241927 HIV-RAAP: A community-academic partnership to develop a coeducational gender and culture sensitive intervention to reduce HIV/AIDS risk behavior among heterosexually active African American men and women

Monday, October 31, 2011: 1:10 PM

Elleen M. Yancey, PhD , Morehouse School of Medicine, Prevention Research Center, Atlanta, GA
     
Background: HIV/AIDS affects Black men and women disproportionately (45% new US infections; men/women rates 115.7, 55.7/1000 respectively). Effective communication and sexual negotiation between Black men and women are critical prevention skills. This HIV/AIDS intervention is a seven session community-based coeducational intervention identifying behavior and belief variables that are significant identified determinants of HIV risk behavior among African-American men and women. The sessions create an environment for African-American men and women to jointly express opinions and thoughts related to HIV/AIDS and to learn ways to reduce risk. Methods: This community-academic partnership developed intervention, utilized CBPR to guide development and implementation of this culture /gender sensitive HIV risk reduction intervention, additionally providing community engaging train-the-trainer opportunities. CBPR steps included community engagement, demographic surveillance identifying 14 target zip codes, survey design/piloting, session development, random intervention/control assignment. The conceptual framework incorporates africentric Nguzo Saba principles and Theory of Gender and Power. Results: Sessions addressed: Culture/gender issues; HIV risk knowledge; Risk reduction intentions; Condom barrier beliefs; Partner conversations about condoms and AIDS; Safer sex peer norms; Celebration of unity and love. Intervention vs control, pre-post intervention p values: Condom Beliefs (.0078), HIV Risk Knowledge (.0129), Personal /Perceived Risk knowledge (.0274), Safer Sex Peer Norms (.0227), Conversations with Sexual Partners (.009).Conclusions/Discussion: African-American men and women are overly burdened with HIV/AIDS with few culture specific coeducational interventions designed to address risk reduction in their communities. The findings of this study increase the science and serve the needs of this at-risk population.

Learning Areas:
Administer health education strategies, interventions and programs
Assessment of individual and community needs for health education
Diversity and culture
Protection of the public in relation to communicable diseases including prevention or control
Public health or related education
Public health or related research

Learning Objectives:
1. List at least three key initial steps to development a successful Community-based Participatory Research (CBPR) community-academic HIV/AIDS risk reduction partnership. 2. Describe at least three measurable variables of a coeducational culture and gender focused intervention that significantly reduce HIV/AIDS risk behavior among heterosexually sexually active African American men and women.

Keywords: African American, HIV Interventions

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am qualified to present because I am academic senior faculty and academic researcher, PI of the research submitted for presentation, and oversee health promotion and disease prevention programs and research.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

See more of: Community-Based Participatory Research and HIV/AIDS
See more of: HIV/AIDS