Theory-Based HIV-Related Sexual Risk Reduction Prevention for Chinese Female Rural-to-Urban Migrants

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The objective of this pilot study was to evaluate the initial efficacy of a protection motivation theory-based behavioral HIV prevention intervention in increasing HIV knowledge, condom use perception, condom use intention and consistent condom use among female rural-to-urban migrants in Beijing, China. Three hundred female migrants were assigned to the intervention group (N = 200) and control group (N = 100). Data were collected at baseline and a 4-month follow-up. The results suggest that HIV-related knowledge, condom use perceptions, condom use intention and condom use skills at the follow-up were significantly improved among female migrants in the intervention group compared with those in the control group. Moreover, a significantly higher rate of consistent condom use at post intervention was found compared with that at baseline in the intervention group (17.0% vs. 32.0%, p < .05) but not in the control group (23.8% vs. 29.2%, ns). The current study suggests that the theory-based intervention can be efficacious in increasing HIV knowledge, condom use perceptions and skills, and consistent condom use among female rural-to-urban migrants in China.