Evaluation of a High School AIDS Education Program

Program goals were: (1) to increase students' level of knowledge about HIV infection and AIDS; (2) to increase safe sex (self-protective) behaviors among students who are sexually active; (3) to reduce the likelihood that teens who are not sexually active will elect to begin sexual activity during their high school years; and (4) to reduce the likelihood that teens who are not sexually active will engage in unprotected sex once they become sexually active.

The program, officially entitled "AIDS Awareness Week," consisted of a multi-media presentation utilizing videos, lectures, plays, talks by AIDS patients and printed materials. A different activity was presented each of the five days of the program. Participation in the program was required; however degree of participation was flexible. That is, students were invited to attend program events (held in the assembly hall) for each of the five days but were required to attend one event only.

The overall purpose of this study was to evaluate the extent to which the AIDS Education program at Eureka Senior High School met the four objectives set for

. . .
of measuring (in a sample of students from rural schools in Oregon) both general knowledge of AIDS and attitudes toward AIDS patients. Specifically, the AIDS Knowledge Questionnaire assesses students' knowledge and attitudes in the following areas: (1) modes by which AIDS is transmitted; (2) methods and importance of preventing the spread of AIDS; (3) identifying people with AIDS; and (4) interpersonal relationships with people who have AIDS. The study's second test instrument, The Sexual Behavior Questionnaire (See Appendix B), was a researcher-designed instrument developed to assess safe sex behaviors among sexually active students as well as anticipated safe-sex behaviors among students who are not sexually active. The instrument utilizes Likert-type scaling which, according to Lapin (1980) yields equal-interval data. Lapin also notes that the use of equal-interval scaling on a test instrument means that data obtained from the instrument can be analyzed using parametric statistics such as the analysis of variance. Based on test construction procedures recommended by Borg and Gall (1977), the first draft of the Sexual Behavior Questionnaire was presented to a panel of six experts in the field. Experts were then asked to
. . .

Some common words found in the essay are:
AIDS Education, Research Questions, AIDS Hypothesis, Senior School, Research Approach, Eureka California, Amount Participation, Linton Gallo, Indeed Yondorf, Questionnaire Appendix, sexually active, aids education, significantly depending, hiv infection, safe sex, male female, depending students, teens sexually active, teens sexually, education programs, participation program, significantly depending students, begin sexual activity, sexual activity school, hiv infection aids,
Approximate Word count = 8125
Approximate Pages = 33 (250 words per page)

More Essays on Evaluation of a High School AIDS Education Program