Toward a Sociological Understanding of HIV-related Conspiracy Beliefs

• In Event: 390 - Section on Race, Gender and Class Roundtables (one-hour)
  In Refereed Roundtable: Section on Race, Gender and Class Roundtables (one-hour). Table 01. Race, Gender, Class and Health Part I

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to: 1) review the theoretical knowledge on HIV-related conspiracy beliefs/theories 2) critique the dominant public health understanding of conspiracy beliefs as an explanatory factor in health disparities associated with race, particularly among African Americans and with regard to HIV, and 3) build upon the limited extant literature that offers an alternative understanding of CBs among minority populations.

“Conspiracy beliefs” related to HIV/AIDS have been widely cited in the public health literature as a main, if not the key, contributor to HIV (and other health) disparities associated with race in the United States, and is most often framed as a type of medical distrust. This type of medical distrust has been largely attributed to prominent examples of historical injustice within the health arena, as exemplified by the Tuskegee study. The vast majority of the literature suggests CBs have a negative effect on several health behaviors and outcomes related to HIV, including “risk” behaviors, testing, antiretroviral adherence, and engagement in care. Although a widely used phrase in the public health and medical literatures, this paper argues that the term “conspiracy beliefs” is problematic and in need of re-framing in order to reposition how we understand (or perhaps do not understand) racism as a fundamental cause of social and health inequalities. Recommendations for future research include incorporating sociological theory and frameworks in the study of these types of socially unacceptable ideas and beliefs.

Author

• Jessica Jaiswal, Columbia University