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

Abstract #71337

Rupal Sanghvi, MPH, International Planned Parenthood/Western Hemisphere Region, 120 Wall Street, New York, NY 10005, 212.214.0242, rsanghvi@ippfwhr.org and Denise Kohn, MPH, IPPF/WHR, 120 Wall Street, New York, NY 10005.

Recognizing the special needs of adolescents with respect to HIV/STI prevention and unplanned pregnancy prevention, IPPF/WHR implemented a community-based Dual Protection project in in Honduras and Nicaragua. During a one-year project, two IPPF/WHR affiliates, including ASHONPLAFA (in Honduras) and PROFAMILIA (in Nicaragua) utilized the peer education model, with distribution of condoms, to further integrate dual protection for youth with existent sexual and reproductive health services. Project objectives include: increasing knowledge, attitudes and practices around condom (male and female) use in order to promote dual protection (against both HIV/STI and unplanned pregnancy) among peer educators and youth beneficiaries; to increase access to health services for youth; and to increase collaboration (both public and private) with other organizations working in HIV/STI and teen pregnancy prevention.

Combined, the affiliates have worked to improve the infrastructure and resources in 5 clinics, have trained over 60 peer educators, and reached close to 500 youth. The evaluation design includes a KAP survey at baseline and follow-up, as well as semi-structured focus groups with peer educators and youth beneficiaries and a formative component whereby service data is reported and discussed monthly.

Preliminary results suggest that there is great un-met need with regard to adolescent education about sexual and reproductive health, and specifically dual protection use. Results further suggest that the peer educator approach with distribution of condoms is both an effective and potentially cost-effective strategy for improving adolescent knowledge, attitudes, and practices around Dual Protection as well as for improving access to health services for youth.

Learning Objectives:

• Review quantitative and qualitative data from Honduras and Nicaragua regarding the effect(s) of a Dual Protection project on knowledge, attitudes, and practices of both youth peer educators and beneficiaries.
• Describe the lessons learned from an effort to implement and evaluate a peer-education model for promoting Dual Protection.

Keywords: Adolescent Health, International Reproductive Health

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.