Study Protocol for The Dreamer Girls Project: A Race & Gender Specific HIV/AIDS, STI, and Drug Use Prevention Intervention for Black Adolescent Girls (Preprint)

Abstract

Substance use among adolescent girls is associated with numerous risk characteristics including engaging in sexual risk behaviors which can lead to HIV and STI diagnoses. Unfortunately, Black girls have a higher diagnosis of STIs and face a significant “gender paradox” where although they are less likely to use substances than boys and other ethnic-minority girls, they tend to face more negative health consequences from use.

We propose the development of a HIV and drug use strengths-based prevention education intervention for Black girls to promote protective factors and challenge negative stereotypes in Black girls.

A sequential, mixed methods, pilot feasibility trial will be conducted. Aim 1 is to explore risk and protective factors in drug use and HIV prevention using mixed methods. Aim 2 is to develop and conduct pilot study to determine if the intervention is feasible and acceptable for HIV and drug use prevention in 20 Black adolescent girls.

The study is part of a 2-year research pilot study award that received funding from the National Institutes of Mental Health. Data collection for this study began October 2021. The remaining year will focus on completing data collection, analysis, dissemination, and developing the intervention components. Moreover, aim 1 data collection is 95% complete. We expect to complete all data collection for aim 1 on or before May 30, 2023. Recruitment for aim 2 will begin Summer 2023.

This study will be one of the few interventions that address sexual health and drug use specifically for Black girls. We anticipate that the intervention will be beneficial for Black girls across the nation to work on building culturally appropriate prevention education and building peer social supports, resulting in reduction or delayed substance use and improved sexual health.

ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05014074