AEGiS-11IAC: Youth and AIDS: peer educators' sexuality in context of AIDS/HIV.

11th International AIDS Conference


Vancouver, British Columbia — July 7-12, 1996

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Youth and AIDS: peer educators' sexuality in context of AIDS/HIV.

Int Conf AIDS 1996 Jul 7-12; 11:488 (abstract no. Pub.D.1324)
Mawar N, Bagul R, Rajendran K, John J, Rodrigues J; National AIDS Research Institute (ICMR), Pune, India. Fax: 791071. E-mail: root@nar.ernet.in.

OBJECTIVES: To study sexuality from peer-educators' perspective focusing on gender interactions in youth in context of HIV/AIDS. Research Design: This study focuses on 76 Peer-educators representing six colleges of Pune during their AIDS/HIV training workshop(47 boys & 29 girls). A self-administered anonymous questionnaire employed, followed by group discussions.

RESULTS: The peer-educators are full-time unmarried college students, mean age: boys,20.9yrs(n=47), girls, 19.2 yrs(n=29), having correct knowledge of AIDS: mode of transmission, how it's not transmitted, however, less than half of boys (47%) & girls (45%) knew that it could be transmitted through CSWs. About a fifth of these peer-educators reported knowing someone with HIV/AIDS; more boys(79%) than girls(59%) perceive AIDS/HIV as a problem of their age; a possibility of getting HIV/AIDS reported more often by boys(45%) than girls(34%). They interact with those of opposite gender in groups like going for coffee, visiting friends, studying together, these activities being reported more often by boys (72%, 57%, 51% resp.) than girls (52%,31%, 48% resp.). More girls than boys reported going for dance(28% & 22%) while dating reported more in boys than girls(25% & 3%). These activities initiated in early teens in boys:14-16 yrs, a little later in girls:16-22 yrs; 5/47 boys reported their first sexual experience in mid-teens (16.6yrs); for girls it is later (20yrs n=1); partners ranged 0-5 in boys, 0-1 in girls. STD history reported by 4/47 boys, with only one consulting a doctor; condom use not reported. Both boys and girls expressed a need to know more on sexuality issues to impart this information along with AIDS Awareness to their peers & friends to enable in responsible decision-making. Conclusions and Recommendations: Peer educators are fairly knowledgeable about AIDS through their training programmes, some also perceiving themselves at risk for HIV/AIDS. Being young, they are still in the process of developing themselves as responsible adults requiring a democratic perspective through the power of rational thinking and sensitivity for themselves and their partners. Curriculum for their training need to focus on issues related to sexuality , ethical responsibility etc. in making prevention interventions like AIDS awareness more meaningful among the youth.

Keywords: AEGIS, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, Sexuality, Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Condoms, Students, Questionnaires, Single Person, India, Adult, Male, Female, education, ICA11KWDaegis,acquiredimmunodeficiencysyndrome,sexuality,sexuallytransmitteddiseases,condoms,students,questionnaires,singleperson,india,adult,male,female,education,ica11

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PubD1324

Copyright © 1996 - International AIDS Society (IAS). Reproduction of this abstract (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the IAS.