Creation of the Haitian station on the DivaHealth.org website as a tool to ensure the right to access to health information for young at risk Haitian women: Results of focus groups used to tailor what is available online

From the beginning of the epidemic, Haitians were stigmatized as one of the 4 Hs—along with homosexuals, heroin injectors, and hemophiliacs. The legacy of that stigmatization combined with cultural beliefs and practices drive those with HIV underground, creating a profound HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment challenge. Young Haitian women (ages 18 to 25) and Haitian nurses participated in 4 focus groups online, allowing them to share information about the sexual/HIV knowledge, self-efficacy, at risk status, and attitudes/beliefs of young Haitian women. This paper presents the results of those focus groups, while highlighting how that information was used to create and tailor Haitian station pages on the DivaHealth.org website. The Haitian station has 6 videos available in Creole, as well as another 19 in both English and Creole, in addition to the wealth of information on the original overall website. The goal was to create a place where young Haitian women could gain access to culturally appropriate information, empowering them to resist pressure to have sex with older men, resist exchanging sex for needed resources (i.e. school fees, clothing, to communicate with trusted elders, and to overcome shame/stigma. Another goal was to gather information to support the training of young women in Haiti to become HIV/AIDS prevention peer educators. The modified website also supports and provides materials to Haitian Trainers of peer educators who can download and utilize educational tools available on the website. The result is a model for overcoming borders via the internet to ensure women's right to health.