243655 Laying the Groundwork for HIV Prevention: Understanding and Describing the Los Angeles House and Ball Communities

Tuesday, November 1, 2011: 1:30 PM

Katrina Kubicek, PhDc , Division of Research on Children, Youth and Families, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
Jocelyn Supan, MPH , Community, Health Outcomes, and Intervention Research Program, The Saban Research Institute, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
George Weiss , Community, Health Outcomes, and Intervention Research Program, The Saban Research Institute, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
Michele D. Kipke, PhD , Community, Health Outcomes, and Intervention Research Program, The Saban Research Institute, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
Sheree M. Schrager, PhD , Community, Health Outcomes, and Intervention Research Program, The Saban Research Institute, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
Background: African American young men who have sex with men (AAYMSM) represent the largest proportion of new infections among MSM. While evidence-based interventions are lacking, all too often HIV inteventions are implemented in a community without thoroughly understanding its needs, risks and assests. AAYMSM are not homogenous; subgroups exist that may require different methods/theoretical approaches to be effective. The House and Ball communities represent one such subgroup. Methods: A community-engaged, mixed-methods approach was used. Participant observations, qualitative interviews with House leaders (N=26), and a survey at House/Ball events (N=263) were completed. Results: Quantitative data broadly describe the community. For example: 69% of survey respondents identify as gay; 25% as bisexual (42% report attraction to men and women); 13% reported recent use of ecstasy (compared to 7% of a similarly-aged non-Ball AAYMSM sample), 11% recently participated in sex exchange (compared to 4% of non-Ball sample); 16% carried a weapon and 31% reported being in a physical fight in the last 3 months. The depth of qualitative data is key for intervention development. For example, community assets were identified (e.g., “family” support, recognition, validation, safe space to be “themselves”). Challenges/needs were also identified (e.g., maintaining intimate relationships, discrimination from non-Ball AAYMSM, perceptions of Ball scene as “messy”). Conclusions: This kind of rigorous study is recommended prior to implementing an intervention. A mixed-methods design allows us to fully understand a community and develop appropriate interventions. Findings are discussed in relation to leveraging the communities' supportive aspects to design culturally relevant HIV prevention programs.

Learning Areas:
Diversity and culture
Public health or related research
Social and behavioral sciences

Learning Objectives:
Describe an active House and Ball community Identify HIV prevention targets

Keywords: HIV Risk Behavior, HIV Risk Behavior

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am the project mananger and ethnographer for the study.
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.