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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
Ann P. McCauley, PhD, Population Council, Horizons/ICRW, 4301 Connecticut Ave., NW, Suite 280, Washington, DC 20008, 202-237-9400, amccauley@pcdc.org
Recent evaluations of school-based HIV prevention courses in Mexico, South Africa and Thailand included a focus on the question: How can public support for these programs be achieved? In each country, quasi-experimental, longitudinal data were used to measure change in students’ knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and behavior by measuring program impact at baseline, immediately after the intervention and then again 4 to six months later. In addition teacher comfort and confidence in teaching the course was measured before the training, immediately after the training, and after the teachers had taught the course. Due to past public concern about school based reproductive health programs, program staff in each country consulted with educators and trained teachers before launching the HIV prevention programs. In all three places principals and educational staff faced both possible public censure and considerable logistical problems in introducing the courses. Programmers addressed these issues through extended consultation, flexibility in program design, public demonstrations of course content, and other means. Teachers who planned to teach the course also faced possible public criticism, but they also feared personal embarrassment, loss of income, loss of professional standing, and increases in duties. The teacher training program in each location dealt with these issues in a variety of ways.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Adolescents, International, HIV Interventions
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.