En sus proprias palabras (in their own words): Latina women’s perspectives on enablers of HIV testing using freelisting

Abstract

Objective: Comprehensive information on the facilitators of HIV testing in Latino women (Latinas) in the Southeastern USA is lacking. Efforts to rectify this should include Latina perspectives on the issue. This study aimed to (1) solicit Latina perspectives using qualitative methodology and (2) characterise enablers of HIV testing follow-through. Method: The study used the freelisting interview approach to document the perspectives of Latinas (18 years and older). The purposive sample included HIV-tested ( n = 21) and non-tested ( n = 10) women. The setting was Non-Traditional Counseling, Testing and Referral Sites in five counties in Central North Carolina, USA. The protocol was guided by the PEN-3 framework, which aims to take culture into account as part of health education. The focus was on the enablers (i.e. social groups, networks, information channels, systems and environments) of health behaviours. Results: While participants listed 66 enablers, 37 met the criteria for analyses. The top 10 enablers were TV advertisements/commercials, friends, personal health, family wellbeing, children, TV shows, pamphlets, self-interest, knowing someone HIV positive and spouse/partner. The most salient enabler for HIV-tested Latinas was children. For non-tested Latinas, it was friends. Conclusion: Freelisting proved to be a simple and effective data collection strategy with literate and low-literate women, providing culturally relevant concepts for inclusion in subsequent quantitative survey instruments. Study participants identified a number of important enablers that could serve as supports or reinforcements for health education outreach and interventions to enhance HIV testing uptake.