title: Developing a community-level anti-HIV/AIDS stigma and homophobia intervention in new York city: The project CHHANGE model.
abstract: HIV/AIDS stigma and homophobia are associated with significant negative health and social outcomes among people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) and those at risk of infection. Interventions to decrease HIV stigma have focused on providing information and education, changing attitudes and values, and increasing contact with people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA), activities that act to reduce stereotyped beliefs and prejudice, as well as acts of discrimination. Most anti-homophobia interventions have focused on bullying reduction and have been implemented at the secondary and post-secondary education levels. Few interventions address HIV stigma and homophobia and operate at the community level. Project CHHANGE, Challenge HIV Stigma and Homophobia and Gain Empowerment, was a community-level, multi-component anti-HIV/AIDS stigma and homophobia intervention designed to reduce HIV stigma and homophobia thus increasing access to HIV prevention and treatment access. The theory-based intervention included three primary components: workshops and trainings with local residents, businesses and community-based organizations (CBO); space-based events at a CBO-partner drop-in storefront and "pop-up" street-based events and outreach; and a bus shelter ad campaign. This paper describes the intervention design process, resultant intervention and the study team's experiences working with the community. We conclude that CHHANGE was feasible and acceptable to the community. Promoting the labeling of gay and/or HIV-related "space" as a non-stigmatized, community resource, as well as providing opportunities for residents to have contact with targeted groups and to understand how HIV stigma and homophobia relate to HIV/AIDS prevalence in their neighborhood may be crucial components of successful anti-stigma and discrimination programming.
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Health and Social Medicine, City University of New York School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States; Laboratory of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Lindsley F. Kimball Research Institute, New York Blood Center, New York, NY, United States; Department of Sociomedical Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States. Electronic address: vfrye@med.cuny.edu.
authors.forename: Victoria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Frye
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Health and Social Medicine, City University of New York School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States.
authors.forename: Mark Q
authors.initials: MQ
authors.lastname: Paige
authors.affiliation: Gay Men of African Descent (GMAD), Brooklyn, NY, United States.
authors.forename: Steven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gordon
authors.affiliation: Brooklyn Men Konnect/Bridging Access to Care (BMK), Brooklyn, NY, United States.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Matthews
authors.affiliation: Independent consultant, New York, NY, United States.
authors.forename: Geneva
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Musgrave
authors.affiliation: Independent consultant, New York, NY, United States.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kornegay
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Lindsley F. Kimball Research Institute, New York Blood Center, New York, NY, United States.
authors.forename: Emily
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Greene
authors.affiliation: Department of Sociomedical Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States.
authors.forename: Jo C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Phelan
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention, Lindsley F. Kimball Research Institute, New York Blood Center, New York, NY, United States.
authors.forename: Beryl A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Koblin
authors.affiliation: Gay Men of African Descent (GMAD), Brooklyn, NY, United States.
authors.forename: Vaughn
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Taylor-Akutagawa
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome; D001741:Black or African American; D003159:Community-Institutional Relations; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000523:psychology*; D006266:Health Education / Q000379:methods*; D063509:Homophobia / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D009519:New York City; D010565:Persuasive Communication; D011287:Prejudice / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D016730:Program Development; D057545:Social Stigma; D013240:Stereotyping
keywords: Community-level intervention; HIV stigma; Homophobia; Program design