Definition
Peer-based intervention approaches use community members, as opposed to highly trained specialists, to provide HIV care and prevention services.
Review of Peer-Based Approaches
Since the onset of the HIV epidemic, people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) and those directly affected by it such as high-risk groups and family caregivers of PLWHA, have been an indispensable component of HIV prevention, care, and treatment. Yet it has not been until recently that efforts have been made to systematically define peers, describe their roles, and evaluate the efficacy of their contributions.
Simoni et al. (2011a) offer the following comprehensive definition of “peers”: individuals who (a) share key personal characteristics, circumstances, or experiences with the people they serve; (b) contribute services whose value emanates from the peers’ status as a peer; (c) lack formal expertise but may have short-term and competency-based training; and (d) provide services according to standard...
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References
Medley A, Kennedy C, O’Reilly K, Sweat M. Effectiveness of peer education interventions for HIV prevention in developing countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis. AIDS Educ Prev. 2009;21:181–206.
Peer Education & Evaluation Resource Center. Lessons learned from the peer education and training sites/resource and evaluation center (PETS/REC) initiative 2005–2010 | PEER Center. 2012. http://peer.hdwg.org/lessons/. Accessed 27 Aug 2012.
Simoni JM, Franks JC, Lehavot K, Yard SS. Peer interventions to promote health: conceptual considerations. Am J Orthopsychiatry. 2011a;81(3):351–9.
Simoni JM, Nelson KM, Franks JC, Yard SS, Lehavot K. Are peer interventions for HIV efficacious? A systematic review. AIDS Behav. 2011b;15(8):1589–95.
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Nelson, K.M., Yang, J.P., Molina, Y., Simoni, J.M. (2014). Peer-Based Intervention Approaches. In: Hope, T., Stevenson, M., Richman, D. (eds) Encyclopedia of AIDS. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-9610-6_94-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-9610-6_94-1
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