Short-term impact of safer choices: A multicomponent, school-based HIV, other STD, and pregnancy prevention program

This study evaluated the effectiveness of their first year of Safer Choices , a theoretically based multicomponent HN, STD, and pregnancy prevention pr ogram for high school youth. The study featured a randomized trial involvin g 20 schools in California and Texas, with a cohort of 3,869 ninth-grade st udents. Students who completed both the baseline and the first follow-up su rvey approximately seven months later were included in the analysis (n = 3, 677). Safer Choices enhanced 9 of 13 psychosocial variables including knowl edge, self efficacy for condom use, normative beliefs and attitudes regardi ng condom use, perceived barriers to condom use, risk perceptions, and pare nt-child communication. Safer Choices also reduced selected risk behaviors. Specifically Safer Choices reduced the frequency of intercourse without a condom in the three months prior to the survey, increased use of condoms at last intercourse, and increased use of selected contraceptives at last int ercourse.