A survey of 65 ethnically diverse women at 2 outpatient HIV clinics revealed relatively low rates of disclosure of HIV-positive serostatus to extended family members, somewhat higher rates for immediate family members, and highest rates for lovers and friends. Spanish-speaking Latinas were less likely to disclose their serostatus or to discuss HIV-related worries with others than English-speaking Latinas, African Americans, and Anglo Americans. Reasons for disclosure and nondisclosure varied by target. In general, targets reacted positively to disclosure. Implications for clinicians treating women with HIV infection are discussed.

Spanish-speaking Latino men (n = 107) were more likely than English-speaking Latinos (n = 85) and Whites (n = 206) to withhold their HIV-positive serostatus and their gay or bisexual orientation from significant others, especially family members. Similar effects were observed when Latinos were divided by birthplace and when analyses controlled for sociodemographic and medical factors. Reasons for revealing or concealing an HIV diagnosis varied across targets. Although both Latinos and Whites were more likely to withhold their diagnosis from their parents to prevent worrying them than to avoid personal rejection, this tendency was somewhat stronger among Latinos. Our findings suggest that some traditional values may deter Latinos from seeking HIV-related social support in times of need.

The inclusion of adolescents in HIV prevention clinical research has the potential to improve the current understanding of the safety and efficacy of biomedical prevention technologies in younger populations that are at increasing risk of HIV infection. However, there are significant individual, operational, and community-level barriers to engaging adolescents in clinical prevention trials. This paper identifies and addresses individual, operational, and community-level barriers to adolescents' participation in HIV biomedical prevention research. Barriers identified and addressed in the paper include: (1) insufficient understanding of clinic prevention research, (2) self-presentation bias, (3) issues surrounding parental consent, (4) access to clinical trials, (5) mistrust of research, and (6) stigma associated with participation in clinical trials. Examples of programs where adolescents have been successfully engaged in prevention research are highlighted and the lessons learned from these programs indicate that establishing collaborations with key stakeholders in the community are essential for conducting biomedical research with vulnerable populations, including adolescents. Given the importance of understanding young peoples' reactions to, acceptability, and utilization of new biomedical prevention technologies it is imperative that researchers acknowledge and address these barriers to enhance adolescents' participation and retention in HIV biomedical prevention research.

Prisons and prison inmates present important targets for HIV/AIDS prevention interventions. Inmates often have histories of high-risk behavior that place them in danger of contracting HIV/AIDS, and rates of HIV/AIDS tend to be much higher in this population. The goal of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a prison-based HIV/AIDS intervention to change attitudes toward HIV prevention, norms supporting HIV prevention, perceived behavioral control (i.e., self-efficacy) for HIV prevention behaviors, and intentions to engage in HIV prevention behaviors postrelease. The intervention also had the goal of encouraging inmates to become HIV/AIDS peer educators. The intervention appeared most successful at influencing beliefs and behaviors related to peer education and somewhat successful at influencing beliefs and intentions related to condom use. Analyses also showed some significant differences in effectiveness by race/ethnicity. Results are discussed from the perspectives of both research and practice with regard to prison-based HIV prevention efforts.