PREVENTING HIV-INFECTION - THE EFFECTS OF COMMUNITY LINKAGES, TIME, AND MONEY ON RECRUITING AND RETAINING WOMEN IN INTERVENTION GROUPS

Few studies have addressed recruitment and retention of participants i n preventive interventions directed at human immunodeficiency virus (H IV), and these generally have not focused on women. In this study, par t of the Women in Group Support (WINGS) project, we examine the experi ence of three sites in recruiting 444 high-risk women for a small grou p intervention to reduce risky sexual behavior. The intervention inclu ded six structured sessions, followed by a continuing series of client -focused, drop-in sessions. Incentives for participants included child care, food, and transportation tokens. Attendees at each structured s ession also received a cash incentive of $10-$20. Forty-six percent of the women were recruited from community sources, 35% from clinics, an d 19% from drug programs. Across all recruitment sources, almost a thi rd of the women reported having had a sexually transmitted disease (ST D) in the past year, 88%-94% reported a risky male partner (who, they believed, had sex with other partners or with sex workers, was an inje cting drug user, or was HIV positive), and 10%-36% reported trading se x for money or drugs. During 18 months of recruitment, each site avera ged 34 screening interviews monthly to secure 8 eligible women a month who completed baseline interviews and reported for randomization. The average number of paid sessions attended by participants was five of six (83%). Average attendance at unpaid sessions was 1 of 12 (8%). Key facilitators to recruitment and retention included linkages with comm unity agencies and monetary incentives. Our findings suggest that rese archers and community service providers need to explore alternative st rategies to paying women for attending group sessions (e.g., incorpora ting group interventions into existing program requirements) and balan ce these against the costs and recruitment effectiveness.