Are you an American Indian between 15-24 years old?
Do you live in WA, OR or ID?
Do you identify as two spirit, lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, or queer?

If you answered yes to all of these questions… Read On!

You may be able to participate in a study called Native VOICES.

What?
Participants in the Native VOICES study will provide feedback on ways to create a cool and informative sexual health video for other Native teens and young adults. We would like to interview you, so we can create an inclusive sexual health resource that reflects the diversity within Native communities.

When?
Interviews will take 1-2 hours. We can set a time and location that works for you when you call.

How?
Call (503) 416-3275. When you call, Wendee Gardner, the study coordinator, will ask you a few questions to see if you are eligible to participate. She will also answer any questions you have and discuss with you where and when it is comfortable for you to be interviewed.

If you are under 18 years old you will also need a parent or guardian to sign the “Parental Consent” form.

Contact:

Wendee D. Gardner, MPH
VOICES Project Coordinator – Northwest Tribal Epi Center
Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board
2121 SW Broadway, Suite 300 Portland, Oregon 97201
Phone: 503-416-3275
Fax: 503-228-8182
wgardner@npaihb.org
www.npaihb.org/epicenter/project/native_voices_project

Why should I participate?
By participating you can play a role in helping other young people learn how to protect themselves and the people they care about from STDs, including HIV. Also, because we appreciate your time and knowledge, you will be given a $20 gift card and a bus pass.

This study is being conducted by the Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board. For more information about the Native VOICES study, please contact Wendee Gardner, the Project Coordinator, at (503) 416-3275 or wgardner@npaihb.org.

The Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board

Established in 1972, the Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board (NPAIHB) is a non-profit tribal advisory organization serving the forty-three federally recognized tribes of Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. Our mission is to eliminate health disparities and improve the quality of life of American Indians and Alaska Natives by supporting Northwest Tribes in their delivery of culturally appropriate, high quality healthcare.

A project of the NPAIHB, Project Red Talon has worked with the NW tribes for over 22 years to promote sexual health and reduce the prevalence of STDs, HIV/AIDS, and teen pregnancy in the region. Currently, Project Red Talon is kicking off an exciting new initiative to better meet the needs of Native teens and young adults, called Native VOICES.

The Native VOICES Project

Project Red Talon and partner tribes are implementing a new initiative to develop an evidence-based sexual health video for Native teens and young adults. The Native VOICES adaptation project is supported by a three-year grant from the Indian Health Service, issued through their Native American Research Centers for Health (NARCH) program.

We will work closely with tribal partners to adapt a CDC-recognized intervention, Video Opportunities for Innovative Condom Education and Safer Sex (VOICES), and to evaluate its effectiveness as an STD/HIV prevention resource for AI/AN teens and young adults 15-24 years old.

In its current form, the VOICES intervention is a single-session, video-based STD/HIV prevention intervention designed for African American and Latino adults. There are four culturally specific videos available. Skills in condom use and negotiation are modeled in the videos then role-played and practiced by participants in small groups. At the end of these 45-minute facilitator-led sessions, participants are given self-selected condoms, based on their individual preference. Evaluation studies found that VOICES participants demonstrated: 1) an increased knowledge about the transmission of STD/HIV; 2) a more realistic assessment of their personal risk; 3) a greater likelihood of getting condoms and intending to use them regularly; and 4) fewer repeat STD infections.

To adapt the VOICES intervention for Native youth and young adults, we will host a series of talking circles, individual interviews, and community feedback sessions over the next three years with tribal and urban-based partners in the Pacific Northwest. Project staff will also seek input from clinicians, health educators, and staff at AI/AN youth-serving organizations on the feasibility of the intervention and ways to successfully integrate the Native VOICES intervention into the flow of clinical and social services.

Through taking a community-based, youth-centered approach, the Native VOICES project will not only further our understanding of the sexual norms among Native teens and young adults, it will also produce an evidence-based video intervention designed to reduce risk for STD/HIV and unwanted pregnancy for this population, while offering communities an intervention choice that is cost-effective and viable.

Tags: Ameican Indian study Portland, GLBT Native American Oregon, LGBT Native Americans Portland OR