A PROFILE OF 6 COMMUNITY-BASED HIV PREVENTION PROGRAMS TARGETING ASIAN AND PACIFIC ISLANDER AMERICANS

Based on a framework (i.e., research and evaluation, prevention and se rvices, and advocacy and policy), the goal of this article is to profi le six community-based HIV prevention programs targeting Asian and Pac ific Islander (API) Americans, especially among men who have sex with men. These six programs were chosen based on one or more of the follow ing three criteria: (a) epidemiological profiles of AIDS cases among A sian and Pacific Islander Americans, (b) ethnic diversity, and (b) com munity development among Asian and Pacific Islander Americans in the f ight against HIV. The six programs are (a) the Kokua Kalih Valley Heal th Center, Honolulu; (b) the Asian and Pacific Islander Wellness Cente r, San Francisco; (c) the Asian Pacific AIDS Intervention Team, Los An geles; (d) the Asian and Pacific Islander Coalition on HIV and AIDS, N ew York City; (e) the AIDS Services in Asian Communities, Philadelphia ; and (f) the Massachusetts Asian AIDS Prevention Project, Boston. The present analysis reveals that five programs have their roots in the g ay or bisexual communities. Two programs have existed for about 3 year s (the epidemic is going into its 17th year). Major financial support for the six programs are federal, state, or county sources; private su pport is generally minimal. All six programs offer a wide range of cul turally competent and linguistically appropriate prevention activities and services (including two national projects) targeting a diverse AP I population. However, gaps in services exist in the younger programs. In addition to a paucity of epidemiological, surveillance, and empiri cal data, most reported that barriers fall into one or two interrelate d categories: (a) structural (e.g., lack of governmental or private fu nding) or (b) cultural (e.g., denial of risk, homophobia, fear of conf identiality). These findings suggest that HIV prevention activities an d services for Asian and Pacific Islander Americans should be based on empirical and cultural data, and that API Americans should become mor e actively involved in social and political activities. Asian and Paci fic Islander American agencies are challenged to integrate HIV with ot her health and social issues pertinent to the communities.