Making It Real Through Transformative Scholarship, Service-Learning, and a Community-Based Partnership for HIV Education in Alabama

HIV/AIDS is increasingly common in the U.S. South, especially among young people. This article describes a sociology course on HIV/AIDS for college students at the University of Alabama that sought to increase HIV knowledge through instruction, service-learning activities, and community- based research. In the first half of the course, the students partnered with an AIDS service organization (ASO) for HIV outreach. In the second half of the course, the students conducted surveys on HIV- related knowledge and attitudes in the community. Three main conclusions emerged from teaching the course: (1) service-learning with community-based research on HIV/AIDS is feasible, (2) service-learning modules require careful planning, and (3) student engagement for HIV prevention is beneficial for advancing the principles of public sociology

The iconography of Eve : Epidemiologic discourse in New Zealand's response to HIV/AIDS

This thesis seeks to explain the complex responses to HIV/AIDS in New Zealand. The discourses, themes and ideologies of previous epidemics are examined according to their impact on understandings about HIV/AIDS. This thesis argues that a significant outcome of such responses is the identification of 'Eve’, the sexual icon that recurs in popular discourse of epidemics like leprosy, syphilis and HIV/AIDS. The 'Eve’ icon is seen as representing the Garden of Eden view of woman; sexual woman, feminisation as a socio-sexual process, and specific women. Popular and public health responses are described in previous epidemics of leprosy, bubonic plague, syphilis and cholera. New Zealand's experience of the 1918 influenza epidemic and 1916-1962 poliomyelitis outbreaks, and the history of syphilis specifically, indicate how a deadly affliction like AIDS might be construed in the local context. In particular, the discourses associated with these prior and current diseases are linked, showing a commonality of themes related to victims, blame and sin. Discourses about HIV/AIDS are examined with respect to the theories of Sander Gilman (iconography) and Michel Foucault (discursive power and sexuality). Three case studies involving major actors in New Zealand's response to HIV/AIDS (the media, parliament and community groups) link the organisations according to discourse and image-making. Local and overseas news items are examined for their iconogpraphic content in stories about AIDS icons, including New Zealand's Eve van Grafhorst. Discourse production is then analysed in parliamentary debates about HIV/AIDS, and in strategies of the New Zealand Prostitutes' Collective. The thesis explores how iconography from prior epidemics that are particularly influential in the New Zealand context are evident in responses to and by gay men, sex-workers, and New Zealand's principal AIDS icon, Eve van Grafhorst. Discourses about syphilis and other epidemics expressed an ethic of blame directed toward marginalised individuals such as gay men, sex-workers and injecting drug users in the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Paradoxically, this ethic of blame also led to the deification of Eve van Grafhorst. The media, parliament and community sector influences on image-making in New Zealand's AIDS context has led to icons being both victimised and served by discourses about AIDS

Domestic violence, sexual ownership, and HIV risk in women in the American deep south

Domestic violence and sexual abuse are important correlates of HIV risk in women. This paper examines the links between HIV risk and domestic violence in women in a region with the highest HIV/AIDS rates in the United States. The theoretical framework incorporates Butler's (1993) and (1990) concept of performative gender and Collins' (2000) "controlling images" of African American women as a context for domestic violence in the Deep South. Two focus groups were convened to develop a definition of domestic violence as HIV risk; 50 in-depth individual interviews of HIV-positive women were subsequently conducted for specific information on the topic. A final focus group was conducted for verification and feedback. The interview data revealed that controlling images of women as sexualized bodies were enacted through rape, sexual coercion, and name-calling in intimate relationships. The main finding was that the women lacked the ability to control sexual activities (including condom use) in abusive relationships with HIV-positive men. The women used various strategies to escape abusive partners and to obtain treatment for HIV/AIDS. The study concludes that the links between gender inequity, domestic violence, and HIV transmission should appear in prevention materials to encourage domestic violence screening in health settings, and to provide abused women with information on the not-so-obvious risks of being infected in abusive relationships.African American women Domestic violence HIV risk American South USA

Health Risks of American Long-Distance Truckers Results From a Multisite Assessment

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the general and sexual health of long-haul truck drivers in the United States. Methods: Drivers were recruited from company sites and truck stops in North Carolina, Tennessee, and Mississippi. A sample of 266 drivers was assessed for lifestyle activities; body mass index and blood pressure were measured, and biologic samples were taken for cholesterol, diabetes, and sexually transmitted infection (STI)/HIV testing. Results: The drivers in this study had higher levels of cholesterol and higher rates of smoking, obesity, and diabetes than the U.S average. STI/HIV infection rates were lower than the U.S. average. Conclusion: Long-haul truck driving is a stressful occupation with few opportunities for healthy living. Stress reduction, wellness programs, and better food and exercise options at truck stops should be adopted for the benefit of truckers and the safety of the driving public

Knowledge and attitudes toward HIV/AIDS and HIV law among probationers and parolees in Alabama

The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) epidemic recently moved into its fourth decade in the U.S. In an attempt to combat this epidemic, lawmakers have implemented HIV criminalization laws, prevention programs, and treatment options in order to reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS. The number of prosecutions for violating HIV disclosure laws and the number of states implementing these laws continue to increase. However, the public health community is concerned that HIV disclosure laws do not reduce HIV transmission. This thesis seeks to examine the effects of HIV criminalization on the HIV testing and treatment by examining HIV knowledge and attitudes among probationers and parolees in Alabama. A self- administered 32 item survey was administered to 200 probationers and parolees in the Birmingham Probation and Parole Office for this purpose. The study found that (1) probationers and parolees are quite knowledgeable about HIV despite their lack of access to HIV prevention programs, (2) probationers and parolees who attend HIV prevention classes are more likely to perceive themselves as being at risk for contracting HIV compared to those who did not attend HIV prevention classes, and (3) HIV disclosure laws are perceived to be a barrier to HIV testing. These results suggest that probationers and parolees would benefit from HIV prevention classes, and that they are skeptical about the benefits of HIV laws to reduce transmission. (Published By University of Alabama Libraries