17th International AIDS Conference


Mexico City, Mexico - August 13 - 18, 2008

SISTERACT: SISTERS INTER-ACTING - INTERGENERATIONAL COMMUNICATION BETWEEN AFRICAN AMERICAN GIRLS AND WOMEN IN WASHINGTON, DC AS AN ALTERNATIVE/EFFECTIVE HIV/AIDS PREVENTION STRATEGY

Int Conf AIDS. 2008 Aug 13-18;17 Abstract No. MOAC0202

A. Charles, N. Watsa, J. Valrie, F. Nageer-Kanthor
The Women's Collective, Intergenerational Program, Washington, United States

ISSUES: HIV/AIDS is increasing among women in Washington, DC at alarming rates. Although African American women make up 58% of the female population in DC, they accounted for 90% of all new female HIV cases from 2001-2006 and represented 82% of infections among young women ages 13 to 24. These numbers demonstrate a desperate need for integrated and deliberate HIV prevention interventions that address the age, gender and culture-specific needs of African American women and girls.

DESCRIPTION: SisterAct is an innovative, evidence-based HIV prevention intervention intended to empower cross-generations of African American girls and women above age twelve (12) within families or kinship networks to take control of their sexual health. SisterAct is designed to provide ten (10) girl and woman-centered group sessions made up of five (5) sessions of the Centers for Disease Control effective intervention, SISTA and five (5) interactive learning sessions of The Women´s Collective designed SisterAct curriculum. The SisterAct curriculum builds on the SISTA curriculum with an additional 5 group sessions that focus on:

  1. Intergenerational awareness of and skills for preventing HIV infection;
  2. Cross-generational communication about and respect for the health of girls and women; and
  3. Increasing knowledge about HIV counseling and testing and access to this service.

LESSONS LEARNED: By strengthening communication among generations of African American girls and women about sexual health and HIV prevention, participants are better equipped to make sexual health decisions and to share and accept accurate information about sexual health issues with female members of the family and social and kinship networks.

NEXT STEPS: Exploration of effective strategies and interventions that address intergenerational communication about sexual health and HIV prevention among African American girls and women is important. Further investigation into the benefit of intergenerational HIV prevention education within families and kinship networks in the African American community must be conducted.

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2008-08-13
MOAC0202

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