Int J STD AIDS. 1994 Sep-Oct;5(5):305-9. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE
Recent findings on young people's response to HIV/AIDS and its perceived
relevance to their sexual lives are reviewed. Research into adolescent
sexual behaviour suggests a trend, over the last 2 decades, for an
earlier age of first intercourse and a greater number of recent and
lifetime sexual partners. Older cohorts of adolescents and those with
either multiple partners or more 'steady' partners have been found to
have lower rates of condom use. Data on the prevalence of specific
sexual activities such as anal intercourse, while sparse, suggests a
considerable number of young people engaging in behaviours carrying some
risk of HIV infection. It is clear that sex education programmes which
simply advocate 'safer sex' practices without addressing the
interpersonal skills and emotional implications of negotiating such
practices, and which do not provide a positive view of sexual health,
are failing to influence adolescent behaviour. Recent research has
highlighted a number of issues that need addressing if sex education and
HIV/AIDS prevention campaigns are to be effective.
Adolescence *Adolescent Behavior Adult Europe/EPIDEMIOLOGY Female
Human HIV Infections/*EPIDEMIOLOGY/*PREVENTION & CONTROL Knowledge,
Attitudes, Practice Male Prevalence *Sex Behavior Sex Education
EDITORIAL REVIEW REVIEW, TUTORIAL JOURNAL ARTICLE