An Integrated Risk Reduction Intervention for Abused African Caribbean Women

I. Background and Significance: Several exploratory and major controlled studies conducted on the mainland US have shown intimate partner violence (IPV) or intimate partner abuse (IPA) to be risk factors for a variety of physical, reproductive and mental health problems, including HIV/AIDS, many of which are areas of known health disparity for African American and Latina women.

The current investigators recently completed the first in-depth prevalence study of violence and abuse of women in the US Virgin islands (USVI) and associated health consequences. This seminal study showed 1) Lifetime prevalence of IPV of 32.8% in the USVI and past two year prevalence of 37.2%%.in a sample of 1059 women aged 18-55 who self-identified as African Caribbean or from African descent and who had an intimate partner during the past two years 2) Past two year physical and/or sexual abuse ranged from 4 % on the island of St Croix to 9% on St Thomas 3) Abused women had significantly more risk factors for Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) and HIV/AIDS than did women not abused, and 4) Risk factors for STIs and HIV/AIDS included being forced into vaginal or anal sex, women having concurrent partners or their partners having multiple partners, having a STI, lack of consistent condom use, and exchange sex (trading sex for material goods) This study also found women amenable to being asked about IPV in health care settings where a brief intervention could be feasibly implemented. Preliminary qualitative work illuminated women's perceptions of community and cultural perspectives on IPV in the USVI. The proposed randomized clinical trial (RCT) builds on findings from the prior study.

II. Research Strategy: A RCT will provide a preliminary test of an intervention designed to reduce IPV and IPA and the concurrent risk of STIs and HIV in abused USVI women by empowering their use of safety behaviors and increasing their use of resources... IPV and IPA have been linked to high-risk sexual behaviors, the inability to negotiate safer sex behaviors, and negative sexual health outcomes. The research plan is to deliver a structured intervention to reduce the devastating impact of IPV and IPA for abused women in the USVI.

Time I: Women will respond to baseline data measures using computer assisted self-reports. Data collected include socio-demographic and cultural characteristics of women and their partners, past and recent intimate partner physical, sexual and emotional abuse (SVAWS), Danger Assessment (DA), baseline HIV/STD status and risks for infection, including condom use. To minimize attrition contact information for each participant and for three contact persons (family, friends, and neighbors) will also be collected. Abused women will be randomized by the computer to either the Healthy Relationships Risk Reduction experimental intervention group or the Healthy Lifestyles comparison control group A. Session 1- Risk Reduction Intervention Group. Women in the Experimental Intervention will complete this session following initial assessment and group assignment. The ESP-DOVE IPV Empowerment Intervention is an individualized (60 minute) protocol following the initial enrollment session. Abused women will view a video developed in the US Virgin Islands, using local actors, depicting various experiences of abused Virgin Island. The abused women will participate in a one on one structured, brochure-based intervention with a trained interventionist that addresses information about the cycle of violence, risk factors that may increase a woman's danger of homicide (the Danger Assessment), choices or options (leaving, using local shelter resources, accessing resources in the criminal justice system), safety planning, and specific local and national phone numbers for IPV resources. The intervention provides the woman with information, emphasizing that she has options or The structured ESP- DOVE intervention is interactive and encourages the woman to describe her experiences and choose her options as they proceed. The intervention has been modified to be culturally appropriate for abused women of African Caribbean or African American background living in the US Virgin Islands. Since the context of IPV varies considerably, this approach allows individualization, client input and choice, all thought to enhance intervention success with battered women and other "hard to reach" populations At the same time, the brochure gives the nurse and other interventionists a script to increase uniformity of the intervention across women and interventionists. Four major intervention components: a) IPV information, b) Danger Assessment, c) Safety Planning, and d) Resources are explored. At the end of Session I, the woman in the risk reduction intervention group will provide contact information for Session 2 which will be scheduled one week later.

Time 2: Session 2- Women will assess their needs associated with IPV, safety behaviors and feelings about how their situation is evolving. The need for resources and services will be explored. The session will also focus on helping the women learn how to reduce their risk for HIV/STD infections. This one-on-one behavioral intervention has been found to reduce HIV/STD risk behaviors and STD morbidity among inner-city African American women in primary care settings in a NINR funded randomized controlled trial. The intervention has been modified and culturally tailored for abused women in the US Virgin Islands and involves a skill-building one-on-one session that the facilitator tailors to the specific needs of each participant after conducting an HIV/STD risk assessment interview. It involves STD prevention behavioral skills, video clips, condom demonstration, practice with an anatomical model, and role-playing. Curriculum activities are also designed to help women recognize that faulty reasoning and decision-making can increase their risk of HIV infection. The activities help the women understand the adverse consequences of participating in unsafe sexual activity and the positive consequences of safer sexual practices. Contact information for Session 3 will be validated and a follow up group session scheduled.