Black college women's responses to sexual health peer education at Clark Atlanta University

This research evaluated the impact Clark Atlanta University's (CAU) Sexual Health Peer Education (SHPE) program has on black college women's sexual health knowledge, attitudes and beliefs towards sexuality, sexual behaviors, and sexual health. In addition, this research explores the strate...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Francis, Clarissa E.
Format: Others
Published: DigitalCommons@Robert W. Woodruff Library, Atlanta University Center 2014
Subjects:
Online Access:http://digitalcommons.auctr.edu/dissertations/1311
http://digitalcommons.auctr.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2862&context=dissertations
Description
Summary:This research evaluated the impact Clark Atlanta University's (CAU) Sexual Health Peer Education (SHPE) program has on black college women's sexual health knowledge, attitudes and beliefs towards sexuality, sexual behaviors, and sexual health. In addition, this research explores the strategies used by Clark Atlanta University's SHPE program, Health Promoters Educating and Encouraging Responsible Students (HPEERS). This research was based on the premise that multiple factors contribute to the efficacy of the transmission of sexual health education such as social determinants, cultural competency, use of statistics, and location. In the United States, African- American women account for 60% of the cases of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HTV) of women. Many researchers have focused on the high rates of HIV among African-American women. However, this research focused exclusively on black college women at CAU. This research consisted of a mixed method, including a critical program evaluation and participant observation that involved SHPE and black college women students attending CAU. The researcher found that the majority of the black college women who attended an event sponsored by H-PEERS reported it to have effectively impacted their overall sexual health. The researcher concludes that the strategies used by H-PEERS are effective, but the organization must develop strategies that are inclusive to all sexual identities represented at CAU. The researcher recommends further research focusing on other populations represented at the university including black male and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) students.