ERIC Number: EJ763209
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2007
Pages: 19
Abstractor: Author
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1533-7731
EISSN: N/A
Linking 'White Oppression' and HIV/AIDS in American Indian Etiology: Conspiracy Beliefs among AI MSMs and Their Peers
Gilley, Brian Joseph; Keesee, Marguerite
American Indian and Alaska Native Mental Health Research: The Journal of the National Center, v14 n1 2007
This article presents the results of a pilot study on the use of conspiracy beliefs by American Indian (AI) men who have sex with men and their peers to explain the origins of HIV/AIDS. We found that one-third (N = 15) of the individuals surveyed believed that HIV/AIDS was intentionally created by "Whites, White Christians, or the Federal government" and purposely spread among minority populations. Conspiracy beliefs, we argue, should be looked at as a potential form of power recognition where AIs draw on their experiences of oppression to explain the presence of HIV/AIDS within their communities, at the same time that they draw on public health knowledge to explain how humans get HIV/AIDS. We advocate further research to better ascertain the effect that conspiracy beliefs have on HIV prevention and the treatment of individuals living with HIV/AIDS. (Contains 4 tables.)
Descriptors: Whites, Etiology, Public Health, Males, Federal Government, American Indians, Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Beliefs, Surveys, Minority Groups, Power Structure, Prevention
American Indian and Alaska Native Programs. University of Colorado Health Services Center, P.O. Box 6508, Mail Stop F800, Aurora, CO 80045-0508. Tel: 303-724-1414; Fax: 303-724-1474; Web site: http://www2.uchsc.edu/ai/ncaianmhr/journal_home.asp
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Opinion Papers; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A