AIDS Prevention in a Rural Native American Population

Abstract

Currently, the primary form of AIDS prevention is behavioral. Therefore, social workers must anchor preventive efforts on empirical knowledge of the beliefs, attitudes and behavioral norms of the target reference group. This paper presents the development and implementation of a preventive social work intervention project in a rural Native American population in Maine. In order to gain an understanding of the needs of the target group, a pilot study was conducted. Based on the findings of the study, which are presented herein, and knowledge of the cultural norms of the population, a prevention program was implemented. A discussion of implications for multicultural social work practice aimed at AIDS prevention concludes the article.