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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

John F. Faber, PhD, LSW, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, 3520 Fifth Avenue, Suite 400, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, 412.383.1777, faber@pitt.edu

Half of all new HIV infections in the United States are among individuals under the age of 25. At greatest risk are young men who have sex with men, and young African American and young Latino individuals who, according to the CDC, should participate in HIV prevention planning for these target populations. This session will present an overview of Decisions For Life, a unique and comprehensive HIV risk reduction intervention designed by a diverse group of young people in collaboration with University of Pittsburgh researchers, Pennsylvania Department of Health staff, and statewide HIV prevention community planning group members. Decisions For Life (DFL) is a ten-session (40-hour) behavioral intervention, rooted in HIV prevention science and comprised of five learning modules: HIV Transmission; HIV Risk Reduction Skills and Strategies; HIV Counseling & Testing and Treatment; Social Norms, Personal Values and HIV Risk Reduction Decision-Making; and Communication Skills and HIV Risk Reduction Decision-Making. Unlike other interventions that target specific populations and must be "tailored" and "adapted" for others, DFL can be implemented among all populations, as the intervention has been carefully designed to target risk behaviors and not risk groups. Decisions For Life is being piloted throughout Pennsylvania during 2006-2007 among targeted groups of high-risk young people.

Learning Objectives: Through this presentation, participants will be able to

• identify an HIV risk reduction intervention designed by and for diverse groups sexually-active young people;
• discuss the self-identified HIV prevention needs of sexually-active young people;
• identify essential principles of HIV risk reduction as prescribed by high-risk young people;
• discuss the skills identified by young people as essential for effective HIV risk reduction;
• assess the degree to which existing interventions incorporate the essential HIV risk reduction needs of sexually-active young people; and
• access information about an effective model of participatory planning with a diverse group of high-risk young people, ages 13-24.

Keywords: Participatory Research, Youth

Related Web page: www.stophiv.com

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered