The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will be considering a new vaccination recommendation for the prevention of invasive "N. meningitidis" infection when meningococcal conjugate vaccines are licensed in the United States. The CDC has also updated the Working Group…

The "Recommendations for Institutional Prematriculation Immunizations" described in this article are provided to colleges and universities to facilitate the implementation of a comprehensive institutional prematriculation immunization policy. In response to changing epidemiology and the introduction of new vaccines, the American College Health…

Objective and Participants: The authors compared nontraditional college students' knowledge and perceptions of HIV/AIDS and sexual practices with previously reported results about traditional students. Methods: Nontraditional students completed an online survey with questions based on national HIV/AIDS surveys. Traditional students completed the…

College students are at high risk for human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, yet their knowledge and self-protective behaviors appear inadequate. Researchers who have measured HPV-related knowledge and behaviors in evaluating college intervention efforts pay secondary attention to black college students because this group generally represents only…

Described are health objectives for the nation as set forth in "Healthy People: The Surgeon General's Report on Health Promotion and Disease Prevention." The work and plans of the Task Force on Achieving the Health Objectives for the Nation in Higher Education of the American College Health Association are also discussed. (Author/MT)

The Cytology Service at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) Center for Health Sciences has examined about 4000 pap smears (each year) from the UCLA Student Health Service between 1973-1978. An apparently significant increase in abnormal pap smears in young college-age women is reported. (Authors/CJ)

The authors and associates conducted a social norms-based intervention targeting high-risk sexual behaviors among undergraduate students at 4 college campuses. Social norms theory predicts that widely held misperceptions may encourage risky behavior in a misguided attempt to conform to perceived norms and that information correcting these…

Recent reports indicate that Latinos, the largest racial/ethnic minority group in the United States, are disproportionately affected by HIV and AIDS. College health professionals, therefore, should understand current sexual behaviors and risk factors among Latino youth. The authors assessed students' condom use at their most recent sexual…

Development and implementation of the University of Iowa's program to immunize students against measles and rubella are described. (DF)

Recent world events have increased concern and preparations for possible bioterror events. Despite worldwide efforts to limit access to bio-weapons, smallpox is still considered a potential bioterror threat. Americans' understanding of smallpox could prevent panic and enhance the willingness of citizens to receive vaccinations. Objective: The…

Vaccine-preventable diseases continue to have an adverse impact on health on college campuses. Ways to eliminate measles and rubella from campus, the importance of accurate immunization records, the need to educate high-risk students about hepatitis B, and the immunization requirements of students traveling abroad are discussed. (Author/MT)

Surveyed 123 sexually experienced African-American college women at a state university to identify factors influencing their condom use and the risk of acquiring sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). The women who were older, had initiated sex earlier, or had more recent sexual partners were more likely than others to report a history of an STD.…

Identifying factors predictive of youth's engaging in preventive behaviors related to sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and HIV remains a prominent public health concern. The utility of the Health Belief Model (HBM) continues to be suggested in identifying preventive behaviors. This study sought to examine the full HBM, including self-efficacy,…

Invasive disease secondary to Neisseria meningitidis is a rare but devastating illness among university students. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommends educating college freshmen about meningococcal disease and vaccinating all college freshmen who live in residence halls. We conducted this survey to gain a better…

Genital herpes virus infection can cause both psychological and medical consequences. A study surveyed knowledge and attitudes of college students to assess degree of familiarity with this disease. Findings suggest misconceptions that could be dealt with in health education programs. (Author/DF)