Recorded presentation

Katie Schenk, MA, MSc¹, Eka Esu-Williams, PhD¹, Joseph Motsepe¹, Moses Zulu², Amos Kasongo¹, and Scott Geibel, MPH¹. (1) Horizons/Population Council, 4301 Connecticut Ave NW, Suite 280, Washington, DC 20008, (202) 237-9400, kschenk@pcdc.org, (2) Mantumbusa Community Anti-AIDS Club, c/o Horizons Program/Population Council, 4301 Connecticut Ave NW, Suite 280, Washington, DC 20008

Background Effective strategies are required to enable youth to determine their HIV infection risk and to practice protective behaviors.

Methods Study partners aimed to determine whether involving Zambian youth in care activities would change their HIV risk perceptions and behaviors. Researchers conducted pre-post surveys among youth members of anti-AIDS clubs, to compare a standard HIV prevention training program with an enhanced program supporting youth to provide home-based care to people living with HIV (PLHA).

Results Involving young people in providing care to PLHA was not associated with significant change in their reported sexual activity. Among sexually experienced youth receiving enhanced training, ever-use of condoms increased significantly: from 61 to 81% of males, and from 66% to 81% of females (p<0.05). No significant changes in condom use were detected among youth receiving the standard training.

Risk perceptions of males and females in both groups became more reflective of their reported sexual behavior. For example, among males receiving the standard training, those incorrectly perceiving themselves not at risk decreased from 30% to 3%, and for males in the enhanced training group, it declined from 16% to 7%.

Conclusions Involvement in care and support activities may have had an impact on condom use, but did not affect youths’ sexual activity nor make a difference with regard to the accuracy of their HIV risk perception. Instead, the prevention training that both groups received may have contributed to more accurate risk perception.

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