Best Evidence Structural Interventions for HIV Prevention - Hardcover

Golden, Rachel E; Collins, Charles B.; Cunningham, Shayna D; Newman, Emily N; Card, Josefina J.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1461470129 ISBN 13: 9781461470120

Publisher: Springer, 2013

Synopsis

Providing detailed information on structural HIV prevention interventions, this book is intended for health care practitioners and researchers to plan, implement, and evaluate such interventions in their own communities. As defined by the CDC, structural interventions focus on the physical, social, cultural, political, economic, legal, and/or policy aspects of the environment. Designed to reach a large number of individuals, structural interventions usually occur across entire communities, cities, or countries. As a result, the resources required to initiate structural interventions can far exceed those required for smaller-scale behavioral programs. However, changes from structural interventions have the potential to last over time, even after the programs have ended, resulting in effective use of public and private prevention resources. Because the reach of structural interventions is typically larger than that of individual- or group-focused interventions (for example, the 100% Condom Use Program, which was implemented countrywide in Thailand), their influence may be equally-if not more-significant.This book is a resource for health practitioners, educators, and researchers who seek HIV/AIDS structural prevention programs that have been shown to be effective in their regions or for their target populations (e. g. injection drug users, commercial sex workers, or the general public). With extensive case studies, the book classifies interventions according to the desired outcomes (specific behavior or policy changes) so that the reader may focus on examples of programs with similar goals and target populations to their own. Addresses the quintessential public health ethical dilemma regarding which types of environmental changes should be mandatory via legislation and which should be voluntary, promoted via programmatic, practice, and policy change.

About this title

Review:

From the reviews:

“This volume, which details the evidence for structural interventions, is a resource to service providers, planners, policy makers, and funders. ... of interest to academics, nongovernmental organization workers, policy makers, economists, and others interested in addressing the HIV pandemic at a population level. ... As a reference for practitioners in HIV prevention, this volume should be a first port of call. It is an important contribution to the field.” (Ashraf Kagee, PsycCRITIQUES, Vol. 59 (11), March, 2014)

From the Back Cover:

Best Evidence Structural Interventions for HIV Prevention

Rachel E. Golden, Charles B. Collins, Shayna D. Cunningham, Emily N. Newman, and Josefina J. Card

In the fourth decade of the HIV epidemic, the signs are both encouraging and alarming: fewer people are dying, and more people are living longer with the help of powerful antivirals, yet many areas of the world are seeing new cases on the rise.

 

Best Evidence Structural Interventions for HIV Prevention reports on successful HIV prevention initiatives from across the globe, representing countries in Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas at diverse stages of the epidemic. Spotlighting major worldwide objectives--decreasing risks in IV drug use, commercial sex work, and non-commercial sexual activity and promoting HIV screening, voluntary counseling and testing (VCT), and antiretroviral therapy--these rigorously evaluated interventions are analyzed at individual and community levels. Chapters discuss issues regarding availability and accessibility of resources and populations' receptivity to change. And the authors examine related ethical challenges, including whether interventions should also target larger problems fueling the epidemic such as poverty and inequality. Among the programs featured:

 

• U.S.: Legal access to needles and syringes
• China: Needle social marketing
• Tanzania: Go with the Times, a radio soap opera
• Dominican Republic: Compromiso Collectivo for female sex workers
• France: Prenatal HIV screening
• South Africa: Drama-based intervention to promote VCT

 

These life-saving initiatives are worthy of wider recognition, making Best Evidence Structural Interventions for HIV Prevention a superior reference for graduate students and researchers in public health, HIV/AIDS prevention, and health policy. Policymakers and planners will also find these ideas of great importance.

About this edition

• Publisher: Springer
• Publication date: 2013
• ISBN 10: 1461470129
• ISBN 13: 9781461470120
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 360