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Qualitative
Deliberate HIV exposure by 6 African-American youths was rooted in growing up poor in the inner city

https://doi.org/10.1136/ebn.1.4.130

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    Tourigny SC.Some new dying trick: African American youths “choosing” HIV/AIDS.Qual Health Res1998 Mar;8:149–67.OpenUrlCrossRefWeb of Science

    Question What are the experiences of 6 African-American youths who deliberately sought exposure to HIV?

    Design

    Ethnography.

    Setting

    Inner city Detroit, Michigan, USA.

    Participants

    6 African-American youths (4 women, 2 men) ranging in age from 12–22 years who had ≥1 family member with HIV/AIDS and who had deliberately sought exposure to HIV. All respondents were HIV seropositive.

    Methods

    Respondents told their stories during meetings that took place over time at locations chosen by the respondents. Meetings often occurred in the respondents' homes.

    Main results

    The decisions of the 6 youths to deliberately expose themselves to HIV were presented in the context of “marginalization, insensitive social policies, and demanding caretaking responsibilities” inherent in growing up poor in the inner city. The following are excerpts of conversations about why the respondents deliberately sought exposure to HIV:

    Belinda: (mother with AIDS and 2 HIV positive stepsisters) “ … the easiest thing to do was to just give up and get sick too … maybe now I'se sick, I'll be maybe able to get the things I needed before …

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    Footnotes

    • Source of funding: not stated.

    • For correspondence: no current address available.