Abstract: Developing and Pilot Testing of Infectious Love (Infeccion de Amor): An HIV Prevention Telenovela Intervention to Reduce HIV Risk Among Latinas in the U.S (Society for Social Work and Research 29th Annual Conference)

Schedule:

Saturday, January 18, 2025

Medina, Level 3 (Sheraton Grand Seattle)

* noted as presenting author

Natalia Villegas Rodriguez, PhD, Associate Professor, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC

Claire Barrington, PhD, Associate Professor, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC

Saif Khairat, PhD, Professor and Beerstecher-Blackwell Distinguished Term Scholar, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC

Baiming Zou, PhD, Associate Professor, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC

Rosina Cianelli, Professor, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL

Nilda Peragallo, PhD, Dean Emeritus, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC

Background. HIV continues to affect Latinas disproportionally in the U.S. It is estimated that Latinas in the U.S. were four times as likely to have AIDS in 2019 as compared to white females. Often, Latinas are not aware of their HIV status. Also, their perception of low risk for HIV interferes with condom use, HIV testing and lack of awareness, access, and use of Pre-exposure Prophylaxis [PrEP]. Telenovelas serve as a powerful, culturally appropriate mechanism for providing health promotion to Latinas. However, there is limited literature about the efficacy of telenovelas for HIV prevention among Hispanic women. The aims of this study were: 1) describe the development of Infectious love (Infección de Amor, IA), 2) evaluate IA’s feasibility and acceptability, and 3) evaluate the preliminary outcomes of the pilot-test of IA's intervention among Latinas.

Methods. Infección de Amor (IA), available in Spanish and English, emphasizes the influence of romantic relationships in HIV infection and the influence of intimate partner violence (IPV), depression, and substance abuse (SA) in HIV prevention behaviors. Incorporating Latinas’ ideas to co-create the stories, we developed the four-episode HIV prevention telenovela intervention in the US using an interdisciplinary and community-based participatory approach with Latinas mostly from México and Central America. The final intervention consisted of 4 episodes of 10 minutes each.

A total of 58 Latinas between 18 and 44 years old from North Carolina participated in a prospective study to assess aims 2 and 3. A website was developed to deliver IA to Latinas. Participants were randomized to an intervention group and a wait-listed control group. Participants completed online measures at baseline, one-month post baseline, and four-month post baseline. Descriptive analysis was conducted to assess the outcome measures. Two sample t-tests analysis were used to determine whether there were significant differences between groups at each of the time points in HIV prevention outcomes.

Results. Participants age was 34.7 ± 7.2 years old (range 19-44 years old). The majority of participants were from Mexico (n=28; 48.3%). IA was feasible to implement, with 26 (83.87%) participants watching all the intervention episodes in the intervention group. High retention rates were reported at one month post baseline (89.7%) and at four-months post baseline assessment (82.8%). In relation to acceptability, participants were very satisfied with intervention rating most of the satisfaction items very high. IA significantly increased women’s levels. Compared with the control condition, participants in the intervention group increased PrEP awareness and access, and HIV-self efficacy.

Conclusions and implications. HIV continues to be a serious problem that affects Latinas. Infección de Amor intervention that can contribute to addressing the intersection between IPV, substance abuse, depression, and HIV. The results of this study can help guide health care workers in delivering content for HIV prevention among Latinas. This intervention can provide a source of information to their clients.