Focus on Youth (FOY) with ImPACT

Investigators: Bonita Stanton, MD, PhD, Jennifer Galbraith, PhD, Cherri Gardner, MA, Pam Drake, PhD, James Walker, Scott Martin, Teree Jerome, Suzanne Schrag, Sarah Stevens, Charlene Foster, & the CDC Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention

Focus on Youth with Informed Parents and Children Together (ImPACT) is an HIV, STD and pregnancy prevention intervention for African-American youth ages 12–15. The intervention was updated from Focus on Kids, a community-university linked research and intervention program. The goal of Focus on Youth with ImPACT is to reduce the risk of HIV infection among youth. The researchers, led by principle investigator Bonita Stanton, M.D., worked with community members from recreation centers, housing developments, schools and government agencies in settings throughout the U.S. to reach this goal. The evaluation of the combined Focus on Kids and ImPACT interventions met the necessary criteria for the interventions identified as interventions with best evidence of efficacy by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) HIV/AIDS Prevention Research Synthesis (PRS) Project. Focus on Kids alone was identified as an intervention with promising evidence. This Focus on Youth with ImPACT edition provides updated information and more tools to facilitate implementation and increase the relevance of the program for African-American youth between ages 12 and 15 who are at risk for HIV infection. ImPACT is a 90-minute HIV prevention program for parents of African-American adolescents used in combination with Focus on Youth. ImPACT is delivered to parents/guardians and youth, one family at a time, by a health educator. It consists of basic HIV information, a culturally appropriate video documentary that stresses parental monitoring and communication, a discussion with the health educator, two guided roleplays, a parent/guardian resource guide, and a condom demonstration. It was guided by parental monitoring theory and theory of parenting (passive, authoritarian and authoritative).

PETRA: Promoting Education, Training & Research on AIDS

Investigators: Angela Amarillas Roth, Alana Conner Snibbe, Ralph DiClemente, Diana Dull Akers, & Josefina J. Card

We have translated HIV/AIDS research findings into easy-to-navigate, easy-to-understand online resource modules in order to increase understanding of the social and behavioral aspects of this deadly epidemic. PETRA’s Information Modules include information about HIV/AIDS incidence, prevalence, antecedents, consequences, prevention, and treatment. The PETRA Information Modules are: Module 1: HIV /AIDS: The Epidemic Module 2: Preventing HIV/AIDS Module 3: Living with HIV/AIDS Module 4: Gender, Culture, and HIV/AIDS Each of the four modules contains several chapters. Each chapter, in turn, contains several topic pages. Users can explore modules, chapters, and topic pages in any order that they want. Every module and chapter begins with a helpful introduction, followed by topic pages with pictures, graphs, did-you-know questions, and compelling interactive features. The last topic page for each chapter presents relevant learning activities, assignments, web resources, and readings that allow the user to further explore each chapter’s key themes.

Real Talk

Investigators: Charles Klein & Carmela Lomonaco

Real Talk is an online, multimedia sexual health promotion program for Black Gay Men/MSM. In response to the continued need for evidence-based HIV prevention intervention options for Black MSM, the investigators have developed Real Talk. The 2-hour, interactive intervention is loosely based on a popular trilogy of peer-led, Afrocentric, group level HIV prevention interventions originally developed for adult, teenage, and HIV-positive African-American women – SISTA, SiHLE, and WiLLOW. The programs are part of CDC´s Diffusion of Effective Behavioral Intervention (DEBI) library and focus on risk reduction strategies, skills building, social support and community empowerment using a social cognitive theoretical framework within the context of the intersectionalities experienced by Black women. In adapting the SISTA/SiHLE/WiLLOW trilogy for Black MSM, Real Talk positions HIV prevention within a growing gay health movement that defines sexual health as more than safer sex practices or the absence of disease. Real Talk does this through a focus on Black MSM’s resilience in the face of intersecting forms of discrimination and oppression. And because individuals vary in their ability – and indeed, desire – to engage in consistent condom use, Real Talk is structured around a clearly articulated sexual harm reduction framework that recognizes the many HIV prevention strategies that MSM use today, including serosorting, negotiated safety agreements, and, increasingly for HIV-negative men, Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis [PREP].

Multimedia WiLLOW Training Modules

Investigators: Lucy Baden & Josefina J. Card

These multimedia, interactive training modules will help you train for and implement the intervention Multimedia WiLLOW: HIV Transmission Reduction Among African American Women Living with HIV. Multimedia WILLOW in an interactive computer-based intervention designed for African American women living with HIV that is gender relevant and culturally sensitive, based on the effective group intervention WiLLOW. The intervention incorporates elements of sexual risk reduction to reduce STI/HIV sexual transmission and to enhance psychosocial mediators and structural factors associated with preventive behaviors. The Multimedia WiLLOW training contains 6 modules, and covers important information and skills for administrators and facilitators. The modules contain videos, quizzes, and interactive learning exercises. Over the course of the training, the modules cover topics such as: program background and information; the original implementation(s) of the program; benefits and challenges of computer-delivered interventions; and other uses of the program.

Protect and Respect

Investigators: Michelle Teti, Linda Lloyd, Susan Rubinstein, Lisa Bowleg, Mary Ann Nkansa, Russell Cole, Zekarias Berhane, Erika Aaron, Ann Ricksecker, Marla Gold, Susan Spencer, Rhonda Ferguson, Dianne Rorie

PROTECT AND RESPECT, a clinic-based, behavioral intervention, aims to reduce the sexual transmission of HIV by decreasing high-risk behaviors among women living with HIV/AIDS. The intervention delivers HIV prevention messages in the following three ways: (1) a primary care provider counsels participants during health care visits; (2) an Intervention Specialist leads five group skills building sessions that teach skills to reduce sexual risk behaviors; and (3) Peer Educators conduct weekly discussion groups, which support participants. attempts to implement behaviors learned in the group skills building sessions. The program provider delivers a one-time, brief prevention message lasting 3 . 5 minutes, while the group skills building sessions consist of five 2-hour weekly educational sessions delivered over a 5-week period. The peer-led support groups meet weekly for 1-hour, beginning after the group skills building sessions have concluded, and may extend for as long as the program is in effect. During support group sessions, women are provided with an opportunity to discuss specific topics such as HIV risk reduction strategies, how to disclose, handling stress, or communicating with partners. Click here to view more detailed information on this program.

Voluntary Counseling and Testing for Female Sex Workers (VCT Program)

Investigators: Xiaoming Li, PhD, Bo Wang, PhD, Xiaoyi Fang, PhD, Ran Zhao, MD, Bonita Stanton,MD, Yan Hong, MA, Baiqing Dong, MD, Wei Liu, MD, Yuejiao Zhou, MD, Shaoling Liang, MD, & Hongmei Yang, PhD

The VCT Program aims to increase STI/HIV testing, awareness of infection, STI/HIV knowledge, and consistent use of condoms among female sex workers in China in order to ultimately reduce rates of STI infections. The VCT Program demonstrated increases in knowledge of STI/HIV knowledge and consistent condom use, and decreases in STI incidence. The VCT Program is composed of a pre-test counseling session, STI/HIV testing, and a post-test counseling session. During the first 25-minute VCT counseling session, the counselor works with the participant to: complete a risk assessment; identify challenges related to risk reduction; create a risk reduction plan; and practice condom use skills. After the first counseling session, the participant completes STI/HIV testing. During the 20-minute post-test counseling session, the counselor shares test results and reviews treatment options and risk reduction plans. The VCT Program was originally implemented in a suburban area of Nanning in southern China with female sex workers recruited from entertainment establishments. This program's voluntary counseling and testing content and approach may be useful in increasing testing and safer sex behaviors in many different types of communities and populations. Click here to view more detailed information on this program.

National Sexual Health Survey (NSHS), 1996

Investigators: Center for AIDS Prevention Studies (CAPS); University of California, San Francisco

The National Sexual Health survey (NSHS) obtained a probability sample of all U.S. adults 18 years and older residing in the 48 contiguous states. Among identified eligibles, 77% were interviewed and the overall cooperation rate was 65%. All respondents were interviewed by telephone from June 28,1995 to April 30, 1996 in Spanish or English using procedures to ensure anonymity and privacy and to verify study authenticity. Measures were developed to assess a wide range of HIV-related and human sexuality topics, including, but not limited to: condom attitudes, condom slips and breaks, HIV-related care-giving, HIV-testing and home testing use, STD histories, perceived risk for HIV and other STDs and optimistic bias assessments, extramarital sex, sexual development, sexual abuse and rape, sexual dysfunctions, various psychological scales (sensation-seeking, machismo), family assessments and history, health and demographics, an a detailed assessment was conducted of sexual activities with each of the respondent's sexual partners, and, in addition, demographic, geographic, and HIV/STD risk characteristics of their sexual partners were determined.

The Future is Ours (FIO)

Investigators: Anke A. Ehrhardt, Heidi Arner, Pam Farquhar, Laura Frye, Jeff Natt, Inez Sieben, Imelda Walavalkar, Susie Hoffman, Jessica Adams-Skinner, & Teresa Exner

The Future Is Ours (FIO) is an eight-session HIV prevention intervention delivered to high-risk heterosexual women in a group setting. FIO is guided by three major theories, Modified AIDS Risk Reduction Model (MARRM), Social Learning Theory, and Gender Theory. The goal of FIO is to empower women to reduce unsafe sexual encounters by increasing the use of male and female condoms and alternate protection strategies including sex without penetration, getting tested for HIV jointly with a partner along with mutual monogamy and a safety agreement, deciding to be celibate, and refusing unsafe sex or deciding to not get involved with a partner who will not use condoms. FIO is a gender-specific HIV/STD risk reduction intervention designed for heterosexually active, at-risk women of diverse ethnicities (African-American/Black, Caribbean, Latina, White), ages 18 to 30, who are not injection drug users, are HIV-negative or of unknown status, are not pregnant or trying to become pregnant, and who live in communities where rates of HIV and other STDs are high.

Project SAFE (P-SAFE)

Investigators: Tamara Kuhn, Charles Klein, Alejandra Moreno, and Carmela Lomonaco

Project SAFE is a computer-delivered HIV/STI prevention program specifically designed for Latinas available in both English and Spanish. P-SAFE includes videos of individual women speaking candidly about HIV/STI-related topics in their lives and communities, skills instruction by the health educator, groups of women practicing condom skills, and role-play and novela vignettes demonstrating intervention themes.

Know the Risks/Sexual Health Over 50 (KTR50)

Investigators: Diana Dull Akers & Tamara Kuhn

With funding from the National Institute of Aging, Sociometrics has developed Know the Risks/Sexual Health Over 50 (KTR/50), a computer-based sexual health and HIV/AIDS prevention education application targeting adults aged 50 and older. KTR/50 was designed to help support four HIV prevention goals: To provide age-sensitive, age-targeted HIV/AIDS and sexual health education information to older adults, a population often considered a 'hidden population' in the HIV/AIDS epidemic; To encourage and empower older adults to take a pro-active interest in learning about HIV/AIDS prevention and other sexual health topics; To support and facilitate greater discussion of these topics between health and social service providers and the patients/clients they serve; To disseminate health education content that supports the goal of routine HIV/AIDS risk screening and testing among older adults. KTR/50 is a stand-alone, client-directed application available in both DVD and download formats. It was designed for use in a variety of settings serving adults over 50, including clinic settings (e.g., doctor's offices, hospitals, community based clinics, and HIV/AIDS testing centers) as well as community-based settings that have fruitful opportunities for offering health education resources to older adult clients (e.g., senior centers, community centers, adult residential life communities, etc.) Libraries and other organizations and programs offering health education content may also find this application of value to the clients they serve. Feature 1: KTR/50 Risk SurveyKTR Main Interface KTR/50 offers older adults a voluntary, confidential HIV risk screening survey. The 12-question survey includes 3 demographic questions and 9 HIV risk behavior questions. It should take three to five minutes to complete. The audio-enhanced computer-assisted-survey-interface (CASI) design ensures the survey is simple for those with minimal computer skills. The survey progresses automatically after each answer is selected. Audio options are offered. The KTR/50 introductory tutorial includes support for beginning computer users who may need to brush up on basic navigational instructions prior to taking the survey. Custom Risk Profile After completing the survey, users see a printable one-page Custom Risk Profile on the screen. They have the option to print the profile to take with them or simply view the profile and then exit the program or continue on to the Learning Center. The profile includes a 0-9 risk scoring system with simple scoring feedback, plus a list of recommended Learning Center activities based on their survey answers. Feature 2: Know the Risks/Sexual Health Over 50 Learning CenterSurvey Interface The multimedia Learning Center offers users 13 interactive sexual health and HIV prevention activities specifically designed for adults over 50. Activities range in length from 1-15 minutes (length of activities depends on user pacing and, in many activities, how many topics/features users opt to view). Activities aimed at both general audiences and special focus populations are offered in engaging multimedia formats (videos, games, select-a-topic activities, etc.). All activities are designed with audio narration and have been carefully developed using standards of design for older adults.