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Abstract
"Red wagons, red flags": a novel approach to HIV/AIDS education
P.K. Puline1, R. Nassiri2, M. Curtze3
Background: HIV infection continues to be problematic throughout the world. Fifty percent of all new HIV infection is among the ages of 15-24. A collaborative effort merged to educate the community on this devastating disease by initiating an HIV education project for youth. “Red Wagons, Red Flags” was designed to promote HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention for the target population. This project is a unique combination of a service project signified by the red wagon and preventive strategies denoted by the red flag.
Methods: A total of 78 students completed training from the college of medicine. Training included the basic virology of HIV, transmission, clinical manifestation, risk factors, drug therapy and resistance. Participating schools received a red wagon and were required to create and present an HIV service project, complete pre- and post surveys, and design a red flag which artistically identified HIV risk factors for teens.
Results: “Red Wagons, Red Flags” created 78 peer HIV instructors. Twenty target schools participated, 16 completed red wagons and red flags, reaching a total of 4154 people with 85% reaching the target population of ages 15-24.
Conclusions: “Red Wagons, Red Flags” is a unique educational tool in HIV/AIDS prevention and education, which can serve as a national and global model for HIV disease intervention. This effort was a result of cooperation between medical school (LECOM) and a public health department (ECDH) and Erie’s Promise. Student surveys proved a low level of knowledge and identification of risk transmission, and showed an increase of HIV counseling and testing among target populations. This effort significantly increased the communities’ HIV/AIDS awareness.
AIDS 2006 - XVI International AIDS Conference
Abstract no.
WEPE0461
Suggested Citation
"P.K.Puline, et al.
"Red wagons, red flags": a novel approach to HIV/AIDS education.
:
AIDS 2006 - XVI International AIDS Conference:
Abstract no.
WEPE0461"
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