Learning from a community action plan to promote safe sexual practices

The well-being of a community is only as good as the well-being of the individuals who reside in the community. A group ofcitizens, concerned about the welfare of their community, recognized the high rates of HIV/AIDS and teenage pregnancy in their south Florida county and decided to take action. Supported by community leaders and using available resources within the county, this HIV/AIDS committee began a community-based participatory action project. Following a phone survey of over 1,000 residents, the committee determined that county residents were ready for change as well. Committee members developed and distributed a DVD to educate county residents about the importance of HIV testing and prevention. To reach the youths of their county, the committee members worked to change the high school curriculum to include more comprehensive sex education for students. The purpose of this article is to describe a community-based participatory action project to decrease the spread of HIV/AIDS and to discuss important lessons learned in the process.