Together Learning Choices (TLC)

An Evidence-Based Practice

Description

The goal of Together Learning Choices (TLC) was to help youth living with HIV maintain health, reduce transmission of HIV and other STDs, and improve their quality of life.

The intervention was delivered by two facilitators, generally one male and one female, to a cohort of approximately 15 HIV-infected youth. The facilitators received 3 days of training for each module and were supervised throughout implementation. TLC is split into two modules, Staying Healthy and Acting Safe. Staying Healthy teaches HIV-infected youth how to cope with learning that they are HIV-positive, encourages healthy living and health maintenance, and emphasizes the importance of having effective relationships with health care providers. During Acting Safe, youth are encouraged to identify their risk behavior triggers in order to help them reduce substance abuse and unprotected sexual acts.

Goal / Mission

The goal of Together Learning Choices was to help HIV-infected youth increase their use of health care, decrease drug and alcohol use and risky sexual behaviors, and improve their quality of life.

Impact

Together Learning Choices (TLC) showed that prevention programs can effectively reduce risk acts among HIV-infected youths.

Results / Accomplishments

Data was collected before implementation of the Staying Healthy module, between the two modules, and again after implementation of Acting Safe in order to assess the impact of and response to the Staying Healthy module alone and both modules together.

After the first module, females in the intervention group had significantly higher numbers of positive lifestyle changes than did control females (p=0.003). Also, when compared to participants in the control group, the social support coping score was significantly higher for both sexes in the intervention condition group (p=0.04).

After the second module, participants who attended the intervention reported significantly less sexual partners (p=0.033) and less HIV-negative sexual partners (p=0.035) than those who had the intervention condition but did not attend the sessions. Intervention participants also had a significantly lower percentage of unprotected sexual risk acts than control subjects (p=0.013). Overall, the second module resulted in an 82% decrease in the number of unprotected sex acts and a 50% reduction in the number of HIV-negative partners.

About this Promising Practice

Organization(s)
UCLA Center for HIV Identification, Prevention and Treatment Services
Primary Contact
Dallas Swendeman
UCLA Center for HIV Identification, Prevention and Treatment Services
10920 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 350
Los Angeles, CA 90024
(310) 794-8128
dswendeman@mednet.ucla.edu
http://chipts.ucla.edu/projects/together-learning-...
Topics
Health / Adolescent Health
Health / Immunizations & Infectious Diseases
Organization(s)
UCLA Center for HIV Identification, Prevention and Treatment Services
Source
American Journal of Public Health
Date of publication
Mar 2001
Date of implementation
1994
Geographic Type
Urban
Location
Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, and Miami
For more details
http://ajph.aphapublications.org/cgi/content/abstr...
https://effectiveinterventions.cdc.gov/en/HighImpa...
Target Audience
Teens, Adults
Additional Audience
HIV-positive

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Related Content for: Together Learning Choices (TLC)

An Evidence-Based Practice meets the following HCI criteria:

  1. The program description includes at a minimum: the sponsoring organization, program goals, program implementation steps, and outcomes that have demonstrated program success in achieving the program goal in one or more localities.
  2. The results from an evaluation of the program include quantitative measures showing improvement in the outcome(s) of interest after the implementation of the program (i.e. increase in smoking cessation, not just the delivery of a smoking cessation program). The outcome measure(s) is/are compared at relevant time periods before and after the intervention or program implementation. Alternatively, the evaluation study compares the outcome(s) between an intervention group and an appropriate control group.
  3. The study is of peer-review quality and presents numbers in a scientific manner; measurements of precision and reliability are included (e.g. confidence intervals, standard errors), results from statistical tests show a significant difference or change in the outcome measure(s), and relevant point estimates and p-values are presented. Note: if the results from an evaluation of a program are presented in a scientific manner and the outcome measure is improved compared to the baseline measurement or the control group but the difference is not statistically significant, the practice is classified as effective and not evidence-based.