Scheduled for Research Coordinating Board Poster Session I (Student Posters), Thursday, April 27, 2006, 1:15 PM - 2:45 PM, Convention Center: Exhibit Hall Poster Area II


Effectiveness of HIV Update Training on School Personnel

Christine Black and Linda Klingaman, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Indiana, PA

When HIV/AIDS was first identified over 20 years ago, educators and other school personnel found themselves at the forefront in the battle to prevent the disease from spreading. At that time the greatest concern was providing accurate information to adolescents and adults to discourage behaviors that would put one at risk of contracting the disease. Much has been learned about HIV since that time, but the threat to our society and especially to our nation's youth population is very real. Fifty percent of new HIV infection in our country each year occurs among the 13 to 24 year old range. This is a stunning change since HIV first came on the scene when it was considered to be a disease that was most likely to occur among the homosexual population. It is now the fourth leading cause of death for all women ages 25-44. Even more striking is the fact that among children ages 1 to 4, it is the seventh leading cause of death. The changes in the populations that see an increase in the number of HIV cases requires today's educator to not only be a disseminator of knowledge regarding the disease, but also be equipped to deal with difficult situations such as a child whose parents are HIV infected and/or having a student in one's class who is infected. The need for continuing education and professional development regarding HIV education for school personnel was addressed in workshop formats throughout the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Funding was provided by a grant from the Centers for Disease Control through the Pennsylvania Department of Education. Pre and post data were obtained from 248 educators who participated in several all day workshops that provided updated information regarding HIV. Pre and post data measured one's "HIV knowledge base", "instruction confidence," "comfort with sensitive topics," and "attitudes toward people with HIV and AIDS." This research presentation will provide participants with the opportunity to assess various aspects of the HIV update training among a sample of Pennsylvania educators. They will: 1) identify the level of HIV knowledge among educators and other school personnel; 2) examine attitudes regarding comfort with teaching sensitive topics related to HIV education; 3) examine attitudes regarding people with HIV or AIDS; 4) examine confidence levels of teaching HIV information and issues; 5) assess changes in knowledge and attitude following a one day update HIV training.

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