Community education and capacity building for sexual violence, HIV/AIDS, STD awareness in urban Native American communities

Background/Significance: American Indian/Alaskan Native (AI/AN) women experience higher levels of sexual violence than women of other races in the United States. Victims of sexual violence are at increased risk for sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV. In many urban areas, AI/ANs are not involved in the overall planning for sexual violence and HIV/STD prevention and care. Initiatives that build capacity and support sexual violence and HIV/STD prevention programs are desperately needed for urban Native American communities. Objective/Purpose: An AI/AN urban community health center explored best practices to develop agency capacity for implementing a successful, culturally-relevant sexual violence/HIV/STD community prevention program. Methods: Agency staff conducted activities including literature reviews, surveys of community members, and participation in coalition and committee meetings in order to develop the best methods for building a sustainable and successful sexual violence/HIV/STD program. Results: The agency improved its capacity to deliver sexual violence/HIV/STD community education by examining the factors that put urban Native American communities at risk for sexual violence/HIV/STDs; examining the perception of sexual violence/HIV/STD in the community; and identifying human, financial, and cultural resources to build and sustain a prevention program. Due to outreach efforts, more than 100 individuals have been tested for HIV. The agency used multiple methods of reaching the community, including events, websites and a youth peer education program.

Discussion/Conclusions: For agencies to build successful community education programs, they must examine the factors that influence sexual violence/HIV/STD in the target community and work with local groups to tap into resources and plan for sustainability.