The feasibility of a family-based HIV prevention intervention for rural Indian youth

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India-U.S. collaboration to prevent adolescent HIV infection: the feasibility of

a family-based HIV prevention intervention for rural Indian youth

Despite the centrality of family in Indian society, relatively little is known

about family-based communication about sexual behaviour and HIV/AIDS in rural,

Indian families. To date, very few family-based adolescent HIV prevention

interventions have been developed for rural Indian youth.

The present study conducted formative research with youth aged 14-18 and their

parents in order to assess the feasibility of conducting a family-based HIV

prevention intervention for rural Indian adolescents.

Methods: Eight focus groups were conducted (N = 46) with mothers, fathers,

adolescent females and adolescent males, with two same-gender focus groups held

for each of the four groups. Adolescents aged 14-18 years old and their parents

were recruited from a tribal community in rural Maharashtra, India.

Focus group transcripts were content analyzed to identify themes related to

family perceptions about HIV/AIDS and participation in a family-based

intervention to reduce adolescent vulnerability to HIV infection.

Results: Six primary thematic areas were identified: (1) family knowledge about

HIV/AIDS, (2) family perceptions about adolescent vulnerability to HIV

infection, (3) feasibility of a family-based program to prevent adolescent HIV

infection, (4) barriers to participation, (5) recruitment and retention

strategies, and (6) preferred content for an adolescent HIV prevention

intervention.

Conclusions: Despite suggestions that family-based approaches to preventing

adolescent HIV infection may be culturally inappropriate, our results suggest

that a family-based intervention to prevent adolescent HIV infection is feasible

for rural Indian families if it (1) provides families with relevant family-based

prevention strategies and knowledge about HIV/AIDS, (2) addresses barriers to

participation, (3) is adolescent-friendly, flexible, and convenient, and (4) is

developmentally and culturally appropriate.

Author: Asha Banu Soletti Guilamo-Ramos BurnetteS hilpi Sharma

Alida Bouris

Credits/Source: Journal of the International AIDS Society 2009, 2:10

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