Keep It Safer Sister: An Intervention Study to Reduce HIV Risk for Female Detainees

HIV rates are stabilizing in most populations of the United States; however, HIV rates are increasing in women, particularly poor, Southern women of color. Incarcerated women, an especially vulnerable group, have twice the HIV rates of incarcerated men and are mostly ethnic minorities. Research has not been done to determine whether HIV prevention interventions efficacious for women in prisons will be effective for women in jails. Many women are jailed for behaviors that increase their risk for HIV, including sex work and substance abuse. In this study, the experimental group will receive an intervention aimed at improving their HIV/AIDS knowledge, safer sexual behaviors and learn how to negotiate safer sex. The interventions are based on those successfully used in prisons with incarcerated women. The control group will receive interventions to reduce risk for chronic diseases such as breast cancer, cardiovascular disease, hypertension and diabetes. Both groups will receive post-release follow-up to determine whether the experimental group intervention improved HIV/AIDS knowledge, improved self-efficacy for safer sex behaviors, and reduced unsafe sexual behaviors as compared to the control group intervention.

Scholars @ ECU