This study investigated the role that emotional factors play in learning about sexual health and in adopting sexually healthy behaviors. Learning about health and adopting healthy behaviors hinges on two variables: the desire to avoid illness and a belief that one can avoid threats to health through personal action. This paper reports on…

A study investigated the extent to which members of a state agency reported that they are comfortable talking about Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) and the attendant topics of sex, homosexuality, intravenous drug use, death, and disease and the extent to which they use direct talk and indirect talk when they communicate about these…

This technical report is part of a series on AIDS/HIV (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome/Human Immunodeficiency Virus) and is intended to help link various legal advocacy organizations providing services to persons with mental illness or developmental disabilities. Such persons, especially adolescents, are at risk for exposure to HIV because…

The 2-part student workbook for mainstreamed learning and mentally disabled high school students contains 12 units intended to provide supplementary instruction in the Contemporary Parenting Choices Curriculum in the home economics class. This unit, the third in the Relationships part of the workbook, focuses on understanding sexuality with…

This teaching guide accompanies the text CURRENT HEALTH PROBLEMS and is intended for use in conjunction with that text. It provides guidelines on discussion situations, teaching and learning activities, test questions, and teaching resources. Special emphasis is placed on film resources. The purpose of the guide is to suggest affective learning…

An 18-year longitudinal study of 520 New Zealand women found that those reporting childhood sexual abuse, particularly severe abuse involving intercourse, had significantly higher rates of early onset consensual sexual activity, teenage pregnancy, multiple sexual partners, unprotected intercourse, sexually transmitted disease, and sexual assault…

Surveys examining the long-term implementation of the "Understanding Sexuality" curriculum by trained teachers in 30 school corporations indicated that most school corporations with trained teachers still used the curriculum, though its use was limited by insufficient time and assignment of trained teachers to other areas. (SM)

Surveyed 5,939 men entering gay bars in 16 American cities to determine predictors of risky sexual practices. Excluding individuals in long-term exclusive relationships, 27 percent of respondents reported engaging in high-risk sex in the past 2 months. Findings indicate an urgent need for HIV prevention efforts for gay men in smaller cities. (RJM)

A discussion of sexuality and college students looks at these issues: sexual communication and self-image; sexual orientation; the "virginity burden" syndrome; communicable diseases and pregnancy; sexual abuse and rape; alcohol and sex; and condom use. Student comments are included. (MSE)

Epidemiological data on patterns of infection among adolescents, including data on ethnic, racial, and gender differences, are reviewed. Comparisons to patterns of adult infection are made. Patterns of risky behavior that leave youth at risk for HIV infection are discussed. Implications for prevention and treatment are considered. (BC)

Explores hindrances to sustaining African-American mobilization against Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). Major obstacles include the following: (1) objective conditions; (2) attitudes toward sexuality; (3) perceptions about substance abuse and AIDS; and (4) conflicting policy views. Public health education has not been sufficient in the…

Discusses the need for sex education and the inclusion of accurate information in materials produced for young people. Materials that address sexual reproduction, puberty, teenage pregnancy, AIDS, and other sexually transmitted diseases are reviewed, and recommended titles for print and nonprint materials are listed together with resources for…

Used data from the National Child Development Study of Great Britain to examine the sex education lessons reported at age 16 and subjects' report of teenage motherhood at age 23. Results showed that sex education may be associated with teenage motherhood positively or negatively, depending on the topic and the individual's marital status when she…

A nationwide survey of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) project directors for state and local education agencies examined the status of middle school HIV/STD (sexually transmitted disease) programs. Results indicated that instruction about HIV prevention tended to decline after seventh grade. The decrease related to lack of opportunities for an…

Investigated characteristics of students voluntarily seeking human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) antibody testing at a university health center. Data from student surveys indicated that: 59% were women; reported rates of unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases were low; nearly one-third had had previous HIV testing; 40% reported…