To assess the need, interest in, and benefits of contraception services, 516 women at high risk for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) were surveyed. Forty-six percent were not using contraception, but 62 percent expressed interest in contraception. Provision of the services may address the dual need for preventing unwanted pregnancies and STDs.…

Surveyed 37 Australian fictional works for young adults to determine how the main characters cope with health issues, and compared the findings with young people's real-life coping strategies. Results indicate that Australian authors present teenage readers with valuable insights into ways of dealing with abuse, illness, and sexuality. (AEF)

Reviews the literature on psychosocial correlates of contraceptive practices among sexually active late adolescents. Helps identify subgroups of adolescents who either do not use or misuse contraceptive means, putting them at risk for unwanted pregnancy, AIDS, and other sexually transmitted diseases. Promotes further research on those variables…

One-quarter of the 3 million new cases of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) each year occur in teenagers. Teens are at high risk because of biological, age, and behavioral factors. Education is the best weapon against STDs. As their children's first sex educators, parents must make every effort to promote STD education at home and school. (SM)

Evaluated Adventist lifestyle as a modification of popular American culture which reduces the risk of early sexual activity in adolescents and thus also reduces the risk for both STDs and teen pregnancy. Data analysis demonstrated a wide variety of behaviors were associated with premature sexual activity, including previously reported high-risk…

Do students accurately perceive the sexual behavior of their peers? The results of this study indicate a dramatic difference between students' self-reported sexual behavior and their perceptions of peer sexual behavior. Specifically, students tend to overestimate the potentially risky sexual activity of their peers. The data also challenge popular…

The aims of this exploratory qualitative study were to increase our understanding of heterosexual young adults knowledge and beliefs about sexually transmitted infections (STIs) other than HIV, to explore their beliefs about the factors that influence condom use for STI prevention, and to explore their ideas about how best to promote condom use…

This research explored how Muslim immigrant girls' communication and education about sexuality was mediated through their mothers and school-based sexuality education (SBSE) classes. Thirty mothers and their 38 daughters living in Illinois participated in focus group discussions and individual semi-structured interviews that gauged girls' and…

Latinos in the United States have been disproportionately affected by the intersecting epidemics of HIV and sexually transmitted diseases. Using a community-based participatory research approach to problem identification, the objective of this study is to explore sociocultural determinants of HIV/AIDS risk and service use among immigrant Latino…

This study evaluated the effectiveness of Positive Prevention, a theory-based, HIV/STD prevention education curriculum for high school youth. Three hundred fifty-three students participated in a longitudinal experimental design to determine the impact of the curriculum on HIV/AIDS knowledge, self-efficacy to abstain from sex, self-efficacy of…

This article presents the findings of a survey conducted in August 2004 of students' attitudes, perceptions and knowledge about sexually transmitted infections, HIV/AIDS and sexual practices at an Institution of Higher Education. The study was set against the backdrop of the 2004 South African national survey, conducted by the Reproductive Health…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the current situations of condom using behavior and its related factors among college students in Taiwan. There were two phases in the study. In phase I, 50 students from one college in the eastern, southern, middle and northern parts of Taiwan were selected to form a focus group, and were interviewed…

The student guide on the problem of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) contains specific information on what AIDS is, the size of the problem, how it is transmitted, and how it can be prevented. The accompanying instructor's guide presents the goals of AIDS education and a five-session lesson plan. Learning opportunities are offered to…

Examined the relationship between young Hispanic and African American womens' hormonal contraceptive use and condom use. Surveys of women at an inner-city health clinic investigated demographics, contraceptive practices, sexual behavior, condom use, and communication skills. Hormonal contraceptive use related to decreased condom use. Discussion…

Reviews relevant research to identify strengths and weaknesses of parent-adolescent communication patterns relating to adolescent sexual behaviors. Studies show the positive effects of parent-adolescent communication patterns and adolescent sexuality, though man parents fail to address the most critical sexual risks faced by adolescents (sexually…