AIDS PREVENTION TRAINING FOR MINORITY PARENTS

BECAUSE THERE IS NO KNOWN CURE FOR AIDS, NOR ANY CURES CURRENTLY ANTICIPATED, THE MOST EFFECTIVE RESPONSE TO THIS INTERNATIONAL EPIDEMIC MUST BE THROUGH EDUCATION AND PREVENTION. UNFORTUNATELY, OVER A THIRD OF U.S. YOUTHS IN LARGE CITIES HAVE ABANDONED SCHOOL AND, IN CONDUCTING THEIR LIVES IN THE CONTEXT OF STREET CULTURE, ARE AT HIGH RISK FOR CONTRACTING AIDS. PHASE I OF THIS PROJECT AIMS TO DEVELOP AND TO REFINE A TRAINING PACKAGE FOR DELIVERY TO PARENTS OF INNER-CITY MINORITY YOUTH IN THE 9- TO 12-YEAR-OLD AGE RANGE, USING ESTABLISHED CHURCH-RELATED CHANNELS OF COMMUNICATION THAT HAVE BEEN PREVIOUSLY EMPLOYED SUCCESSFULLY IN DELIVERING EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS CONCERNING THE RELATED PROBLEMS OF DRUG USE AND TEEN-AGE PREGNANCY. A PROTOTYPE CURRICULUM, WITH TRAINING MANUAL AND SUPPORTING VIDEOTAPE MATERIAL, WILL BE THE END PRODUCT OF THE PHASE I FEASIBILITY STUDY. EVALUATION WILL FOCUS UPON MEDICAL, EDUCATIONAL, STATISTICAL, AND SOCIOLOGICAL VALIDITY ISSUES, AND UPON THE GENERALIZABILITY OF THE PRODUCT TO A WIDER TARGET POPULATION. PHASE II WILL FOCUS UPON DEVELOPING A MARKETABLE PROGRAM PACKAGE FOR WIDE DISSEMINATION TO GOVERNMENT AGENCIES, EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS, AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS.