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Connect

An Evidence-Based Practice

Description

Connect is an intervention program to increase safer sex among minority, inner-city heterosexual couples. The intervention is delivered to the couple or to the woman alone. Couples attend relationship-based sessions together following separate one-on-one orientation sessions. The intervention sessions educate couples about the importance of relationship communication, safer sex negotiation, and problem solving. The program uses counseling, discussions, exercises, demonstrations, and practice to build skills for safer sex within relationships. Participants learn how gender roles influence relationship dynamics, and how to maintain safer sex behavior. Women who attend sessions alone receive the same content as couples.

Goal / Mission

The goal of Connect is to increase relationship communication and safer sex practices among couples.

Results / Accomplishments

The couples and women-alone interventions both significantly increased the proportion of protected vaginal sex acts when compared with a single educational session control group (both p’s < 0.05). The women-alone session significantly reduced the number of unprotected vaginal sex acts when compared to the educational control (p < 0.05). There were no significant differences between couples who attended the intervention together and women who went alone.

About this Promising Practice

Organization(s)
Columbia University School of Social Work Social Intervention Group
Primary Contact
Dr. Nabila El-Bassel
Social Intervention Group
Columbia University School of Social Work
622 West 113th Street, Box 713
New York, NY 10025
(212) 851-2391
ne5@columbia.edu
http://www.columbia.edu/cu/ssw/sig/
Topics
Health / Immunizations & Infectious Diseases
Organization(s)
Columbia University School of Social Work Social Intervention Group
Source
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Date of publication
2003
Date of implementation
1997
Geographic Type
Urban
Location
New York, NY
For more details
Target Audience
Adults
Kansas Health Matters