Women Involved in Life Learning from Other Women (WILLOW)
An Evidence-Based Practice
Description
The Women Involved in Life Learning from Other Women (WILLOW) intervention aims to provide social-skills and knowledge to adult women living with HIV/AIDS. It consists of 4 four-hour sessions for groups of 8 to 10 women living with HIV, which are delivered by two trained adult female facilitators, one of whom is a woman living with HIV herself.
All of the lessons taught during WILLOW sessions are intended to support safer sexual decisions and behaviors. Session 1 focuses on gender pride by discussing the joys and challenges of being a woman in society and teaches women how to identify supportive social networks. Session 2 discusses how to maintain healthy social networks and disengage from networks that are not supportive of healthy behaviors. Session 3 teachers about HIV transmission risk behaviors, communication skills for negotiating safer sex, and proper condom use skills. Session 4 helps women gain skills in how to distinguish between healthy and unhealthy relationships and discusses the impact that abusive partners have on safe sex.
All of the lessons taught during WILLOW sessions are intended to support safer sexual decisions and behaviors. Session 1 focuses on gender pride by discussing the joys and challenges of being a woman in society and teaches women how to identify supportive social networks. Session 2 discusses how to maintain healthy social networks and disengage from networks that are not supportive of healthy behaviors. Session 3 teachers about HIV transmission risk behaviors, communication skills for negotiating safer sex, and proper condom use skills. Session 4 helps women gain skills in how to distinguish between healthy and unhealthy relationships and discusses the impact that abusive partners have on safe sex.
Goal / Mission
The goal of the WILLOW intervention is to provide women living with HIV/AIDS with the skills and education needed to support safer sexual decisions.
Impact
The WILLOW program succeeded in reducing the number of reported episodes of unprotected vaginal intercourse, increasing the use of condoms and condom self-efficacy, decreasing the incidence of bacterial infections (chlamydia and gonorrhea), and improving HIV knowledge.
Results / Accomplishments
In order to evaluate the success of the program, data was collected at baseline and again at 6- and 12-months post-intervention. Intervention participants, when compared to controls, had significantly lower adjusted mean numbers of unprotected vaginal intercourse at the 6- (p=0.037) and 12-month (p=0.029) assessments and over the entire 12-month period (p=0.022).
Additionally, when compared to the control group, intervention participants were significantly less likely to have a bacterial STI at the 12-month assessment (p=0.023) and over the entire 12-month period (p=0.006).
Additionally, when compared to the control group, intervention participants were significantly less likely to have a bacterial STI at the 12-month assessment (p=0.023) and over the entire 12-month period (p=0.006).
About this Promising Practice
Organization(s)
Emory University, University of Alabama, University of South Carolina, and the CDC
Primary Contact
Ralph DiClemente
Rollins School of Public Health
Emory University
1518 Clifton Road NE, GCR #554
Atlanta, GA 30322
(404) 727-0237
rdiclem@sph.emory.edu
http://www.effectiveinterventions.org/en/HighImpac...
Rollins School of Public Health
Emory University
1518 Clifton Road NE, GCR #554
Atlanta, GA 30322
(404) 727-0237
rdiclem@sph.emory.edu
http://www.effectiveinterventions.org/en/HighImpac...
Topics
Health / Women's Health
Organization(s)
Emory University, University of Alabama, University of South Carolina, and the CDC
Source
Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes
Date of publication
Oct 2004
Date of implementation
1997
Geographic Type
Urban
Location
various cities in Alabama and Georgia
For more details
Target Audience
Adults, Women
Additional Audience
HIV/AIDS positive