Advancing HIV Prevention Among Multiethnic Vulnerable Youths: Ethnoracial and Gender Differences

Abstract

The need for the evaluation of community-based HIV prevention interventions among at-risk ethnoracial minority youth is warranted. A 5-day peer-led intervention was conducted among 201 at-risk youth aged 12 to 22 years old. We assessed ethnoracial and gender differences in sexual health knowledge, intention and ability to practice safe sex pre and post intervention. Participants were 57% male with a mean age of 16 years (50% Latino, 28% white, and 22% black). While participants in all ethnoracial groups showed improvement post intervention, black participants improved significantly less than whites in their intention to use condoms and HIV knowledge. Differences varied by baseline response. Results indicated that interventions may need enhancement in order to have a greater impact on ethnoracial minority youth.

KEYWORDS:

• at-risk youths
• culturally appropriate interventions
• health disparities
• HIV prevention

Acknowledgments

This study would not have been possible without the youth participants and peer educators. We would especially like to thank Stephen Carroll and Lizette Sanchez from San Diego Youth Services for their support of this work. The intervention was funded by a grant from the California Endowment. This study was also partially funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (grant K01 MH072353), the San Diego EXPORT Center, National Center of Minority Health and Health Disparities, and the National Institutes of Health (grant P60 MD00220). Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

Notes

*p < .05.

Note: ^a Reference = white.

*p < .05, **p < .01, ***p < .001.