Angela B. Hutchinson|Elin Begley|Patrick S. Sullivan|Hollie Clark|Brian Boyett|Scott Kellerman
Conspiracy Beliefs and Trust in Information About HIV/AIDS Among Minority Men Who Have Sex With Men
National Center for HIV/AIDS Viral Hepatitis STD and TB Prevention|Centers for Disease Control and Prevention|National Center for HIV/AIDS Viral Hepatitis STD and TB Prevention|Centers for Disease Control and Prevention|National Center for HIV/AIDS Viral Hepatitis STD and TB Prevention|Centers for Disease Control and Prevention|National Center for HIV/AIDS Viral Hepatitis STD and TB Prevention|Centers for Disease Control and Prevention|National Center for HIV/AIDS Viral Hepatitis STD and TB Prevention|Centers for Disease Control and Prevention|National Center for HIV/AIDS Viral Hepatitis STD and TB Prevention|Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
editor read interest previous reports published journal bogart thorburn1 ross colleagues2 examining conspiracy beliefs origin hiv african americans racialethnic groups studies found conspiracy beliefs prevalent africanamerican population demonstrated associations conspiracy beliefs inconsistent condom use africanamerican men3 bogart thorburn1 called studies investigating conspiracy beliefs among black men sex men msm 2004 surveyed participants minority gay pride mgp events assess barriers implementation rapid hiv testing programs determine conspiracy beliefs existed among minority msm identify trusted sources information hivaids data collected convenience sample attendees mgp events june october 2004 detroit michigan oakland california 2 events baltimore maryland well minority affinity sections gay pride event san francisco california attendees 18 years age asked complete 2page selfadministered survey questions pertaining conspiracy beliefs hivaids eg much agree following statements trust eg much would say trust information asked using 5point likert scale ranging 1 3 somewhat 5 lot three five conspiracy belief items adapted published hivaids conspiracy beliefs scale demonstrated good reliability1 nonmonetary incentives worth 10 value eg gift cards phone cards compact disks offered persons completing questionnaire staff health departments communitybased organizations cbos conducted recruitment testing manual counter used count approached purpose calculating response rate data analyzed using stata version 8 stata corporation college station tx used summary statistics characterize conspiracy beliefs trust 2 tests odds ratios ors describe associations holding beliefs trust sources hivaids information participants race selfreported hiv serostatus stratified results raceethnicity project reviewed centers disease control prevention cdc determined part evaluation public health program implement hiv rapid testing therefore review cdc institutional review board required total 1041 persons responded 49 response rate 696 classified msm defined male respondents identified gay bisexual andor reported sex another man previous 5 years included analysis respondents racial ethnic minorities 35 black 22 hispanic 16 white 15 asianpacific islander api 11 eg american indian mixed raceethnicity 11 1 persons provide information raceethnicity total 18 respondents 9 190 persons disclosed status reported hivpositive among msm participants 86 agreed least somewhat 1 conspiracy beliefs black hispanic api msm likely white msm agree conspiracy beliefs table 1 compared white msm black msm significantly likely hold api msm likely hold several conspiracy beliefs example black 33 19 57 hispanic 25 14 46 api 29 15 55 msm likely white msm believe hiv cause aids addition 41 selfreported hivpositive msm agreed least somewhat hiv cause aids small numbers msm reported hivpositive however significant differences hiv serostatus agreement conspiracy beliefs data showntable 1 hivaids conspiracy beliefs trust hivaids information sources among attendees mgp events 2004among msm trusted sources information hivaids eg percentage trusted information source lot primary care providers 59 gay lesbian bisexual transgender organizations glbt organizations 51 followed cdc 49 health departments 46 contrast 15 msm trusted government lot 25 trusted government data shown several differences raceethnicity compared white msm black 05 03 09 hispanic 06 03 10 msm less likely trust information glbt organizations likely trust internet lot 22 11 47 23 11 50 respectively compared white msm black msm likely trust government lot 23 11 57 api msm less likely trust primary care providers lot 06 03 10 believe report first assess hivaids conspiracy beliefs among minority msm respondents endorsed least 1 conspiracy belief 4 5 conspiracy beliefs endorsed 50 black msm although beliefs commonly held black msm also widely held minorities addition able identify primary care physicians glbt organizations trusted sources information hivaids population study confirmed findings previous studies found conspiracy beliefs regarding hiv black hispanic populations13 endorsement belief hiv manmade virus similar study black msm 50 found bogart thorburn1 random sample african americans 48 data provide insight issues could impact effectiveness hiv prevention minority msm populations belief hiv cause aids likely 3 minority groups 48 54 whites 27 common among hivpositive persons considering recent data showing black hispanic msm disproportionately likely diagnosed hiv develop aids less likely survive 3 years aids diagnosis4 explicit efforts need made address belief potentially detrimental efforts diagnose link hivinfected persons stable treatment care finding primary care providers trusted source information hivaids may represent opportunity partner primary care providers hiv prevention cdc public health partners developed guidelines incorporating hiv prevention services medical care5 competing demands physicians time office visit however measure frequently populations access primary care providers health care providers physicians eg nurses physician assistants may better suited provide hiv prevention information cdc state local health departments traditional providers hiv prevention information also trusted organizations finding black hispanic msm less likely white msm trust glbt organizations suggests prevention messages designed white msm may less impact black msm especially delivered glbt prevention providers even almost half men trusted glbt organizations lot finding black msm likely trust government white msm surprising considering beliefs general africanamerican population hivaids government conspiracy3 alternatively finding could attributable extraordinarily low prevalence trust government hivaids information among white msm study subject several limitations respondents comprised convenience sample attendees mgp events conducted urban areas representative minority msm followup study representative sample msm necessary determine findings generalized minority msm 30 disclosed hiv status thus findings related serostatus conspiracy beliefs must interpreted cautiously survey san francisco include cdc state local health departments trust information sources questions thus report data separately api msm api msm recruited san francisco survey selfadministered may variation way respondents interpreted questions issues literacy conversely respondents may provided truthful responses sensitive questions survey interviewer administered additionally low numbers american indian msm survey limiting ability draw raceethnicityspecific conclusions men findings racialethnic differences endorsement conspiracy beliefs trusted sources information hivaids provide evidence hiv prevention messages culturally tailored unfortunately paucity efficacious hiv prevention interventions targeting minority msm systematic review usbased hiv behavioral intervention literature interventions targeting minority msm met criteria best evidence6 however evidence successful adaptation effective peerbased hiv prevention intervention adapted black msm7 inclusion minority researchers use community participatory research may increase transparency representation affected communities development trusted interventions research conspiracy beliefs hivaids must move beyond descriptive hiv prevention interventions targeting black minority msm developed sensitivity high levels conspiracy beliefs designed specifically dispel beliefs particularly belief hiv cause aids primary care physicians glbt organizations seem trusted sources hiv prevention information men additional research needed advance understanding trusted sources information hivaids minority msm best deliver prevention services light beliefs angela b hutchinson phd mph elin b begley mph patrick sullivan dvm phd hollie clark mph brian c boyett ms scott e kellerman md mph division hivaids prevention national center hiv std tb prevention centers disease control prevention atlanta ga