HIV/STI Prevention Among Black Adolescents With Mental Illnesses (Project GOLD)

The targeted HIV/STI risk reduction intervention was delivered with groups of up to 8 participants through 8, 45-minute modules equally divided over 2 days (4 modules per session). It was designed to enhance participants' knowledge and ability to reduce their risk of HIV/STIs. Grounded in both social/behavioral and cognitive theories, the intervention includes psychoeducation, and was intended to enhance participants' HIV/STI prevention knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and skills in a manner relevant to Black adolescents.

"The original Promoting Health among Teens (PHAT) Project was designed to increase knowledge and motivation regarding healthful dietary practices, aerobic exercise, and breast and testicular self-examination, and to discourage cigarette smoking. The 8-hour, 2-session PHAT intervention was shortened to mirror the Project GOLD HIV/STI risk reduction curriculum. This was done to control for the Hawthorne effect and reduce the likelihood that effects of the HIV/STI risk reduction intervention can be attributed to its nonspecific features, including special attention. From an ethical standpoint, adolescents in both conditions received a valuable and engaging health-risk-reduction intervention as opposed to usual care."