The HIV epidemic among African-American women in the southeastern region of the United States is driven primarily by crack use and the accompanying high-risk sexual behaviors. This presentation compares the effects on crack use and sexual behavior of a woman-focused Afro-centric intervention to a standard intervention and a delayed treatment control group. A total of 378 out-of-treatment crack-using African-American women in North Carolina participated in a randomized field experiment and completed interviews at baseline and three months later. All 3 groups reported statistically significant reductions in crack use between their baseline and follow-up interviews. The woman-focused group reported significantly larger reductions in crack use than the control group, but the difference between the woman-focused and standard groups was not statistically significant. All three groups also reported statistically significant decreases in the frequency of unprotected vaginal sex between their baseline and follow-up interviews; however, there were no significant differences among the groups. Although the woman-focused group was the only group to report significant decreases in the number of sexual partners between their baseline and follow-up interviews, the change did not differ significantly from the other two groups. All three groups also reported significant reductions in the frequency of trading sex for money and drugs between their baseline and follow-up interviews, but there were no significant differences among the groups. All three groups reported decreases in drug use and risky sexual behavior, but differences between them will be reviewed.
Learning Objectives: 1. Participants will gain an appreciation for cultural and gender-specific interventions through an in-depth discussion on the NC Women CoOp's woman-focused Afro-centric intervention. 2. Participants will learn the important implications of a comprehensive approach to HIV interventions that include a cultural and gender empowerment component.
Keywords: Sexual Risk Behavior, African American
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.