HIV/STD Prevention for High-Risk Youth in Liberia

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The goal of this project is to prevent HIV/STD among youth in Liberia. The project has two specific aims: (1) the primary aim is to culturally adapt, implement, and rigorously evaluate an effective HIV/STD intervention program among high-risk Liberian youth aged 15-17 years; and (2) the secondary aim is to increase the capacity of the Liberian research team and community stakeholders to successfully implement the proposed study. Eligible youth will be recruited from schools within the Monrovia Consolidated School System (MCSS) and youth-serving organizations (YSOs) in Montserrado County which includes Monrovia, the capital city of Liberia and randomly assigned to one of two conditions: Making Proud Choices (intervention) and a General Health Program (control). Making Proud Choices (MPC) is a research-based, 8-module, behavioral-based program that stresses HIV/STD risk reduction among high-risk youth of diverse cultural backgrounds. The General Health Program (GHP) is an 8-module health program that provides basic information on the prevention of common health conditions that affect Liberian youth. All intervention material will be developed and/or adapted by the research team based on extensive literature review and prior research. The intervention and control conditions will be administered to youth in separate small group settings by trained program co-facilitators and then evaluated at baseline, program completion, and at 6- and 12-month post-intervention follow-ups. Outcome measures will assess primary outcomes (frequency of unprotected sexual intercourse and condom use) and secondary outcomes (e.g., HIV/STD protective knowledge, self-efficacy, and social competency skills). Process measures will assess implementation quality and various program characteristics and dynamics. Capacity building activities will revolve around the cultural adaptation, behavioral theories, and effective implementation of the proposed HIV/STD intervention research project. Products developed from this project (i.e., manuals, brochures, reports, and manuscripts) will be disseminated at workshops, shared with community stakeholders and the national government at an end-user conference in Liberia, presented at regional conferences, and published in peer- reviewed journals.