The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #70198

Thomas H. Riess, MPH¹, Diane Binson, PhD¹, Moher Downing, MA², Sherry Fung¹, Olga Grinstead, PhD, MPH¹, Torsten B Neilands, PhD¹, Charles A Pearson, MA¹, Bob Siedle-Khan, MA¹, Karen Vernon¹, and William J. Woods, PhD¹. (1) Center for AIDS Prevention Studies, University of California, San Francisco, 74 New Montgomery Street, Suite 600, San Francisco, CA 94105, 415-597-9362, triess@psg.ucsf.edu, (2) Urban Health Study, Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, 3180 18th Street, Suite 302, San Francisco, CA 94110

This is a report on a collaborative project between university researchers and the Alameda County and City of Berkeley health departments to conduct process and outcome evaluations of HIV counseling and testing (C&T) programs designed to reach high-risk men who have sex with men (MSM) in public sex environments and high-risk people of color (POC). From October 2001 through November 2002 374 (145 MSM and 229 POC) face-to-face baseline surveys were conducted with participants covering several topics, including HIV risk behaviors and testing history, prior to receiving C&T. From February 2002 through March 2003 three month follow-up surveys were conducted to assess behavior change. Forty-nine in-depth qualitative interviews with select clients and service providers were also completed. Data were analyzed across the POC and MSM sites. Differences in changes in risk behaviors, pre- and post-intervention, were examined, as well as variations in the utilization of HIV C&T according to setting, social class and race. Preliminary data analysis shows variations in risk behavior, and perceptions of risk behavior, between C&T offered at street outreach sites, clinic sites and in public sex environments. At one POC program 47% of clients surveyed reported injection drug use, with most individuals reporting high-risk behavior such as sharing a cooker or cotton. By contrast the MSM site reported almost no injection drug use among those surveyed. This multi-method study will provide service providers and health departments with vital information about the effectiveness of their HIV C&T programs and identify a program's operational strengths and weaknesses.

Learning Objectives:

At the conclusion of the session participants will be able to:
• Describe the different HIV risk behaviors found among men who have sex with men and people of color populations.
• Recognize and understand the importance of building solid working relationships with community partners.
• Recognize which type of data that are useful to researchers and community partners in conducting process and outcome evaluations of HIV counseling and testing programs for men who have sex with men and people of color.

Keywords: Evaluation, HIV Interventions

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
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.