Promoting gender equity among young Brazilian men as an HIV/AIDS prevention strategy

There is growing evidence that social norms that promote unequal gender roles increase young men and women’s risk of HIV/STIs and partner violence. Thus, changing gender norms is increasingly recognized as an important strategy to prevent the spread of HIV infection. Few interventions to promote gender-equitable norms and behaviors among young men have been systematically implemented or evaluated, and little is known about how best to measure changes in gender norms and their effect on HIV/STI protective and risk behaviors. To address these gaps, the Horizons Program and Instituto Promundo examined the effectiveness of interventions designed to improve young men’s attitudes toward gender-equitable norms and to reduce HIV/STI risk. Set in Rio de Janeiro, this quasi-experimental study compared the impact of different combinations of program activities implemented in three different low-income communities. A group of men aged 14–25 was followed over time in each community. As this research summary notes, the study focused on young men since they potentially have more flexible views about gender than older men, and because they are beginning their sexual lives and the development of intimate partnerships