Study Evaluates HIV Prevention Programs in Mexican Public Schools
- "HIV Prevention in Mexican Schools: Prospective Randomised Evaluation of Intervention," BMJ: Dilys Walker of the Instituto Nacional de Salud Publica's Division of Reproductive Health in Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico, and colleagues examined how HIV prevention programs affected 10,954 first-year high school students in 40 Mexican public schools in terms of condom use and other sexual behavior. The study finds that the prevention programs increased HIV awareness but did not affect reported condom usage. The researchers concluded, "A rigorously designed, implemented and evaluated HIV education course based in public high schools did not reduce risk behavior, so such courses need to be redesigned and evaluated" (Walker et al., BJM, 5/20).
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