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Journal of Urban Health : Bulletin of the New York Academy of Medicine logoLink to Journal of Urban Health : Bulletin of the New York Academy of Medicine
. 2001 Mar;78(1):162–175. doi: 10.1093/jurban/78.1.162

Ourselves, our bodies, our realities: An HIV prevention intervention for women with severe mental illness

Pamela Y Collins 1,2,✉, Pamela A Geller 3, Sutherland Miller 4, Patricia Toro 5, Ezra S Susser 1,2
PMCID: PMC3456203  PMID: 11368195

Abstract

This paper describes a 10-session behavioral intervention introducing female-initiated methods of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevention to reduce vulnerability to HIV infection for women with severe mental illness. In a pilot test of the intervention, 35 women were randomly placed in the experimental intervention group or an HIV education control. Subjective norms, intentions to use, perceived efficacy, and attitudes toward the male condom, female condom, and a microbicide were assessed at baseline, postintervention, and 6-week follow-up. The participants in the treatment group reported a significantly more positive attitude toward the use of female condoms (t = −2.12, P <.05) at 6-week follow-up. Providing women with severe mental illness with choices o f protective methods and the knowledge and skills to ensure proper use are among the many crucial ingredients in prevention of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.

Keywords: HIV/AIDS, Prevention, Severe Mental Illness, Sexuality, Women

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Footnotes

This study was conducted with support from the National Institute of Mental Health (training grant 5-T32-MH19126, R01 MH58917, and K01MH01691), the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (033352), and a New York State Psychiatric Institute research study grant.

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