HIV Prevention: Adolescents in Brooklyn
Although the risk of HIV / AIDS has been curtailed somewhat with advances in medication and treatment, ultimately prevention of this disease is the best strategy. Youth, particularly minority youths, are most likely to be infected. According to the CDC: "youth aged 13 to 24 accounted for an estimated 26% of all new HIV infections in the United States in 2010. Most new HIV infections among youth occur among gay and bisexual males; there was a 22% increase in estimated new infections in this group from 2008 to 2010. Almost 60% of youth with HIV in the United States do not know they are infected" ("HIV amongst youth," 2014). The proposed intervention would be specifically designed to target this high-risk group in Brooklyn through educational and prevention strategies.
Current interventions to aid this group in Brooklyn include education and prevention for the at-risk population and also coordination of existing resources and assistance for the infected. The Brooklyn Association of Teen Educators (BATES) and Brooklyn Adolescent Service Network for AIDS Prevention (BASNAP) focus on helping peer leadership groups in Brooklyn educate at-risk youth about the risks of AIDS and prevention strategies. "BATES sponsors an annual conference for youth each year to empower teens...
The Brooklyn Adolescent Service Network for AIDS Prevention (BASNAP) also acts to connect HIV and AIDS-infected youth to connect with services that can help them manage their condition, as well as more generalized educational efforts.
Although all young people can benefit from these organizations, they are specifically designed to help individuals who cannot access conventional channels of assistance because of a lack of funding or cultural barriers. These organizational groups do not specify a guiding type of theoretical model, although they are community-based and multicultural in focus, suggesting they are based upon the principles of community organizing. Their Brooklyn-specific nature indicates that on an ecological level they are focused on the community network as the best way to guard against the spread of the disease. Although the actions of these groups obviously touch upon individuals as well as communities and seek to involve organizations in their efforts, ultimately the focus of the programs are collective in nature and are specifically designed to unite affected Brooklyn youths in AIDS prevention.
The proposed intervention would make use of a 'social marketing' approach to HIV prevention. This approach is selected…
