Interventions to prevent HIV risk behaviors - National Institutes of Health Consensus Development Conference Statement February 11-13, 1997

Objective: To provide health care providers, patients, and the general publ ic with a responsible assessment of behavioral intervention methods that ma y reduce the risk of HIV infection. Participants: A non-federal, nonadvocate, 12-member panel representing the fields of psychiatry, psychology, behavioral and social science, social wor k, and epidemiology. In addition, 15 experts in psychiatry, psychology, beh avioral acid social science, social work, and epidemiology presented data t o the panel and a conference audience of 1000. Evidence: The literature was searched through Medline and an extensive bibl iography of references was provided to the panel and the conference audienc e. Experts prepared abstracts with relevant citations from the literature. Scientific evidence was given precedence over clinical anecdotal experience . Consensus Process: The panel, answering predefined questions, developed its conclusions based on the scientific evidence presented in open forum and t he scientific literature. The panel composed a draft statement that was rea d in its entirety and circulated to the experts and the audience for commen t. Thereafter, the panel resolved conflicting recommendations and released a revised statement at the end of the conference. The panel finalized the r evisions within a few weeks after the conference. Conclusions: Behavioral interventions to reduce risk for HIV/AIDS are effec tive and should be disseminated widely. Legislative restriction on needle e xchange programs must be lifted because such legislation constitutes a majo r barrier to realizing the potential of a powerful approach and exposes mil lions of people to unnecessary risk. Legislative barriers that discourage e ffective programs aimed at youth must be eliminated. Although sexual abstin ence is a desirable objective, programs must include instruction on safer s ex behaviors. The erosion of funding for drug abuse treatment programs must be halted because research data clearly show that such programs reduce ris ky drug abuse behavior and often eliminate drug abuse itself. Finally, new research must focus an emerging risk groups such as young people, particula rly those who are gay and who are members of ethnic minority groups, and wo men, in whom transmission of HIV virus to their children remains a major pu blic health problem.