Increasing safer sex behaviors and voluntary HIV testing among Latina mothers and teen daughters: Pilot findings from Hablando Claro family-based HIV prevention intervention

Background: Latinas and youth in the US increasingly comprise larger proportions of HIV incidence. Culturally tailored family and gender-based interventions emphasizing familismo and collectivism are promising approaches to HIV prevention among Latinas yet an evidence-based intervention (EBI) is currently unavailable. Hablando Claro, a culturally adapted intervention of an EBI, is a family-based HIV prevention intervention with goals of increasing sexual knowledge, developing safer sex skills, and increasing voluntary HIV testing among intergenerational Latina family dyads. Methods: Spanish-speaking Latina immigrants with teen daughters (12-18 years) living in select communities of Los Angeles, California, were eligible for and recruited by promotoras for participation. The pilot used a one group pretest/posttest study design. The intervention consisted of two 4-hour charlas (educational sessions) with joint and generation-specific sessions facilitated by age-matched promotoras. Participant data were collected at pre-charla, immediate post-charla and 3-month follow-up; information included sexual knowledge and sexual and HIV testing behaviors. Results: A total of 396 Latinas (171 adults, 225 youth) participated in the charlas and completed pre-and post-charla surveys. Majority of the participants (n=360; 91%) completed a 3-month follow-up survey. Increases in HIV knowledge, intergenerational communication, safer sex behaviors and HIV testing behaviors as well as generational differences were observed at follow-up. Conclusions: The Hablando Claro intervention showed short-term promise in preventing HIV among a sample of Latina family dyads and potential impact of greater family involvement and a familistic intervention design on Latina HIV/AIDS prevention. Future directions include using an experimental design and involving male sexual partners in the intervention.