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HIV/AIDS Health Promotion an Education
Cooperative Agreement Program
Fiscal Year 2004

jennifer@advocatesforyouth.org

American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian, Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino Young Women

The Empowering Young Women of Color to Prevent HIV Infection project is designed to empower young women of color ages 13-24 years to acquire HIV risk avoidance and/or risk reduction behaviors. The goals of the project are to increase the availability of culturally relevant, science-based, HIV prevention programs for the target population by strengthening the capacity of 12 youth-serving, community-based, minority organizations and institutions to develop and implement effective HIV prevention strategies for this population; work in partnership with such organizations and institutions to develop 12 local “Young Women of Color Leadership Councils” whose members will work to mobilize their peers to advocate for the inclusion of young women of color in the design and implementation of local HIV prevention programming; and campaign to reach three million young women of color with HIV prevention messages that promote positive adolescent sexual health, including HIV risk avoidance and reduction behaviors. The organizations and institutions selected from across the country, will be provided with information, technical assistance, training, and seed grants to develop and implement culturally appropriate HIV prevention programs for the target audience. A “youth-friendly” national education campaign that promotes risk avoidance/risk reduction behaviors and HIV testing and counseling among young women of color will be developed. Advocates for Youth will also work with producers and writers from televison shows that target young women of color, to incorporate messages about abstinence, condom use, and HIV testing and counseling into their programming. In conjunction with partner organizations, the project will host a training session for young women representing each of the partner organizations. The training will include skills-building training with a focus on culturally competent, science-based, HIV prevention programming, and the development of action plans to reach young women of color with HIV/AIDS prevention information.