Date of Award
2008
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
Philosophy
First Advisor
Mark A. Krain, PhD
Abstract
HIV/AIDS is rising among people age 50 and older in the U.S. but primary care physicians may not be talking to their older patients about sexual health and high-risk sexual behaviors nor routinely testing them for HIV/AIDS. Do primary care physicians in Arkansas obtain sexual histories on their older patients? Are primary care physicians in Arkansas knowledgeable enough about HIV to impart risk-reduction information to their older patients? These are but two of the questions this research seeks to answer. Contrary to what the medical or general population believes, many older persons remain sexually active throughout their lifetime. The problem is that older persons do not consistently practice safe sex, and many older women particularly older African American women, have difficulty negotiating safe sex with their partners or inquiring about their sexual histories. Therefore, they remain at risk for HIV/AIDS. Primary care physicians have been recognized as gatekeepers of healthcare, therefore they are in a prime position to educate, inform and test their older patients for HIV/AIDS. The question is—are they doing it? *Funded in part through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) grant PA 04012 administered by the Arkansas Department of Health HIV/AIDS Surveillance Division.
Recommended Citation
Gibson, Regina Vaughn, "Physicians' communication with older patients, particularly older African American women, about sexual health and sexual risk behaviors for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS)*" (2008). Theses and Dissertations. 113.
https://research.ualr.edu/etd/113
