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August 2005 Monthly Monitor
Advocates for Youth's Youth of Color Initiative
Feature: Science-Based Prevention Interventions
In the United States, rates of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) as well as of unintended pregnancy are disproportionately high among youth of color, especially among black and Hispanic youth. Through 2002, African Americans and Latinas accounted for 82 percent of cumulative AIDS cases among women ages 13 to 19 and 77 percent of cases among women ages 20 to 24.Through 2002, African Americans and Latinos accounted for 60 percent of cumulative AIDS cases among men ages 13 to 19 and 63 percent of cases among men ages 20 to 24.[1] Between 1991 and 2001, U.S. birth rates among 15- to 19-year-old women declined in all ethnic/racial groups, although rates for black and Hispanic teens remain higher than rates for other groups.[2,3]
Social, economic, and cultural barriers limit the ability of many youth of color to receive accurate and adequate prevention information. These barriers are, in fact, primary reasons why HIV/STI and teen pregnancy prevention programs and interventions for young people of color need to be designed and implemented in ways that have proven effective. Prevention programs and interventions for young people of color are most likely effective when they:
- Incorporate comprehensive sex education, including information on both contraception and abstinence.
- Are culturally competent and in the language of the target population.
- Include activities that help youth to develop life skills important for their future.
- Consider the social and cultural factors that influence behavior.
- Provide peer support to change peer norms.
- Offer gender-specific opportunities and activities.
- Provide access to contraceptive services and methods.[4]
Too often prevention interventions for youth of color are designed without knowledge of or reference to what has been proven to work (is science-based). When programs are designed and implemented without relying on science-based practices, programs run the risk of falling far short of their prevention goals and, sometimes, missing their goals altogether. With outcomes in doubt, such programs also risk: 1) not improving or, at times, worsening the situation of the young people they aimed to help; 2) wasting the funds spent to achieve too little; and 3) losing funding for future programs.[5] By using science-based approaches, organizations and the youth of color they serve are more likely to achieve the HIV/STI and teen pregnancy prevention interventions which will best match their needs.
The public health, social science, and education fields have amassed a remarkable body of evidence about what works in promoting better sexual health outcomes among youth of color. The term "science-based", has been given to describe prevention interventions or programs which have been proven to work. The term "science-based practices" refers not only to the type of program (for example, a teen pregnancy prevention program based on social science research) but also to the process for developing a program (such as creating a logic model and evaluating the program with process, outcome, and/or impact studies).[5] Science-based practices in HIV/STIs and preventing teen pregnancy include, but are not limited to the following:
- Relying on interventions that have been evaluated and found to be effective in preventing or reducing sexual risk behaviors and/or in reducing the incidence of pregnancy and/or HIV/STIs.[5]
- Using social science research that identifies risk and protective factors.[5]
- Using a logic model (a framework for linking risk and protective factors with effective program strategies and anticipated outcomes).[5]
- Relying on programs that are grounded in behavioral and social science theory and that clearly define and document activities, curricula, and protocols.[5]
- Using evaluations that have been rigorous enough to be accepted by a peer-reviewed journal and/ or by a panel of independent experts who are conducting an objective review.[5]
- Conducting evaluation and using the findings to change programs so as to enhance their effectiveness.[5]
By relying on science-based practices, an organization which serve young people of color can:
- Maximize its opportunities to have a positive, measurable impact on young people's behaviors.
- Maximize its opportunities to improve and refine its programs to achieve the best possible outcomes with youth and/or the professionals who serve them.
- Contribute valuable lessons to the field of teen pregnancy prevention, especially to those who wish to replicate effective strategies.
- Integrate pregnancy prevention with proven HIV/STI prevention and youth development programs and strategies.
- Collaborate with organizations in related fields, such as social services, HIV treatment, and youth development, to increase the resources and services available to young people.
- Improve its professionalism.
- Hone the accuracy and impact of its products, messages, and efforts.
- Increase the extent to which program planners, the media, policy makers, and others rely confidently on its information.
- Address controversy and counter misinformation by providing accurate information to guide public discourse and to inform policy decisions.
- Ensure that its resources are well spent on effective programs, strategies, and activities.
- Meet standards of accountability imposed by funding sources.
- Increase the sustainability of programs by meeting funding sources' expectations that monetary investment will achieve measurable, anticipated outcomes.
- Increase programs' sustainability by proving their worth to local, regional, and state private and corporate sponsors.
- Avoid loss of funding that can ensue if the organization cannot prove the positive impact of its programs.[5]
Through the use of science-based programs or science-based practices to improve programs designed to prevent HIV/STI and teen pregnancy prevention among youth of color, organizations may not only make their programs more apt to meet the needs of the young people they serve, but also ultimately make their programs more reputable for funding and sustainability.
- Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC). HIV/AIDS Surveillance Report 2003.
- Hamilton BE et al. Births: preliminary data for 2002. National Vital Statistics Reports 2003; 51(11):1-20.
- Ventura SL et al. Births to teenagers in the United States, 1940-2000. National Vital Statistics Reports 2001; 49(10):1-19.
- For details on the sources, see Augustine J. et al. Youth of Color—At Disproportionate Risk of Negative Sexual Health Outcomes. [The Facts] Washington, DC: Advocates for Youth, 2004; http://www.advocatesforyouth.org/publications/factsheet/fsyouthcolor.htm
- Alford S. et al. Science-Based Practices: A Guide for State Teen Pregnancy Prevention Organizations. [From Research to Practice] Washington, DC: Advocates for Youth, 2004; http://www.advocatesforyouth.org/publications/frtp/guide.htm
For more information about evaluated science-based programs that have demonstrated effectiveness at reducing adolescents' risk for primary pregnancy and STIs, including HIV, for youth of color, please visit http://www.advocatesforyouth.org/programsthatwork/index.htm
For more information and resources on science-based HIV/STI and teen pregnancy prevention programs, please visit http://www.advocatesforyouth.org/publications/frtp/bibliography.htm
Capacity Building & Professional Development
The First National Conference on Methamphetamine, HIV, and Hepatitis C, "Science and Response in 2005," will take place August 19-20, 2005, in Salt Lake City, Utah. The Conference has been designed to provide an arena in which the nation's scientists, providers, and professionals will gather to discuss the intersection between methamphetamines, HIV, and hepatitis C. For more information regarding the program, registration, or accommodations, please visit http://www.harmredux.org/conference2005.html or contact Amanda Whipple at 801.355.0234.
The Iowa Department of Public Health along with HIV and AIDS Training Resources is sponsoring the Fundamentals of HIV Prevention Counseling, September 20-22, 2005, in Des Moines, Iowa. This three-day workshop will demonstrate effective, client-centered, HIV prevention counseling strategies to assist clients in reducing their risk of acquiring or transmitting HIV, hepatitis, and other STIs. Participants will learn how to personalize counseling messages and how to develop realistic and incremental risk reduction plans with their clients. The workshop will also cover HIV testing, post-test counseling, and finding appropriate resources for clients who test positive. For more information and to register for this FREE workshop, please visit http://www.trainres.affiniscape.com/displayconvspecific.cfm?convnbr=1521, or contact Training Resources at 515.309.3315 or by e-mail at info@trainingresources.org
Sociometrics has launched two new online teen pregnancy and HIV prevention science-based resources, designed for those in the HIV and prevention teen pregnancy fields: Teen Pregnancy Research and Practice Resources (Teen Pregnancy RAP) at http://www.socio.com/teenrap.htm and HIV Research and Practice Resources (HIV RAP) at http://www.socio.com/hivrap.htm. Each online source includes a diverse collection of research data, survey instruments, prevention resources, and evaluation related tools. Included in Teen Pregnancy RAP is the Institute for Program Development and Evaluation Online (IPDE Online), a course series that teaches the comprehensive skills necessary to integrate evaluation into the planning and implementation of effective prevention programs. To learn more, please visit http://www.socio.com/ipdeonline.htm
Funding Opportunities
Johnson & Johnson, working in conjunction with the Society for the Arts in Healthcare, seeks to promote the use of arts to enhance the health care experience for patients, their families, and caregivers. Proposals are being sought from health care organizations and/or arts agencies working in partnership on innovative projects to serve patients, their families, and caregivers in health care settings and to promote healing and health. Projects are intended to be broad and innovative and may be located in a variety of settings including clinics, hospitals, hospices, medical schools, public health services, and/or other community health settings. Preference will be given to projects that are new and have the potential for replication. HIV and AIDS is a special emphasis for 2005. In addition to projects serving broad patient populations and health care providers, funds will be reserved for arts programs serving those living with HIV and AIDS, their families, and/or their caregivers. Letters of inquiry are due by August 22, 2005. Applications are due by November 1, 2005. For more information, please contact J&J/SAH Partnership Society for the Arts in Healthcare at 202.299.9770 or visit http://www.thesah.org/grants/Johnson05.html (no longer available).
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation announces the availability of funds to develop Interfaith Volunteer Caregiver coalitions of faith congregations to serve people with chronic health conditions, including people living with HIV and AIDS. Coalitions, which may include churches, temples, synagogues, and other groups with religious missions, decide on the focus of their project, depending on the community's needs. Services may include companionship and assistance with transportation, shopping, personal care, chores, and referrals to other relevant community services. Projects funded under this program must agree that no religious proselytizing occur while providing care to participants. There is no deadline to apply. For more information, please contact Kenneth G. Johnson, Director, Faith in Action Health Services Research Center at 914.331.0016.
Announcements
The National Institute of Health, the Office of AIDS Research, and the Department of Health and Human Services are sponsoring Embracing Our Traditions, Values, and Teachings: The Native Peoples of North America HIV and AIDS Conference May 3-6, 2006 in Anchorage, Alaska. Topics will include information specific to Asians/Pacific Islanders; Native Americans; HIV positive persons; HIV and AIDS prevention; information dissemination; people living with HIV and AIDS; socio-cultural factors; and spirituality. The Conference will provide a unique, exciting, and national opportunity for presenting and dealing with the issues of HIV and AIDS in Native communities. Deadline for abstract submissions is September 6, 2005. Registration for thisconference is FREE, but space is limited. CEU and CME credits will be available.
Resources
Advocates for Youth
http://www.advocatesforyouth.org
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Compendium of HIV Prevention Interventions with Evidence of Effectiveness
http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/pubs/hivcompendium/HIVcompendium.htm
Diffusion of Effective Behavioral Interventions—A Web Site from the Academy for Educational Development
http://www.effectiveinterventions.org
Sociometrics
http://www.socio.com
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