Skills Building and Social Support Enhancement to Reduce HIV Risk among Women in Jail

Despite the scope of the HIV/AIDS epidemic among female offenders, little is known about the risk behaviors of these women and even less about ways in which to reduce HIV/AIDS among this population. This article describes the development of an eight-session group cognitive-behavioral and social support enhancement intervention that aims to reduce HIV risk among drug-using female offenders. The intervention is based on social-cognitive theory and informed by other skills-training approaches with demonstrated efficacy at reducing HIV risk. Both current and former offenders were involved in the development of this intervention. Help-seeking and social support skills are unique to this intervention, as is an eight-session booster conducted after release from jail to enhance transfer of skills to the community.