HIV Intervention Programs

When you walk into a car lot and actually want to purchase a car, the last thing you want at that moment is to have somebody briskly running up to you to “help” you as you make your decision. For many, this “help” can be a total turn-off and they may leave the lot without a car and a salesperson without a commission. According to research performed by professors at the University of Illinois, the same concept applies when approaching high-risk people to get them involved in HIV prevention programs. A study conducted by Dolores Albarracin, a psychology professor at UI, and other colleagues in Florida showed a way to actually influence these individuals to participate in HIV programs.

Findings from this study, which can be found in the September 2008 issue of Health Psychology, have shown that when an individual is offered a trial, no-strings-attached introduction to an HIV therapy session, enrollment in various public health initiatives is greatly increased. In former studies, Albarracin and her colleagues had determined that when an individual is considered high-risk in terms of contracting HIV at some point in their lives, they were also less likely to actually seek out, participate and maintain enrollment in HIV prevention programs. In order to determine what would work in getting these high-risk individuals to enroll in these particular programs, several differing messages were given to possible participants when inviting them to join an HIV prevention program at the Alachua County Health Department, located in Gainesville, Florida. Of the various messages used, there was one that was more successful than the others.

The messages were all similar in that they served as an invitation to participants who had already agreed to participate in a health study to have a meeting with a counselor who specialized in HIV prevention. The less successful invitations mentioned that when one met with a counselor, the use of contraceptives (specifically, condoms) increased significantly. The more successful and less intimidating invitation stated that the meeting was simply to offer the latest facts on HIV and was not an effort to change mindsets or behavior. Those who were offered this invitation actually had a 15% higher enrollment rate. Data also showed that if an invitee came in with no desire to use condoms, they were more likely to enroll when offered the second more neutral invitation.

Albarracin stated, “This kind of research has tremendous public health implications. Public health experts around the world are regularly in search of the most effective methods for curbing preventable health problems. HIV is a disease caused by a number of risky behaviors like unsafe sex and unsafe needle sharing, but health information is often disseminated without complete knowledge of how it will be received by audiences. The research indicates that people will be more receptive to information when they don’t believe they are trying to be influenced. This approach will be helpful in giving public health professionals effective ways to introduce the public to information without repulsing those they are trying to help most.”