title: Blocking the benefit of group-based HIV-prevention efforts during adolescence: the problem of HIV-related stigma.
abstract: HIV-related stigma has been shown to impede HIV-antibody testing and safer sexual practices in adults. Less is known about its effects on prevention programs among at-risk youth. This study examined the longitudinal relationships between HIV-stigma and HIV-knowledge following completion of a validated group-based intervention. Data were provided by 1,654 African-American adolescents who participated in a large multi-city prevention trial (Project iMPACCS). Participants were randomly assigned to an empirically-validated skill-based intervention or a general health promotion control group. Both stigma and knowledge were assessed at baseline and post-intervention. Results suggested that adolescents participating in the intervention showed improvements in knowledge and decreases in stigma when compared to controls. Improvements in stigma appeared to be partly driven by improvements in knowledge. Higher baseline stigma was shown to reduce gains in knowledge in both the treatment and control groups. Results suggest that HIV-stigma can interfere with how youth identify with and internalize messages from group-based prevention trials.
authors.affiliation: Bradley/Hasbro Children's Research Center, Rhode Island Hospital, Coro West Building, Suite 204, One Hoppin Street, Providence, RI 02903, USA. david_barker@brown.edu
authors.forename: David H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Barker
authors.forename: Rebecca R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Swenson
authors.forename: Larry K
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: Bonita F
authors.initials: BF
authors.lastname: Stanton
authors.forename: Peter A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Vanable
authors.forename: Michael P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Carey
authors.forename: Robert F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Valois
authors.forename: Ralph J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Diclemente
authors.forename: Laura F
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Salazar
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Romer
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology*; D001741:Black or African American; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000208:ethnology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology* / Q000635:transmission; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice / Q000208:ethnology; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D057545:Social Stigma