Researchers at Yale University are testing whether a humorous card game can help young, black women reduce their chances of contracting HIV and AIDS—part of a new but growing trend examining whether games can spur health behavior changes. Played among three to five people, "One Night Stan" has players draw cards to establish sexual scenarios and then prompts players to discuss how they would react in those settings. The game, developed by play2PREVENT, a gaming lab within the Yale School of Medicine, is still a prototype, but designers are hoping to launch a video game version eventually and bring it to a broader audience.
ContinueResearchers at Yale University are testing whether a humorous card game can help young, black women reduce their chances of contracting HIV and AIDS — part of a new but growing trend examining whether games can spur health behavior changes. Played among three to five people, “One Night Stan” has players draw cards to establish sexual scenarios and then prompts players to discuss how they would react in those settings. The game, developed by play2PREVENT, a gaming lab within the Yale School of Medicine, is still a prototype, but designers are hoping to launch a video game version eventually and bring it to a broader audience.
ContinueYale School of Medicine's play2Prevent video game lab has developed a card game that helps young black women make the right choices when it comes to reducing the risk of HIV infection. "One Night Stan" is a humorous, role-playing card game where players navigate the sometimes difficult world of dating. As the players learn more about potential sex partners,they are challenged to make responsible choices -- things like insisting on condom use, and saying no to sex in risky situations. Kim Hieftje, deputy director of the play2Prevent lab, said these topics are often hard for people to discuss face-to-face. "So, if you make a game about these difficult topics to talk about, then the conversation kind of just opens," Hieftje said.
ContinueNew Haven, Conn. – You’re a 13-year-old girl living in Elm City. A friend swipes some of her grandmother’s pills and asks you to take some with her. What do you do? If you are playing “PlayForward: Elm City Stories” on an iPad or desktop computer, you need to take those pills. And then learn the consequences before going back to choose the right path. “We’re teaching skills for how to get out of risky situations,” said Kimberly Hieftje, an associate research scientist at the Yale School of Medicine and a leader of the school’s play2PREVENT instructive video game lab. “We help kids build their aspirational avatar.” And now those skills aren’t just for children ages 11-14. A newly minted card game financed in 2013 with a grant from Women’s Health Research at Yale’s Pilot Project Program promises to help young black women navigate the difficulties of dating while remaining protected against HIV/AIDS.
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