Leveraging Self Help Groups to Impact HIV and Financial Behaviors Among Women and Youth

Findings from a cluster RCT in 55 villages in West Bengal, India, suggest that it is possible to leverage SHGs to reach women and adolescent girls with education on savings and sensitive health topics at minimal expense. Spielberg et al. (2013) reported on the impact of non-formal education on knowledge, attitudes and behaviors for HIV prevention in particular. Women and girls who received HIV education showed significant gains in HIV knowledge, awareness that condoms can prevent HIV, self-efficacy for HIV prevention, and confirmed use of clean needles, as compared to the control group. Condom use was rare and did not improve for women. While HIV testing was uncommon, knowledge of HIV- testing resources significantly increased among girls and trended in the positive direction among women in intervention groups. However, the savings education showed no impact on financial knowledge or behavior change.

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