Adolescents are one of the highest risk groups for HIV, but they often don’t want to talk about it. They also don’t want to get tested—of 40% of high school students who had had intercourse, only 10% had been tested, according to a CDC study.
Are online forums the solution? They offer anonymity along with information, and many adolescents—if not most—are used to getting information from social media. Researchers from University of California in Davis, say there’s a real need for a reliable source of advice on the subject for that audience. Most online forums for adolescent message boards and websites revolve around pregnancy and birth control rather than STDs.
The researchers noted that higher levels of stigma surrounding HIV correlate with lower levels of HIV testing. Even the testing is stigmatized, because many people feel just getting the test creates the impression that they are promiscuous, for instance. They also fear what the test may tell them and that it might be used against them in employment or health insurance.
The researchers analyzed 201 threads and 319 posts. Among 7 forums, 2 (POZ, MedHelp) were monitored by counselors, and 4 (DailyStrength, eHealth Forum, HealingWell, and HealthBoards) were monitored by members. One (The Body) was monitored by counselors and members.
In 13 threads, users displayed a “self-stigmatizing attitude” toward HIV testing, mainly because of the fear of being diagnosed. Others feared losing employment or having relationships affected. Notably, no adolescents asked about HIV testing in the forums targeted at their age groups. It is important to increase the visibility of HIV-related resources in adolescents’ forums, the researchers say; the lack of available information online may “perpetuate the taboo among this population by conveying a deeper stigma toward HIV.”
The study showed that the level of stigmatization differed significantly based on who monitored the session: The threads maintained by members had fewer stigmatized posts. The researchers suggest that if health care professionals get more involved by collaborating with forums to provide more content and framing HIV testing as a regular preventive checkup, they may reduce the stigma. Health care professionals also may be able to identify those who suspect they have HIV and encourage them to get tested. Health care professionals also can initiate threads that invite open discussion of HIV-related topics in sexual education forums devoted to adolescents. The researchers say breaking the online silence will lead more people to timely testing.
Source:
Ho CL, Pan W, Taylor LD. J Psychosoc Nurs Ment Health Serv. 2017;55(12):34-43.
doi: 10.3928/02793695-20170905-01.