Ethnographic Study of HIV Risk and Risk Reduction

Photo Title Planning and policy for HIV prevention in Missouri is informed by the assessment of epidemiologic indicators as well as needs among populations at risk for HIV. Missouri’s 2005 HIV prevention needs assessment is an ethnographic study among select populations to identify the factors at play when persons open themselves to risk for HIV and when they act to reduce their risk. Policy Resource Group, LLC has designed a participatory and utilization focused evaluation to develop the capacities of state and local health departments and planning partners to design and implement needs assessments.

Needs assessment information is being gathered by key informant interviews conducted by trained community based interviewers. Interviews have taken place throughout Missouri with people who have the following experiences:

  • They are HIV+
  • They have been diagnosed with a sexually transmitted disease more than once
  • They have experienced an unintended pregnancy or pregnancies
  • They have a history of substance abuse
  • They have successfully changed their behavior to reduce their risk of HIV infection or transmission
  • They share more than one of these experiences

The Policy Resource Group, LLC is the evaluation consultant and coach for this needs assessment. The needs assessment approach was developed with the Missouri HIV Prevention Community Planning Group and the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services as a utilization focused evaluation. The report, The Logic of Risk, was published in June 2005.