Health Educ Behav. 1999 Apr;26(2):200-12. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE
In 1996, nearly 60% of U.S. AIDS cases among Latinas were attributed to
unprotected sex with men. Economic disadvantage, language barriers, and
strong cultural gender norms regarding sex exacerbate the risk for HIV
infection among Latina immigrant women. Through a collaboration among
scientists and providers, this study was designed to evaluate the impact
of a multifaceted empowerment program for Latina immigrant women on HIV
risk behaviors. Women (N = 74) were followed for the first 6 months of
their participation and attended up to nine distinct types of activities
(e.g., information meetings, friendship circles, and workshops).
Although the program was not developed to specifically target HIV risk
behaviors, women showed significant increases in sexual communication
comfort, were less likely to maintain traditional sexual gender norms,
and reported changes in decision-making power. Targeting broader
sociocultural issues may increase the necessary skills for Latina women
to prevent HIV infection from their sexual partners. Successful
collaborations between scientists and providers are critical in
developing effective, community-relevant interventions.
CLINICAL TRIAL JOURNAL ARTICLE Adult Condoms/UTILIZATION Female
Hispanic Americans/*PSYCHOLOGY Human HIV Infections/*PREVENTION &
CONTROL *Internal-External Control Latin America/ETHNOLOGY Male
Power (Psychology) Program Evaluation Prospective Studies Regression
Analysis *Sex Behavior/PSYCHOLOGY Sexual Partners Support, Non-U.S.
Gov't Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S. United States *Women's Health