AEGiS-11IAC: Volunteer recruitment strategies in a male homo/bisexual open cohort in Belo Horizonte, Brazil.

11th International AIDS Conference

Vancouver, British Columbia — July 7-12, 1996

Volunteer recruitment strategies in a male homo/bisexual open cohort in Belo Horizonte, Brazil.

Int Conf AIDS 1996 Jul 7-12; 11:457 (abstract no. Pub.C.1120)
Andrade J, Greco M, Machado A, Antunes CM, Oliveira EI; Federal University of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Fax: 55-31-224.88.01.

ISSUE: One of the key points in implementing cohort studies is the development of efficacious strategies to recruit volunteers for the investigation.

PROJECT: An open cohort aimed at 500 male homo/bisexual participants, HIV negative, age 18-59 years, was initiated in October/94 to estimate HIV infection incidence, to evaluate prevention intervention strategies and to prepare for future vaccine trials. Up to December/95, a total of 201 subjects have been enrolled.

RESULTS: The enrollment results by the main recruitment strategies were: (1) "snow-ball", 42.3%; (2) media (newspaper, television and radio interviews with the Project coordination), 15.4%; (3) pamphlets and folders, prepared by a team from the Communication Science Department of the University, 15.6% and (4) participation of the Project's volunteers in outreaching the gay community in bars and night clubs in a face to face contact, 13.4%.

LESSONS LEARNED: The most efficacious strategies involved either the volunteers acting as peer educators within the target population or communication professionals developing adequate material to make the Project more visible.and other STDs.

Keywords: AEGIS, Bisexuality, Homosexuality, Male, HIV Infections, Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Cohort Studies, Incidence, Thinking, Brazil, Male, ICA11

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