In recent years, the demographics of the HIV epidemic in the United States have changed. What was once a disease that largely affected white gay men now disproportionately affects the poor, people of color, the young, and women. Sexually transmitted diseases have disproportionately impacted these same populations. Participatory methods used with these populations offer an opportunity to make HIV prevention a more innovative, effective, and collaborative effort. The philosophy behind participatory research was presented in two workshops for HIV prevention and other health workers in Dallas, Texas and for health educators taking on HIV as a new issue in New Mexico and Arizona. The latter training occurred in the Pojoaque Pueblo in New Mexico. Many of the prevention workers who participated in the trainings were indigenous to the populations they work with. This presentation will focus upon the results of the use of visual techniques in these workshops: body mapping, Venn diagrams, facility mapping, an access and control activity, and problem solving techniques. These two trainings illustrated how participatory methods hold promise as part of innovative strategies to elicit information and develop and evaluate programs, especially around sexual health and other health issues, along with the affected communities.
Learning Objectives: Following the presentation, participants will be able to: (1) Describe the philosophy behind participatory assessment methods; (2) List several visual methods commonly utilized when carrying out these methods; (3) Identify health issues that can be addressed using these visual methods; (4) Understand how these methods have been used in sexual health assessment; and (5) Describe methods of including problem solving in participatory strategies
Keywords: Community Collaboration, Community Health
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.