Healthcare Education Associates proposes to develop and evaluate an educational program that targets women in drug treatment for HIV/AIDS prevention. The program will take the form of an educational package that includes four 15-minute broadcast quality videos and a group leader's guide that contains material needed to present a program, including participant handouts. The goal of the program is twofold: 1) to prevent women in treatment from becoming infected; and 2) if already infected, to teach behaviors that will prevent them from transmitting the virus. The overall objectives of the proposed program are to increase women's: 1) knowledge of HIV/AIDS transmission and prevention; 2) perception of risk; 3) perceived self-efficacy in adopting risk reduction strategies; 4) skills in negotiating safer sex and using condoms; and 5) skills in cleaning injection equipment (among drug injectors). The proposed program is an innovative approach to HIV/AIDS prevention among drug-using women. It is the first commercially available product that provides comprehensive educational programming and materials for women substance abusers in drug treatment settings.
To date, no program on HIV/AIDS prevention targeting women in drug treatment is commercially available. This video-based educational package has significant commercial potential for drug treatment facilities, AIDS service organizations, hospitals, and community health centers and clinics.
