HIV prevention for migrant Latino farmworkers: Adapting an evidence-based intervention

ISSUE: Studies report the prevalence of HIV among U.S. farmworkers ranging from 2.6% to 13%, with most reporting rates at least 10 times higher than the overall U.S. population. Efforts to address HIV risk and injection practices among migrant farmworkers have been largely ineffective and uncoordinated, and are complicated by factors such as: farmworkers' migratory status, fear and avoidance of interactions with non-migrants, education and language barriers, and cultural beliefs and practices. SETTING: National Community Health Partners (NCHP) developed a pilot adaptation of the Safety Counts EBI for migrant farmworkers in Yuma County, AZ. A total of 42 participants were enrolled in the initial research between February - June 2006. DESCRIPTION OF FINDINGS: The mechanics of the adaptation effectively bridged many of the barriers typically associated with HIV prevention in the migrant population, and participants responded positively to the intervention. Key components of the adaptation include: (a) education about risk behaviors: including identification of cultural beliefs, values and practices that increase HIV risk; (b) mode of delivery: “fotonovelas” (comic books) and employment of former migrants as peer educators; (c) venue: meeting locations and service providers chosen by trusted community members and close to agricultural fields; and (d) duration of intervention: abbreviated to accommodate growing seasons and crop movements. The materials that NCHP developed for the Safety Counts Adaptation for Migrant Farmworkers are currently under review by the CDC to be piloted in other migrant farmworker communities in the U.S. as part of the approval process for a proposed DEBI.