A Model Using Message Music for HIV/AIDS Prevention Counseling with African American Adolescents and Young Adults

Currently little attention has been directed to constructively develop new and innovative ways to promote HIV/AIDS primary prevention among African American Adolescents (AAA) and young adults. With this in mind, the aim of this conceptual effort is to present a HIV/AIDS preventive counseling protocol developed for use with AAAs that make use of Message Music. Evaluate that an increased understanding of the relationships many AAAs will have with Message Music, will be used by disease prevention personnel to educate the populations about protective factors for HIV. The Next Level (TNL) takes place in the DMV with marked health disparities. The program arose from a 5-year partnership between HIV Programs and Agencies.  Community and Agency partners collaborated over 25 months to develop research infrastructure, intervention materials and methods, and assessment instruments. Strategies directed at HIV prevention have failed to reduce the rate of infection among AAAs; primary prevention remains the only viable weapon against this epidemic. A comparative study was conducted to determine if Message Music, as a conveyer of HIV prevention, would be more effective than traditional didactic teaching methods in increasing perceptions of HIV risk behaviors, motivation to engage in HIV preventive behaviors, and favorable attitudes toward abstinence among AAAs. Strengthened Community and Agency partnerships, development of a randomized controlled design to test the intervention's efficacy, an interactive PowerPoint presentation, the certification of 10 lay health advisors and 12 advocates, and an assessment tool are project development outcomes. The overall implications of using Message Music health promotion are unlimited.