Barriers to Testing for Sexually Transmitted Infections among HIV-Serodiscordant Couples: The Influence of Discrimination

Abstract

Objectives: African Americans face chal­lenges in accessing services for sexually transmitted infections (STIs). From 2012- 2016, the EBAN II intervention was funded by the NIH to test the effectiveness of implementing a culturally congruent, evidence-based HIV/AIDS prevention program in Los Angeles and Oakland, California. This study examined the impact of personal characteristics and experiences of discrimination on the likelihood of being tested for STIs.Method: Participants (N=91) completed a baseline survey. Descriptive statistics were used to test for differences between those who did and did not obtain STI testing. Factors included HIV serostatus, sociodemo­graphic variables, STI history, the presence of outside partners, and discrimination ex­periences. Multiple logistic regressions were conducted for men and women separately.Results: Participants with no recent experi­ences of discrimination were more than 3 (3.4) times more likely to obtain a baseline STI test than those who reported discrimina­tion experiences. HIV-positive women with no recent experiences of discrimination were 11 times more likely than those with reports of recent discrimination to obtain STI tests.Conclusions: It is often women who are the gatekeepers for health seeking in families and the same may be for these couples. Ex­periences of discrimination may impede STI testing, and heighten several health risks, particularly among HIV-positive African American women in HIV-serodiscordant relationships. Addressing the impact of dis­crimination experiences may be important for STI prevention and treatment efforts in interventions promoting health care utilization. Ethn Dis. 2020;30(2):261-268; doi:10.18865/ed.30.2.261