Afrocentric Peer Counseling

 

OVERVIEW

 

Afrocentric Peer Counseling is an abstinence-based program designed to delay sexual activity, increase reproductive knowledge, prevent pregnancy, and increase contraceptive use.  Adolescents participate in discussion groups led by their trained peers.  In the groups, adolescents can discuss pregnancy, abstinence, sexual peer pressure, contraception, and STDs.  The discussion groups are culturally specific and maintain a focus on Afrocentricity, ethnicity, and the African American value system.  In this randomly assigned evaluation, the intervention group experienced a significant increase in reproductive knowledge from pre-test to post-test.  There were no significant differences between intervention and comparison group on delay of intercourse, pregnancy, or contraceptive use.

 

DESCRIPTION OF PROGRAM

 

Target population: Adolescent females

 

Afrocentric Peer Counseling is designed to delay sexual activity, prevent pregnancy and increase contraceptive use through culturally specific, abstinence-based counseling from peers.  Adolescents participate in two-hour discussion groups on abstinence, peer pressure, pregnancy, STDs, Afrocentricity, and ethnicity.  Groups meet once a week for eight weeks.  Trained group leaders come from the local neighborhood.

 

 EVALUATION(S) OF PROGRAM

 

Ferguson, S. L. (1998). Peer counseling in a culturally specific adolescent pregnancy prevention program. Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved, 9(3), 322-340.

 

Evaluated population: 63 African American adolescent females from Charlottesville, VA participated.  Participants lived in four publicly subsidized housing developments and their ages ranged from 12 to 16.  Participants successfully completed the Camp Horizon Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Program.  The average household income in the area was 125 percent of poverty level.

 

Approach: Participants were randomly assigned by neighborhood to the experimental group or a comparison group.  The experimental group received two hours of instruction per week, for eight weeks, on Afrocentricity, ethnicity, sex, sexuality, the African American value system, decision-making skills, and pregnancy prevention strategies.  Abstinence was stressed in avoiding pregnancy, STDs, and HIV/AIDS.  Participants also engaged in discussion sessions on abstinence and peer pressure, role-playing, and career options.  Sessions were led by trained peer counselors that lived in or around the neighborhood area.

 

Comparison group participants were taught about life management, family relations, academics, and career goals.

 

Participants were measured on knowledge of sex, reproduction, STDs, and contraceptives.  Behaviors such as sexual activity, frequency of sexual activity, and contraceptive use were also measured.

 

Results: At three-month post-test, none of the experimental group or comparison group adolescents had become pregnant.  There was no significant difference between groups in delaying sexual intercourse.

 

Among the experimental group adolescents, there was a significant increase in reproductive knowledge from pre-test to post-test.  The comparison group had no significant increase in knowledge over this period.  However the comparison group had a significant increase in knowledge from post-test to three-month follow-up, while the experimental group did not.  Compared with the experimental group, the comparison group gained significantly more knowledge at the three-month follow-up.

 

There was no significant difference between the groups at post-test or follow-up in contraceptive use.

 

 

 

SOURCES FOR MORE INFORMATION

 

Dr. Ferguson

College of Pharmacy, Nursing, and Allied Health

Howard  University

501 Bryant St. NW

Washington, D.C. 20059

 

References:

 

Ferguson, S. L. (1998). Peer counseling in a culturally specific adolescent pregnancy prevention program. Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved, 9(3), 322-340.

 

Program categorized in this guide according to the following:

 

Evaluated participant ages: 12-16

Program age ranges in the guide: Adolescence, Youth

Program components: Community

Measured outcomes: Teen Pregnancy and Reproductive Health

 

 

KEYWORDS: Adolescence (12-17), Adolescents (12-17), High-Risk, Urban, Black or African American, Teen pregnancy, sexual initiation, STD/HIV/AIDS, Condom use, Abstinence, Contraception, Gender-specific (female only).

 

Program information last updated on 5/14/09.

 

 

		© Child Trends 2003