Adapting the SiSTA/SiHLE/WiLLOW Prevention Trilogy for Black Men

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Adapting the SISTA/SiHLE/WiLLOW HIV Prevention Trilogy for Black Men Who Have Sex with Men (MSM) Black men who have sex with men (MSM) have been disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS since the beginning of the epidemic. Yet, there are very few scientifically demonstrated effective HIV prevention interventions targeting Black MSM. This SBIR Phase II project will address this gap and fill an important product niche for community-based organizations, health departments and clinics serving Black MSM by creating (1) a modular program package and online program builder to support the delivery of the popular SISTA/SIHLE/WILLOW HIV prevention suite with Black MSM; (2) an interactive, computer-delivered version of the adapted program; and (3) an online forum to provide updated resources and enable practitioners to share program implementation concerns and experiences. We will also conduct a 3-arm, quasi-experimental outcome study in three states to assess the effectiveness of these programs in reducing HIV risk behaviors among Black MSM. The project offers many innovations, including the creation of the first evidence-based computer-delivered HIV prevention program specifically designed for Black MSM; the development of a modular program package and online program builder to tailor program content for different sub-populations of Black MSM; the presentation of risk reduction activities within an explicit sexual health/harm reduction framework, an approach called for by practitioners and public health officials in recent years (Goldhanner & Mayer, 2011; Grossman et al., 2011; Wolitski & Fenton, 2011); a discussion of the pros and cons of pre- exposure prophylaxis (PREP) as an HIV prevention strategy; the inclusion of "seroadaptive" risk reduction practices (Wei et al., 2011) in the outcome study to assess the wide range of harm reduction practices currently practiced by Black MSM; and an online practitioner forum. In sum, the project's combination of a modular adaptation package, online program builder, computer-delivered intervention and practitioner forum provides a model to support the cost-effective implementation of evidence-based programs on a wide range of public health issues in diver implementation contexts.