December 2003

Programming for HIV Prevention Among College Students in Thailand

Thai students learn about HIV transmission during a water-exchange exercise. Photo credit: Usasinee Rewthong

As national education programs incorporate HIV prevention into school curricula, policymakers and educators need to know what they can expect from these initiatives. Can such courses influence the behavior of students as well as their knowledge and attitudes? If not, what can these courses reasonably be expected to accomplish, and what part can they play in overall HIV programming for youth?

To help answer these questions, the Thai Ministry of Education, the Program for Appropriate Technology in Health (PATH), and the Horizons Program embarked on a study to examine the outcomes of a school-based HIV/AIDS program for Thai college students.

The “Teens on Smart Sex” Program was developed by PATH in cooperation with the Thai Ministry of Education. The curriculum consists of eight two-hour sessions conducted once a week among college-age students (see box). The program is based on the Theory of Reasoned Action behavior change model, which posits that young people must first learn and practice behaviors in order to successfully use them at the appropriate time.

• Study Methods and Study Subjects
• Key Findings
• Program Implications
• PDF format of summary (83 KB)

Principal study investigators are Simon Baker, Patchara Rumakom, and Srisuman Sartsara (Horizons/Population Council), Usasinee Rewthong (PATH), and Ann McCauley (Horizons/International Center for Research on Women). Jessica Greene (Horizons/Population Council) compiled this summary.

For further information, please contact Simon Baker (simon@popcouncil.th.com) or Ann McCauley (amccauley@popcouncil.org).

Suggested citation: Baker, S. et al. 2003. “Programming for HIV Prevention Among College Students in Thailand,” Horizons Research Summary. Washington, D.C.: Population Council.

About Horizons

Horizons conducts global operations research to improve prevention, care, and support program. Horizons is implemented by the Population Council under a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Agency for International Development. Horizons is implemented by the Population Council in partnership with the International Center for Research on Women (ICRW), the Program for Appropriate Technology in Health (PATH), the International HIV/AIDS Alliance, Tulane University, Family Health International (FHI), and Johns Hopkins University.

Copyright © 2003 The Population Council

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19 Nov 2007