The Effect of an Educational Intervention on the Sexual Perceptions and Practices of Adolescents in Trinidad and Tobago
type: CreativeWork
description: Background. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) is one of the fastest spreading infectious diseases in the Caribbean, and is second only to Sub-Sahara Africa in the prevalence of HIV/AIDS cases. Trinidad and Tobago is the southernmost twin island republic in the Caribbean. In 1999, the 5th leading cause of death among individuals ages 15-34 in Trinidad and Tobago was HIV/AIDS. According to UNAIDS (2006), the prevalence rate of HIV in Trinidad and Tobago is 2.6%. Purpose. Currently, there is no standardized HIV/AIDS education program in secondary schools in Trinidad and Tobago. Since HIV/AIDS is a health concern in Trinidad and Tobago and adolescents as young as 15 years of age have been infected the study was conducted to determine if providing adolescents with HIV/AIDS information will make them more aware of their susceptibility of becoming infected with HIV, and the severity of HIV. Additionally, I attempted to show that providing information about and demonstrating assertiveness skills regarding saying no to sexual advances will lead to an intention to delay sexual initiation. Method. A quasi-experimental design was used with a treatment group (n=104) and a comparison group (n=92). The educational intervention was conducted once per week for the treatment and the comparison groups over 5 consecutive weeks, each session was 30-45 minutes in length. Participants completed a pre and post-test during the first and last sessions. Sessions 2-4 comprised the educational intervention. The health belief model (HBM) was used to develop the intervention and assess its impact among adolescents 11-18 years old in nine secondary schools throughout Trinidad and Tobago. Three of the five constructs of the HBM used to design the intervention were perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, and self-efficacy. The treatment group received an interactive, instructor led intervention which included three areas of HIV education: (1) basi…
abstract: Background. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) is one of the fastest spreading infectious diseases in the Caribbean, and is second only to Sub-Sahara Africa in the prevalence of HIV/AIDS cases. Trinidad and Tobago is the southernmost twin island republic in the Caribbean. In 1999, the 5th leading cause of death among individuals ages 15-34 in Trinidad and Tobago was HIV/AIDS. According to UNAIDS (2006), the prevalence rate of HIV in Trinidad and Tobago is 2.6%. Purpose. Currently, there is no standardized HIV/AIDS education program in secondary schools in Trinidad and Tobago. Since HIV/AIDS is a health concern in Trinidad and Tobago and adolescents as young as 15 years of age have been infected the study was conducted to determine if providing adolescents with HIV/AIDS information will make them more aware of their susceptibility of becoming infected with HIV, and the severity of HIV. Additionally, I attempted to show that providing information about and demonstrating assertiveness skills regarding saying no to sexual advances will lead to an intention to delay sexual initiation. Method. A quasi-experimental design was used with a treatment group (n=104) and a comparison group (n=92). The educational intervention was conducted once per week for the treatment and the comparison groups over 5 consecutive weeks, each session was 30-45 minutes in length. Participants completed a pre and post-test during the first and last sessions. Sessions 2-4 comprised the educational intervention. The health belief model (HBM) was used to develop the intervention and assess its impact among adolescents 11-18 years old in nine secondary schools throughout Trinidad and Tobago. Three of the five constructs of the HBM used to design the intervention were perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, and self-efficacy. The treatment group received an interactive, instructor led intervention which included three areas of HIV education: (1) basi…
author: Jones, Vanessa
language: English
keywords: Infectious Disease, Preventive Medicine, Public Health Education and Promotion, Sexually Transmitted Diseases -- prevention & control -- Trinidad and Tobago; HIV Infections -- prevention & control -- Trinidad and Tobago; Sexual Behavior -- in adolescence; Sex Education; Attitude to Health; Interpersonal Relations; Social Perception; Health Surveys.
date published: 2009-08-01T07:00:00Z
date modified: 2026-07-24T02:53:31Z
provider: Loma Linda University
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: Loma Linda University