Saturday, 15 January 2005 - 2:00 PM

This presentation is part of: HIV and AIDS

An International Collaborative Needs Assessment of HIV/AIDS Services and Gaps for Young Women in Nigeria

Background: The rate of HIV infections among women in Africa has risen rapidly and is quickly surpassing the number of infections among men. Of the 5.6 million newly infected adults as of 1999, 2.3 million were women. The women at most risk in Africa are those under 25 years of age. Both biological and cultural factors are well recognized as contributing to the vulnerability of women to HIV/AIDS and to the spread of other sexually transmitted diseases that present risks to reproductive health. Factors that increase women’s vulnerability include lack of control over the circumstances under which sex occurs. The social work profession with its long tradition of working and empowering marginalized and oppressed persons to achieve self-efficacy is well positioned to contribute significantly to research initiatives that address these threats to the well-being of women, their families and communities. Purpose: This paper presents and discusses the methodology of an international collaborative needs assessment that was conducted by researchers from the School of Social Work, University of Windsor, Canada and those from University of Benin, Nigeria. This needs assessment project sought to identify and understand the needs of young women in Nigeria and gaps in existing social intervention and prevention services as the first stage of an international collaboration that will develop a culturally competent empowerment intervention model that will empower young women to make safer choices that reduces their exposure to HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. Methods: Central to the needs assessment methodology is a community dialogue made up of a five-stage, iterative research process. The first stage – engaging the community includes a series of community meetings that actively sought the input of diverse representatives of the community. The second stage – building the knowledge base involved a systematic review of theoretical frameworks on sexual behavioral change as well as empowerment practices and a review of best and promising practices in the empowerment of women globally. Interview protocols and measures for the needs assessment were selected and modified during this phase. The third stage – conducting multi-focal research involved conducting a cross sectional survey, in-depth interviews and focus groups with community stakeholders (young women, local NGOS, community health centres, etc) to seek their perspectives on the most pressing issues affecting women in their communities, resources currently available to address them, and gaps in the preparedness of social work/social service agencies and practitioners for addressing these problems. The fourth stage involved analyzing and integrating data from the multi-focal research. The fifth and last stage involved sharing findings with the local NGOS and other community stakeholders. Findings are also being disseminated through peer-reviewed journal articles and conference abstracts. Findings: The findings from the needs assessment highlight the challenges of designing social interventions that fit within the cultural realities of the intended recipients of service. The strengths and limitations of this methodology as a model for international research are discussed.

See more of HIV and AIDS
See more of Oral and Poster

See more of Celebrating a Decade of SSWR (January 13 - 16, 2005)