CONCERNS AND DILEMMAS OF HISPANIC AIDS INFORMATION SEEKERS - SPANISH-SPEAKING CALLERS TO THE CDC NATIONAL AIDS HOTLINE

Hispanic communities suffer disproportionately from the impact of huma n immunodeficiency virus infection (HIV). Each year, thousands of Span ish-speaking Hispanics call the Centers for Disease Control and Preven tion National AIDS Hotline to ask questions about HIV. During 1995 alo ne, Spanish line staff answered more than 29,000 calls. This article p resents a profile of callers and their concerns based on a systematic sample of these calls (N = 6,933) and qualitative data. The authors tr iangulated quantitative and qualitative results to provide a deeper un derstanding of the issues and dilemmas discussed with callers. Males a nd females called in equal numbers, but significant gender differences were observed in both situational and content variables. Gender roles , cultural values, and anxiety strongly affect the way that callers ap proach information and prevention. Findings suggest that health educat ors need to carefully examine whether prevention programs will reinfor ce or challenge traditional gender roles, sexual norms, and cultural v alues.