevention. This course is entitled How to Monitor and Measure Evidence-Based Intervention Effectiveness, Module 3-Building Evaluation Capacity.
There is no fee to register and participate. For more information, go to www.ihpl.org and download the information brochure on Module 3. If you have questions regarding this program, contact María González-Gelabert at mgg@healthconsultinggroup.com or call (770) 451-5800.
Participants who will benefit most from this course include:
- Individuals working in community-based organizations (CBOs), health departments, and clinics and are responsible for implementing, monitoring, and evaluating HIV and AIDS interventions;
- Co-Chairs of Community Planning and Prevention Planning Groups; and
- Public health students and faculty.
Benefits of participation include:
- Reviewing how to use results from your community assessments to select a culturally appropriate, evidence-based intervention that matches the needs of your priority population;
- Reviewing how to develop a detailed plan and strategies for adapting and implementing an evidence-based intervention;
- Learning how to develop a plan for monitoring and evaluating an evidence-based intervention using a comprehensive six-step process;
- Receiving a print-based, self-study module with monitoring and evaluation tools to use when training existing or new employees in your agency;
- Viewing a satellite conference or webcast featuring nationally recognized experts and CBO personnel on February 24, 2006; and
- Receiving a certificate indicating your participation in and completion of this course.
Registration for this course ends February 13, 2006! Register today to make sure you receive the self-study module in time to complete it and view the satellite conference or webcast on February 24, 2006.
In order to receive a certificate, you must complete all course evaluation requirements and submit them by 5:00 p.m. Eastern time, February 25, 2006. See the information brochure about Module 3-Building Evaluation Capacity at www.ihpl.org for more details.
Funding Opportunities
The United States Conference of Mayors, HIV/AIDS Prevention Grants Program
The United States Conference of Mayors (USCM), in cooperation with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for HIV, STD and TB Prevention, is issuing this request for proposals (RFP) for the HIV/AIDS Prevention Grants Program, to strengthen local capacities to carry out effective HIV/AIDS prevention activities.
Proposals will be accepted for two tracks.
- Track One must address the following funding priority: Implementation of HIV/AIDS Prevention Services Targeting Native Americans.
- Track Two must address the following funding priority: Implementation of HIV/AIDS Prevention Services Targeting African American or Hispanic Women at High Risk of HIV Infection.
Eligibility Requirements include:
- Federally recognized Indian tribes
- Local health departments (LHDs)
- Community-based organizations (CBOs)
- Existing agencies/consortia that have formed collaborative efforts between multiple groups or agencies.
Grant Awards:
USCM plans to award grants totaling approximately $740,000 to local health departments, nonprofit CBOs, and Native American tribes/nations for implementation of HIV/AIDS prevention projects for these target populations.
- Approximately $180,000 will be allocated to three grants of $60,000 each for Native Americans;
- Approximately $560,000 will be allocated to eight grants of $70,000 each for high-risk women.
All proposals will be judged solely on merit by an external panel of experts; membership in USCM is not required.
How to Apply: The RFP can be downloaded at www.nmac.org. Direct any questions about the RFP or requests for hard copies of the RFP to Lillie Brown at (202) 861-6752 or e-mail: lbrown@usmayors.org.
Deadline for Receipt of Proposals:
An original and three copies of the proposal must be received by the U.S. Conference of Mayors by Monday, February 27, 2006, 5:00 p.m. EST. No extensions will be granted. No faxes or e-mails will be accepted as grant applications.
About USCM:
The United States Conference of Mayors is an official, nonpartisan organization representing cities with a population of 30,000 or more. Its principal role is to provide for the development of effective national urban policy, to serve as a legislative action force in federal-city relationships, to ensure that federal policy meets urban needs, and to provide mayors with leadership and management tools of value to their cities.
The goal of the USCM HIV/AIDS Prevention Grants Program is to strengthen local capacity for HIV/AIDS prevention activities through the funding of projects involving community-based organizations, local health departments, and others. Since 1985 the USCM HIV/AIDS program has, in cooperation with CDC, issued funding for the development of 275 locally-based HIV/AIDS prevention projects totaling over $14 .2 million.
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation – Fresh Ideas: Community-Based Approaches to Improve Care for Vulnerable Populations.
The Vulnerable Populations Portfolio of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) is seeking new community-based approaches to health and health care problems that intersect with social factors – such as inadequate housing, poor education and poverty. The Foundation is interested in projects that serve hard-to-reach individuals and families, especially new immigrants and refugees, frail older adults, and at-risk adolescents.
Grant awards are up to $300,000 for a period of three years. Grassroots organizations and faith-based and advocacy organizations are encouraged to apply. Eligible applicants include public entities or 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations.
Deadline: Open
For complete program information and application guidelines, please visit http://www.rwjf.org/applications/program/cfp.jsp?ID=19480
Announcements
GlobalHealthFacts.org is a new Web site offering free access to the latest country- and region-specific data on HIV and AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and other key health indicators. It was recently launched by the Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonprofit, private foundation focused on health care issues.
GlobalHealthFacts.org is designed for ease of use and flexibility. The data are displayed in tables, charts, and color-coded maps and can be downloaded for custom analyses.
The website helps sort and present data to answer such questions as:
- Which nations have the greatest number of people living with HIV/AIDS?
- How many children orphaned by AIDS live in Uganda compared to Nigeria?
- Which countries receive grants from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria?
The site provides access to detailed information on HIV and AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria as well as data on demographic and economic indicators, other emerging health problems, and program funding and financing. New data will be added regularly, and users can sign up for free e-mail update alerts at www.GlobalHealthReporting.org/email
Resources
For resources on sexual health services for young women of color, please check out the following:
You can help Advocates for Youth with a contribution today. To donate, visit http://www.advocatesforyouth.org/about/donatetoday.htm
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