Abstract
Introduction: HIV continues to disproportionately affect Latinas in the U.S.(1) However, referrals to HIV testing and Preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) remain low (2). Telenovelas provides a culturally relevant platform for delivering health promotion to Latinas (3,4).
Aim. To assess the preliminary efficacy of Infectious Love (IL) to improve HIV prevention behaviors among Latinas.
Methods. 95 Latinas in North Carolina participated in a randomized controlled pilot study (n = 50 intervention, n = 45 control). IL consisted of four weekly episodes (~10 minutes each) available online (2). Latinas completed surveys assessing targeted HIV-related outcomes at baseline, 1-month, and 7-months post-baseline. Latinas in the intervention group viewed IL immediately after completing the baseline survey, while women in the control group watched IL after the 7-month post-baseline survey. A constrained mixed-effects model was fitted to assess the intervention effects across three visits: baseline (T1), 1-month (T2), and 7-months (T3). The fixed effects included the main effect of visit and the interaction between treatment and visit, while the treatment main effect was omitted to constrain baseline differences to zero.
Results: Latinas’ mean age was 34.05 ± 6.66 (range 19-44) years old. Participants were from Mexico (n = 32, 33.7%), the U.S. (n = 4, 4.2%), Central and South America (n = 59, 62.1%). For vaginal sex, there was no evidence of change at 1 month (3.11, 95% CI [−11.46, 17.68], p = 0.67), whereas at 7 months, the intervention significantly increased condom use (22.78, 95% CI [6.80, 38.77], p = 0.005), indicating a meaningful long-term effect for vaginal sex only. PrEP knowledge improved significantly in the intervention group: at 1 month, odds of not knowing about PrEP were markedly lower (OR = 0.02, 95% CI [0, 0.20], p = 0.001) and remained significantly reduced at 7 months (OR = 0.08, 95% CI [0.01, 0.56], p = 0.01), indicating a sustained effect. Latinas in the intervention group had lower odds of HIV testing at both 1 and 7 months compared with the control group, but these differences were not statistically significant.
Conclusion: IL increased condom use and improved PrEP knowledge among Latinas, highlighting the promise of narrative-based interventions and the potential of telenovelas to deliver effective prevention messages. These findings support the feasibility and impact of culturally tailored HIV prevention strategies.
Notes
The authors acknowledge support from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) through award number 1R34DA053887
References:
1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2024). Fast Facts: HIV in the US by Race and Ethnicity. https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/data-research/facts-stats/race-ethnicity.html
2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2024). HIV and Hispanic/Latino People. https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/data-research/facts-stats/hispanic-latino-people.html
3. Iriarte, E., Baeza, M. J., Villegas, N., Cianelli, R., Stonbraker, S., Cook, P., & Jankowski, C. (2024). Telenovela (Spanish Soap Opera) Interventions on Latino Health: A Scoping Review. Hispanic Health Care International: The official Journal of the National Association of Hispanic Nurses, 15404153241257929. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/15404153241257929
4. Villegas, N., Norris, A.E., Cianelli, R., Fernandez-Pineda, M., Toledo, C. (2023). Infección de amor (Infectious Love): Development and acceptability of a telenovela/soap opera intervention for HIV prevention for Latinas. AIDS Education and Prevention, 35(6), 421–438.
Sigma Membership
Alpha Alpha, Beta Tau
Type
Presentation
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Randomized Controlled Trial
Research Approach
Pilot/Exploratory Study
Keywords:
Health Equity or Social Determinants of Health, Public and Community Health, Teaching and Learning Strategies, HIV Prevention, Role Playing, Motion Pictures, Hispanic Americans, Individualized Medicine, Behavior Modification, Health Promotion
Recommended Citation
Villegas Rodriguez, Natalia Andrea; Zou, Baiming; Yan, Yuanyuan; Barrington, Clare; Khairat, Saif; Iriarte, Evelyn; Toledo, Christine; Peragallo, Nilda; Maganga, Laika; Barroso, Susana; Santisteban, Daniel; and Cianelli, Rosina, "A Culturally Tailored Soap Opera (Telenovela) Intervention to Reduce HIV Risk Among Latinas" (2026). International Nursing Research Congress (INRC). 186.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/inrc/2026/presentations_2026/186
Conference Name
37th International Nursing Research Congress
Conference Host
Sigma Theta Tau International
Conference Location
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Conference Year
2026
Rights Holder
All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record. All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository. All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.
Review Type
Abstract Review Only: Reviewed by Event Host
Acquisition
Proxy-submission
Date of Issue
2026-08-22
A Culturally Tailored Soap Opera (Telenovela) Intervention to Reduce HIV Risk Among Latinas
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Introduction: HIV continues to disproportionately affect Latinas in the U.S.(1) However, referrals to HIV testing and Preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) remain low (2). Telenovelas provides a culturally relevant platform for delivering health promotion to Latinas (3,4).
Aim. To assess the preliminary efficacy of Infectious Love (IL) to improve HIV prevention behaviors among Latinas.
Methods. 95 Latinas in North Carolina participated in a randomized controlled pilot study (n = 50 intervention, n = 45 control). IL consisted of four weekly episodes (~10 minutes each) available online (2). Latinas completed surveys assessing targeted HIV-related outcomes at baseline, 1-month, and 7-months post-baseline. Latinas in the intervention group viewed IL immediately after completing the baseline survey, while women in the control group watched IL after the 7-month post-baseline survey. A constrained mixed-effects model was fitted to assess the intervention effects across three visits: baseline (T1), 1-month (T2), and 7-months (T3). The fixed effects included the main effect of visit and the interaction between treatment and visit, while the treatment main effect was omitted to constrain baseline differences to zero.
Results: Latinas’ mean age was 34.05 ± 6.66 (range 19-44) years old. Participants were from Mexico (n = 32, 33.7%), the U.S. (n = 4, 4.2%), Central and South America (n = 59, 62.1%). For vaginal sex, there was no evidence of change at 1 month (3.11, 95% CI [−11.46, 17.68], p = 0.67), whereas at 7 months, the intervention significantly increased condom use (22.78, 95% CI [6.80, 38.77], p = 0.005), indicating a meaningful long-term effect for vaginal sex only. PrEP knowledge improved significantly in the intervention group: at 1 month, odds of not knowing about PrEP were markedly lower (OR = 0.02, 95% CI [0, 0.20], p = 0.001) and remained significantly reduced at 7 months (OR = 0.08, 95% CI [0.01, 0.56], p = 0.01), indicating a sustained effect. Latinas in the intervention group had lower odds of HIV testing at both 1 and 7 months compared with the control group, but these differences were not statistically significant.
Conclusion: IL increased condom use and improved PrEP knowledge among Latinas, highlighting the promise of narrative-based interventions and the potential of telenovelas to deliver effective prevention messages. These findings support the feasibility and impact of culturally tailored HIV prevention strategies.
Description
Participants will learn how culturally tailored, narrative-based interventions, specifically soap operas (telenovelas), can promote HIV prevention behaviors among Latinas. The session will demonstrate how culturally acceptable interventions improve engagement and preventive outcomes.