Study Conducted at NYAM to be Part of HIV Prevention Report

A CDC-funded study conducted at NYAM, "Study to Reduce Intravenous Exposures (STRIVE)," has been selected to be part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) 2008 Compendium of Evidence-based HIV Prevention Interventions. The 2008 Compendium is central to HIV prevention practice because it is a single source of interventions representing the strongest behavioral HIV interventions in the literature to date. Those studies are rigorously evaluated on efficacy in reducing HIV or STD incidence, HIV-related risk behaviors or promoting safer behaviors. It is an important recognition of the work contributing to HIV prevention in the United States.

"NYAM has been conducting important work on the domestic HIV/AIDS epidemic for 12 years, and has responded to the epidemic through research, education

A CDC-funded study conducted at NYAM, has been selected to be part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) 2008 Compendium of Evidence-based HIV Prevention Interventions.

and policy since the onset of the pandemic," said Dr David Vlahov, Senior Vice President of Research at NYAM. "It is rewarding to be recognized for the ongoing energy, compassion and drive it takes to continue to make a difference in the lives of individuals at risk for and living with HIV. Due to the contributions of researchers locally and globally, we continue to fight the battle for HIV prevention needs, barriers, and challenges."

The 2008 Compendium, which includes eight recently identified evidence-based behavioral interventions that have been scientifically proven to significantly reduce HIV risk, was released this week and is available online at http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/topics/research/prs/evidence-based-interventions.htm.

Best-Evidence HIV behavioral interventions include interventions that have been rigorously evaluated and have shown significant effects in eliminating or reducing sex- or drug-related risk behaviors, reducing the rate of new HIV/STD infections, or increasing HIV-protective behaviors. These interventions are considered to provide the strongest scientific evidence of efficacy.

The original evaluation study was conducted in Baltimore, Maryland, New York City, New York, and Seattle, Washington between 2002 and 2004.

The study, STRIVE, was a 6-session, group-level, peer mentoring intervention designed to prevent high-risk drug injection behaviors among injection drug users (IDUs.) The intervention aimed to reduce HCV transmission risk by training participants to mentor other IDUs and to promote risk reduction information. A harm reduction approach was used to promote distributive risk reduction options. The intervention also emphasized participants to set an example for their close peers through their own safer injection practices. The peer mentoring role provided participants with a new "prosocial" identity which reinforced their motivation to practice and promote safer injection drug behaviors. The intervention content was delivered through demonstrations, games, group discussions, skills-building exercises, street outreach activities, and videos.

The key intervention effects were to reduce distributive risk among those continuing to inject drugs; reduce frequency of preparing drugs with a syringe previously used by oneself; reduce sharing drug preparation equipment; reduce frequency of injecting self with used syringe and increase refraining from injection drug use.

NYAM has been advancing the health of people in cities since 1847. An independent organization, NYAM addresses the health challenges facing the world’s urban populations through interdisciplinary approaches to innovative research, education, community engagement and policy leadership. Drawing on the expertise of diverse partners worldwide and more than 2,000 elected Fellows from across the professions, our current priorities are to create environments in cities that support healthy aging; to strengthen systems that prevent disease and promote the public’s health; and to implement interventions that eliminate health disparities.

Posted on January 29, 2009

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Contact:
Andrew J. Martin
Director of Communications
The New York Academy of Medicine
1216 Fifth Avenue
New York, New York 10029
212-822-7285
amartin@nyam.org

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