Prevention of sexual risk behavior for HIV infection with women

Abstract

This paper defines the components of gender-specific interventions for HIV infections for women, i.e. negotiation skills with male partners for condom use, integration of strategies against HIV and other STD infections and for contraception, the urgent need for female controlled methods, the importance of the inclusion of heterosexual men and an expansion to couples in prevention programs. This paper also presents a critical update in HIV prevention articles for women since the beginning of the AIDS epidemic through March 1996. All reviewed interventions were conducted in the U.S., Canada or Puerto Rico and described a psychological, behavioral, or educational component that addressed sexual risk reduction and included a behavioral evaluation. Manual and computer searches identified 47 studies that targeted women and provided a female-specific analysis of intervention effects. Overall, the findings demonstrate that HIV prevention programs can be effective in reducing risky sexual behavior among women. Program effectiveness varied by intervention type, session duration, and whether studies included women alone or both men and women. The most efficacious HIV prevention programs were specifically directed toward women, focused on relationship and negotiation skills, and involved multiple, sustained contacts. Evidence also indicated that community-level interventions hold promise. It is recommended that outcomes for women be expanded to include strategies beyond the male condom, such as refusing or avoiding unsafe sex or using the female condom.