Loretta Sweet Jemmott ^1*, John B. Jemmott, III ², Ann O'Leary ³

¹ University of Pennsylvania - School of Nursing
² University of Pennsylvania - Annenberg School for Communication
³ Centers for Disease Control

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: jemmott{at}nursing.upenn.edu.

	Abstract

Objectives. We tested the efficacy of brief HIV/sexually transmitted disease (STD) risk-reduction interventions for African American women in primary care settings.

Methods. In a randomized controlled trial, 564 African American women recruited at a, Newark, NJ, inner-city women’s health clinic were assigned to a 20-minute one-on-one HIV/STD behavioral skill-building intervention, 200-minute group HIV/STD behavioral skill-building intervention, 20-minute one-on-one HIV/STD information intervention, 200-minute group HIV/STD information intervention, or 200-minute health intervention control group. Primary outcomes were self-reported sexual behaviors in the previous 3 months; secondary outcome was STD infection.

Results. At 12-month follow-up, participants in the skill-building interventions reported less unprotected sexual intercourse than did participants in the information interventions (Cohen’s d [d]=0.23, P=.02), reported a greater proportion of protected sexual intercourse than did information intervention participants (d=0.21, P=.05) and control participants (d=0.24, P=.03), and were less likely to test positive for an STD than were control participants (d=0.20, P=.03).

Conclusions. This study suggests that brief single-session, one-on-one or group skill-building interventions may reduce HIV/STD risk behaviors and STD morbidity among inner-city African American women in primary care settings.

Key Words: Health Care Facilities/Services, HIV/AIDS, Public Health Practice, African Americans/Blacks, Sexual Health, Women's Health

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