Abstract #105566

Jeff Natter, MPH, HIV/AIDS Programs, Public Health - Seattle & King County, 400 Yesler Way, Suite 300, Seattle, WA 98104, 206-205-5506, jeff.natter@metrokc.gov

Based on CDC mandates, HIV+ persons have been identified as the highest ranked population for community planning bodies' prioritization processes. Decisions about prevention interventions for and with Persons Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWH) have rarely taken into account knowledge, attitudes, behaviors and beliefs of PLWH themselves. “Prevention Project 2004” is a needs assessment project that interviewed 270 PLWH in Seattle/King County to determine what types of personal risk reduction activities they have adopted, what types of interventions and messages they felt would be most effective among their peers, and in what form these interventions should be presented. Data reveal that: • Many commonly held assumptions about the attitudes and beliefs among King County PLWH about prevention interventions and messages are incorrect; • PLWH expressed relatively high degrees of comfort in talking to a wide range of service providers about sexual and drug use risk reduction; • Intensive interpersonal prevention programs, such as prevention case management and support groups, rated far higher on the list of helpful interventions than more general interventions, such as community outreach and media campaigns; • Responsibility-based prevention messages are more likely to be well-received than had been previously acknowledged. Information gathered from this project has been used to influence funding decisions and the development of new intervention strategies. In particular, data on specific sub-populations of PWLH (MSM, MSM/IDU, heterosexual IDU, and racial/ethnic populations) reveal distinct differences in the ways in which interventions should be tailored.

Learning Objectives: At the end of the presentation, participants will be able to

• Identify outcomes related to Seattle/King County's "Prevention Project 2004," a needs assessment interview project of PLWH knowledge, attitudes, behaviors and beliefs related to HIV prevention interventions
• Apply methodology used in "Prevention Project 2004" to effectively conduct interview research with PLWH on HIV prevention interventions
• Identify ways in which PLWH opinions and attitudes can be used to prioritize and develop future interventions

Keywords: Needs Assessment, 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.