COMPARISON OF AIDS KNOWLEDGE AND HIV-RELATED SEXUAL RISK BEHAVIORS AMONG ADOLESCENTS IN LOW AND HIGH AIDS PREVALENCE COMMUNITIES

Data were collected from students attending high school in a rural, lo w acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) prevalence community in No rthern California, and compared with students in an inner-city AIDS ep icenter (San Francisco). The findings demonstrate that rural adolescen ts have higher levels of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) knowledge, especially about risk-reduction strategies. However, rural adolescent s also report higher rates of HIV-related sexual risk behaviors. Rural adolescents may not perceive the personal salience of practicing HIV risk-reduction behaviors thus increasing their risk for exposure to se xually-transmitted diseases, including HIV infection. School-based HIV prevention programs developed for rural communities will need to enha nce the personal salience of HIV for adolescents' and discourage their discounting of personal risk attributable to a lower prevalence of AI DS in the community. Physicians must become more actively involved in HIV prevention efforts by routinely assessing adolescent patient's sex ual behavior and utilizing their clinical interaction to provide HIV e ducation and promote the adoption of HIV risk-reduction behaviors.