Implementing and adapting a community level HIV prevention intervention

Issues: Current surveillance trends show that Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) prevention for young Black and Latino men who have sex with men (MSM) must remain a priority. To more effectively meet these prevention needs, in 2006 CDC funded 12 community-based organizations (CBOs) to implement the Mpowerment Project, a community-level, evidence-based, HIV prevention intervention for young gay and bisexual men. The intervention contains multiple core elements derived from research and theory. Description: We used qualitative methods to collect data about the CBOs, program participants, and Mpowerment intervention adaptation and implementation. A site visit was made to each CBO to collect data and observe programmatic activities when possible. Data were analyzed using an iterative inductive process. Lessons Learned: Each CBO was able to implement Mpowerment, but challenges were identified challenges which ranged from inadequate project space to complete omission of a core element of the intervention. CBOs often adapted core elements to meet the needs of their program participants and CBO contexts. Most of these modifications were creative and beneficial, but others threatened the integrity of the original intervention model such as elimination of the publicity campaign. Recommendations: We present several recommendations for addressing challenges CBOs may face when implementing the MP. These include programmatic issues as well as personnel/staffing issues. These and other recommendations will be presented.