What do men who serve as lay health advisors really do? Immigrant Latino men share their experiences as Navegantes to prevent HIV.

UNCG Author/Contributor (non-UNCG co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
Robert E. Aronson, Associate Professor (Creator)
Institution
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG )
Web Site: http://library.uncg.edu/

Abstract: HoMBReS was a lay health adviser (LHA) intervention designed to reduce sexual risk among recently arrived, nonEnglish-speaking Latino men who were members of a multicounty soccer league in central NC. Our community- based participatory research (CBPR) partnership collected, analyzed, and interpreted qualitative life-story narratives to characterize the roles of male LHAs known as Navegantes. Nine Navegantes were interviewed. Their mean age was 39 years (range: 26-62 years); six were from Mexico and three from El Salvador. Navegantes described the function and facilitators of serving as LHAs and identified leverage points for future HIV and STD prevention strategies. They highlighted psychosocial and sociocultural influences on HIV risk, settings for risky behavior, and personal changes from serving as Navegantes. This study provides preliminary evidence that an LHA approach is feasible and appropriate for Latino men, and can be effective in reaching men who might otherwise be difficult to reach.

Additional Information

Publication
AIDS Education and Prevention. 21(3).
Language: English
Date: 2009
Keywords
HIV, Health education, Outreach, Nonenglish speakers, Community, Effectiveness

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