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. 2000 Jan;90(1):57–63. doi: 10.2105/ajph.90.1.57

Outcomes of a randomized community-level HIV prevention intervention for women living in 18 low-income housing developments.

K J Sikkema 1, J A Kelly 1, R A Winett 1, L J Solomon 1, V A Cargill 1, R A Roffman 1, T L McAuliffe 1, T G Heckman 1, E A Anderson 1, D A Wagstaff 1, A D Norman 1, M J Perry 1, D A Crumble 1, M B Mercer 1
PMCID: PMC1446110  PMID: 10630138

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: Women in impoverished inner-city neighborhoods are at high risk for contracting HIV. A randomized, multisite community-level HIV prevention trial was undertaken with women living in 18 low-income housing developments in 5 US cities. METHODS: Baseline and 12-month follow-up population risk characteristics were assessed by surveying 690 women at both time points. In the 9 intervention condition housing developments, a community-level intervention was undertaken that included HIV risk reduction workshops and community HIV prevention events implemented by women who were popular opinion leaders among their peers. RESULTS: The proportion of women in the intervention developments who had any unprotected intercourse in the past 2 months declined from 50% to 37.6%, and the percentage of women's acts of intercourse protected by condoms increased from 30.2% to 47.2%. Among women exposed to intervention activities, the mean frequency of unprotected acts of intercourse in the past 2 months tended to be lower at follow-up (mean = 4.0) than at baseline (mean = 6.0). These changes were corroborated by changes in other risk indicators. CONCLUSIONS: Community-level interventions that involve and engage women in neighborhood-based HIV prevention activities can bring about reductions in high-risk sexual behaviors.

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Selected References

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