Outcomes of a randomized community-level HIV prevention intervention for women living in 18 low-income housing developments.
OBJECTIVE
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.
Sikkema
K J
KJ
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, USA. kathleen.sikkema@yale.edu
Kelly
J A
JA
Winett
R A
RA
Solomon
L J
LJ
Cargill
V A
VA
Roffman
R A
RA
McAuliffe
T L
TL
Heckman
T G
TG
Anderson
E A
EA
Wagstaff
D A
DA
Norman
A D
AD
Perry
M J
MJ
Crumble
D A
DA
Mercer
M B
MB
D000328:Adult; D017280:Condoms / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000517:prevention & control*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D016013:Likelihood Functions; D016014:Linear Models; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D011203:Poverty; D011638:Public Housing; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D012747:Sexual Partners; D014481:United States; D014932:Women's Health Services