The underlying argument for peer promotion is that young people are more likely to believe messages from other young people rather than adults, and that this will lead to behavior change. But, the relative influence of peers versus adults, and how this may impact specific HIV-related risk behaviors, is not well understood. Contacts of peer educators in Ghana were surveyed at peri-urban and rural sites during April 1998. Both in-school and out-of-school respondents aged 11 to 26 years were included in the analysis (n=490). Youth who talked with both peers and adults about reproductive health were 2.1 times more likely (95% CI: 1.23, 3.51) to have reported HIV risk reduction activities than those who talked with no one. Youth who talked with peers alone were 1.7 times more likely (95% CI: 1.10, 2.64), while youth who talked with adults alone were equally as likely to have reported HIV risk reduction activities as those who spoke with no-one. Sexually active youth were more than twice as likely to talk to peers as adults. Specific AIDS-protective behaviors, such as condom use and abstinence, differed substantially depending on the source of reproductive health information. Multiple message sources that include peers and adults are shown to have a greater impact than either peers or adults alone. Understanding these social networks and the interrelationship between peer and adult influence will allow program managers to design and implement increasingly effective HIV/AIDS prevention programs.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the audience will be able to: 1. Articulate in which way peers and adults have different influences on youth's HIV-related behaviors. 2. Identify the different types of behaviors that Ghanaian youth believe to be protective for HIV.
Keywords: Peer Education, HIV Risk Behavior
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: CEDPA
Disclosure not received
Relationship: Not Received.