CULTURALLY ADOPTED HIV/AIDS INTERVENTION FOR IRANIAN DRUG ABUSER MEN S IN COMMUNITY DRUG TREATMENT

Background and Aim : Drug abuse is a growing public health concern globally. Since drug-involved men are among the fastest growing groups with AIDS, sexual Risk reduction intervention for them is a public health imperative. To achieve this, it is important to pay attention to cultural and social differences.Methods : Utilizing a modified Delphi process, modules from Real Men Are Safe (REMAS) materials were compared to similar-content modules, culturally tailored HIV prevention interventions. These materials were rated by panel members for cultural sensitivity. Panel members were encouraged to make specific suggestions for revisions to REMAS that would render it culturally viable for Iranian men. The expert panel consisted of individuals from academic settings and from community substance abuse treatment programs.Results : For rounds 1 and 2, respectively, the median Cronbach’s alpha for the four ratings was .80 and .81, with 80% and 92% of modules having item alphas > .60. According to experts suggestions, the following topics were revised and classified in 5 sessions for Iranian men; Getting Started, Risk Reduction; Self-Assessment, HIV/AIDS Information, Condom Use Skills, Healthy Options, Condom Barriers, Relationships/Social Norms, Prevention Planning, Communication Skills for Safe Sex, Sex Under the Influence, Coping with Sexual DysfunctionConclusion : The Delphi process provided a workable framework for soliciting feedback for the cultural adaptation of REMAS for Iranian men. Even though the initial expert ratings suggested that REMAS was culturally neutral rather than culturally biased, the experts proposed ways to increase further its cultural relevance for the target groups. The revised modules focused more on the influence of the social context and developmental socialization on male decisions about sexual behaviors, and less on information delivery.

کلیدواژه ها:

Training ، HIV-prevention ، substance abuse treatment