Relationships, Sexual Norms and HIV Prevention Among African-American Youth (You-Me-Us)

With funding from the National Institute of Nursing Research, ETR designed a study to assess the effects of two theoretically based intervention components aimed at promoting relationship development as an avenue for reducing sexual risk-taking behaviors: (1) a skills- and norms-based HIV, other STI, and pregnancy prevention curriculum that focuses on relationships and related behaviors that may affect disease risk; and (2) a school-wide social norms component that features peer-led activities to permeate the school environment with pro-social norms regarding healthy relationships. The program was evaluated to determine its efficacy in altering behavioral intentions and sexual risk-taking behaviors.