Description of the Intervention: Mpowerment Project

This intervention was based on theories of peer influence and diffusion of innovations, which posit that people are most likely to adopt new behaviors when favorable evaluations of the behavior are conveyed to them by similar others whom they respect. The intervention was conducted over 8 months and attempted to reach all young gay men in a Eugene, Oregon community.

A Core Group of young gay men designed and ran the intervention with input from a Community Advisory Board composed of "elders" from the AIDS, public health, gay and lesbian, and university communities. This engendered a personal commitment to HIV prevention, a sense of ownership of the prevention activities, and a willingness to carry out the activities.

This multi-component intervention included 2 types of formal outreach, informal outreach, peer-led small groups, and a small ongoing publicity campaign. One type of formal outreach activity was directed at venues where young gay men congregated. Volunteers dressed in costumes and distributed safer-sex materials. Another type of formal outreach activity took place at the Mpowerment Center. It consisted of safer-sex promotional events embedded in a series of fun social activities. Informal outreach consisted of peer-initiated communications among friends about the need for safer sex. Small groups, called M-Groups, lasted about 3 hours and were designed to be fun and interactive. They served as entry into the project, addressed safer-sex concerns and skills, and motivated participants to invite their friends. The publicity campaign, which included articles and advertisements in gay newspapers and outreach materials, aimed to reinforce the norms for safer sex and spread awareness of the Mpowerment Project.