Training opinion leaders to promote safer sex

Training opinion leaders in a men's residence hall in a brief program focused on communication and life skills is an effective way to stimulate peer discussions on HIV prevention and risk reduction and appears likely to have positive influences on behavioral change or intention. The program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison was extremely cost-effective and generated more than 350 conversations in a single residence hall in 1 month. This limited intervention revealed several key indicators of risk reduction. We believe that larger, more refined programs over a longer period will produce sustained prevention benefits and changes in the peer norms that so strongly influence behavior.