ABSTRACT
The authors report on the process of developing, refining, and delivering a visual health literacy resource. Undergraduate students received training and delivered communication-centered HIV interventions to their peers using the Social Network Strategy in Memphis, Tennessee – a city with high HIV transmission rates. The authors examine intervention effectiveness on improving participants’ knowledge about HIV/AIDS and vested interests by comparing two groups: a control group and a group with a customized visual health literacy resource. Trained undergraduate students recruited 206 participants. The authors analyzed 129 verified cases. Overall, the participants received the HIV intervention very positively in both groups. ANOVA analyses revealed that, as a whole, both knowledge and vested interests improved significantly. Closer examination revealed small differences on these items between the groups. The types of relationship between the student-interventionists and peers (participants) are also discussed. Throughout the unfolding of the study, the authors included their narratives highlighting experiences in developing the resource and engaging in post-AIDS discourse as researchers and teachers. HIV stigma in post-AIDS discourse repeatedly emerged among our institution and created challenges in our project. Student resilience and passion for making positive changes in their communities and invaluable help from Community Health Workers are also described throughout.
