Document 2067
 DOCN  M94A2067
 TI    Community-level HIV prevention program for young gay men.
 DT    9412
 AU    Hays RB; Kegeles S; Coates T; Center for AIDS Prevention Studies,
       (CAPS), University of; California, San Francisco.
 SO    Int Conf AIDS. 1994 Aug 7-12;10(1):389 (abstract no. PD0164). Unique
       Identifier : AIDSLINE ICA10/94370508
 AB    OBJECTIVE: Young gay men are consistently found to engage in high rates
       of unsafe sex. We designed and implemented a community-level, peer-led
       HIV prevention program based on diffusion of innovations theory,
       targeted specifically to the needs and styles of young gay men. METHOD:
       An 8-month community-level intervention was implemented in Santa
       Barbara, CA. The program created a young gay men's community center
       which sought to promote a norm for safe sex through a variety of social,
       outreach and small group activities designed and run by peers. The
       program reached approximately 500 young men. We evaluated the program
       with an independent, longitudinal survey of gay/bisexual men aged 18-29
       in Santa Barbara (N = 126). Survey respondents were recruited by peers
       (through social networks, bars and community settings) and assessed pre
       and post intervention (one year later) via mail-back surveys (78% return
       rate). RESULTS: Wilcoxon matched-pairs tests showed that factors
       theorized to contribute to sexual risk-taking showed improvements
       following intervention, including perceptions that social norms favored
       safe sex, sexual communication skills, misperceptions about safe sex,
       interpersonal barriers to safe sex, and frequency of engaging in sex
       while under the influence of alcohol/drugs (all p's < .03). Although not
       significant, the proportion of men having unprotected anal intercourse
       during the past two months decreased from 31% pre to 24% post
       intervention, and unprotected intercourse outside the context of a
       boyfriend relationship decreased from 38% to 31%. The greatest numbers
       of high risk-taking men in our evaluation sample were reached through
       the program's outreach to bars and community settings (56%),
       program-sponsored social events (44%) and receiving program materials
       from friends (44%). CONCLUSIONS: A peer-run, community mobilization
       prevention approach can effectively reach large numbers of young gay men
       and impact variables causally related to HIV risk-taking among young gay
       men. It may take more time for these changes to translate into more
       pronounced sexual behavior changes.
 DE    Adolescence  Adult  California  Follow-Up Studies  *Health Education
       *Homosexuality  Human  HIV Infections/*PREVENTION & CONTROL/TRANSMISSION
       Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice  Male  Program Evaluation  Self-Help
       Groups  Sex Behavior  Sex Education  *Social Environment  MEETING
       ABSTRACT

       SOURCE: National Library of Medicine.  NOTICE: This material may be
       protected by Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.Code).