Kumar A; HIV Infection in Women Conference.

Program Abstr HIV Infect Women Conf HIV Infect Women Conf 1995 Wash DC. 1995 Feb 22-24; P76.

Women & Children's HIV Program, Cook County Hospital, Chicago, IL.

OBJECTIVE: Lately, many educational programs have touted their successes in "educating" high risk adolescent women about HIV risk reduction. Nevertheless, we wondered whether such education truly provided these adolescents with sufficient behavioral knowledge to effectuate reductions in their high risk behavior. METHODS: We identified high risk adolescent women under the care of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services ("DCFS") between the ages of 13 and 21 years. Because of abuse and pregnancy factors, these adolescents are at high risk for HIV infection. We contacted these adolescents in the context of HIV/AIDS presentations focusing on practical behavior modification, such as abstinence, the proper use of condoms, and the sterilization of shared needles. Each participant was given a Youth Evaluation Form ("YEF") asking for anonymous sexual practice and behavioral information. Based on the responses, data was obtained on the issue of whether these adolescents had previously gained adequate information to effectuate risk reduction behavior. 277 adolescent women completed YEFs and indicated that they had received prior HIV education (n=277). RESULTS: Of the 277 respondents, 169 (61%) said that they learned for the first time during the presentation practical methods of protection--97 of the 277 (35%) said that they learned how to properly use a condom; 24 of the 277 (9%) learned about alternative prophylactics; 37 of the 277 (13%) learned about alternative risk reduction behavior (i.e., abstinence, monogamy, etc.); and 11 of the 277 (4%) learned about shared needle sterilization. Significantly, of the 97 who learned how to use a condom, 78 (80%) also said that they were already sexually active. In spite of these admissions after the presentation, only 50 of the 277 (18%) said prior to the presentation that they were possibly at risk for HIV infection. Moreover, 67 of the 277 (24%) who said prior to the presentation that they were not at risk, stated that they felt they were at risk after the presentation. CONCLUSION: The data indicate that although these adolescent women have been educated about the risk of HIV transmission and infection, they have not been given the appropriate practical knowledge necessary to effectuate a change in their high risk behavior.

Publication Types:

• Meeting Abstracts

Keywords:

• Achievement
• Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
• Adolescent
• Behavior
• Child
• Condoms
• Evaluation Studies
• Female
• HIV Infections
• HIV Seropositivity
• Humans
• Illinois
• Pregnancy
• Risk Reduction Behavior
• education

Other ID:

• 95922004

UI: 102214948

From Meeting Abstracts