AEGiS-06IAC: AIDS prevention programs among students: interest of a global approach.

6th International AIDS Conference

San Francisco, California, USA — June 20-23, 1990

AIDS prevention programs among students: interest of a global approach.

Int Conf AIDS 1990 Jun 20-23; 6:341 (abstract no. Th.D.861)
Estournel JL, Leveque D, Delmas JB, Seguela M, Fayard A, Livrozet JM; MNEF/SG Adj. FSEF, France

OBJECTIVE: To identify modalities of an effective prevention program on AIDS among student population: test the interest of surveys to produce knowledge about youth mental representation in order to elaborate pertinent action.

METHOD: Student population constitutes a specific social group, but motley, which produces its own rules and get structured through a multitude of institutional and cultural belongings. In front of AIDS, MNEF has conducted many information actions: brochures, campaigns about HIV infection (with AIDES in 1986), condoms use (in 87/88), free, anonymous and volunteer HIV-testing. All these initiatives were relayed, locally, by students, and connected to global surveys on sexual attitudes and mental representatives among young people.

RESULTS: Surveys have permitted better identification of the difficulties to prevent students, caused by psychological resistances, no-concern feeling, weight of sociocultural schemes, ... and so allowed us to adapt our message and modes of information. They pointed out the need of a global handling.

CONCLUSION: To elaborate health education programs on AIDS, among young people requires a real evaluation of youth way of life and value system. Prevention has to be linked to a sensitization of the group from its own values, offering participative modalities, inserted into a continuum from information to cares through counselling. So, justifying a global approach.

Keywords: AEGIS, Students, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, Health Education, HIV Infections, Counseling, Emotions, Drive, Data Collection, prevention & control, ICA6

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ThD861