This guide is the first to focus on HIV/STD prevention in rural communities. The document reflects the perspectives of the HIV/STD prevention specialists represented in the Rural HIV/STD Prevention Work Group as well as other selected rural HIV/STD professionals. Their experiences infuse this guide with ideas that serve as a starting point for prevention programming at the local level.

Leaders in HIV/STD prevention in rural communities throughout the United States were identified and invited to a consultation meeting at Indiana University, Bloomington. This meeting of the Work Group was sponsored by the Rural Center for AIDS/STD Prevention at Indiana University, in collaboration with the document co-sponsors. At the meeting, the key HIV/STD leaders who comprised the Work Group identified important issues and essential prevention strategies unique to rural communities. Following the consultation meeting, the editors developed the text for the guidelines, bringing together the perspectives of the Work Group members. Finally, drafts of the document were sent to the Work Group and document co-sponsors for their review and input prior to publication of the final document.

Suggested Reference: Rural HIV/STD Prevention Work Group. Tearing Down Fences: HIV/STD Prevention in Rural America. Bloomington, IN: Rural Center for AIDS/STD Prevention, 2009.

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