Aids Education and Prevention最新文献

Because a cure and a vaccine for the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are not expected for at least several years, prevention of AIDS is the only means of reducing the spread of the disease. While education, information, and persuasion may be changing the HIV-related attitudes and even behaviors of some individuals, without a theoretical framework, the reasons why some individuals have changed and why other individuals have not changed are elusive. Three social-psycho logical models that have been applied to health-related behavior-the Health Belief Model (HBM), the Ajzen-Fishbein attitude-behavior model (AFM), and Leventhal et al.'s Self-Regulatory Model (SRM)-are tested in this study. The extent to which each model's variables are related to self-reported behavior change related to HIV and current HIV-related behavior are compared. Results indicate that the SRM and AFM contributed significantly to predicting risk behavior change, and that the HBM and AFM contributed significantly to predicting current risk behavior, after controlling for risk behavior change. Significant predictors of risk behavior change included timeline, identity, and self-efficacy from the SRM; sexual impulse (a barrier) from the HBM; and attitudes about the behaviors from the AFM. Significant predictors of current risk behavior included several barriers from the HBM and negative attitude about risk-reducing behaviors from the AFM.

This pilot study was conducted to determine areas in which additional education regarding the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is needed by the undocumented and recently immigrated HIV-infected population, and to obtain preliminary information on the ability of this community to access medical treatment for HIV. Information regarding health status, immigration status, and the use of medical services was obtained from all HIV-infected undocumented and recently immigrated individuals who sought services from a Southern California nonprofit agency between July 1, 1990 and December 31, 1990. A total of 54 such individuals presented for services. Thirteen individuals reported participating in shared needle usage for the administration of medication or vitamins, in addition to other known risk factors for HIV. Only one of these 13 individuals had access to nonemergency medical care. Additional research is necessary to determine the reasons for these needle sharing behaviors. Educational outreach is needed to address these behaviors as a possible risk factor for HIV transmission.

The program Migrants' Approached Self-Learning Intervention in HIV/AIDS for Tajiks (MASLIHAT) trains male Tajik migrants who inject drugs in delivering HIV prevention information within their diaspora social networks. This analysis examines the indirect effect of the intervention on HIV testing among the participants' regular female sex partners. Modified mixed-effects Poisson regression analyses compared the proportions of participants with a regular female sex partner in the MASLIHAT versus the TANSIHAT control condition who reported that their partner had been tested for HIV. Of the 420 participants, 108 (26%) reported having a regular female sex partner. Regression analyses indicated that HIV partner testing increased significantly in both conditions over the follow-up period, with MASLIHAT participants reporting a higher rate at 12 months than the TANSIHAT control group (IRR = 1.66, 95% CI [1.21, 2.28]). The MAS-LIHAT intervention increased female partner HIV testing over 12 months when compared to a non-HIV focused health education intervention.

The New York City Police Department (NYCPD) offers AIDS education on a continuing basis to all uniformed police personnel. The program consists of a videotape, published materials, lecture with medical experts, and individual counseling available on request. This study focuses on police officers' sources of information about AIDS, comparing the workplace program to other sources, as well as their knowledge about HIV transmission and their attitudes towards co-workers with AIDS. Two precincts were surveyed, one in an area of higher prevalence of AIDS cases and the other in an area of lower prevalence. All employees valued the workplace program as more informative than personal and professional sources, but somewhat less informative than the media and the Surgeon General's pamphlet. While officers in both precincts were knowledgeable about the spread of HIV, those more knowledgeable had more positive attitudes towards infected co-workers. Precinct differences suggest that future programs might take into account site-specific characteristics.

Results of knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and practices (KABP) interviews (N = 330) and focus groups (12 groups, 80 participants) addressing human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and AIDS conducted with women living in rural villages in Khon Kaen province, Thailand, from November 1991 to January 1992 are reported. Women had obtained most of their information from television and radio. No AIDS health promotion programs had been targeted specifically to rural women. General knowledge regarding modes of transmission and prevention were good. The majority of women (85.5%) identified at least one known mode of transmission. Prostitution and contaminated needles were seen as the predominant sources of risk by these women. This knowledge, however, had not been applied to personal life circumstances in such a way that would facilitate avoidance of HIV infection. For example, few women considered themselves to be at risk for HIV infection even when they recognized that their husbands had engaged in risk-related behaviors (e.g., contracting for the services of commercial sex workers). Focus group discussions clarified the relationship between knowledge about HIV/AIDS, assessment of personal risk, use of condoms, and prevention strategies in general. Areas of misperception and confusion were identified, as well as potential vehicles for and content of AIDS health promotion initiatives. Results are currently being used to design health promotion interventions to reduce the spread of HIV.

Low income, urban, African-American, and Hispanic youth have been identified as a group for which there is concern about the spread of HIV. Using data from a household probability sample of 1,435 minority youth aged 15 to 24 in Detroit, this paper evaluates levels of sexual activity, condom use, and reasons for condom use and non-use. Comparisons with national samples of minority youth indicated that Detroit low-income youth have similar patterns of sexual behavior to national samples, although males and African-American females began their sexual experiences earlier and were less likely to have used condoms or other protection from pregnancy or sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) at first intercourse. Recent levels of condom use also left many Detroit youth unprotected from STDs. Less than half used a condom at last intercourse in the last year with nonmarital partners that they "knew well." In addition, condom use with partners that they "did not know well" was very low for Hispanic youth: Among those who had at least one casual partner in the last year, only 30% to 33% had ever used a condom with that partner. Analysis of reasons for use indicate that both pregnancy prevention and disease prevention were important motivations for condom use. However, many youth did not use condoms for reasons such as unavailability of condoms or unplanned sex.

Heterosexual transmission of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has become a significant health issue for women. The present study describes the extent to which a sample of women from an urban area report making efforts to protect themselves from becoming infected with HIV through several protective sexual behaviors. Secondly, we assess the extent to which adoption of these protective behaviors can be explained by health beliefs and previous HIV testing. Forty-nine percent of the sample reported having used a condom in the past year because of fear of AIDS and 48% reported having carried condoms. Women in this sample perceived themselves to be moderately susceptible to AIDS and they were well aware of the severity of the disease. Women tended to think that protecting themselves from AIDS would not be overly burdensome and that the recommended sexual protective behaviors were highly effective for preventing AIDS. Messages about the severity of AIDS and the effectiveness of protective sexual behaviors seem to be reaching women. Beliefs about personal susceptibility were consistently associated with the adoption of multiple protective behaviors, suggesting that messages emphasizing the ubiquity of risk, especially in demographically high-risk populations, may be particularly appropriate and effective.

A sexual health curriculum has been incorporated into our university's freshman seminar. The effectiveness of this program in changing sexuality-related knowledge, attitude, and behavior in college freshmen was studied. Seven hundred eighty-six freshmen students enrolled in 37 randomly selected English classes were surveyed at baseline and at 3 months. Survey outcome measurements included: knowledge regarding sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), attitudes about sexual behavior, and behaviors including the frequency of barrier contraceptive use, abstinence, and the number of sexual partners. At postintervention, mean knowledge, attitude, and behavior scores were significantly higher for those simultaneously enrolled in the freshman seminar than for those not enrolled. Abstinence among males in the seminar increased. White males in the seminar were more likely to be abstinent or to use a condom than nonwhites. Females not participating in the intervention reported increased frequency of "never" using condoms and decreased frequency of condom use at last intercourse. Students participating in a sexual health curriculum in a college freshman seminar report less frequent high-risk sexual behaviors than students not participating in the seminar.

This study examined whether common reactions to AIDS are consistent with operation of the "magical law of contagion," a traditional belief that describes the transfer of properties, whether moral or physical, harmful or beneficial, through contact. Three features of magical contagion, explored in previous work, were re-examined. These features sometimes contrast with microbial contamination as described by modern germ theory. They are: permanence of effects; dose-insensitivity; and potential for effects to act backwards (i.e., from recipient back onto source). A fourth characteristic, previously unaddressed, was also explored: "moralgerm conflation," i.e., the tendency to incompletely distinguish illness from evil. Three hundred and ninety-nine college students completed a survey assessing each feature with regard to AIDS-related scenarios. Also assessed was general AIDS knowledge. Subjects were very well-informed about AIDS, yet a significant subset showed "magical" features of thinking. Consistent with moral-germ conflation, degree of worry about getting AIDS was better predicted by guilt than by risk behaviors and knowledge that they are risky. Implications are discussed.