AIDS education and prevention : official publication of the International Society for AIDS Education
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AIDS knowledge, condom attitudes, and sexual behavior were examined in a sample of 193 substance-abusing juvenile offenders on probation or parole. The majority of these youths reported being sexually active, and many admitted to early onset of sexual activity as well as unsafe sexual practices. ⋯ General attitudes toward condoms and the reported use of a condom at first sexual intercourse experience were the only statistically significant predictors of subsequent condom use. The relevance of these findings to the development of AIDS prevention programs for juvenile offenders is discussed.
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Based on a framework (i.e., research and evaluation, prevention and services, and advocacy and policy), the goal of this article is to profile six community-based HIV prevention programs targeting Asian and Pacific Islander (API) Americans, especially among men who have sex with men. These six programs were chosen based on one or more of the following three criteria: (a) epidemiological profiles of AIDS cases among Asian and Pacific Islander Americans, (b) ethnic diversity, and (b) community development among Asian and Pacific Islander Americans in the fight against HIV. The six programs are (a) the Kokua Kalih Valley Health Center, Honolulu; (b) the Asian and Pacific Islander Wellness Center, San Francisco; (c) the Asian Pacific AIDS Intervention Team, Los Angeles; (d) the Asian and Pacific Islander Coalition on HIV and AIDS, New York City; (e) the AIDS Services in Asian Communities, Philadelphia; and (f) the Massachusetts Asian AIDS Prevention Project, Boston. ⋯ In addition to a paucity of epidemiological, surveillance, and empirical data, most reported that barriers fall into one or two interrelated categories: (a) structural (e.g., lack of governmental or private funding) or (b) cultural (e.g., denial of risk, homophobia, fear of confidentiality). These findings suggest that HIV prevention activities and services for Asian and Pacific Islander Americans should be based on empirical and cultural data, and that API Americans should become more actively involved in social and political activities. Asian and Pacific Islander American agencies are challenged to integrate HIV with other health and social issues pertinent to the communities.
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Comparative Study
Continued risky injection subsequent to syringe exchange use among injection drug users in New York City.
Although the vast majority of injection drug users (IDUs) attending syringe exchange programs in New York City have stopped risky injection (injecting with syringes used by someone else), there remains a subgroup of IDUs who continue to engage in high-risk injecting behaviors despite access to sterile syringes. Subjects were randomly recruited from five legally authorized syringe exchange programs in New York City between October 1992 and August 1994. Participants were asked about drug and sexual risk behavior 30 days prior to their first use of the syringe exchange as well as during the 30-day period prior to the interview while using the exchange. ⋯ We compared sociodemographics and behavioral characteristics of a group who continued risky injection while using the syringe exchange, "continuers," N = 158 (28.8%) with a group who reported risky injection prior to using the exchange and then ceased risky injection while using the exchange, "stoppers," N = 391(71.2%). Continuers were significantly more likely to report passing on dirty syringes to social network members and to inject cocaine at least daily. We present other predictors of continued risk and discuss the implications for interventions and make recommendations for syringe exchange programs.
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Clinical Trial Controlled Clinical Trial
An evaluation of teaching methods utilized during an HIV miniresidency course for Thai physicians.
This study examines the efficacy of medical education methods in improving the knowledge base and clinical skills of participants attending a 2-day miniresidency course in HIV infection. Instructional methods included: a didactic lecture format, diagnostic algorithm presentation, color slide photographic demonstration, bedside teaching rounds, and "meet-the-professor" sessions. Questions to assess the various instructional formats were administered and teaching methods were evaluated. ⋯ Despite the latter, participation performed poorly regarding HIV case management. This observation may be related to test design and cultural differences but likely underscores the difficulty in imparting clinical HIV management skills to course participants over a short period of time. Future continuing medical education (CME) courses intended to enhance physician care for the HIV infected must strive to refine evaluation methods for assessing case management skills while exploring innovative instructional techniques when current methods are ineffective.
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This paper describes parents' views of the New York City Public High School's AIDS Education and Condom Availability Program. It presents findings from 12 focus groups with 81 parents of students at six representative high schools. ⋯ Participants were mostly supportive of the program, citing intense concern about AIDS among adolescents, fear that teenagers do not adequately perceive themselves as being vulnerable, and personal experiences with infected relatives and friends. Implications of these findings for program development are discussed and recommendations for social policy changes are presented.