INTERIM OUTCOMES FOR A COMMUNITY-BASED PROGRAM TO PREVENT PERINATAL HIV TRANSMISSION

The AIDS Prevention for Pediatric Life Enrichment (APPLE) project is a community-based program to prevent perinatal HN infection by preventi ng infection in women. One project component tested a primary preventi on model developed from principles of cognitive social learning theory which used street outreach and community-targeted small media materia ls to increase the use of condoms. Formative research was used to expl ore community perceptions about HIV/AIDS and to design media materials . Program evaluation employed a two-community, time series, quasi-expe rimental design. Annual street surveys sampled individuals in areas wh ere they were likely to encounter outreach workers. Baseline surveys f ound substantial pre-programmatic behavior change. After two years con siderable APPLE name recognition (40%), contact with media materials ( 63%), and contact with outreach workers (36%) were found and norms ref lecting social acceptability of condoms were more positive among women in the intervention community. Condom use at last sexual encounter ro se in both communities but was significantly higher in the interventio n community. Condom use also was higher among women who reported expos ure to either small media or small media plus street outreach. Other s elf-reported HN-prevention behaviors did not show change in the initia l period.