A Longitudinal Study on the Influence of Sibling Support and HIV Testing Among Black Youth

Background: Healthy familial relationships have been noted as protective against HIV infection among the Black youth. Previous studies have indicated that sibling relationships are important over the life course and may have a significant influence on health behaviors and health promotion. However, the specific interaction between sibling relationships, HIV prevention, and HIV testing is underexplored. This longitudinal study aims to examine the role of sibling relationships, healthcare providers, and other contextual factors on HIV testing. Methods: This study was conducted via the secondary analysis of data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health evaluating the health of adolescents. The analysis included Black youth from Wave 1 and 3 (N = 509) with a mean age of 16 years. A multinomial analysis evaluated the association of sibling relationships on HIV testing. Results: In Wave 1, youth who reported having love for their sibling were 1.90 (p <.001) times more likely to test for HIV infection than those who reported no love for their sibling. In Wave 1 and 3, the youth who reported no sibling support was 89% (p <.001) less likely to get tested for HIV more than once. Conclusion: This study’s findings show that sibling relationships have a significant positive influence on HIV testing among Black youth, and they are a protective factor against HIV transmission. These findings are essential in structuring HIV testing programs and interventions tailored to Black youth.