Computer-Based HIV Prevention for African-American Women

PROJECT SUMMARY: While the overall HIV infection rates in the US have been remained relatively constant, disparities in rates between Whites and members of other racial/ethnic groups continue to grow. Several behavioral prevention interventions tailored for African-Americans have shown efficacy in reducing sexual risk behaviors. However, their successful replication has been hampered by cost, implementation difficulties, and participant retention issues. The proposed project seeks to address these barriers to reducing HIV/AIDS rates by developing and empirically validating research-based, computerized versions of efficacious in-person HIV programs for African-American females, and making these computerized programs accessible to service provision agencies at low cost via CD-ROM and the Internet. Specific objectives include: (1) to increase service agencies' ability to implement efficacious HIV interventions with fidelity; (2) to increase African-American females' participation in efficacious HIV interventions; and (3) to ultimately, to reduce sexual risk behaviors and HIV infection rates among African-American females. In Phase I we will: (a) develop a computer-based version of SiSTA, an in-person, group-administered HIV prevention program for young African-American women that has demonstrated efficacy in reducing sexual risk behavior; and (b) validate computer-based SiSTA ("Digitized SiSTA") through a randomized controlled trial in which Digitized SiSTA's effects are compared to those of group-administered SiSTA ("Group SiSTA"). Digitized SiSTA will be developed in collaboration with Group SiSTA's developers, who will be project Co-Investigators, and it will be informed by focus groups and pilot testing with the target population. If Phase I is successful, in Phase II we will develop and validate computer-based versions of other efficacious group programs for African-American females. RELEVANCE: The proposed research will make proven-effective HIV prevention programs for African-American women available to health service organizations at low cost and will facilitate their cost-effective implementation. It will also promote community members' participation in the interventios by permitting sensitive topics to be addressed privately (i.e., one-on-one with the computer) and according to a flexible schedule. Ultimately, it will help to reduce sexual risk-taking behavior and HIV infection rates among African-American girls and women, who are disproportionately affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic.