The Effect of Black-Oriented Media Usage On African-American Women's Safer-Sex Behavioral Attitudes and Intentions

Theoretical Background and research questions/hypothesis:  HIV/AIDS pandemic has had deleterious effects on the Black community. Women represent a significant risk constituency. Black women are 15 times more likely to contract HIV than White females and four times more likely than Latina women. At some point in her life, 1 in 32 Black women will be infected with HIV. HIV/AIDS messages promoting safer sex abound across media. Older women may have more positive exposure to HIV/AIDS messages or more positive experience relevant to HIV/AIDS self-protection. At this point does message source (Black or White-oriented media) or simply message presence affect African-American women’s intentions to use condoms? Two hypotheses were tested. H1: Women receiving an HIV/AIDS message will exhibit greater intentions to engage in safer-sex behavioral practices, more positive attitudes about condoms, and more self-efficacy than controls. H2: Older women would report greater contraceptive self-efficacy, more positive condom-purchasing attitudes, and more positive sexual attitudes. 

Methods:  A convenience sample of Black women aged 18-35 years (N=42) completed a 78-question survey. Women were randomly assigned to one of three conditions in a 3 (message source: Black-oriented media (BOM), White-oriented media (WOM), control) x 1 design. Participants assigned to the Black-oriented media group viewed a cover of Essence magazine before being prompted to read a HIV/AIDS-related magazine article. Those assigned to the White-oriented media group viewed a cover of Cosmopolitan magazine before reading the same article. Control group participants only filled out the survey. A series of ANOVAs and correlations were conducted. 

Results:  A Tukey test assessing H1 showed the control group exhibited less intention to engage in safer-sex behaviors than the BOM or WOM group, but the effect was marginally significant. Other effects were not significant. Results indicated a statistically significant relationship between respondents’ age and contraceptive self-efficacy (r=.369, p=.038, n=32) and condom-purchasing attitudes (r=-.404, p=.016, n=35). Correlation tests between efficacy and condom-buying attitude (r= -.540, p=.001, n=32) as well as efficacy and sexual attitudes (r=.493, p=.004, n=32) indicated very strong relationships among these variables.

Conclusions:  Results of this experimental manipulation suggest that Black-oriented media usage may not be a significant determinant of safer-sex attitudes and intentions among Black females. Rather, demographic and psychological factors, including age, contraceptive self-efficacy, sexual attitudes and condom buying attitudes, may play a more critical role. Data revealed strong, correlational relationships between respondents’ age, contraceptive efficacy, condom-buying attitudes and sexual attitudes.

Implications for research and/or practice:  Unlike most other studies, this study sampled a diverse population of Black women. Studies with greater power are needed to further assess whether Black-oriented media play a differential role, compared to White-oriented media, in fostering safer-sex behavioral practices and intentions.