Informed, Motivated, Aware, and Responsible about AIDS (IMARA) is a family-based HIV prevention program that helps African American teenagers and their mothers work together to address risk behavior, improve parent-teen communication, and practice conflict resolution. IMARA aims to reduce the incidence of HIV in black female populations through strengthening family relationships and reducing sexual behavior that places young women at risk for STIs and HIV.
The IMARA workshop is a 1 ½ day program conducted over two Saturdays, one week apart. IMARA brings mothers (or primary female caregivers) and daughters together in groups to work on strengthening the mother-daughter relationship and improving mother-daughter and romantic partner communication skills. About half of the time in the workshop, mothers and daughters will meet together, and the other half the mothers and daughters will meet in separate groups.
Workshop activities focus on reducing risky sexual activity, the importance of healthy peer and partner relationships, increasing HIV and substance use knowledge, and developing positive attitudes toward condom use. Each workshop is led by four African American female staff – two facilitate the mother’s group and two facilitate the girl’s group.
Population of focus: African American teenagers, mothers
Links to resource:
- Learn more about the IMARA program from the University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health (UIC SPH)
Date: 2018
Contact
Kelly McCabe, Project Director, kmccabe@uic.edu