Effects of a skill-based intervention to encourage condom use among high risk heterosexually active adolescents.

OBJECTIVES

In this article we describe the development and testing of three behavioral interventions to reduce the risk of contracting HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases among heterosexually active adolescents.

METHODS

The interventions include a comic book, a videotape, and a group skill training curriculum that emphasize skill development--for communicating and negotiating condom use with partners, in addition to providing basic information. Participants included 228 youths sampled in juvenile detention and 168 youths sampled from public health STD and other similar clinics. The samples included both young men and women, and were comprised of African American and European American adolescents, ages 14-19.

RESULTS

Examination of the relative efficacy of the interventions at three and six months following intervention show very few differences among conditions, despite the fact that the interventions contained most of the elements that previously have been defined as essential for effective interventions.

CONCLUSIONS

In the discussion, we consider possible reasons for this outcome and make recommendations for future research.