HIV INFECTION PREVENTION in MEXICAN SCHOOLS

OVERVIEW

An HIV infection prevention intervention was developed for use in Mexican high schools. The intervention is based on life skills and follows the guidelines of the UN program on HIV/AIDS for effective school based programs and includes an optional 2-hour emergency contraception module. The intervention had a significant impact on students’ knowledge of HIV but not on their sexual behavior.

DESCRIPTION OF PROGRAM

Target population: Mexican adolescents

An HIV infection prevention intervention was developed for use in Mexican high schools. The intervention is based on life skills and follows the guidelines of the UN program on HIV/AIDS for effective school based programs. The intervention consists of 30 hours of class, with half of the time focused on the consequences of unprotected sex and how to avoid it. Other topics covered include social pressure and practice with communication, negotiation, and refusal skills. An optional 2 hour emergency contraception module was also developed that may or may not be used in conjunction with the intervention.

EVALUATION(S) OF PROGRAM

Walker, D., Gutierrez, J. P., Torres, P., & Bertozzi, S. M. (2006). HIV prevention in Mexican schools: Prospective randomized evaluation of intervention. British Medical Journal, 332, 1189-1194.

Evaluated population: Participants included 10,954 students at baseline, 9,372 immediately after the intervention, and 7,308 students a year after the intervention. A year after the intervention participants were 16.7 years of age on average and the sample was 44 percent male.

Approach: Forty schools in Mexico were enrolled to participate in the study. Ten schools were randomly assigned to a control group, which consisted of government mandated sexual education. Fifteen schools were randomly assigned to receive the HIV education class with condom promotion, and the other 15 schools were assigned to the same HIV education class with an additional module on emergency contraception.

Before giving the intervention, teachers completed a 40-hour training, with an extra two hours of training for those that implemented the emergency contraception module. The intervention was given over a 15-week period, and took a total of 30 hours, with an extra two hours for the students who received the extra emergency contraception module.

Data were collected at three time points: before the intervention, immediately after the intervention, and a year after the intervention. Participants completed questionnaires that covered knowledge and attitudes about HIV, AIDS, and emergency contraception; sexual experience; the use of condoms at first and most recent intercourse; tobacco, alcohol, and drug use; compensated sex; social networks; socioeconomic status; and intention to continue in school.

Results: After 16 months, the group that received the HIV class with condom promotion only differed from the control group in the percentage of students who reported having a partner, with the HIV class female students reporting having a partner at a higher rate than female students in the control group. Both male and female students in the HIV class with condom promotion and the emergency contraception module displayed more knowledge about HIV and emergency contraception than students in the control group. No differences emerged between the intervention groups and the control group in regards to using a condom, stopping sex to put on a condom, making sex conditional on condom use, or being sexually active.

SOURCES FOR MORE INFORMATION

References:
Walker, D., Gutierrez, J. P., Torres, P., & Bertozzi, S. M. (2006). HIV prevention in Mexican schools: Prospective randomized evaluation of intervention. British Medical Journal, 332, 1189-1194.

KEYWORDS: Adolescents (12-17), Youth (16+), High School, Males and Females (co-ed), Hispanic/Latino, School-Based, STD/HIV/AIDS, Sexual Activity, Condom Use and Contraception

Program information last updated on 11/4/11.

© Child Trends 2003