How Perceived Structural Racism and Discrimination and Medical Mistrust in the Health System Influences Participation in HIV Health Services for Black Women Living in the United States South: A Qualitative, Descriptive Study.

There are racial and geographic disparities for HIV in the United States; Black women have nearly 20 times the risk of White women in being infected with HIV, and lifetime HIV risk is greatest for people living in the southern United States. These disparities, layered with the structural racism and discrimination that is more prominent in the south, is a public health issue. The purpose of this article is to share Black women's perspectives of how perceived structural racism and discrimination, and medical mistrust in the health care system contribute to their participation in health services.