Developing, implementing, and evaluating a condom promotion program targeting sexually active adolescents.

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Adolescent Health
• HIV Prevention

Background:

• Adolescent sexual activity poses risks for HIV transmission.
• Targeted interventions are crucial for promoting safe sexual practices among youth.
• Previous HIV prevention programs highlighted the need for community-wide engagement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the development, implementation, and evaluation of the Condom Campaign, an HIV prevention program.
• To assess the reach and impact of a mass media campaign promoting condom use among adolescents.
• To evaluate community mobilization and condom distribution strategies.

Main Methods:

• Development and implementation of the Condom Campaign in three urban communities in King County, Washington.
• Utilized community mobilization, mass media, and public/private condom distribution.
• Conducted cross-sectional interviews to evaluate program exposure and impact on sexual behavior.

Main Results:

• 73% of target adolescents reported exposure to the Condom Campaign.
• Program exposure was consistent across demographic groups (age, gender, race) and sexual experience levels.
• Adolescent sexual activity levels remained stable during the campaign period.

Conclusions:

• The Condom Campaign demonstrated significant reach among sexually active adolescents.
• Community-wide strategies can effectively promote HIV prevention messages.
• Further research is needed to assess long-term behavioral changes and impact on HIV rates.