Adapting the SISTA/SIHLE/WILLOW HIV Prevention Trilogy for Black Men Who Have Sex

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Black men who have sex with men (MSM) have been disproportionately affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the United States. Yet, there are very few scientifically demonstrated effective HIV prevention interventions targeting Black MSM. This SBIR Phase I project will address this gap by creating an adaptation kit to support the delivery of the popular SISTA/SIHLE/WILLOW HIV prevention suite with Black MSM. Product development will occur through a participatory research process with two community-based organizations with long histories of providing HIV prevention services to Black MSM. The project will lay the foundation for the development of an innovative modular adaptation kit in which each activity module will be presented in multiple delivery formats (e.g., face-to-face, multimedia, online) and with different versions specifically tailored to sub- populations of Black MSM. In this way, HIV prevention providers will be able to select from activity versions that match their clients' needs, thereby minimizing adaptation costs and reducing the likelihood of straying from the proven intervention's underlying logic and core elements. The final deliverables of the Phase I project will be a complete set of adapted activity modules for a two to hour session from the SISTA/SIHLE/WILLOW suite and a detailed outline for the entire adaptation kit to be developed in Phase II. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Black men who have sex with men (MSM) have been disproportionately affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the United States. Yet, there are very few scientifically demonstrated effective HIV prevention interventions targeting Black MSM. This project will address this gap by creating an adaptation kit to support the delivery of the popular SISTA/SIHLE/WILLOW HIV prevention suite with Black MSM. The project will develop an innovative modular adaptation kit in which each activity module will be presented in multiple delivery formats (e.g., face-to-face, multimedia, online) and with different versions specifically tailored to sub-populations of Black MSM. In this way, HIV prevention provider will be able to select from activity versions that match their clients' needs, thereby minimizing adaptation costs and reducing the likelihood of straying from the proven intervention's underlying logic and core elements. This user-friendly and cost-effective modular approach provides a model that can be applied to program adaptation kits for a wide range of public health issues. The project will also generate extensive process data that will illuminate the possibilities and challenges of balancing program fidelity and meeting client and organizational needs in program adaptation on the frontline.