A randomized controlled trial which tested the effectiveness of the Facilitator WINGS versus the Computerized Self-paced WINGS among 191 WWUD in community corrections found that both modalities of WINGS were equally effective in identifying high rates of different types of IPV in the past year as well as linking women to IPV services, increasing social support and enhancing IPV self-efficacy from the baseline pre-intervention assessment to the 3-month follow up assessment (Gilbert et al. 2015).
Another randomized controlled trial that evaluated the effectiveness of group-based computerized HIV and IPV prevention intervention (WORTH) which included the WINGS SBIRT components among 306 WWUD in community corrections found that participants assigned to Computerized WORTH were more likely to reduce incidence of sexual, physical and injurious IPV at the 12 month follow-up than participants assigned to the Wellness Promotion Attentional Comparison Condition (Gilbert et al., 2016).
We adapted WINGS for WWUD in harm reduction programs in Kyrgyzstan to address IPV and other forms of gender-based sexual violence by non-intimate partners and to include a second session with HIV testing and counseling. We conducted pilot trial of WINGS + HCT among 73 WWUD recruited from harm reduction programs in Kyrgyzstan. This pilot trial found significant decreases in the experience of physical and injurious violence from intimate partners (IPV) and others (GBV) from baseline to the 3-month follow-up as well as decreases in drug use, and increased access to IPV and HIV services.21 Over 90% of participants agreed to complete HIV counseling and testing (HCT) of whom 8% tested positive for HIV and all were linked to HIV care. (Gilbert et al., 2016)
“Feasibility and Preliminary Effects of a Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) Model to address Gender-based Violence among Substance-using Women in Kyrgyzstan: Project WINGS (Women Initiating New Goals of Safety)” w
The promising findings of these intervention studies suggests the feasibility and effectiveness of the WINGS SBIRT model in addressing IPV among WWUD whether delivered by a helping or lay professional or administered using a computerized self-paced tool