BART to HIVEd: adapting an HIV education prevention program.

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Adolescent Health
• Infectious Disease Prevention

Background:

• Youth represent a rapidly growing demographic affected by HIV.
• Targeted HIV/AIDS prevention strategies are crucial for high-risk adolescent populations.
• Existing evidence-based programs require adaptation for specific settings and populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To adapt an evidence-based HIV/AIDS educational program (HIVEd) for high-risk youths.
• To address the unique needs of adolescents in adjudicated, detained facilities, and alternative high schools.
• To enhance HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted infection (STI) prevention efforts in vulnerable youth.

Main Methods:

• Modification of the St. Lawrence's Becoming A Responsible Teen (BART) curriculum into the HIVEd program.
• Focus on adapting content and delivery for adolescents in juvenile justice and alternative education settings.
• Documenting the adaptation process, including challenges and lessons learned.

Main Results:

• Successfully modified the BART curriculum into the HIVEd program tailored for high-risk youth.
• Identified key challenges in adapting educational content for detained and alternative school populations.
• Gained valuable lessons for implementing and refining HIV/STI prevention programs in these settings.

Conclusions:

• The adapted HIVEd program offers a viable tool for HIV/AIDS and STI prevention among high-risk youths.
• Program adaptation is essential for effective health interventions in specialized adolescent populations.
• Future directions include further refinement and broader implementation of HIVEd to reduce infection rates.