Empowering African American Female College Students to Prevent HIV Infection

African American women, including young women 18-24 years of age, are at a persistent high risk for HIV infection and other sexually transmitted diseases. African American women suffer a disproportionate rate of HIV infection and AIDS. They accounted for 66% of HIV/AIDS diagnosis in 2005 while white females accounted for 17%. Yet, African American women constituted 13% of the United State female population and whites constituted 66% of the female population. This presentation will provide an overview of factors that put African American female college students at risk for HIV infection. Secondly, the presentation will describe a project that was designed to prevent the transmission of HIV among female students 18-24 years of age at a Historically Black University using SISTA HIV Intervention. SISTA is a peer-led, skill-building intervention to prevent HIV infection among African-American women. SISTA is guided by two theories: social cognitive theory and theory of gender and power. The intervention consists of five weekly two-hour sessions that cover the following topics: Ethnic/Gender Pride, HIV/AIDS Education, Assertiveness Skills Training, Behavioral Self-Management, and Coping Skills. Research findings reported an increase in consistent condom use, greater sexual self-control, greater sexual assertiveness, and reported an increase in partner norms supportive of safer sex.