HIV and STD Risk among Racial and Ethnic Minority Youth and UCLA's Suite of Effective Behavioral Interventions

Racial and ethnic minority adolescents bear a disproportionate burden of HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases in the United States. In particular, weakening family stability has opened windows of opportunity for socially determined risks for HIV and sexually transmitted diseases among youth. Some socially determined risks include engaging in early sexual experimentation, being sexually abused, dropping out of school, substance use, and becoming homeless. This paper describes the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention’s processes for selecting, packaging and disseminating evidence- based behavioral interventions for minority youth. In addition, we describe three model programs with proven success for HIV/AIDS risk reduction among Black and Hispanic youth.