{{Short description|HIV prevention program}} thumb|The Mpowerment Project '''The Mpowerment Project'''<ref>Kegeles, S.M., Rebchook, G., Zovod, B., Tebbetts, S., Sweeney, D., The Mpowerment Project Manual, University of California San Francisco (2002)</ref> is a model community building and HIV prevention program designed specifically to address the needs of young adult gay/bisexual men ages 18 – 29. It is the first documented HIV prevention intervention for young gay/bisexual men to succeed in reducing sexual risk behavior.<ref name=":0">{{cite journal|title=Kegeles, S.M., Hayes, R. B., & Coates. T.M. (1996) The Mpowerment Project: A community-level HIV prevention intervention for young gay men. American Journal of Public Health, 86(8), II29-II36 2013-17-2|pmc = 1380625|year = 1996|last1 = Kegeles|first1 = S. M.|last2 = Hays|first2 = R. B.|last3 = Coates|first3 = T. J.|journal = American Journal of Public Health|volume = 86|issue = 8 Pt 1|pages = 1129–1136|pmid = 8712273|doi = 10.2105/ajph.86.8_pt_1.1129}}</ref> The program has been developed, evaluated, and continually refined by prominent behavioral scientists from the University of California, San Francisco's Center for AIDS Prevention Studies, the largest research center in the world dedicated to social, behavioral, and policy science approaches to HIV.
The Mpowerment project was one of the first programs to be included in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's ''Compendium of HIV Prevention Interventions with Evidence of Effectiveness''<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/topics/prev_prog/rep/resources/initiatives/compendium.htm |title=Compendium of HIV Prevention Interventions with Evidence of Effectiveness |accessdate=2008-02-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080308084833/http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/topics/prev_prog/rep/resources/initiatives/compendium.htm |archive-date=2008-03-08 |url-status=dead }}</ref> designed specifically to address the HIV Prevention needs of young gay/bisexual men and other young men who have sex with men (MSM). The project uses outreach, a drop-in center, and community-building efforts to strengthen young gay men's self-esteem, positive relationships, and social support. By addressing HIV testing, PrEP, condom use, and staying on one's medications if one is living with HIV, its methodology addresses interpersonal and social factors that affect the lives of young gay/bisexual men.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/02/the-power-of-choosing-resilience/273245/|title=JM Androite, The Power of Choosing Resilience. 2013-17-2|website=The Atlantic |date=17 February 2013 }}</ref>
==History== thumb|Eugene OR, logo 1993 thumb|The Mpowerment Project Team (L to R) D.Sweeney, S. Kegeles, G. Rebchook, B. Zovod, R. Williams, J. Hamiga, S.Tebbetts Recognizing the critical need for HIV prevention programs for young gay/bisexual men, Dr. Susan Kegeles and Dr. Robert Hays (1955-2001), research psychologists at the Center for AIDS Prevention Studies (CAPS) at the University of California, San Francisco, applied for funding to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) to design, implement, and evaluate a community-level HIV prevention program for young gay/bisexual men.<ref name=":0" /> Their five-year grant was awarded in 1990.
They pilot tested the program in Santa Cruz, CA. Based on encouraging results, they refined the program and implemented it in a second community (Eugene, OR), where it was named the Mpowerment Project. Following the program's success in Eugene, it was replicated in Santa Barbara, CA. In 1995, Drs. Kegeles and Hays received a second five-year grant from the NIMH to further develop the program for use in major metropolitan areas across the U.S. Dr. Greg Rebchook, a research psychologist who had worked at a department of public health and at a community-based organization, joined the team in 1996. This new grant enabled them to implement the Mpowerment Project in Albuquerque, NM – where the project was called MPower (1997–1998); and in Austin, TX – where the project was called Austin Men's Project / AMP (1999–2000).<ref>Kegeles, S.M., Hays, R.B., Pllack, L. M. & Coates, T.J. (1999). Mobilizing young gay and bisexual men for HIV prevention: a two-community study. AIDS, I3(I3), 1753–1762.</ref> Since 2002, numerous organizations have implemented the program with varying success.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.southfloridagaynews.com/news/local-news/2396-the-mpowerment-project-new-location-same-mission.html |title=The Mpowerment Project: New Location, Same Mission |accessdate=2010-11-10}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dallasnews.com/news/community-news/dallas/headlines/20100428-Program-takes-up-fight-against-AIDS-6187.ece |title=Program takes up fight against AIDS among young black men |accessdate=2010-04-29}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.edgechicago.com/index.php?ch=news&sc=&sc2=news&sc3=&id=110929 |title=VIDA/SIDA Launching Innovative New Programs |accessdate=2010-10-10}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.edgeboston.com/index.php?ch=news&sc=&sc3=&id=85787 |title=Come Out and Play on M-Day |accessdate=2009-01-19}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mlive.com/news/detroit/index.ssf/2010/08/on_the_radar_young_black_lgbt.html |title=On the radar: Young, black LGBT Detroiters raising profile, building community |date=20 August 2010 |accessdate=2010-08-20}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.edgeboston.com/index.php?ch=news&sc=&sc3=&id=108723l |title=On the radar: A special place for LGBTQ youth and young adults |accessdate=2010-08-07}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.edgelasvegas.com/index.php?ch=news&sc=&sc3=&id=103279 |title= Vegas MPowerment Project promotes HIV/AIDS awareness among young gay men |accessdate=2010-03-10}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pridesource.com/article.html?article=34056 |title= Mpowerment Detroit to host first-ever Red Tie Affair |date= 26 February 2009 |accessdate=2009-02-26}}</ref>
The Mpowerment Project is cost-effective compared with many other HIV prevention strategies. The cost per HIV infection prevented is far less than the lifetime medical costs of HIV disease.<ref>Kahn, J. G., Kegeles, S. M., Hays, R., & Beltzer, N. (2001). Cost-effectiveness of the Mpowerment Project, a community-level intervention for young gay men. Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes, 27(5), 482-491.</ref> In 2005, the RAND Corporation developed a mathematical model of the cost of a wide variety of HIV prevention interventions. The Mpowerment Project is listed as the most cost-effective intervention.<ref>Cohen DA, Wu S-Y, and Farley TA, “Cost-Effective Allocation of Government Funds to Prevent HIV Infection,” Health Affairs, Vol. 24, No. 4, July/August 2005, pp. 915–926.</ref>
==Project structure== The project is made of the Core Group, volunteers, and the Community Advisory Board (CAB).<ref name=":0" />
The Core Group consists of 10-15 members<ref name=":0" /> who represent the demographics of that particular project's local gay and bisexual men's community. Volunteers are those who cannot devote as much time to the Core Group, but would still like to contribute. Volunteers are what help the program be as cost effective as it is.{{Citation needed|date=July 2024}}
The Community Advisory Board (CAB) is available for the Core Group and volunteers. Consisting of members of the LGBT community, the CAB provide relevant advice for the Core Group and volunteers of GBT young adults.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Hays, R.B., Rebchook, G.M., & Kegeles, S.M. (2003) The Mpowerment Project: Community-Building With Young Gay and Bisexual Men to Prevent HIV. American Journal of Community Psychology, 31, 301-312. |doi=10.1023/A:1023966905973 |pmid=12866687 |year=2003 |last1=Hays |first1=R. B. |last2=Rebchook |first2=G. M. |last3=Kegeles |first3=S. M. |journal=American Journal of Community Psychology |volume=31 |issue=3–4 |pages=301–12 |s2cid=36038235 }}</ref>
==See also== {{Portal|LGBTQ}} * Advocates for Youth * List of LGBT community centers
==References== {{Reflist|35em}}
==External links== * {{official|http://www.mpowerment.org}} * [http://caps.ucsf.edu/ The Center for AIDS Prevention Studies] at the University of California San Francisco * [http://effectiveinterventions.org/en/home.aspx Effective Interventions.org: Centers for Disease Control Effective Interventions Site] * [http://www.rand.org/pubs/research_briefs/RB9132/index1.html Rand Corporation.org: "Cost-Effective Allocation of Government Funds for Preventing HIV"]
{{University of California, San Francisco}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mpowerment}} Category:HIV/AIDS organizations based in the United States Category:LGBTQ health organizations in the United States *M Category:Medical and health organizations based in California