DC CFAR CAB and SGM SWG member, Ron Simmons, PhD, has received a grant from Gilead Sciences, Inc. to conduct The Bodeme workshop, a HIV prevention intervention designed for young black gay men, ages 16 to 29. The workshop will be conducted in five southern cities: Atlanta, GA; St. Petersburg, FL; Jackson, MS; Houston, TX; and Washington, DC, and will be coordinated by the Global Network of Black People working in HIV (GNBPH).
The workshop, created by Dr. Simmons, is based on traditional African teachings regarding gays and lesbians taught before the coming of the Europeans, Christianity or Islam. The DC CFAR SGM SWG was instrumental in helping Dr. Simmons develop the prototype for the workshop by providing feedback throughout the development of the project. Rodrigo Aguayo Romero, a GWU doctoral student, designed the intervention's evaluation plan.
"The goal of the Bodemé workshop is to develop self-empowerment and resilience in young black gay men to prevent HIV infection," says Dr. Simmons, "Young black gay men have the highest incidence of HIV infection in the nation and the greatest number of new infections is in the south. That's why we chose southern cities with a high HIV-prevalence among young black gay men."
A Bodemé workshop is scheduled for Washington, DC in December.
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