This group-level, gender- and culturally- relevant intervention, is designed to increase condom use with African American women. Five peer-led group sessions are conducted that focus on ethnic and gender pride, HIV knowledge, and skills training around sexual risk reduction behaviors and decision making.
The intervention is based on Social Learning theory as well as the theory of Gender and Power. The SISTA project specifically targets sexually active African-American women.
Important CDC Update:
The CDC’s strategy for High Impact HIV Prevention involves prioritizing and implementing an optimal combination of cost-effective, scalable interventions based on the current state of the science. This shift should help improve the effectiveness of HIV prevention efforts, reduce HIV incidence, and ultimately increase the possibility of achieving an AIDS-free America. In its ongoing effort to align HIV prevention resources with current surveillance data and this strategy, the Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention (DHAP) at CDC will not offer trainings or capacity building assistance on the following evidence-based interventions (EBIs) after April 1, 2013: AIM, ¡Cuídate!, Focus on Youth, Nia, SIHLE, SISTA, and Street Smart. Some health departments or other funders may continue to support implementation of these EBIs, and the implementation materials for all these interventions will remain on www.effectiveinterventions.org and be available for download. If you have additional questions about this issue, please contact interventions@danya.com.
Research and Development
DiClemente, R.J., Wingood, G.M. (1995). A randomized controlled trial of an HIV sexual risk reduction intervention for young African-American women. Journal of the American Medical Association,
274 (16): 1271-6.
SISTA Webinars
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), with assistance from the Academy for Educational Development (AED), held eight SISTA Webinars during April 1 - June 4, 2009 to discuss revisions to the SISTA Intervention Package.
SISTA Resource Guides
The Resource Guide for Adapting SISTA for Latinas
The Resource Guide for Adapting SISTA for Latinas is available for download.
This guide was created to provide practical technical assistance and resources to staff of community-based organizations who want to use the Sisters Informing Sisters about Topics on AIDS (SISTA) intervention with Latina populations. The Resource Guide for Adapting SISTA for Latinas (Guide) was developed over the course of three years by the American Psychological Association (APA) Behavioral and Social Science Volunteer (BSSV) Program in collaboration with staff of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The BSSV Program is funded by CDC to provide capacity-building assistance (CBA) for community-based organizations (CBOs), health departments, and HIV prevention community planning groups (CPGs).
T-SISTA: A Resource Guide for Adapting SISTA for Transwomen of Color is available for download at http://www.transhealth.ucsf.edu/trans?page=programs-transitions under T-SISTA Toolkit.
The T-SISTA Resource Guide provides information about adapting SISTA for transwomen of color. T-SISTA features an overview of trans-specific HIV risk factors and risk behaviors, real-world adaptation examples, adaptation suggestions, and a “Sheroes” trans pride campaign. The session-by-session adaptation suggestions are based on real-world adaptations of SISTA for transwomen of color, epidemiological data, current scientific literature on transgender issues, and staff expertise at the Center of Excellence for Transgender Health (www.transhealth.ucsf.edu) and the Center for AIDS Prevention Studies (www.caps.ucsf.edu), at the University of California, San Francisco.
The Center of Excellence for Transgender Health and the Center for AIDS Prevention Studies are funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to provide capacity-building assistance for community-based organizations and transgender community mobilization.
Program Review Panel Information
The CDC requires all CDC-funded agencies using the SISTA intervention to identify, or establish, and utilize a Program Review Panel and complete Form 0.1113 to document this activity. The intervention researchers and developers are not involved in this activity. This is a CDC requirement for their grantees, and all questions in this regard should be directed to your agency's CDC Project Officer or to the health department funding your agency's implementation of the intervention.
The Program Review Panel guidelines, instructions for completion of Form 0.113, and the form itself are available under the Related Links section of this website.
CDC Policy on Youth Peer Outreach Workers
CDC funded (directly or indirectly) agencies using youth (either paid or volunteer) in program outreach activities need to use caution and judgment in the venues/situations where youth workers are placed. Agencies should give careful consideration to the "age appropriateness" of the activity or venue. Additionally, agencies should comply with all relevant laws and regulations regarding entrance into adult establishments/environments. Laws and curfews should be clearly outlined in required safety protocols developed and implemented by agencies directly and indirectly funded by CDC.
If you have specific questions, please contact your CDC project officer.