Suchergebnisse

The risk of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among older adults in the US has increased in recent years, especially in the southeast. Stigma is a known barrier to STI control, but is rarely addressed in relation to older adults because of assumptions about their lack of sexual activity or their low risk of STI. This study presents the results of a telephone survey on STI stigma among older adults in a southern US state using Bourdieu's concept of habitus and the `exemplary elder' construct as conceptual frameworks. The sample consisted of 81 black and 109 white residents aged over 50 years. Black elders gave more stigma-related responses than whites, especially if they lived in rural areas. The results indicated that, after controlling for income and education, habitus played a role in different reactions to being infected and seeking treatment for STIs. Habitus was also evident in rural and gender differences between the two groups concerning knowledge, fear of STIs and willingness to seek treatment. The construct of `exemplary elder' is a viable conceptual frame of reference in helping to explain why older African Americans in the south are more fearful of STIs than older whites.

The literature on gender and health typically addresses behavioral patterns when discussing men's attitudes to health. Few of these studies explore men's anxieties or presentations of self in relation to health problems, particularly for stigmatizing conditions such as sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Through direct observation and focus group interviews of health workers, clients, and students, this study explores African American men's attitudes toward attending STI clinics in the Deep South. The men's concerns about STI clinics center on realistic health or stigma-related concerns. Using a gender-relational analysis, three main sources of fear are identified in relation to attending the clinics: Gender anxiety (attacks on masculinity), social anxiety (damage to social reputation through stigma), and racial anxiety (AIDS as genocide). These fears present a barrier to STI care for African American men.

On April 27, 2011, an EF–4 tornado struck Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Historic damage from the storm coincided with a recessionary economy, a double blow from which the city has yet to recover. This study applied disaster vulnerability theory to a mixed–methods analysis involving qualitative research, photography, and geographic information systems (GIS) analysis in order to document the recovery of three neighborhoods in the tornado zone. One measure of progress is easy to see. Two neighborhoods, both financially stable, have been rebuilt. The third neighborhood has lagged behind the other two, although residents, community leaders, and city planners seek to revitalize this blighted community. Tuscaloosa's experience suggests that prestorm vulnerabilities lead to uneven recovery and proposals for the gentrification of poor neighborhoods that reproduce preexisting patterns of residential segregation.

Millions of US residents lost their homes to foreclosure during the Great Recession of 2007-2011. The collapse was attributed to a host of economic factors, from financial deregulation and inflated housing prices to overdevelopment of housing stock and subprime loans to people who would otherwise not qualify for mortgages. The dream of homeownership came to an abrupt end for many mortgagees, particularly among low-income and minority ethnic groups who had disproportionately acquired high-risk, adjustable loans prior to the housing collapse. Despite the magnitude of the crisis, US sociologists have paid little attention to foreclosure as a persistent social problem. The foreclosure section of the omnibus survey consisted of 10 items on causes of foreclosure, stress levels before and after the event, and present living arrangements. Common causes of foreclosure included loss of employment, divorce, medical expenses, mortgage interest hikes, and other financial or personal hardships that were cumulative for many respondents. Adapted from the source document.

Teaching about the sociology of HIV/AIDS involves teaching about the causes and effects of stigma. We describe a Sociology of HIV/AIDS course at the University of Alabama in which stigma reduction was assessed as a primary objective. The syllabus involved theory-based instruction, class visits, service learning, and student research on community attitudes toward HIV/AIDS. We report on how stigma affected the service learning and other elements of the course, calling for adjustments to our pedagogical approach. We also report how the course was evaluated in a pretest/posttest assessment on attitudes toward people living with HIV/AIDS [PLWHA] (enacted stigma) and hypothetical reactions to being diagnosed with HIV (felt stigma). The results indicated greater tolerance for PLWHA following the class but also greater awareness of HIV stigma and its outcomes. We offer recommendations to help instructors avoid stigma-related materials and events that could jeopardize service learning and course objectives for sensitive topics such as HIV/AIDS.

IntroductionHIV in the United States is concentrated in the South, an impoverished region with marked health disparities and high rates of incarceration, particularly among African Americans. In the Deep South state of Alabama, a policy directive to reduce prison overcrowding has diverted large numbers of convicted felons to community supervision. Probation and parole offices have yet to provide the HIV education and testing services that are offered in state prisons. This study sought to implement on‐site HIV services for probationers and parolees through an intersectoral programme involving law enforcement, university and HIV agency employees. The three main objectives were to (1) involve probation/parole officers in planning, execution and assessment of the programme, (2) provide HIV education to the officers and (3) offer voluntary pretest HIV counselling and testing to probationers and parolees.MethodsThe partnered programme was conducted between October and December 2015. Offenders who were recently sentenced to probation ("new offenders"), received HIV education during orientation. Offenders already under supervision prior to the programme ("current offenders") learned about the on‐site services during scheduled office visits. Outcomes were measured through officer assessments, informal feedback and uptake of HIV services among offenders.ResultsA total of 86 new and 249 current offenders reported during the programme (N=335). Almost one‐third (31.4%) of new offenders sought HIV testing, while only 3.2% of current offenders were screened for HIV. Refusals among current offenders invoked monogamy, time pressures, being tested in prison, fear of positive test results and concerns about being labelled as gay or unfaithful to women partners. Officers rated the programme as worthwhile and feasible to implement at other offices.ConclusionsThe partnership approach ensured support from law enforcement and intersectoral cooperation throughout the programme. HIV training for officers reduced discomfort over HIV and fostered their willingness to be active agents for referral to HIV services. Voluntary testing was enhanced by the HIV employee's educational role, particularly during orientation sessions for new offenders. The almost one‐third success rate in HIV testing among new offenders suggests that future efforts should concentrate on this group in order to maximize participation at the probation and parole office.