A Joint Effort Between Research and Community: Project VOGUE
Posted on 26. May, 2011 by Stephaun Blahnik in General
Limited resources have been placed into documenting and researching the lives, experiences and predictors of health for members of the house/ball community, a sub-culture within the broader lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community. Little is known of the specific social network structure of “Houses” outside of New York City and other major metropolitan areas. Even less is known of the Houses in Western New York and its near-by rural communities. However, the hierarchies of respect and the relatively stable structure of Houses present a unique point at which we might engage this population with HIV prevention interventions for young MSM/LGBT persons of color. The MOCHA Center, in partnership with the University of Rochester Medical Center and the Legacy Project sought to implement a multi-focused, multi-method assessment process to: a) determine the factors that influence YMSM/LGBT membership in the “Houses” and/or participation in Balls, b) examine and describe the structure and rational of “Houses” in Western New York, c) explore the social and familial norms that govern the “House” structure, membership and relationship, d) determine the types of social networks that to which House members are linked that, e) examine YMSM/LGBT behavioral risks that exist within and/or among “House” members and non-House members to assess factors that facilitate or reduce sexual risk, and f) delineate and map the linkages between the “Houses” in Western New York, specifically to investigate how “House” members are connected across the country and whether interstate affiliations facilitate or reduce sexual risk.
The overarching goal of this pilot project is to increase the participation of MSM of color (African-American and Latino) in HVTN clinical trials. The specific aims of this project are:
Aim #1: To conduct a HIV/AIDS and HIV vaccine research awareness needs assessment among members/affiliates of the house ball community.
Aim #2: To develop and implement a group level workshop intervention to counter the threat of HIV/AIDS and raise awareness about HIV vaccine research among those in the house ball community.
Aim #3: To assess the applicability of a potential model to reach and increase the inclusion of highly at risk sub-populations of MSM of color (Members of the House/Ball community) in HIV vaccine trial research initiatives.
The research team is comprised of a very experienced interdisciplinary collaborative researchers from the University of Rochester (Medical Center and School of Nursing) and the MOCHA Center, Inc:
Principal Investigator, Michael C. Keefer MD, Professor of Medicine, Director of CRS, University of Rochester Medical Center
Co-Principal Investigator, Sheldon D. Fields PhD, RN, FNP-BC, AACRN, FNAP, FAANP, Associate Professor of Nursing, University of Rochester – School of Nursing
Co-Principal Investigator, Damon L. Humes MHS, Legacy Project Director, Office of National HIV/AIDS Coordination
Project Director/Co-Investigator, Stephaun E. Wallace, BS, Director of Programs, Research and Evaluation, The MOCHA Center, Inc.
Sub-investigator, Catherine A. Bunce RN, MS, CCRC, CRS Clinic Coordinator, University of Rochester Medical Center
To learn more about this initiative, please contact Stephaun Wallace at (716) 852-1142 x19 or swallace@mochacenter.org.
