Gay, lesbian, and bisexual youth face all of the difficulties and stresses of adolescence that are experienced by any teen, in addition to suffering from a higher degree of isolation and fear due to their sexual orientations. This situation, coupled with the failure of society to recognize and support these young people, creates situations where health risk behaviors become likely, particularly those which heighten the risk of HIV infection. In an effort to support and serve gay, lesbian, and bisexual youth ages 21 years and younger, the Indiana Youth Access Project (IYAP) was developed as a cooperative partnership among the Indiana State Department of Health, Indiana University, and the Indiana Youth Group (IYG).

The IYG is the only organization in the state that specifically provides culturally sensitive services for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender youth. The IYAP has allowed IYG to develop programming to address the emergent needs of these high-risk youth, and to expand its outreach efforts significantly. IYAP, now completing its fourth year, has increased the access of HIV information, services, and referrals by gay, lesbian, and bisexual youth throughout Indiana. The project provides risk reduction counseling, risk assessment and health evaluation, HIV testing, outreach services based on a peer-counseling model, and expanded case management and referral services to identify new and existing networking resources. By the middle of its second year of funding, IYG had 2,954 service contact days with 412 non-duplicated clients. From the beginning of the demonstration project (December 1993) through May 1997, IYAP staff provided a total of 9,729 service-related contacts to Indiana youth and conducted 247 presentations and trainings to 12,752 people.

The impact of the IYAP program is illustrated by the selected outcome measures in the chart to the right. The chart summarizes data collected both at baseline and 6 to 12 months thereafter. Higher numbers indicate higher levels of the measures. Clients rated themselves as having significantly higher self-esteem and had stronger feelings of efficacy to reduce their own HIV risk. Youth also reported being more worried about contracting HIV after becoming involved in the group.

The project’s peer outreach program identifies and recruits youth into the program. The peer activities provide youth with opportunities to develop alternative peer support networks, which, in turn, motivate them to stay involved with the program. In addition, IYG staff has launched new initiatives to educate other health and social service professionals and youth-serving agencies on the special needs and challenges of working with gay, lesbian, and bisexual youth.

One unique aspect of the IYAP project is the integration of more adult volunteers, often former participants who have "aged-out" of the program, to assist in supervising peer activities and to provide an increasingly diverse set of role models.

For further information contact Stephen Laughner, Indiana Youth Group, Inc., P.O. Box 20716, Indianapolis, Indiana 46220, Phone 317.541.8726.

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