Development and Implementation of an AIDS Prevention Program for African-American Women at a Child Care Center.

This program was designed to provide Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) prevention education for African-American women of child bearing age at a child care center which serves low income high risk families. The primary goal was to reduce the risk of African-American women at the child care center for contracting the Human Immunodeficiency Virus or AIDS and to reduce the risk of these women transmitting the disease to their future offspring. Although the workshops were originally targeted to parents and staff at the agency, no parents attended the first session so the sessions were closed to staff only. The ethnic composition of the sessions included 15 African-Americans, two Caucasians, two Asians, and one Persian. The age range of the women was 21 to 54 years old. Participants included teachers, teacher assistants, supervisors, office managers, social workers, and a mental health consultant. Five workshops were presented on the following topics: facts about AIDS/HIV; feelings and attitudes; meeting a person with HIV/AIDS; processing feelings (i.e., integrating the factual, emotional and social aspects of HIV/AIDS) and reviewing prevention; and an AIDS awareness assessment. Analysis of the data suggested that at least 14 or more African-American women of child bearing age at the agency have sufficient knowledge about AIDS and skills in risk reduction behaviors. The women's enthusiastic responses in the small group discussions suggests that they are committed to disseminating AIDS awareness information throughout the child care center communities. The appendixes include the preliminary survey form as well as other assessment forms with responses. (ABL)