Readable HIV Prevention Materials for Low-Literacy Women

This project will develop readable materials for HIV prevention education in low-literacy women of childbearing age. The goal is to produce a range of materials for women of varying literacy. Phase I will assess the need for low-literacy materials in women attending family planning clinics in Virginia. This phase will collect existing materials, analyze their content and readability, review existing literature on the efficacy of written materials in HIV prevention, convene focus groups of women attending family planning clinics, interview staff of the clinics, and interview experts in health education and family planning about the efficacy of written materials. Phase II will develop the materials, assess their comprehension through an experimental design, and evaluate their impact and acceptability by comparing clinics using new materials to clinics serving as controls. The hypothesis is that materials created using this methodology lead to greater comprehension and potential for behavior change that will lower the risk of HIV infection. The commercial application of the investigators' work is direct; at least one state is prepared to adopt materials of proven effectiveness for this population. Marketing will be directed to other Departments of Health and to other entities serving women of childbearing age.