Development and preliminary evaluation of a behavioural HIV-prevention programme for teenage girls of Latino descent in the USA

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Tatiana M. Davidson, Medical University of South Carolina; Cristina M. Lopez, Medical University of South Carolina; Raelle Saulson, Medical University of South Carolina; April L. Borkman, Medical University of South Carolina; Kathryn Soltis, Medical University of South Carolina; Kenneth J. Ruggiero, Medical University of South Carolina; Michael de Arellano, Medical University of South Carolina; Gina M Wingood, Emory University; Ralph Joseph Diclemente, Emory University; Carla Kmett Danielson, Medical University of South Carolina
• Language: English
• Date: 2014-01-01
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis (Routledge): STM, Behavioural Science and Public Health Titles
• Publication Version: Author Accepted Manuscript (After Peer Review)
• Copyright Statement: © 2014 Taylor & Francis.
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13691058.2014.891049
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: Culture, Health and Sexuality
• ISSN: 1369-1058
• Volume: 16
• Issue: 5
• Start Page: 533
• End Page: 546
• Grant/Funding Information: Dr Davidson is supported by the National Institute of Mental Health [grant number R01 MH081056-03S2] (PI: Ruggiero).; Dr Lopez is supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) [grant number NIH R01DA025616-04S1].
• Keywords: ACCULTURATION; HIV; Biomedical Social Sciences; COMMUNITY; USA; Family Studies; SEXUAL HEALTH; ADHERENCE; YOUNG ADOLESCENT GIRLS; RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED-TRIAL; young women; RISK; EFFICACY; prevention; Social Sciences; INTERVENTIONS; Latino; WOMEN; Social Sciences, Biomedical
• Research Categories: Health Sciences, Public Health; Psychology, Behavioral

Abstract

National data suggests that teenage girls of Latino descent in the USA are disproportionately affected by HIV, with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reporting the rate of new infections being approximately four times higher compared to White women of comparable age. This paper highlights the need for an effective single-sex HIV-prevention programme for teenage girls of Latino descent and describes the development and preliminary evaluation of Chicas Healing, Informing, Living and Empowering (CHILE), a culturally-tailored, HIV-prevention programme exclusively for teenage girls of Latino descent that was adapted from Sisters Informing, Healing, Living and Empowering (SiHLE), an evidence-based HIV- prevention program that is culturally tailored for African American young women. Theatre testing, a pre-testing methodology to assess consumer response to a demonstration of a product, was utilised to evaluate the relevance and utility of the HIV programme as well as opportunities for the integration of cultural constructs. Future directions for the evaluation of CHILE are discussed.