7th International AIDS Conference Florence, Italy — June 16-21, 1991

Int Conf AIDS 1991 Jun 16-21; 7:451 (abstract no. W.D.4255)
Firpo R, Dugan P, Roseman J, Zeljkovic S, Re O, Baker CJ; County of Los Angeles/Department of Health Services, Los Angeles, CA USA

OBJECTIVES: To increase the perceived vulnerability to HIV and to reduce HIV risk behaviors of incarcerated adolescents in Los Angeles County Juvenile Halls through the creation of peer AIDS educational videotapes.

METHODS: After school wide HIV risk reduction education, a selected group of particularly high risk adolescents are chosen to create an educational videotape for their peers. After 9 hours of HIV training, the 8 to 10 adolescents create a videotape to motivate their peers to reduce their HIV risk behaviors. The videotape is shown to the students in the facilities. This process is repeated at several sites per year.

RESULTS: Six month follow-up phone interviews of adolescents who participated in creating the videotapes found that fifty-seven percent (57%) had an increased sense of perceived vulnerability to HIV and seventy-six percent (76%) of the minors had decreased their HIV risk behavior by using condoms more often, lowering numbers of sex partners, lowering numbers of casual sex partners, and in some cases, even practicing abstinence.

CONCLUSIONS: Peer videotape production is an effective method of attitude change and HIV risk reduction in high risk adolescents.

Copyright © 1991 - International AIDS Society (IAS). Reproduction of this abstract (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the IAS.