Outcomes of a peer HIV prevention program with injection drug and crack users: The risk avoidance partnership

The Risk Avoidance Partnership (RAP) Project conducted in Hartford, Connecticut, tested a program to train active drug injectors and crack cocaine users as "Peer Health Advocates" (PHAs) to deliver a modular HIV, hepatitis, and STI prevention intervention to hard-to-reach drug users in the...

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Main Authors: Weeks, M., Li, Jianghong, Dickson-Gomez, J., Convey, M., Martinez, M., Radda, K., Clair, S.
Format: Journal Article
Published: Informa Healthcare 2009
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/12587
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author Weeks, M.
Li, Jianghong
Dickson-Gomez, J.
Convey, M.
Martinez, M.
Radda, K.
Clair, S.
author_facet Weeks, M.
Li, Jianghong
Dickson-Gomez, J.
Convey, M.
Martinez, M.
Radda, K.
Clair, S.
author_sort Weeks, M.
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description The Risk Avoidance Partnership (RAP) Project conducted in Hartford, Connecticut, tested a program to train active drug injectors and crack cocaine users as "Peer Health Advocates" (PHAs) to deliver a modular HIV, hepatitis, and STI prevention intervention to hard-to-reach drug users in their networks and others in the city. The intervention was designed to diffuse health promotion and risk-reduction interventions by supporting PHAs to model prevention practices and deliver risk- and harm-reduction materials and information. We compared change in behaviors and attitudes between baseline and 6-month follow-up of 112 primarily African-American and Latino PHAs, 223 of their drug-user network contact referrals, and 118 other study recruits (total n = 523). Results indicated significant HIV risk reduction among all study participants, associated with significant health advocacy action conducted by PHAs, and a relationship between exposure to the RAP peer-delivered intervention and risk reduction among all study groups. Findings suggest that active drug users' engagement in peer health advocacy can set in motion a feedback and diffusion process that supports both the continued work of the PHAs and the adoption of harm reduction and mimicking of health advocacy by their peers. Copyright © 2009 Informa Healthcare USA, Inc.
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spelling curtin-20.500.11937-125872018-03-29T09:06:08Z Outcomes of a peer HIV prevention program with injection drug and crack users: The risk avoidance partnership Weeks, M. Li, Jianghong Dickson-Gomez, J. Convey, M. Martinez, M. Radda, K. Clair, S. The Risk Avoidance Partnership (RAP) Project conducted in Hartford, Connecticut, tested a program to train active drug injectors and crack cocaine users as "Peer Health Advocates" (PHAs) to deliver a modular HIV, hepatitis, and STI prevention intervention to hard-to-reach drug users in their networks and others in the city. The intervention was designed to diffuse health promotion and risk-reduction interventions by supporting PHAs to model prevention practices and deliver risk- and harm-reduction materials and information. We compared change in behaviors and attitudes between baseline and 6-month follow-up of 112 primarily African-American and Latino PHAs, 223 of their drug-user network contact referrals, and 118 other study recruits (total n = 523). Results indicated significant HIV risk reduction among all study participants, associated with significant health advocacy action conducted by PHAs, and a relationship between exposure to the RAP peer-delivered intervention and risk reduction among all study groups. Findings suggest that active drug users' engagement in peer health advocacy can set in motion a feedback and diffusion process that supports both the continued work of the PHAs and the adoption of harm reduction and mimicking of health advocacy by their peers. Copyright © 2009 Informa Healthcare USA, Inc. 2009 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/12587 10.1080/10826080802347677 Informa Healthcare restricted
spellingShingle Weeks, M.
Li, Jianghong
Dickson-Gomez, J.
Convey, M.
Martinez, M.
Radda, K.
Clair, S.
Outcomes of a peer HIV prevention program with injection drug and crack users: The risk avoidance partnership
title Outcomes of a peer HIV prevention program with injection drug and crack users: The risk avoidance partnership
title_full Outcomes of a peer HIV prevention program with injection drug and crack users: The risk avoidance partnership
title_fullStr Outcomes of a peer HIV prevention program with injection drug and crack users: The risk avoidance partnership
title_full_unstemmed Outcomes of a peer HIV prevention program with injection drug and crack users: The risk avoidance partnership
title_short Outcomes of a peer HIV prevention program with injection drug and crack users: The risk avoidance partnership
title_sort outcomes of a peer hiv prevention program with injection drug and crack users: the risk avoidance partnership
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/12587