March 2005

African-American Beliefs Inhibit Prevention Efforts

In a recent telephone survey of 500 African-Americans aged 15 to 44, nearly half said they believe that HIV is manmade and 27% thought it was “produced in a government laboratory.” About 16% thought the government created HIV/AIDS to “control the black population.”

The study, conducted by the RAND Corporation and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, asked the opinion of respondents on a series of questions about HIV/AIDS “myths.” It found that men were more likely than women to believe “conspiracy theories” about HIV/AIDS and that African-American men who have such beliefs are less likely to use condoms to protect against HIV transmission. Other findings:

  • 59% agreed with the statement that “a lot of information about AIDS is being held back from the public.”
  • 53% agreed that “there is a cure for AIDS, but it is being withheld from the poor.”
  • 44% agreed that people who take new antitretroviral drugs are “government guinea pigs.”
  • However, about 75% said they believe medical and public health agencies are working to combat the spread of HIV/AIDS in black communities.

“Our results suggest that these beliefs may have a negative impact,” said Laura Bogart, a RAND behavioral scientist and co-author of the study. “Public health practitioners need to openly address these conspiracy beliefs and create culturally appropriate messages for African Americans.”

Phill Wilson, executive director of the Black AIDS Institute in Los Angeles, said that past discrimination against African Americans is not an excuse for allowing HIV/AIDS-related myths to continue: “It’s a huge barrier to HIV prevention in black communities.”