HIV Testing Among Teens Attending Therapeutic Schools: Having a Personal Source of Information About HIV/AIDS Matters!

摘要: Being informed and using positive coping strategies are associated with engaging in health-promoting behaviors. We assessed whether the type of information source about HIV (personal or impersonal) (optimism, avoidance, emotion-focused) testing among adolescents attending therapeutic schools. Participants were 417 adolescents, ages 13-19, who attended one 20 day schools for emotionally/behaviorally disordered youth two US cities (Providence, RI Chicago, IL) completed a baseline assessment an prevention study. Among study, 29% reported having been tested HIV. Adolescents more likely to have if they older, female, Hispanic, identified as non-heterosexual, came from lower SES households, had recently unprotected sex. Additionally, endorsed greater use optimistic thinking emotion-focused coping, by personal sources, also In multivariate analysis, recent sex sources HIV/AIDS independently testing. Study findings suggest that, controlling sociodemographic background, sexual risk behavior, strategy, emotional behavioral problems may be increased when learn such their healthcare providers, family, friends.