FHI - Training Toolkit Aims to Keep HIV Prevalence Low in Jordan

OCTOBER 2007 — HIV prevalence is believed to be low in Jordan, with the majority of cases concentrated among people who engage in high-risk behavior. For this reason, the national HIV/AIDS strategy focuses on prevention. Yet because cultural sensitivities make discussion of sexual topics difficult, reaching those most at risk of HIV infection is challenging.

Research and program experience has shown that peer education is a very effective way of reaching sex workers with health information and behavior change messages. To design a tool to better equip peer educators and those who train them in Jordan, FHI worked with Horizon Strategic Studies Centre and Jordan's Ministry of Health to adapt a manual FHI developed for the Corridors of Hope Project in Zambia. In Jordan, the title is Talk to a Friend: A Training Toolkit for Peer Educators on HIV/AIDS/STIs. Published in Arabic, the theme of talking to a friend was drawn from discussions with the target population. It resonates with the intended audience because it reflects an Arabic saying, "A real friend is one you can talk to during difficulties." The toolkit is used to train low-literate sex workers as effective peer educators.

Development of this toolkit was made possible through funding from USAID. Local NGOs Khawla Bint Al-Azhwar and Sonaa' Al Hayat field-tested the manual in Zarqa and Amman with vulnerable women, including sex workers. Initial results are promising. As the toolkit is used more widely, FHI/Jordan will apply and disseminate lessons learned from its use.

Peer educators will use Talk to a Friend to help their peers understand HIV/AIDS and their risk of infection, improve their communication skills, engage in problem-solving dialogue, and empower themselves to make informed decisions that lead to positive behavior changes.

"As peer educators use the toolkit to talk about HIV/AIDS with their peers, stigma and denial will diminish," says FHI/Jordan Acting Country Director Lina Al-Hadid. "That will increase knowledge of and demand for counseling and testing services, helping to keep HIV prevalence low." Al-Hadid also expressed the hope that the toolkit could serve as a resource for other Arabic-speaking countries.

View the toolkit online in Arabic (including PowerPoint training sessions, flash cards, and other visual aids). Or download the manual (7.7 MB) with links to all toolkit materials.

ILLUSTRATION: This illustration was developed by FHI/Jordan from a photograph of a peer education session for female sex workers. Peer educators are using this toolkit to reach ostracized women who have never received HIV/AIDS education and services.