The Ahalaya case-management program for HIV-infected American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians: quantitative and qualitative evaluation of impacts.

The Ahalaya case management model was designed to provide culturally sensitive services to HIV-positive American Indians (AI), Alaska Natives (AN), and Native Hawaiians (NH). This program started in 1991 and expanded across the country in 1994. The evaluation plan included a client satisfaction survey, along with focus groups and key informant interviews. Of the 389 active clients enrolled, 132 responded to the anonymous 35-item questionnaire. Responses were favorable regarding benefits of the programs. Self-reported quality of life changes after enrollment also were significantly improved (Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test: T=6.87, p=.000; n=131). Qualitative data highlighted other important issues. Social relationships-with staff, community, and family-were critical to client welfare, as a source of both strength and fear. While AI/AN/NH case management programs have been shown effective, services need to expand, and they have to facilitate resolutions to problems in clients social relationships.

AVERT: a user-friendly model to estimate the impact of HIV/sexually transmitted disease prevention interventions on HIV transmission.

OBJECTIVE: To introduce the newly developed AVERT model by describing the purpose, logic, advantages and limitations of the model, to validate the model's estimates against seroconversion data from a large randomized controlled trial, and to provide practical examples of its applications. DESIGN: Static, deterministic spreadsheet-type model based on per sex act HIV-1 transmission probabilities. METHODS: Data from a recently completed trial carried out in Cameroon were used to validate the estimated number of new HIV infections generated by the AVERT model. A relatively limited set of biological and behavioral parameters was used to estimate the impact of a targeted HIV/sexually transmitted disease (STD) prevention intervention in a South African mining community. RESULTS: The comparison of AVERT estimates with actual seroincidence data from the Cameroon trial not only confirmed the validity of the model's outputs but also illustrated its potential to provide additional options in data analysis. Modeling the pre-and post-intervention scenarios for the South African mining community with AVERT provided estimates of the number of HIV infections averted due to targeted periodic presumptive STD treatment and community-based peer education. CONCLUSIONS: With a small number of accessible input variables, AVERT can provide plausible and defendable impact estimates of intervention effects on the reduction of HIV transmission. The AVERT model may be a helpful tool for decision-makers and planners in setting appropriate program priorities and analysing the cost-effectiveness of different intervention packages.

HIV seroprevalence, risk behaviors, and cognitive factors among Asian and Pacific Islander American men who have sex with men: a summary and critique of empirical studies and methodological issues.

The goals of this article are to (a) summarize and discuss published empirical studies addressing HIV seroprevalence rates and HIV-related behaviors and cognitive factors among Asian and Pacific Islander American (API) men who have sex with men (MSM) in the United States, (b) examine existing population-based research methodologies for studying HIV and AIDS prevention, (c) describe a conceptual framework to facilitate the identification of ecologically sound or culturally appropriate and competent methodologies for studying HIV prevention among API MSM, and (d) discuss methodological issues and recommend alternative methodologies to better understand this population in HIV prevention. A total of eight published empirical studies reported the HIV seroprevalence rates, HIV-risk behaviors, and attitudes toward HIV and AIDS among API MSM. Specifically, seven studies reported HIV seroprevalence rates that were based on either self-disclosure of HIV status or HIV test results among the study participants. Four studies also reported findings about the relationships between HIV-related behaviors and cognitive factors. There are five population-based databases on HIV and AIDS epidemiology and surveillance which have been managed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Findings from the seven studies indicate that API MSM are as likely to engage in HIV-risk behaviors as other groups. The present analysis reveals that conventional surveillance or epidemiological techniques (e.g., random digit telephone dialing), based on a singular model of populations, are not appropriate to address culturally, linguistically and racially/ethnically diverse groups of API MSM. To address the diversity of this group, ecologically sound or culturally appropriate and competent research methodologies are needed. Thus, a conceptual framework for such methodologies with examples was reviewed. Two alternative methodologies, network analysis and venue-based sampling, were briefly discussed.

PIP: This article presents a summary of HIV seroprevalence rate and HIV-related behavior empirical studies. Results of population-based HIV and AIDS prevention programs are analyzed. Furthermore, this paper describes a conceptual framework for HIV prevention and discusses methodological issues and alternative HIV prevention programs among Asian and Pacific Islander (API) American men who have sex with men (MSM). This study analyzed 8 published studies on HIV seroprevalence rates, HIV risk behaviors, and HIV/AIDS attitudes among API MSM, particularly 7 studies on HIV seroprevalence rates which were based on HIV status self-disclosure and HIV test results. Of the 8 studies, 4 were able to focus on API MSM. The Center for Disease Control, which controls the surveillance of population-based HIV/AIDS epidemiology, utilizes 5 databases. These studies indicate that API MSM were likely to practice unsafe behaviors compared with other risk groups. The use of conventional surveillance or epidemiological techniques based on a singular model of populations is inadequate in response to the culturally, linguistically, and racially/ethnically diverse groups of API MSM. It was suggested that the use of ecologically sound or culturally appropriate and competent research methodologies is necessary to address the diversity of this group. Finally, a discussion on the use of two alternative methodologies, particularly network analysis and venue-based sampling within a conceptual framework, is presented.