15th International AIDS Conference Bangkok, Thailand - July 11-16, 2004

Int Conf AIDS 2004 Jul 11-16; 15:(abstract no. WeOrD1257)

Sodhi G
Swaasthya, New Delhi, India

ISSUES: According to current estimates, of all new HIV infections in India, 40% is in young people. This, despite many years of programming efforts. The situation calls for programmes that are rooted in empirical evidence and evidence being strategically used to inform the broader framework and content of programmes. Perhaps, thus far by and large, formative research is unable to contribute to programming as the emphasis is only on surveys that are less insightful rather than complementing with qualitative research.

DESCRIPTION: This paper will discuss how Swaasthya, a Delhi based NGO working on RSH in a resettlement colony, utilized the findings of its ethnographic study among adolescents to design and successfully implement an intervention research programme to address vulnerabilities of adolescent girls to negative outcomes of sexual intimacies including HIV/AIDS. The paper will detail out the broader framework designed from the findings, contents of the programme and programmatic elements. For example, the study showed that lifestyles of adolescents are influenced by movies and that romantic & sexual scripts are borrowed heavily from them. Therefore, video products (with socially & health wise relevant messages) were made and narrowcasted through the local cable channel to reach the community in the hope that they would have the desired influence.

LESSONS LEARNED: The programme has since been evaluated using statistical tools and has shown positive outcomes. E.g., evaluation showed perceived support from gatekeepers increased from 12% to 68% and positive perspective score increased from 32% to 46%. The key lesson learned is that evidence based programming supported by tools for linking research with intervention design is the way forward.

RECOMMENDATIONS: It is recommended that qualitative research complement quantitative research to inform intervention programme design, strategy and content. Additionally, programmers are required to be skillful in utilizing research data effectively in designing programmes.

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