AEGiS-11IAC: Methodology for identification of risky behavior among young adults in Sri Lanka.

11th International AIDS Conference

Vancouver, British Columbia — July 7-12, 1996

Methodology for identification of risky behavior among young adults in Sri Lanka.

Int Conf AIDS 1996 Jul 7-12; 11:487 (abstract no. Pub.D.1318)
De Silva NW, Schensul JJ, Eisenberg M, Lewis J; University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. Fax: 94-8-32517.

ISSUE: Understanding sexual behavior, particularly among adolescents and young adults, is a key element in the development of culturally-relevant and effective intervention and prevention programs. However, there has not been a field-tested methodology for describing sexual behavior cross-nationally to identify risky behavior and appropriate options.

PROJECT: "Youth and Sexual Risk in Sri Lanka" is a two year, interdisciplinary project involving social and medical scientists, public health officials and community members designed to understand the sexual behavior of youth and young adults in a low-income community and at the university campus, to utilize peer education approaches to reduce sexual risk and to evaluate the efficacy of those approaches. The research methodology utilized a mix of qualitative and quantitative methods including key informant interviewing, consensus modeling using multidimensional scaling, open ended interviews with 187 young people, a closed-ended questionnaire administered to a random sample of 600 young adults and process and outcome evaluation data from peer education sessions.

RESULTS: The analysis of the results identified culturally-based sexual behaviors that would not ordinarily be considered in the development of education and prevention (e.g. interfemoral sex); established a predictable sequence of sexual behavior that serves as an important tool in the development of prevention programs; focused on approaches to safe sex that are based on the local beliefs and practices of young people; identified the importance of considering sex among a variety of partners (e.g. young adult men and young boys, older married women, commercial sex workers); and establishes the salience of cultural beliefs in virginity, marriageability, and familial reputation as a part of risk reduction.

LESSONS LEARNED: Effective prevention programs must proceed on the basis of accurate data and understanding of sexual knowledge, attitudes and behavior and the peer, familial, institutional and community context in which this behavior is manifested. While standard approaches can be helpful, the design of intervention programs and the support for safe behavioral alternatives is best accomplished through the use of locally-derived concepts, behaviors, institutions and personnel. Effective research methodolgy which can build an accurate, local picture is a key to this design.

Keywords: AEGIS, Identification (Psychology), Communication, Residence Characteristics, Safe Sex, Questionnaires, Sexual Abstinence, Sri Lanka, Adult, Human, Female, Male, Adolescence, methods, ICA11

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