HIV/AIDS: a challenge in the classroom

Public school personnel represent a significant population at risk for potential transmission of blood-borne diseases including HIV/AIDS. Teachers, staff, and PTA clinic volunteers can be exposed to HIV/AIDS through such common classroom occurrences as nosebleeds, cuts and scratches, loss of teeth, and results of fights. According to the research literature, public school teachers and other school personnel are least often mentioned as being the target group for health education with regard to HIV/AIDS. To assess the extent to which on-site HIV/AIDS education for school personnel increases the use of disposable gloves in the school setting, educational programs were provided to groups of teachers, staff, and PTA clinic volunteers. Each presentation included a short pretest, a brief formal presentation, and a question and answer session. A post-test was administered three months following the presentation. Findings revealed that while factual knowledge about HIV/AIDS was evident in school personnel, there was little working knowledge of Universal Precautions, and self-reported glove use was minimal. All schools reported an increase in glove use following the presentation.