The 'Safety Counts' HIV prevention model
The 'Safety Counts' HIV prevention model
Early snapshot holds promise
Investigators are using an adaptation of the Safety Counts model for HIV prevention to evaluate the impact of HIV education, hepatitis education, and a substance abuse intervention on people who are at high-risk for HIV infection in New York.
"We are looking to see if people change," says Kristin Stainbrook, PhD, an assistant director of research at Advocates for Human Potential in Albany, NY. The advocacy program is studying the intervention, which is being administered by the AIDS Council of Northeastern New York.
"We want to know if their understanding of HIV increases, whether they change risky behaviors, whether they decrease substance use and decrease their risk factors," Stainbrook says.
Safety Counts, which is one of the approved HIV interventions listed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, GA, was designed for a substance abuse population.
The prevention intervention includes face-to-face group and individual sessions, educational activities, creative strategies for reducing risk behaviors, and a graduation session.
"I think we've had some good results," Stainbrook says of the ongoing study. "We're in the middle stages of the study and have been collecting data for about 1.5 years, following up with people who've completed the program."
About 60 people have received the intervention so far, and the early findings suggest the intervention has helped to reduce drug use and binge drinking, as well as to reduce participation in unsafe sexual practices, Stainbrook says.
"There has been some slight increase in people feeling comfortable talking with their partner about using protection or saying, 'No,' to risky behaviors," she adds. "Also their knowledge of HIV has increased, which has been one of the best findings."
While people participating in the intervention are not necessarily remaining abstinent and are still using drugs and drinking, they say they are less likely to practice unsafe sex and are more likely to use clean needles, Stainbrook says.
The study will continue and the sample so far is small, she notes.
The clients like the group session environment and say they learn a lot from each other, Stainbrook notes.
"The sessions are fun and include food, games, and prizes," Stainbrook says. "We also have some very engaging staff."
The intervention includes having people get together to discuss their personal issues regarding HIV prevention. They also participate in games intended to increase their awareness and improve their behavioral change skills.
For example, one game is based on Jeopardy and includes questions about HIV.
"One thing the program has tried to do, and we don't know if it's been successful, is to develop peer associate groups," Stainbrook says. "The incentive is the possibility of clients becoming a peer and participating in some of the outreach activities."
Investigators are using an adaptation of the Safety Counts model for HIV prevention to evaluate the impact of HIV education, hepatitis education, and a substance abuse intervention on people who are at high-risk for HIV infection in New York.Subscribe Now for Access
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