Teri Aronowitz

Psychosocial Correlates of HIV Risk Behavior in Adolescent Girls

OBJECTIVE To present the preintervention data collected for a pilot HIV-prevention randomized controlled trial specifically developed for single, sexually active adolescent girls. DESIGN Comparative, descriptive design using confidential self-administered questionnaires. SETTING An urban family planning clinic that provided gynecologic services to adolescents. PARTICIPANTS One hundred twenty-nine single, sexually active adolescent girls 15 to 19 years of age (44% minority, 34% economically disadvantaged). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES In addition to demographics and risk behaviors, the following were assessed: HIV-related information (i.e., knowledge) and motivation to reduce risk (i.e., perceived vulnerability, readiness to change HIV risk behaviors, behavioral intentions, pros and cons of condom use, and confidence in condom use). RESULTS Assessments revealed limited HIV-related knowledge, ambivalence regarding risk reduction, and considerable risk behaviors. Compared with girls at lower risk for HIV infection (i.e., consistent condom users), those at higher risk (i.e., inconsistent or noncondom-users) were more likely to be White and older and to have better HIV-related knowledge but less motivation to reduce risk (i.e., behavioral intentions to use condoms, condom-use confidence) than girls at lower risk. CONCLUSION These data document (a) the need for HIV prevention interventions targeted to all sexually active adolescent girls and (b) the importance of including a motivational component in the intervention.

Adolescents input on the development of an HIV risk reduction intervention.

Adolescence is a developmental period often associated with sexual debut as well as risk taking. Given these considerations, HIV prevention interventions need to become an important component of adolescent health care. This article describes the use of formative research to guide intervention refinement. To refine an HIV risk reduction intervention that has been used successfully with adults, the authors conducted focus groups with 30 adolescent females. These participants identified misconceptions regarding HIV-related information and factors that influence motivation to participate in risky behaviors. They also suggested strategies for recruitment and retention in a longitudinal study. Formative research such as this can be used to develop interventions that are gender specific and developmentally and culturally appropriate for adolescents.

HIV Risk Behavior and Psychological Correlates among Native American Women: An Exploratory Investigation

Native American women are at increased risk for HIV infection, but few studies have studied this threat. To address this gap in the literature, we assessed HIV risk behavior and explored the hypothesized psychological antecedents of risk behavior in 53 Native American women. Survey results indicated that womens HIV-related knowledge was incomplete and many women still held misconceptions about HIV. One third of the sample reported having two to five sexual partners in the past 5 years, and 30% of the women reported alcohol use prior to sexual intercourse. Women who were classified at higher risk, that is, who did not use condoms consistently, felt less vulnerable to HIV and were less ready to change their risky sexual behaviors compared with their lower-risk counterparts. These findings indicate that Native American women are at risk for HIV infection and can no longer be neglected by those seeking to prevent HIV infections. Culturally congruent and gender-specific interventions that provide information and behavioral skills to Native American women as well as increase their motivation to adopt safer sexual behaviors are needed.

Nursing Schools in Partnership with CBOs for HIV Prevention: The SAMHSA MSI-CBO Initiative

Sande Gracia Jones, PhD, ARNP, ACRN, ACNS-BS, FAAN, is a Professor, Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, Florida, USA. (*Correspondence to: joness@fiu.edu). Eric A. Fenkl, PhD, RN, CNE, is an Associate Professor, Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, Florida, USA. Teri Aronowitz, PhD, APRN, FNP-BC, is an Associate Professor, College of Nursing and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

Engaging college students in a substance misuse & sexual health intervention using social marketing principles

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE The successful recruitment and retention of participants is integral to the translation of research findings. Recruitment begins once you have defined your focus population and identified where and how to reach them (i.e., targeting). Formative evaluation can provide valuable information on recruitment, given the dynamics of different communities and the potential for certain strategies to work better than others with high-risk groups. The preliminary work of engaging the population of interest is essential to successfully attracting and retaining the involvement of populations of interest. The purpose of this paper is to present methods used to engage college students in a multi-level intervention aimed at preventing substance abuse, HIV and STIs. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK Andreasens six principles of social marketing were used to develop intervention activities and engage students in these activities. METHODS A multi-method approach was employed using both survey and focus groups for preliminary feedback, post-event surveys and annual evaluations. RESULTS Pamphlets are not enough to attract potential participants because advertisements need to be engaging and employ social networking sites. Students also enjoy playing both on-line and in person games and are quite competitive. Testing for HIV tripled in the first year. CONCLUSIONS & IMPLICATIONS Students became more aware with each subsequent event participation increased over time. Although word of mouth is still very effective in getting students to events, the use of social networking sites greatly improved student participation.

Using the Conceptual Model of Nursing and Health Policy to Examine Substance Abuse Treatment for Incarcerated Individuals

Shoshana Aronowitz, MSN, APRN, FNP-BC, is a research nurse, Department of Psychiatry, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont, USA. (*Correspondence to: shoshi. The United States currently incarcerates more individuals per capita than any other developed country in the world, and at least half of all U.S. federal prison sentences are the result of substance-related offenses (Nunn et al., 2009). A history of substance abuse is common in the prison population, with 50% to 85% of incarcerated individuals reporting past or current use, and 20% reporting intravenous drug use (Nunn et al., 2009). Urinalyses completed when prisoners are admitted to corrections facilities have revealed that 12% to 25% of individuals test positive for opioids (National Institute of Justice, 2004). Illicit substances have been reported to be readily available in corrections facilities, and needle-sharing behaviors that occur in these facilities are one of the most common causes of HIVand hepatitis C virus transmission in the prison population (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, 2010). The purpose of our paper is to discuss access to substances in prisons and to identify policy recommendations focused on ways in which substance abuse treatment can be improved for incarcerated and recently released individuals.