HIV Testing Among Teens Attending Therapeutic Schools: Having a Personal Source of Information About HIV/AIDS Matters!

Abstract

Being informed and using positive coping strategies are associated with engaging in health-promoting behaviors. We assessed whether the type of information source about HIV (personal or impersonal) and coping strategies (optimism, avoidance, or emotion-focused) are associated with HIV testing among adolescents attending therapeutic schools. Participants were 417 adolescents, ages 13 to 19, who attended one of 20 therapeutic day schools for emotionally/behaviorally disordered youth in two U.S. cities (Providence, RI and Chicago, IL) and completed a baseline assessment for an HIV prevention study. Among adolescents in the study, 29% reported having been tested for HIV. Adolescents were more likely to have been tested if they were older, female, Hispanic, identified as non-heterosexual, came from lower SES households, and had recently had unprotected sex. Additionally, youth who endorsed greater use of optimistic thinking and emotion-focused coping, and who reported having been informed about HIV by more personal sources, were also more likely to have been tested for HIV. In a multivariate analysis, having had recent unprotected sex and having more personal sources of information about HIV/AIDS were independently associated with HIV testing. Study findings suggest that, controlling for sociodemographic background, sexual risk behavior, and coping strategy, HIV testing among adolescents with emotional and behavioral problems may be increased when adolescents learn about HIV/AIDS from personal sources such as their healthcare providers, family, and friends.

Brief report: Identified barriers and proposed solutions for recruiting young Black sexual minority men in HIV‐related research

“…Berkley-Patton et al, 2012;Harris, 2010;Williams et al, 2014), the Black church has also been seen as a source of HIV stigma (Bird & Voisin, 2013;Derose et al, 2014). However, previous research has successfully used these approaches to engage Black youth (Bogart et al, 2015;Swenson et al, 2015). Faith-based communities have relatively untapped potential for recruiting Black sexual minority youth for HIV interventions (Hill & McNeely, 2013;Molock et al, 2008;Woodyard et al, 2000).…”

Pilot-testing a Multiplayer HIV and Sexually Transmitted Infection Prevention Video Game Intervention for Black Adolescent Girls: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial

“…Because interactions within peer groups offer opportunities for individuals to exchange and evaluate information, learn social norms, develop behavioral skills, and influence each other’s attitudes and behavior [ 25 ], an HIV and STI prevention initiative that targets peer groups by leveraging adolescent girls’ preference for multiplayer gaming experiences has the potential to have benefits above and beyond an intervention designed for a single individual. Indeed, research suggests that peers often serve as a valuable source of information about HIV and as role models for prevention strategies such as condom use [ 26 ]. For instance, a community-based pilot study demonstrated a 72% increase in the number of individuals getting tested for HIV and STI when peers recruited others through their social network [ 27 ].…”