Thesis Statement Draft v2

Thesis Proposal Title
Project Y.E.S. : A Mobile/Social Media HIV Intervention (TBD)

Thesis Statement
Project Y.E.S. (Youth, Empowerment & Sexuality) incorporates both mobile technology and social media as part of an HIV intervention targeting New York City youth.

Personal Statement
I am interested in the intersections of sexuality, public health, and social justice. I believe mobile technology and social media can be integrated both into existing interventions as well as stand alone interventions to increase knowledge of safer sex, HIV/AIDS prevention, and options for those who are HIV positive. I intend for my work to increase knowledge and testing, decrease stigma, increase access to prevention and treatment information, and fosters community among folks who are HIV+, their allies, and communities.
According to CDC reports, “At the end of 2006, an estimated 1,106,250 persons (95% confidence interval 1,056,400-1,156,400) in the United States were living with HIV infection, with 21% undiagnosed.” Barriers to prevention in high-risk populations include criminalization, stigma, poverty, lack of awareness, and substance use. HIV/AIDS and sexual health are social justice issues, with increase HIV prevalence disporportionately impacting LGBTQI youth of color in New York City. According to an article published by the NYCLU, “Comprehensive sexuality education is not a part of the required curriculum in New York State. City schools are not required to provide sexuality education despite a clear need for it: New York City has the highest rates of HIV and AIDS infection in the United States. According to 2005 Youth Risk Behavior Survey data, 41 percent of New York City youth reported becoming sexually active by 9th grade and 58 percent by 12th grade.”

Through Project Y.E.S., youth will receive non-judgmental information and advice around STIs and HIV prevention, empowering them to make informed decisions around safer sexual practices.

Research
Projects:

• Sexual Health Websites/Campaigns
  • NYC Knows
  • Scarleteen
  • HIVTEST.org / KNOWIT by the CDC
  • TheBody.com
  • ChatAboutThat
  • Locator.AIDS.Gov – find closest testing centers and related services
• Sexual Health Apps
  • Get Yourself Tested Campaign
  • STD411 iPhone App
• HIV/AIDS Social Networking
  • AIDSSpace – social networking site
• Sexuality & Empowerment
  • GMHC’s I Love My Boo Campaign
• Educational Apps & Texting Campaigns
  • Weekly text messages improve HIV drug adherence in Kenya
  • ZMQ’s HIV/AIDS educational games for mobile devices (India)
• Other
  • AIDS.gov‘s New Media Toolkit
  • ACT UP NEW YORK: Activism, Art, and the AIDS  at White Columns

Literature:

• Research Available Online
  • Fact Sheet: HIV/AIDS Among Youth by the CDC
  • Pew Internet Research
  • HealthGAP Listserv
  • NY State Sex Ed Website (http://www.getthefactsny.org/index.html)
• Activism
  • Pathologies of Power: Health, Human Rights, and the New War on the Poor by Dr. Paul Farmer
  • From ACTUP to the WTO: Urban Protest and Community Building in the Era of Globalization by Benjamin Shepard and Ronald Hayduk
  • Resistance Behind Bars: The Struggles of Incarcerated Women by Victoria Law
  • Electronic Civil Disobedience by Critical Art Ensemble
  • SMS Uprising: Mobile Activism in Africa by Sokari Ekine
• Blogs
  • Reproductive Health Reality Check
  • AIDS.gov
  • Housing Works Blog
• Popular Media (Magazines)

• POZ Magazine
• Misc.
  • Various literature regarding community-based public health interventions from scholarly journals

Work Description
Project Y.E.S. will be a mobile web application directed at New York City youth to provide safer sex information from a harm reduction approach. Users will also be able to locate the nearest LGBTQI-friendly HIV and STI screening facilities to them. The app will be accompanied by a website and blog connected to social media (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube) to provide a comprehensive intervention platform.