For Rose, the most beneficial segments involved communicating effectively with his partner and identifying risky situations. “We don’t often think about situations until they happen, which often results in poor choices. They really stressed that our safety, as well as that of our partners, is very important.” He added that all men could benefit from the NIA program. “We play a part in keeping our community safe.”

“The wonderful thing about the SISTA and NIA models is that they meet the young people where they are,” Locke said. “We know that students get the facts about HIV and sexual activity in high school. But unfortunately they are not taught the skills needed to negotiate and communicate with their partners when it comes to sex. Both the models are about empowering oneself, being safe and learning ways to work yourself out of situations that may not be safe.”

The goal of both the SISTA and NIA training is for participants to go back to their communities and college campuses to create programs to educate their peers. Many end up working through the Sangamon County Youth Wellness Bureau – a joint effort between the Urban League, Sangamon County and Illinois public health departments – that began two years ago. The Bureau uses youths to educate peers on various health issues, such as HIV and nutrition.

Since its inception nearly three years ago, youths from the Bureau have participated in health fairs in areas such as Springfield, Peoria, Cahokia and Jacksonville. “The more we can educate people, the better off we will be,” Locke said. “Our hope is that the participants, and those young people who participants reach out to, will be impacted enough to change themselves and their communities.”

The Springfield Urban League is not just relying on education to decrease the rate of infection in the black community. The agency has teamed with Fifth Street Renaissance/SARA Center in conducting a night outreach via “Wellness Wheels,” a motor vehicle offering HIV testing and several other health screenings during the weekend at sites highly populated by African Americans, such as Mac’s Lounge, American Legion and high-traffic gas stations. In addition to covering various community events in the area, once a month Wellness Wheels travels to locations across the state, providing HIV testing and other health screenings. “This works out very well for people who are simply not going to go to a center or agency for testing,” says Locke.