HIV PREVENTION WITH MALE PROSTITUTES AND PATRONS OF HUSTLER BARS - REPLICATION OF AN HIV PREVENTIVE INTERVENTION

The core objectives of this study were to document the process by whic h a community-based organization replicated and adapted an experimenta lly developed intervention to its own use and to explore the effective ness of that HIV prevention program for male prostitutes and other pat rons in New York City ''hustler'' bars. The intervention model employe d was based on previous research with gay men (Kelly, St. Lawrence, Di az, et al., 1991; Kelly, St. Lawrence, Stevenson, et al., 1992) and in spired by diffusion of innovation theory (Rogers, 1995). The effects o f the current intervention were assessed on a sample of 1,741 male pro stitutes and bar patrons. Analyses indicated significant reductions in paid, unprotected sexual intercourse and oral sex following the inter vention. Analyses further indicated that the data were partially consi stent with the program's model, which specified that norms were the pu tative mediator of behavior change in the intervention. Also, the inte rvention's effects varied by bar and by participants' race/ethnicity. Data support the utility of the intervention model for an urban sample of men at high risk for HIV infection. The importance of exploring th e mechanisms that underlie the intervention is discussed.