Community Approaches to HIV/AIDS

Behaviour change was encouraged by focusing intervention messages on cognitive factors important to each community (i.e., perception of susceptibility of getting the disease, attitudes, beliefs, self-efficacy). Community-level interventions happened through separate census tracts in the regions where activity was expected to be highest. Interviews and focus groups were used with the people engaging in high risk behaviours. "Interactors", people who dealt with the high risk groups regularly, would distribute the materials to the relevant communities. "Gatekeepers", members or non-members of the population who would provide information about the population from their perspective, would also provide a link between the community and the project. Print materials of people who had changed their behavior were specifically adapted depending on the population and on the city (i.e., brochure pamphlets, flyers, baseball trading cards). Distribution of condoms and bleach kits also took place.

HIV/AIDS, Substance Abuse.

The programme was started to address the high risk populations which were contracting HIV and to intervene in these activities through education and exposure to materials. This was done through peer networking and through gaining contacts within the populations of interest. There were four specific populations of interest: street recruited injecting drug users (IDUs), female sex partners of male IDUs, women who trade sex for money or drugs and men who have sex with men (MSM) but who do not identify as homosexuals. Many strategies were used to maintain network members, including offering material incentives such as cash, food or movie tickets, recognition through awards, and maintaining frequent contacts. Comparisons were made using paired comparison data between intervention areas and comparison control areas.

Data collected from July 1991 through August 1993 showed demographic and other characteristics of a community, the defined population, description of intervention activities and the exposure of the community to the intervention materials.