Creating STI/HIV Education Games for African American Church Youth and Adults

Disproportionate rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and HIV among African American youth and adults continue to be a major public health concern. As more innovative, community-based STI/HIV intervention strategies continue to emerge, more consideration is being given to how entertainment education and group games can be used to increase awareness about how STIs and HIV in minority communities. Interactive educational activities are also being considered to assist in motivating youth and adults to delay sexual activity or to adopt safer sex practices. Findings from focus groups with local church leaders participating in the Taking It to the Pews project, an African American church-based HIV education and screening intervention, indicated that more educational, interactive activities for youth and adults were needed. In response to these comments, several educational games were developed for use with youth and adults in African American church settings. These games include HIV Youth Jeopardy, an HIV 101 Jeopardy, an HIV Testing Jeopardy, HIV Wheel of Awareness, and an HIV Transmission game (Hugs and Kisses). The HIV Jeopardy games have been created for use in an electronic format and in a game board format. The games have been tested for feasibility with church youth and adult groups in various settings, including church-wide congregations during regular Sunday morning services, smaller ministry group meetings, and larger church-community events. We will describe how the games have been used with youth and adults in these church settings. We will also describe how healthcare professionals from African American churches have assisted in facilitating the HIV education games.