Healthy Love: An Intervention for African American Women

The Healthy Love intervention plan targets African American women, ages 18 and older, who are either not pregnant or not planning on becoming pregnant within the next 6 months. This intervention provides a one-time, 3-4 hour, session for a small group of women who share a social connection. The purpose of this program is to provide evidence-based information to reduce participating in unprotected sex, reduce number of partners, increase abstinence, increase use of condoms, increased self efficacy, and increase the number of women getting tested for HIV/AIDS.

Core components of the Healthy Love program include providing evidence-based information about HIV/AIDS, STD/STIs, condoms, and how to properly use both female and male condoms. Sessions

There is a lot of poverty in sub-Saharan Africa, causing these women to put providing for their families over their own health, which is understandable. Although they might have access to condoms and know they are at risk of HIV/AIDS, what they might not understand is how far these infections can spread. Evidence-based information provided in a fun and engaging session may make these women realize just how many people they are putting at risk, including their own family members. Learning condom negotiation skills may help them better protect themselves and their sexual partners. These sessions may allow these women to feel more comfortable discussing sexual health, and encourage them to get tested. Being surrounded by their peers in a non-judgemental setting may encourage them to make changes, or support each other’s decisions to make

I think it is possible to encourage more people to get tested through the use of education and confidential settings. For example, this H312 class has probably encouraged many of its students to get tested. Other ways to encourage students to get tested is through the use of education. Health education is a required class, at hopefully most colleges. These health classes could dedicate larger sections of their curriculum to sexual health. Campuses should also offer confidential sexual health testing. Also, encouragement to get tested could be provided through PSAs and intervention programs.

In the US, home HIV-testing kits are available, which hopefully leads to more people knowing their status. If there is access to these self-testing kits in other countries, as well as a higher availability of confidential testing and education materials, more people may be encouraged to get tested.

2) Reduce the death rate among persons with diagnosed HIV infection by at least 33