ADAPT-POL: Planned Parenthood Center of El Paso Adopting and Demonstrating the Adaptation of Prevention Techniques

The proposed project, Adopting and Demonstrating the Adaptation of Prevention Techniques (ADAPT), has two main goals: first, to assist the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to better understand the processes needed for adapting evidence-based behavioral interventions to fit new conditions or target populations; second, to utilize the CDC's draft adaptation guidance to adapt Jeff Kelly's Popular Opinion Leader (POL) for use with adult, seropositive Hispanic men who have sex with other men (MSM). The target population will directly participate in all phases of the intervention adaptation process.

ADAPT, known as ADAPT-POL in El Paso, will include formative research and outcome monitoring. Throughout both periods, the ADAPT-POL staff will conduct process monitoring and evaluation to assess the delivery of the intervention, and to help the CDC understand how the draft adaptation guidance procedures work in a real world setting. Representatives of the target population will participate in focus groups, key informant interviews, and community advisor meetings during the formative phase; and potentially serve as popular opinion leaders (POLs) during the implementation phase.

The knowledge obtained during the ADAPT-POL intervention will be diffused to other interventions and programs at the Planned Parenthood Center of El Paso (PPCEP). This will allow PPCEP management and staff to make informed decisions about the adoption of interventions and what steps might be necessary to adapt existing and future PPCEP interventions that target Hispanic populations. At the conclusion of ADAPT activities, the CDC-developed draft adaptation guidance will be revised based on lessons learned.

Inclusion criteria

• HIV seropositive
• Men who have sex with other men
• Sexual contact to orgasm with a man within past year
• Hispanic
• At least 18 years of age
• Those who frequent viable venues for recruiting pre-and post-implementation questionnaire respondents.

Exclusion criteria

• MSM who are not willing to identify themselves to study staff as seropositive Hispanic MSM may be excluded.
• Those under 18 years of age will be excluded from participation due to the study design precluding direct applicability of hypotheses and intervention to both adults and children due to different cognitive development, HIV prevalence levels, and social networks.
• Serious mental illness which makes the individual unsuitable for participation
• Under the influence of drugs or alcohol which makes the individual unsuitable for participation
• Anyone who does not meet the inclusion criteria