S.T.A.R.S.: Sistas Talking About Real Solutions

Summary

STARS: Sistas Talking About Real Solutions is a health education intervention for African-American women, ages 18-29 aimed at reducing their risk for HIV. A total of 855 subjects were recruited from three Kaiser Permanente Medical Centers. Members were randomly selected from the membership database and sent a letter via mail introducing them to the project and inviting them to participate. Letters were followed up with a phone call and potential participants were screened for eligibility. To be able to participate, participants had to be African-American, female, between the ages of 18-29, single, and have at least one act of unprotected sexual intercourse within the last 6 months. Members who were eligible and willing to participate completed a 1-hour baseline assessment survey; STD testing for Chlamydia, gonorrhea, trichomoniasis, and HPV; a vaginal swab that was used to determine if they had unprotected sex. They were then randomized into one of two study conditions: (1) a 2-session HIV risk-reduction condition with a safer sex relapse prevention component (2) a 1-session control condition in which participants receive general women's health information and brochures. Participants received a booster session at 6 and 9 months to reinforce intervention materials. Participants completed an assessment survey and received STD testing at 6 and 12 months. The primary aim of this project is to evaluate the efficacy of the HIV risk-reduction/safer sex relapse prevention condition relative to the health and nutritional control group in reducing HIV-associated sexual behaviors and incident STDs over a 12-month follow-up period is to implement.

Conditions

• HIV Prevention

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

STARS: Sistas Talking About Real Solutions

The intervention consisted of 2, 4-hour workshops. The first workshop focused on enhancing ethnic/gender pride, self-esteem, realizing values/setting goals, healthy/unhealthy relationships, partner violence, HIV/STD knowledge, heightening awareness of HIV susceptibility, safer-sex options/skills. The second workshop covered realistic choices in sexual decision making, consistent/proper condom use, setting limits/boundaries, communication styles, and condom skills negotiation. Participants received 3-hour booster sessions at 6- and 9-months to reinforce materials from the initial intervention. Bi-monthly phone calls and quarterly mailings were used to reinforce workshop material and facilitate retention.

BEHAVIORAL

General Health & Nutrition

Participants in this condition received a 2 hour group session which consisted of general health information and women's health brochures facilitated by a trained health educator. The control group received bi-monthly phone calls and quarterly mailings for retention purposes only, with no intervention material provided.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

  collaborator NIH

• Emory University

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Gina M Wingood, ScD, MPH · Emory University

• LaShun R Robinson, PhD · Emory University

• Ralph DiClemente, PhD · Emory University

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

PREVENTION

Masking

SINGLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

29 Years

Sex

FEMALE

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2002-10-31

Primary Completion

2006-03-31

Completion

2006-03-31

Countries

• United States

Study Locations