Choices
An Evidence-Based Practice
This practice has been Archived and is no longer maintained.
Description
Choices is a small-group intervention for low-income heterosexually active women to prevent new sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and decrease high-risk sexual behaviors. The community-based weekly group sessions focus on skills training to initiate and maintain behavioral change, an emphasis is placed on decision-making, skills building, and active components in addition to health education.
Role play exercises help women learn how to implement strategies that they have chosen as best suited for their circumstances. Safer sex skills include using condoms correctly, creating lifestyle balance, negotiating safe sex with partners, and abstaining from risky sexual behaviors. The intervention also focuses on relationship choices and how they affect health and well being.
Role play exercises help women learn how to implement strategies that they have chosen as best suited for their circumstances. Safer sex skills include using condoms correctly, creating lifestyle balance, negotiating safe sex with partners, and abstaining from risky sexual behaviors. The intervention also focuses on relationship choices and how they affect health and well being.
Goal / Mission
The goal of the Choices intervention is to provide heterosexually active women with skills to decrease risky sexual behaviors and prevent STD transmission.
Impact
Significantly reduced risky sexual behaviors from baseline levels and maintained this reduction at twelve months post-intervention. Choices participants were significantly likely to acquire a new STD.
Results / Accomplishments
The original Choices study included 287 women at high risk for acquiring HIV and other STDs who were split into skills training intervention or a health education comparison intervention. At six months following intervention women in both intervention groups significantly reduced risky sexual behaviors from baseline levels, however these reductions were only maintained in the skills training group at twelve months post-intervention. Women in the skills training Choices group were significantly also less likely to acquire a new STD than women in the comparison group (8.6% vs. 15.4%, p = 0.05).
About this Promising Practice
Organization(s)
University of Washington, School of Social Work
Primary Contact
Dr. Blair Beadnell
University of Washington
School of Social Work
4101 15th Avenue, NE
Seattle, WA 98105
blairb@u.washington.edu
University of Washington
School of Social Work
4101 15th Avenue, NE
Seattle, WA 98105
blairb@u.washington.edu
Topics
Health / Immunizations & Infectious Diseases
Health / Family Planning
Health / Women's Health
Health / Family Planning
Health / Women's Health
Organization(s)
University of Washington, School of Social Work
Source
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Date of implementation
1994
Location
Seattle-King County, WA
For more details
Target Audience
Women