Impact of School-Based HIV Prevention Program in Post-Conflict Liberia

Atwood, Katharine A.; Kennedy, Stephen B.; Shamblen, Steve; Tegli, Jemee; Garber, Salome; Fahnbulleh, Pearl W.; Korvah, Prince M.; Kolubah, Moses; Mulbah-Kamara, Comfort; Fulton, S.

doi:10.1521/aeap.2012.24.1.68

Cited by 21 publications

(32 citation statements)

References 21 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Described elsewhere (Atwood et al, 2012), we delivered a school-based HIV prevention intervention to sixth-grade students ( n = 820) in Liberia, adapted from Jemmott’s Making Proud Choices (Jemmott, Jemmott, & Fong, 1998). The age range of sixth graders in the sample was 14–18, consistent with national demographic surveys (Liberia Institute of Statistics and Geo-Information Services [LISGIS], 2008).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The age range of sixth graders in the sample was 14–18, consistent with national demographic surveys (Liberia Institute of Statistics and Geo-Information Services [LISGIS], 2008). The intervention significantly impacted protective peer norms and positive condom attitudes and increased frequency of condom use at the nine month follow-up (Atwood et al, 2012). …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…School size, student age, teacher/student ratio, and gender distribution were used for constructing matched pairs of schools. Each pair was selected from within one of Monrovia’s four school zones (Atwood et al, 2012). No significant differences were found for age, gender, or religious affiliation among respondents in the intervention compared with the comparison schools (Atwood et al, 2012).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Reducing sexual risk taking behaviors among adolescents who engage in transactional sex in post-conflict Liberia

Atwood

Kennedy

Shamblen

et al. 2012

Vulnerable Children and Youth Studies

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Transactional sex (TS) has been correlated with HIV/STD infection, pregnancy, early marriage, and sexual violence in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Few Western-based HIV prevention programs adapted for SSA have examined intervention impacts for this group. This article examines whether an HIV prevention intervention, delivered to sixth-grade students in Liberia (age range 14–17) and found to increase condom use and other mediators for the larger sample, significantly impacted sexual behaviors and mediators for those who engaged in TS. Using an attention-matched, group-randomized controlled design, four matched pairs of elementary schools in Monrovia, Liberia, were randomly assigned to an adapted eight-module HIV prevention or a general health curriculum. Nine-month impacts of the intervention on sexual risk behaviors and mediators for those who engaged in TS, when compared with other study participants, are presented. Twelve percent of our sample of sixth graders (n = 714) ever engaged in TS. The majority of females reported being promised something in exchange for sex (52%), whereas the majority of males (52%) reported being both the giver and recipient of gifts in exchange for sex. Compared with other students, those who engaged in TS reported greater increases in the number of sex partners, reported greater frequency of sexual intercourse, were more likely to try to get pregnant or someone else pregnant, and reported greater reductions in protective sexual attitudes and HIV risk perception at the nine month follow-up, in both the intervention and the control groups. Our intervention, although successful for the general in-school adolescent sample, did not impact risk behaviors or mediators for adolescents who engaged in TS. Future research should explore the complex sexual economy in which TS is embedded and consider adapting HIV prevention interventions to the needs of this high-risk group.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Reducing sexual risk taking behaviors among adolescents who engage in transactional sex in post-conflict Liberia

Atwood

Kennedy

Shamblen

et al. 2012

Vulnerable Children and Youth Studies

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Others mobilize influential young people to promote positive norms (Basen-Engquist et al, 2001; Sikkema et al, 2005). But rigorous evaluations of HIV prevention programs for adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa, including those featuring peer education strategies, have often produced disappointing results (Atwood, Kennedy, Shamblen, et al, 2012; Mason-Jones, Mathews, & Flisher, 2011; Ross et al, 2007). …”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Peer Influences on Sexual Activity among Adolescents in Ghana

Bingenheimer

Asante

Ahiadeke

2015

Studies in Family Planning

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Little is known about the influences of peers on the sexual activity of adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa. Better understanding of these issues could lead to more effective interventions promoting sexual and reproductive health. Using two waves survey data from adolescents (n=1275) in two towns in southeastern Ghana, we examined age, gender, and community differences in peer group characteristics. We also examine prospective associations between peer group characteristics and self-reported sexual initiation, multiple partnerships, and lack of consistent condom use with most recent partner over a 20-month follow-up period. Gender differences in peer context variables were small. Affiliation with antisocial peers and perceived peer norms favoring sex increased the odds of transition to first sex. Having more friends increased the odds of accruing multiple new sexual partners among younger respondents. Among males, perceived peer norms favoring sex increased the odds of accruing multiple partners. No peer context variables were significantly associated with condom use with most recent partner. We discuss the implications of these findings for adolescent sexual and reproductive health intervention strategies in sub-Saharan Africa.

show abstract

“…In Liberia, West Africa, adolescent sexual risk behaviors are reported to be high (Atwood et al, 2011(Atwood et al, , 2012aAtwood, Kennedy, Shamblen, Teglee, & Shannon, 2012b;Kennedy et al, 2012;LISGIS, 2008). Among sexually active 15-19 year olds, 16% report two or more partners in the last year.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Correlates of condom use with “main” and “concurrent” sex partners among urban youth in post-conflict Liberia

Harris

Atwood

Kennedy

et al. 2013

Vulnerable Children and Youth Studies

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This paper presents baseline findings on correlates of condom use with "main" and "concurrent" sex partners among Liberian youth (ages 15-17) in Liberia. With Liberia having recently emerged from fourteen years of civil war, this paper is one of only a few published reports of the sexual risk behaviors of urban youth residing in Monrovia, Liberia's capital. The analysis was limited to highly, sexually active Liberian adolescents who reported having sex with both "main" and "concurrent" sex partners in the last three months (n = 214). Data were used from a baseline survey of a community randomized controlled trial of an HIV prevention intervention. Multinomial logistic regression analysis was conducted to assess correlates of condom use among respondents who used condoms with both main and concurrent partners, when compared to respondents who used condoms with main partners only, and when compared to respondents who used condoms with concurrent partners only. Findings suggest that among Liberian adolescents who have both main and concurrent sex partners, males were more likely to use a condom with both partner types when compared to females, relative to those who did not use condoms with both partner types. Greater parent/child communication about sex and use of a condom at first sexual debut were associated with condom use in main only and concurrent only sex partnerships, relative to those who did not use a condom with either partner types.

show abstract

Impact of School-Based HIV Prevention Program in Post-Conflict Liberia

Cited by 21 publications

References 21 publications

Reducing sexual risk taking behaviors among adolescents who engage in transactional sex in post-conflict Liberia

Reducing sexual risk taking behaviors among adolescents who engage in transactional sex in post-conflict Liberia

Peer Influences on Sexual Activity among Adolescents in Ghana

Correlates of condom use with “main” and “concurrent” sex partners among urban youth in post-conflict Liberia

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About