| Summary: | This thesis seeks to answer the questions “What
combination of knowledge, skills and action is necessary to
facilitate protection against the human immunodeficiency virus
(HIV) and other sexually transmitted diseases (STD) in
adolescents?” and “How does current education for the
prevention of HIV/STD in British Columbia schools compare with
these requirements?” A literature review of contemporary
school-based substance abuse, pregnancy and HIV/AIDS/STD
prevention programs was undertaken, with specific attention
paid to theories underlying the programs. Interviews based on
the literature and theory review were then conducted in three
school districts in British Columbia to obtain a picture of
local school-based HIV/STID prevention education.
Students need to understand their level of risk and
methods of preventing disease and to feel motivated and
capable of implementing these methods with support from their
peers and families.
Educators in British Columbia are engaged in a struggle
to provide the needed information, skills and support within
an extremely limited time framework. They lack ministerial
direction, stated goals and objectives and standardized
measurement and evaluation tools with regard to HIV/STD
prevention, and are facing dwindling opportunities for in-service/
training.
The final chapter offers a set of recommendations. These include a clear statement of acceptance of responsibility for
HIV/STD education by the Ministry of Education; joint program
planning and implementation by the Ministries of Education,
Health and Social Services; the creation of local school-community
health advisory boards (integrating health agencies,
school personnel, parents, students and community leaders into
school health program planning, implementation and
evaluation); increased support for the implementation of
“Learning for Living”, British Columbia’s comprehensive school
health program; expansion of mandatory health education
courses for Grades 5-12; provision of adequate training and
in-service for educators; increased attention to the needs of
out-of-the mainstream youth; implementation of curricula,
standards/goals/objectives and measurement/evaluation tools
for HIV/STD education; provision of condoms to students free
of charge; and continued and increased attention to social
problems such as poverty, substance abuse and the perceived
lack of life opportunities that predispose youth to problem
behaviour.
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