Behavioral HIV Harm Reduction Programs for Incarcerated Women: Theory and Practice

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to provide a theoretical overview of characteristics of successful HIV harm reduction programs that target behavior, and a description of an existing program, AIDS Counseling and Education (ACE) at Bedford Hills Correctional Facility, New York, that promotes HIV harm reduction among incarcerated women through peer education. Successful harm reduction programs are: grounded in theory and past research, tailored for the target group, designed for evaluation, and supported with sufficient resources. Inmate-initiated and facilitated, ACE exemplifies many of these tenets. In addition to providing knowledge about HIV and harm reduction strategies, ACE empowers incarcerated women by cultivating skills critical for utilizing this information to protect themselves from HIV or to care for their illness. Formal evaluation of programs such as ACE would enable its replication, and contribute to the development of theories on which to ground future harm reduction programs for incarcerated women.