International Journal of Linguistics & Communication

African American Family Communication and Its Impact on HIV/AIDS Prevention
Chelsea G. Mays-Williams, Adrian Krishnasamy

Abstract
This study examines family communication, African Americans and HIV/AIDS prevention. It is essential to find new preventative measure to suppress HIV rates in African American communities. By assessing the communication orientation(s) that work best when providing sex education to teenagers it can establish a foundation for further research on communication about sex education, HIV and STD prevention. By using semi-structured interviews with open-ended questions made interviewing more informal and easy for participants to divulge specific information. Participants were African American men and women, between the age of 18-25, residing in Southern Maryland and had a younger sibling. With the use of spiral of silence theory the study found that mass opinion given by the black church of abstinence and the lack of education on HIV/AIDS prevention due to biblical text has created a moral divide for those within the congregation that would like to speak out for preventative provisions.

Full Text: PDF     DOI: 10.15640/ijlc.v5n2a1