Preparing peer educators for teen HIV/AIDS prevention

Adolescents, as a group, are at risk for contracting HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases because of their developmental level, which often leads to impulsiveness and desire for experimentation. Finding ways to educate and motivate adolescents to avoid sexual risk behaviors is a challenge to pediatric nurses and teachers. Theoretically based peer education programs help change adolescent risk behaviors because of the influence of peers during adolescence. This article presents information on a project aiming to prepare peer leaders in an urban high school to become peer educators using the program Teens for AIDS Prevention. Nurses can play a major role in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of peer education programs to prevent adolescent risk behaviors.