TY - JOUR
T1 - Evaluation of a sexual health approach to prevent HIV among low income, urban, primarily African American women
T2 - Results of a randomized controlled trial
AU - Robinson, Beatrice E.
AU - Uhl, Gary
AU - Miner, Michael
AU - Bockting, Walter O.
AU - Scheltema, Karen E.
AU - Rosser, B. R Simon
AU - Westover, Bonita
PY - 2002
Y1 - 2002
N2 - This randomized controlled trial evaluated an innovative culturally specific sexual health intervention - targeting, but not limited to, low-income African American women - in which HIV and sexually transmitted disease prevention strategies were combined with comprehensive sexuality education. The intervention was delivered and evaluated in community-based settings to 218 participants randomly assigned to treatment or a no-treatment control group. Participants were interviewed at pretest and 3 and 9 months after the intervention to assess changes in both sexuality and HIV risk variables. The intervention was effective in improving sexual anatomy knowledge at both 3- and 9-month follow-up. For a subset of women engaging in unprotected sex at pretest, the intervention group reported an increase in positive attitudes toward the female condom at 9-month follow-up. Reasons for the weak treatment effect are discussed in the context of challenges inherent in conducting community-based research with high-risk populations and sensitive topics. Recommendations are provided for improving sample attrition, statistical power, and response bias and for altering the intervention so as to strengthen its impact.
AB - This randomized controlled trial evaluated an innovative culturally specific sexual health intervention - targeting, but not limited to, low-income African American women - in which HIV and sexually transmitted disease prevention strategies were combined with comprehensive sexuality education. The intervention was delivered and evaluated in community-based settings to 218 participants randomly assigned to treatment or a no-treatment control group. Participants were interviewed at pretest and 3 and 9 months after the intervention to assess changes in both sexuality and HIV risk variables. The intervention was effective in improving sexual anatomy knowledge at both 3- and 9-month follow-up. For a subset of women engaging in unprotected sex at pretest, the intervention group reported an increase in positive attitudes toward the female condom at 9-month follow-up. Reasons for the weak treatment effect are discussed in the context of challenges inherent in conducting community-based research with high-risk populations and sensitive topics. Recommendations are provided for improving sample attrition, statistical power, and response bias and for altering the intervention so as to strengthen its impact.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0035987819&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0035987819&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1521/aeap.14.4.81.23876
DO - 10.1521/aeap.14.4.81.23876
M3 - Article
C2 - 12092940
AN - SCOPUS:0035987819
SN - 0899-9546
VL - 14
SP - 81
EP - 96
JO - AIDS Education and Prevention
JF - AIDS Education and Prevention
IS - 3 SUPPL.
ER -