The HIM Project targets African American men who have sex with men (MSM) ages 18 and older.  The project serves the Jackson, MS Metropolitan area (Rankin, Hinds, Simpson, Copiah and Madison counties).  The HIM project aims to promote condom use,
prevent HIV/AIDS and other STDs, address stigma and encourage holistic health among African American MSM through the d-up! (Defend Yourself) intervention.

d-up: Defend Yourself! is a community-level intervention designed for and developed by African American men who have sex with men. d-up! is designed to promote social norms of condom use and assist African American MSM with recognizing and handling
risks related to racial and sexual bias. d-up! focuses on the utilization of opinion leaders to effectively reach the target population.  Opinion leaders are members of the target community whose advice is respected and trusted by their peers. The Opinion Leaders are trained to change risky sexual norms of individuals within their social networks. Opinion Leaders are prepared to deliver messages that counter racial and sexual biases and to promote condom use among AAMSM.

The project is funded by the CDC under announcement PS10-1003.

The HIM Project staff is located at My Brother’s Keeper, Inc. Headquarters.