Positive Prevention
Research Findings
Positive Prevention HIV/STD Curriculum
Positive Prevention is an HIV/STD curriculum aimed at students in grades 7-12. Approximately 350 predominantly minority, 9th grade students participated in a longitudinal quasi-experimental design to determine the impact of the curriculum on knowledge, self-efficacy to abstain from sex, self-efficacy of condom use, attitudes toward abstaining from sex, and sexual behaviors. (ref: LaChausse, R., Evaluation of the Positive Prevention HIV/STD Curriculum, American Journal of Health Education, July/August 2006).
Results indicate that the curriculum significantly increased positive attitudes toward abstaining from sexual intercourse, increased self-efficacy to abstain from sexual activity, and increased self-efficacy to use condoms.
Among students who had not initiated sexual intercourse prior to the pretest, the curriculum significantly reduced the likelihood that they would have initiated sexual activity 6 months later. These findings are consistent with the literature surrounding effective school-based prevention programs that suggests that curriculums emphasizing social skill building while limiting bio-medical information are effective in reducing health risk behaviors.
Positive Prevention PLUS Sexual Health Education
In September 2010, the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools was awarded a five year Cooperative Agreement by the federal Office of Adolescent Health (OAH) to study the efficacy of the combined Positive Prevention HIV/STD and Positive Prevention PLUS curricula in impacting key sexual behaviors, attitudes, behavioral intention and self-efficacy among a diverse population of 3,000 high school students in Southern California. This award is one of only 19 granted nationwide by OAH, and promises to result in more in-depth data on the impact of not only both curricula in combination with each other, but also on the impact of the stand-alone HIV/STD lessons. A Year One pilot of the teacher trainings, fidelity to the curriculum, and student outcomes is being launched during Spring 2011, with subsequent expansion to six additional high school sites in the following years.
For further information regarding this research, please contact:
Robert LaChausse
Department of Health Sciences
California State University,
San Bernardino
909-880-7229
