HIV Prevention and Latino Youth

An HIV prevention program emphasizing both abstinence and condom use may help decrease risky sexual behavior among Latino adolescents, according to a report in the August issue of the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

HIV and AIDS disproportionately affect Latino youth; the incidence of AIDS was more than three times higher among Latinos than non-Hispanic white teens and adults in 2001, according to background information in the article. Most Latino adolescents with HIV contract the disease through heterosexual contact. Latino youth are more likely than non-Hispanic white youth to have sexual intercourse before age 13 years and to have more than four sexual partners, and may also be less likely to use condoms than white or African American teens. However, few studies have been conducted to determine effective ways to prevent HIV among Latino youth.

Antonia M. Villarruel, Ph.D., R.N., School of Nursing, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and colleagues evaluated the effect of a program designed specifically for Latino youth in 553 adolescents (249 males and 304 females, average age 14.9 years). Between 2000 and 2003, the teens were recruited from high schools and community-based organizations in northeast Philadelphia and then randomly assigned to complete one of two eight-hour programs, one focusing exclusively on HIV prevention and the other a general health-promotion course. Both programs were offered in English and Spanish and included small-group discussions, videos, and interactive and skill-building activities.