The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #70175

John A. Sieverding, MD, MPH¹, Cherrie B. Boyer, PhD¹, Jacqueline Siller², Alonzo Gallaread², and Y. Jason Chang³. (1) Department of Pediatrics, Division of Adolescent Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, 3333 California St., Suite 245, Box 0503, San Francisco, CA 94143-0503, 415.476.2184, siever@itsa.ucsf.edu, (2) STD Prevention & Control Services, San Francisco Department of Public Health, 1360 Mission Street, #401, San Francisco, CA 94103, (3) Center for AIDS Prevention Study, Health Survey Research Unit, 74 New Montgomery Street, Suite 600, San Francisco, CA 94105

Purpose: This study’s purpose is to determine the effectiveness of the Youth United Through Health Education (YUTHE) program, a community-based, peer-led HIV/STD prevention intervention to increase STD screening and treatment among adolescents residing in a high STD incidence community. Methods: Using a quasi-experimental design, comparisons between intervention and control communities were made using a 42-item interview that focused on sociodemographic factors and constructs from the AIDS Risk Reduction Model, including Labeling (e.g., HIV/STD knowledge, perceived risk), Commitment (e.g., perceived self efficacy, behavioral intentions) and Action (STD screening behavior. Four peer outreach interviewers conducted interviews at street- and venue-based sites where youth congregated. Results: To date, we interviewed 1,174 youth who are predominantly African American (86%), male (61%), and between ages 12 and 22 years (mean =18.2 years, SD = 2.5). Compared to youth in the control community, youth in the intervention community reported: STDs can be asymptomatic (X²=8.20, p<0.05), urine testing for STDs (X²=5.23, p<0.05), and perceptions of higher STD risk (X²=6.42, p<0.05). In the intervention community, youth reporting contact with the YUTHE program stated: perceptions of higher STD risk (X²=6.73, p<0.05); more friends thought screening was important (X²=27.46, p<0.01); greater intention to be have an STD test (X²=13.13, p<0.01); knowledge of where to have an STD test (X²=15.62, p<0.01) compared youth who did not have interaction with the program. Conclusions: Results to date suggest that this peer-led, street- and venue-based outreach intervention holds promise for increasing STD screening among adolescents in a community with a high incidence of STDs.

Learning Objectives:

• List three stages of the AIDS Risk Reduction Model.
• Identify psychosocial factors, which may influence an adolescent’s decision to have an STD test.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.