Using Communication Strategies in an HIV Prevention Curriculum to Enhance African-American Adolescents’ Adoption of HIV-Preventive Behaviors

Unprotected sexual activity increases the risk of young people acquiring sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), including HIV. Indeed, nearly one half of all newly diagnosed STDs occur among adolescents ages 15 to 24 (Cates, Herndon, Schulz, & Darroch, 2004). Th e adverse health and social consequences of STD/HIV are not uniform across adolescents. African-American women and girls have been identifi ed at particularly high risk for acquiring STD/HIV, thereby making STD/HIV interventions specifi cally tailored for this subgroup a public health priority.