Susie Hoffman ^1*, Sharlene T. Beckford Jarrett ², Elizabeth A. Kelvin ³, Scyatta A. Wallace ⁴, Michael Augenbraun ⁵, Matthew Hogben ⁶, Nicole Liddon ⁶, William M. McCormack ⁵, Steve Rubin ⁷, Tracey E. Wilson ⁴

¹ HIV Center for Clinical and Behavioral Studies at NYS Psychiatric Institute & Columbia University
² National HIV/STI Prevention & Control Program, Ministry of Health, Kingston, Jamaica West Indies
³ Department of Epidemiology, Joseph L. Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York
⁴ Department of Preventive Medicine and Community Health, SUNY Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY
⁵ Infectious Diseases Division, Department of Medicine, SUNY Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY
⁶ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Ga
⁷ NYC Department of Health, Bureau of STD Control and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: hoffman{at}pi.cpmc.columbia.edu.

	Abstract

Objectives. We compared Black West Indian immigrants’ and US-born Blacks’ sexual and drug-use risk behaviors and their beliefs related to using condoms and informing partners of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) to identify possible differences in risk.

Methods. We drew data from the baseline assessment of a clinic-based intervention designed to increase partner STI notification.

Results. Black West Indian men were less likely than were US-born Black men to report nonregular partners. There were no differences in condom use. US-born Black women were more likely than were Black West Indian women to be extremely confident that they could convince their regular partners to use condoms (odds ratio [OR]=2.40; 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.21, 4.76), whereas there were no differences between Black West Indian and US-born Black men on this measure (interaction P =.06). US-born Black women were more likely than were Black West Indian women to be extremely confident in their ability to discuss STI screening with their regular partners (OR=1.89; 95% CI=1.03, 3.47).

Conclusions. Black West Indian women’s lower levels of confidence that they can discuss STI screening with their regular partners and convince these partners to use condoms may increase their infection risk. Gender-sensitive interventions are warranted for Black West Indian immigrants, especially women.

Key Words: Gender, HIV/AIDS, Immigration, African Americans/Blacks, Sexual Health, Substance Abuse