AIDS-PREVENTIVE INTERVENTION

Guide to Effective Programs
for Children and Youth

AIDS-PREVENTIVE INTERVENTION

OVERVIEW

This AIDS prevention program was implemented for delinquent and abused adolescents at residential centers in St. Louis. Neither the discussion-only version nor the discussion-plus-skills intervention version of the program worked to significantly change participants' risky sexual behaviors.

DESCRIPTION OF PROGRAM

Target population: At-risk adolescents

The program consisted of nine 90- to 120-minute sessions led by trained facilitators, conducted over the course of 3 weeks (Slonim-Nevo, Auslander, Ozawa & Jung, 1996). For the evaluation described below, the program was implemented in two different ways for two different groups. Participation in the discussion-only group was didactic; participation in the group skills intervention was hands-on, and included role-playing, behavior modeling, and demonstrations.

EVALUATION(S) OF PROGRAM

Evaluated population: 218 adolescents (ages 12-18) who were living in one of 15 residential centers due to juvenile delinquency, child abuse and neglect, or mental health problems. The sample was roughly half white and half African American.

Participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups: skills training, discussion-only, or the control group. There were several similarities to the two experimental groups: each consisted of nine 90- to 120-minute sessions conducted over the course of 3 weeks, both were led by trained facilitators, and the substantive content was identical; however, as described above, the manner in which each intervention was conducted differed (Slomin-Nevo et al., 1996). Follow-up results show no significant impacts on risky sexual behavior (unprotected sex or sex with an unknown partner) among any of the participants regardless of which intervention or control group they participated.

SOURCES FOR MORE INFORMATION

References:

Slomin-Nevo, V., Auslander, W. F., Ozawa, M. N., & Jung, K. G. (1996). The long-term impact of AIDS-preventive interventions for delinquent and abused adolescents. Adolescence, 31(122), 409-421.

Program also discussed in the following Child Trends publication(s):

Manlove, J., Terry-Humen, E., Romano Papillo, A., Franzetta, K., Williams, S., & Ryan, S. (2002). Preventing teenage pregnancy, childbearing, and sexually transmitted diseases: What the research shows (Research brief). Washington, DC: Child Trends.

Manlove, J., Terry-Humen, E., Romano Papillo, A., Franzetta, K., Williams, S., & Ryan, S. (2001). Background for community-level work on positive reproductive health in adolescence: Reviewing the literature on contributing factors. Washington, DC: Child Trends.

SUMMARY & CATEGORIZATION

Program categorized in this guide according to the following:

Evaluated participant ages: 12-18 / Program age ranges in the Guide: 12-14, 15-21

Program components: Clinic/provider-based

Measured outcomes: Reproductive health

Program information last updated 12/31/01.