Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #105335

Lee M. Kochems, MA¹, Vincent Del Casino, PhD², Jose Luis O. Guzman, CHW¹, Jon P. Mechling, AA¹, and Dennis G. Fisher, PhD¹. (1) Center for Behavioral Research & Services, California State University, Long Beach, 1090 Atlantic Avenue, Long Beach, CA 90813, 562-495-2330, lmkanthroconsult@aol.com, (2) Department of Geography, California State University, Long Beach, 1250 Bellflower Blvd., Long Beach, CA 90840

Background: There has been a dearth of club drug interventions to prevent use, and associated HIV risks, among men-who-have-sex-with-men (MSM) despite increasing use of club drugs. Objective: We present an evidence-based model intervention for a hard-to-reach Gay population designed to: (1) describe the target population's risk; (2) prevent and reduce club drug use; and (3) reduce HIV risk. Methods: Recruitment was through ethnographically driven outreach. Outreach encounters included risk assessments and education. Participants volunteered for a two-part intervention (individual and group) with a three-month follow-up. Qualitative data were collected. A new instrument was used to measure changes in knowledge, attitudes and behavioral intentions (KAB) at pre-test, post-test and follow-up. Findings: 1,352 outreach encounters were completed. Recruitment resulted in 92 hard-to-reach participants: 53 club drug users and 39 at-risk non-users. (Mean age 41; Black 16.67%, White 54.44%, Latino 18.99%, Asian 4.44%, AI/AN 3.33%, Other 2.22%). 37 were retained for a group session. Qualitative data analyses indexed target population risk behaviors and associated achievable drug (22) and sex (21) risk-reduction responses/actions. Conclusions: 1. Ethnographically driven outreach successfully recruited a hard-to-reach population. 2. Project elicited indices of risk behaviors. 3. Counseling assisted participants in implementing and maintaining risk-reduction strategies. 4. The intervention increased knowledge and positively altered attitudes and behavioral intentions among participants. It is easily replicable. 5. The piloted KAB instrument successfully measured changes in knowledge, attitudes and behavioral intentions.

Learning Objectives:

• Audience members will learn recruitment, content and evaluation basics of a replicable, evidence based, club drug prevention/risk-reduction intervention for use with Gay and other MSM who use or are at risk for using club drugs.

Keywords: Substance Abuse Prevention, HIV Interventions

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.