December 2003

Programming for HIV Prevention in
Mexican Schools

Conclusions

"A Team Against AIDS” had a positive impact on students’ knowledge of HIV/AIDS, including their understanding that abstinence protects against HIV transmission. Gains were also made in increasing tolerant attitudes about PLHA and confidence to obtain and use condoms. In addition, sexual activity did not increase as a result of the program, when intervention and control groups were compared and the majority of students remained abstinent. Among those sexually experienced, the curriculum did not have an impact on condom use.

Since concerns were expressed about the anonymity of the questionnaires, to strengthen this course, students likely need more assurance that any personal and culturally stigmatizing information they share will be kept confidential.

To improve this course, HIV prevention messages should be tailored to suit the different needs of male and female students. Throughout all rounds of data collection, for example, male students reported higher rates of sexual activity than females. Males also expressed higher levels of confidence than females in their ability to obtain and use condoms despite great improvements in the confidence scores of females in the intervention group.

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This page updated
19 Oct 2007