Sex, drugs and videotape: the prevention of AIDS in a New York City shelter for homeless men.

This paper documents a process of social change through participant observation. During the course of research a group response was facilitated by a team of residents, staff and researchers. The social context, a shelter for homeless men in New York City, will be presented first, emphasizing those aspects of resident living that are germane to HIV transmission. Next, we describe the group response, the creation of a video. This activity gave numerous insights to the investigators into how the men perceived the homeless state and something of their relationships to others within and outside the institutions. In particular, their views on women and sex were expressed in the video. The insights gained by the men and the investigators are analyzed in terms of a self-help strategy which was effective in conveying information about HIV transmission and prevention.