The impact of an undergraduate HIV/AIDS education course on students' AIDS knowledge, attitudes, and sexual risk behaviour
Year: 1996
Type: dissertation
Study design: Clinical Trial
Abstract: Many heterosexual North American adolescents and young adults are engaging in sexual behaviour that puts them at risk for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and subsequent fatal illnesses associated with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).Outcome studies indicate that while HIVIAIDS education programs are generally successful at increasing knowledge, they rarely lead to the sexual behaviour change that is necessary for protection from HIV.One promising method for changing this behaviour is to change attitudes of perceived personal invulnerability to HIV.The current research assessed the effectiveness of an undergraduate HIVIAIDS education course that focused on attitude change.The course comprised lectures, small group discussions, and a question and answer session with a panel of five HIV positive men and women.Intervention group (N = 388) and control group (N = 175) students completed the AlDS Risk Knowledge Test, AlDS Attitude Scale, and a Sexual Risk Behaviour survey during the first lecture of the course and its last lecture (four months later).Analyses of covariance indicated that immediately postintervention, students in the AlDS education group had significantly higher scores on the AlDS Risk Knowledge test and more tolerant attitudes toward HIVIAIDS sufferers than students in the control group.Students' subjective reports of a decrease in homophobia supported these findings.These positive changes were maintained at the eight month follow-up.There were no significant differences between groups on a composite score of sexual risk behaviour at postintervention, although AlDS education participants did report iii more frequent condom use and intentions to practice safer sex in the future.The implications of the data for future HIV prevention programs for heterosexual youth are discussed.
Source: Summit (Simon Fraser University)
Author: Cheryl M Fraser
Language: English
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W67576762