Child and adolescent HIV risk: familial and cultural perspectives

The authors' goal is to review and integrate theory and research focused on the impact of the family, within a cultural perspective, on HIV prevention in childhood and adolescence. Families' impact on adolescents' HIV risk and prevention is examined through the lens of culture, focusing on the individual adolescent factors and family-level influences that converge to determine adolescents' HIV risk status. Family-based risk and health socialization during childhood and adolescence is theoretically and empirically evaluated, from developmental, cultural, and communication perspectives. The influence of families on adolescents' HIV knowledge, risk, and prevention strategies is explored from a developmental perspective. Finally, a future research agenda, focused on remaining issues that affect the ability to understand and modify HIV risk in adolescence, is outlined.