Lessons Learned: Exploratory study of a HIV/AIDS prevention intervention for African American women who have experienced intimate partner violence

摘要

Given the prevalence and co-occurring nature of HIV and intimate partner violence among African American women there is a need for a risk reduction intervention. This study explored the results from an exploratory study of an HIV/AIDS prevention intervention for African-American women who have experienced intimate partner violence. The emphasis of this study is to identify lessons learned to guide future research. Recruitment for the feasibility study was done in two waves over a period of three months. During the first wave, 22 participants were recruited for the intervention group, and in the second wave, 25 participants were in the control group. Pre-post tests were used to evaluate the mean differences between the groups on the three domain measures the intervention was designed to impact (Capacity Building, Sexual Safety Planning, Life Skills). Participants in the treatment group increased their HIV knowledge and decreased reports of alcohol and drug use, while increasing their sexual assertiveness skills, though overall statistical findings indicated that there was no significant difference between the treatment and control group in regards to overall capacity building, sexual safety planning, and life skills. There is a need to find additional motivators to keep participants engaged, as attrition for both groups was unusually high. Shortening sessions or duration of the intervention to accommodate the multiple demands on these women’s lives, and potentially delivering some of the curriculum through technology may be an option for future interventions. Further attention to how African American women can reduce their risks for IPV and their heightened risk for HIV by looking closely at structural inequalities, the social determinants of health, and other contributing factors is a necessary consideration for a successful intervention.