Developing a culturally appropriate video to promote dual-method use by urban teens: rationale and methodology

This article describes the development and production of a video targeted to urban adolescent women who use hormonal contraception. Research has shown that this population is at high risk for nonuse of condoms. Extensive preliminary qualitative and quantitative studies were done to understand the situations in which young women do and do not ask their partners to use a condom. Combining constructs from the health belief model, social cognitive learning theory and the theory of reasoned action with insights gleaned from the preliminary studies, the researchers developed a video that features two young HIV-positive women and two young HIV-negative men. Focus groups with young women helped the researchers edit the video to its current length of 21 minutes. Responses from the focus groups suggest that the video has a strong impact on young women. The video is currently part of a randomized controlled trial of two HIV prevention interventions.