Wanigeratne S, Aroney R, Williams M; International Conference on AIDS.
Int Conf AIDS. 1992 Jul 19-24; 8: D514 (abstract no. PoD 5753).
Department of GU Medicine, University College and Middlesex Hospital, London.
ISSUE/PROBLEM: Developing and evaluating HIV prevention and Mental Health Promotion group interventions targeted at gay men who experience difficulties in changing to and maintaining safer sex practices. DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT: Participants were recruited by referrals from doctors and counsellors from a large GU clinic, and by self referrals of individuals having read a leaflet describing the aims and composition of the group programme. Those referred were individually assessed and those meeting the criteria of a) wanting to change some aspect of their sexual behaviour that may directly or indirectly put them at risk of HIV infection or infecting others and b) experiencing difficulty in maintaining changes in the above area, were accepted for the group. Four groups were run on a workshop format. Each group consisting of 8 topical sessions run over a period of 6 to 8 weeks with 6 to 10 participants. The workshop topics included 'setting personal sexual goals', 'achieving important balances in lifestyle', 'identifying high risk situations', improving coping skills and self esteem', 'taking on the challenge of safer sex practice', 'general information on sexually transmitted diseases' and 'managing stress and anxiety'. The interventions were based on psychological approaches ranging from Humanistic to Cognitive-Behavioural, particularly Relapse Prevention. Evaluation was carried out on a range of measures including a specially developed self-efficacy questionnaire, session impact, perceived credibility, participant satisfaction and behaviour change. RESULTS: In general there was a consistent 40% - 60% average increase in self-efficacy between pre and post measures across the groups. There were consistent positive variations in session impact and perceived credibility during the course of each group. Participant satisfaction was generally high. Feedback from participants was used to modify subsequent groups. There were also important behavioural changes reported (eg. 50% reduction in anonymous sexual contacts). LESSONS LEARNED: The group intervention format developed for work with this specific target group has proved to be successful in terms of both quantitative and qualitative feedback. The latter has been particularly encouraging and has lead to substantial modifications in the programme. Further evaluative research in terms of long term follow-up is needed to establish effectiveness of this approach and the validity of the self -efficacy measure developed.
Publication Types:
Keywords:
- Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
- Cognitive Therapy
- Counseling
- Evaluation Studies
- HIV Infections
- Homosexuality
- Homosexuality, Male
- Humans
- London
- Male
- Population Groups
- Questionnaires
- Research
- Safe Sex
- Sexual Behavior
- Sexually Transmitted Diseases
- Work
- methods
Other ID:
UI: 102200931
From Meeting Abstracts