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Reaching MSM of Color with Prevention
Michigan HIV News, Winter 2005 Issue
Targeting men of color, particularly African Americans, who have sex with men
(MSM) continues to be a priority for prevention funders. This population has the
highest rate of HIV/AIDS cases both nationally and in Michigan, and also has the
highest estimated number of HIV infections.
This winter, two new prevention programs targeted to African American and other
MSM of color are being rolled out in Southeastern Michigan and greater Washtenaw
County. Many Men, Many Voices, a CDC recommended program for African American
MSM, is being implemented in Michigan by Community Health Awareness Group (CHAG)
and Midwest AIDS Prevention Project (MAPP) through grants from the Michigan
Department of Community Health. The Legacy Program, created by the HIV/AIDS
Resource Center with a one-year grant from the US Conference of Mayors, is
designed to reach gay and bisexual men of color and their communities in greater
Washtenaw.
Director of Substance Abuse Services for Community Health Awareness Group’s
Point of Change, Harry Simpson, said CHAG staff had been working on creating an
HIV prevention intervention for Black MSM “who may or may not identify as being
gay” when MDCH was looking for a program targeting this group.
Simpson chose to go with the CDC approved Many Men, Many Voices (3MV), “a
peer-led group level intervention with 6 weekly sessions that focus on issues
particular to African American men including stigmatization,
self-identification, racism, discrimination and their impact on health care
access and utilization. The weekly groups also explore family relationships and
the sexual roles that African American men are assigned or assume that affect
their behavior and often lead to negative health outcomes like HIV infection,”
said Simpson.
Many Men, Many Voices, was developed by researchers at the Center for AIDS
Intervention Research in Wisconsin and the Center for Health & Behavioral
Training in Rochester, New York. “It is important to have interventions that are
based on sound science and can be evaluated for effectiveness and outcomes. This
program meets that requirement,” said Simpson.
CDC also provided training for the program through its designated
capacity-building organization, Academy for Educational Development (AED). Leon
Golson, MAPP’s program manager and CHAG staff, including Simpson, attended the
training for 3MV at the end of 2004. While the training was designed as a
train-the-trainer program, participants were provided the opportunity to
participate in the intervention.
MAPP was another logical agency to provide the program in southeast Michigan.
MAPP staff has been providing innovative outreach to MSM for over 18 years.
Many Men, Many Voices also addresses self-esteem issues for African American
men. It “allows a person to take personal inventory of himself,” said Golson who
will direct the new MAPP program. “3MV allows for a serious, in-depth and
sometimes difficult look into who we are as African American/Black men and the
way in which we express ourselves, our love, and our lives.”
Both agencies will offer three series of six-week sessions. In addition both
agencies will offer the series compressed into a weekend “retreat,” to enable
participation of men who cannot commit to the program offered over six weeks.
MAPP is planning on offering two “retreats” and CHAG has one planned for the end
of March.
Recruiting for MAPP’s program will be done through press releases, flyers at
bars and parks frequented by African American MSM and organizations known to
have MSM contacts, including Affirmations, Men of Color, Horizons Project and
Ruth Ellis Center. Golson said MAPP and CHAG will continue to coordinate
recruitment efforts so they are not soliciting participants from the same sites
and organizations at the same time.
Both agencies will have new staff for their programs. Royale Theus, who has been
working/volunteering in the HIV/AIDS field for about four and half years, was
hired by MAPP in January to work with the MSM community and also facilitate the
Many Men, Many Voices program. Benita Tucker, who was recently appointed Deputy
Director of CHAG’s Point of Change program, has taken over management of the 3MV
program at CHAG. Gregg McAllister recently moved to CHAG from Men of Color to
coordinate that 3MV program.
Both programs are now up and running and looking for participants. For more
information on the MAPP program, contact Royale Theus or Leon Golson at
1-888-A-CONDOM.
For more information on the CHAG program, contact Benita Tucker or Gregg
McAllister at (313) 872-2424.
HARC’s Legacy Program
This new program targeting gay and bisexual men of color addresses both
community context and individuals, and also provides outreach to those isolated
in rural areas. The Legacy Program includes a tried and true opinion leader
training component, a new approach to social marketing and community forums, and
an expanded Internet outreach.
The Legacy Program derives its name from the importance placed within the
African American community of passing necessary information on to loved ones.
One advisory group discussed legacy as an essential way to encourage the African
American community to seek and share information. The goal is to assist the
community with HIV prevention programs and build their capacity to continue
beyond the scope of this one-year grant funding.
Information from several advisory groups was used to develop the Legacy Program
interventions. “Advisory groups were essential in program development, and have
agreed to continue to meet in this capacity to guide program implementation and
evaluation, and provide resources for additional community involvement,” said
HARC’s Director of Prevention Programs Nicole Adelman.
The opinion leader training component of the Legacy Program is based on the
Popular Opinion Leader (POL) model which has shown evidence of being effective
in decreasing risk behaviors in racially and ethnically diverse groups of MSM.
Outreach to MSM of color who are isolated in the rural areas of greater
Washtenaw County will be done through the Internet, expanding the current HARC
program specifically to reach men of color.
A need was identified by an advisory group for a media campaign that targeted
the African American community. This campaign will be culturally appropriate
with the expected outcome of increasing the dialogue within the African American
community about issues related to HIV and sexuality, as well as increasing the
number of men of color MSM accessing testing and services at HARC.
The community forums are intended to encourage dialogue within the local African
American communities, on the broader subjects of sexuality,
religion/spirituality, homophobia and community/social values. Realizing the
important role the church plays, one event was to coincide with The Balm in
Gilead Week of Prayer in March.
The Legacy Program will be staffed by two community based health educators who
will facilitate community forums and train Popular Opinion Leaders. For more
information contact Nicole Adelman at (734) 572-9355.
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