İSTANBUL İLİ SİLİVRİ İLÇESİ ADOLESAN DÖNEM GENÇLİĞİNDE AIDS VE STİGMAKONUSUNDAÇEfi‹TL‹ E⁄‹T‹M YÖNTEMLER‹N‹N ETK‹L‹L‹⁄‹

Objective: As the current scientific knowledge lacks a certain vaccine or treatment for AIDS, education and a struggle against prejudices are required in any attempt to control AIDS. In this study conducted with the students at Silivri High School in Istanbul, we aimed to define students’ present information and behaviour concerning AIDS, to educate them on AIDS using different educational methods (interactive, conventional), to compare the changes in information, attitude, and behaviour within (before and after education) and among groups [interactive, conventional, non-intervened (not educated)], to evaluate the effectiveness of different educational methods on students’ AIDS-related stigma, and to reflect the results of the study on other healthcare education to be conducted in the region. Materials and methods: This intervention-based descriptive study was conducted in high school students attending Silivri High School located in the central Silivri in 2004. A multiple-item questionnaire assessing students’ (n=120) AIDS-related information and prejudices were applied using the “answering-under-supervision” technique (pre-test). Students were educated by different methods: interactive education group (n=37), conventional education group (n=42) and control group without education (n=41). In order to assess the effectiveness of educational methods (conventional and interactive) on students’AIDS-related information and behaviour, a final test (identical to the pre-test) was applied to all students one month after the completion of the education. Results: The average of the knowledge of AIDS transmission scores was 11.98±2.31 before the education and 13.81±2.19 after the education. Total stigma score of the group was found 3.6±2.6 before the education, and 2.0±2.3 after the education. Average “changing percent” of stigma was calculated as 67.99±23.88 for the interactive education group, 39.12±29.98 for the conventional education group and 13.06±17.35 for the control group (p=0.001). Average changing percent of stigma in the interactive education and conventional education groups was found significantly different, using post hoc LSD test (p=0.013). Conclusion:AIDS education should be applied interactively for both improving the knowledge on AIDS and for preventing prejudices against it. Conventional educational methods can increase the level of AIDS-related knowledge but its effectiveness on stigmas is limited