Effective targeted and community HIV / STD prevention programs -- statistical data included.

Targeting interventions to change sexual behaviors which cause sexually transmissible diseases (STDs) at individuals in large numbers usually involves community-level interventions and such community-level interventions utilize both individual-level and community-level theoretical approaches. Renewed interest in the development of community interventions in the United States and Western Europe has occurred since the spread of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) the causative organism of Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS). In contrast to face-to-face programs that involve work with individuals community-level HIV approaches attempt to bring about reductions in the level of risk behavior within entire populations or particular population subsets. To achieve their objective of promoting population-level risk behavior reduction community interventions frequently attempt to bring about changes in safer sex knowledge attitudes intentions and peer norms among members of the entire target population. The definition of community however whether defined geographically or subculturally and definitions of peers need to be clarified since often these terms are used without clear definition. (excerpt)