HIV/AIDS prevention education program for adolescents

Project Planning: HIV / AIDS

The focus of the project plan is on HIV / AIDS prevention among adolescents. Concern for this issue has been mounting because of the mounting number of HIV infection in the country, particularly among individuals aged 25 years or younger. Most of these HIV infections are transmitted through unsafe and irresponsible sexual behavior for this particular age group (25 years or younger) (U.S.- DHHS, 2000:35). It is of utmost importance, then, to prevent the escalation of HIV / AIDS infection among adolescents through an efficient information management program, achieved via an intensive and interactive sexual education program. This sexual education program will focus on responsible sexual behavior, using relevant literature/literary works about HIV / AIDS.

Review of Related Literature

The "Healthy People 2010" program of the Department of Health and Human Services, an initiative that brought into detail the essential demographics, nature, and dynamics of health concerns and issues prevalent and of utmost concern in the country from the start of the millennium (2000) and towards the year 2010. Trends shown on HIV / AIDS infection in the country reported that this health concern is prevalent among women, African-Americans and Hispanics, and most prevalently among adolescents (for this project's purpose, individuals aged below 18 years old). Given these demographics on HIV / AIDS infection, the project will then involve parent-child/children pairings that are multicultural or culturally diverse as possible.

The establishment of specific demographics of the educational program plan is just the primary step towards its development. In order to make the program an effective one, project planning should also involve methods in which active participation will be elicited as the program progresses to its focal point -- informing the participants about responsible sexual behavior and HIV / AIDS infection among adolescents. In addition to addressing HIV / AIDS infection, it is also worthwhile to note that inextricably linked with this health concern is the prevalence of substance abuse and "suicidal ideation" among adolescents who practice irresponsible sexual behavior (Kurtz, 2005:S44).

Relevant literature have shown that it is best to apply educational strategies on the health concerns HIV / AIDS infection and responsible sexual behavior through an "individualistic" approach. According to Ben-Zur (2003), educational programs on HIV / AIDS are more effective when adolescents are exposed to information without their peers around. "Peer influence" is considered a deterrent the individual's education because s/he may be susceptible to his/her friends' influence, rejecting or disregarding information and the topic discussed at hand. That is, peer influence leads to denial, wherein the individual refuses to believe that these health concerns can happen to him/her (82). Given this finding, the program's approach, then, would center on the individualist approach, wherein the program will be held intensively between the planner (teacher) and a parent/s-child pair.

Ensuring the program's efficacy and interactivity is not only dependent on parent-child and teacher interaction, but it is also dependent on the method used by the planner to bring forward the issue of HIV / AIDS infection and responsible sexual behavior. Among the most contemporary methods encouraged to be practiced in responsible sex behavior programs is the utilization of juvenile literature about HIV / AIDS prevention (Prater, 2001). Among the juvenile literature covered in the study delve into the following areas about HIV / AIDS prevention: transmission, physiological changes, treatment, prejudice, compassion, school policy, and universal precautions (42). A holistic approach to the program would create a better picture for both parents and child/student to better understand the serious implications that irresponsible sexual behavior and HIV / AIDS infection can bring to the individual and his/her family and immediate community.

Project Objectives

The program will enable parents to communicate with their child about a crucial health issue -- responsible sexual behavior and HIV / AIDS infection.

The program will bring about awareness to both parent and child, as members of the community, about the prevalence of HIV / AIDS infection and other forms of abuses/illnesses linked with it.

The program will enable participants to internalize the issue through more specific examples/cases, like those illustrated in juvenile literature (read to the participants).

Content Outline & Implementation

Introduction

Conversational interview of participants about responsible sexual behavior & HIV / AIDS prevention

Discussion of Healthy People 2010 statistics and trends about responsible sexual behavior & HIV / AIDS prevention

Summary discussion about the statistical information cited

Case Analysis & Group Discussion

Presentation of a literary work per pair (will be used as the program's series of case studies)

Discussion of participants' interpretation of the literary work in relation to responsible sexual behavior & HIV / AIDS prevention

Provision of guidelines -- implementation of responsible sexual behavior & HIV / AIDS prevention

Conclusion- Creation of an action plan by each participant, defining their short-term and long-term goals and actions to fully implement the learnings gathered from the program.

Why this project is innovative

The use of juvenile literature as case studies and points of discussion for the program is an innovative way through which the issue can be best communicated, making clear to the participants the serious implications and repercussions that could happen if people are not informed or misinformed about responsible sexual behavior and HIV / AIDS infection and prevention. Through the juvenile literature/case studies, the planner will be allowed to discuss these health concerns intensively and interactively with the participants.

Evaluation Methods

The group discussion conducted by the planner will be assessed in terms of how the parent/s effectively communicate/s with the child-student, and conversely, how well the former receives and reacts to what was communicated by the parent/s and planner. Central to this program, however, is the kind of interpretation/s that will be developed by the participants as they are exposed to the case studies/juvenile literature. These interpretations will be grouped in terms of their prevalent/dominant themes, collated to create a general picture of how the health issues are perceived and understood by the participants. These interpretations and themes will then be used to create effective action standards to make the program implementation more relevant and significant to the participants (members of the targeted demographics of the project).