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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Maria Madison, ScD¹, Linda H. Scruggs², and Candy Magana¹. (1) Abt Associates Clinical Trials, Abt Associates Inc., 181 Spring St., Lexington, MA 02421, (2) AIDS Alliance for Children, Youth & Families, Chair, Acting Director of Programs, 1600 K. Street NW., Suite 200, Washington, DC 20006, 202 785 3564 x 15, lscruggs@aids-alliance.org

Workshop Significance: Black women account for the highest incidence of HIV infections among US Women and are most likely to be infected with HIV through heterosexual contact. Among men, sixty percent of new HIV infections occur through men who have sex with men. {Per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. HIV/AIDS Update: A Glance at the HIV Epidemic. June 2004. } Various organizations have attempted to address these trends through secular and special interest fora and trainings over the years. Despite these efforts, necessary skills in talking about sex are often limited due to personal discomfort, and limited knowledge of differing sexuality, sexual practices and viewpoints. To promote HIV prevention and provide effective HIV counseling, individuals must understand their own attitudes, values and beliefs regarding sexuality. Objective/Purpose: The goal of this workshop is to increase awareness/dialogue around women's sexuality rights and HIV prevention. We all come from diverse communities and have different expectations around each other's sexual rights. This workshop assists participants to recognize their own sexual knowledge, attitudes and behaviors and how these attributes affect the rights of our partners, friends, families, and communities. Methods: The Workshop includes interactive activities aimed at opening dialogue around sexuality, allowing participants to explore how they react to questions that might challenge their personal values (including a case scenario/role play of a wife who discovers that her husband has sexual relations with friends in a small group of men. One of the men in this group becomes HIV positive).

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant will be able to

• Recognize and acknowledge their own attitudes, values and cultural beliefs regarding human relationships and sexuality.
• Promote increased comfort in addressing various human relationships and sexuality.
• List tools for framing and exploring sensitive issues around “coupling- sexuality” (and HIV/AIDS risks).
• Demonstrate skill in promoting effective assessment, interviewing, and intervention strategies with partners, family members, friends, clients, or consumers (as it relates to sexuality, coupling discourse, and HIV/AIDS).

Keywords: HIV/AIDS, Sex

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered