Deaf women and HIV/AIDS: An assessment of communication barriers potentially impeding access to HIV/AIDS prevention

The American Deaf community is believed to be at least eight years behind the U.S. hearing population with regards to HIV/AIDS awareness and knowledge. This thesis examines how this knowledge gap is rooted in communication barriers existing between the Deaf community and the mainstream hearing culture. Not only is HIV/AIDS audio and visual information (via radio and television) for the most part inaccessible to the Deaf population, but English is learned as a second language for an estimated 75% of this group. On average, deaf adults are thought to attain between 4th and 5th grade English reading and comprehension levels; most HIV/AIDS educational materials are written at 6th to 7th grade reading levels. The research presented here explores how these types of barriers in combination with low self-esteem, and relatively high rates of substance abuse and victimization through sexual abuse and violence associated with the U.S. Deaf community, are believed to increase HIV infection risks among this group. Further, these conditions coupled with biological and social factors that increase women's susceptibility for infection, likely render young deaf women at high risk for HIV infection relative to their hearing counterparts, as well as to young deaf men. The thesis concludes with an identification and discussion of HIV prevention barriers for young deaf women (ages 13-24 years) in the United States and situates them in current research in this field. Areas in which prevention for this group might be improved are proposed.