Three aspects of HIV prevention education in Russia: Conditions, intention, and knowledge

The Russian Federation has one of the fastest growing HIV epidemics in the world. Prevention efforts are still in the early stages, and to this date do not include a comprehensive, national HIV prevention education approach for direct application by the educational system. This dissertation is comprised of three distinct articles. Each examines a separate issue directly related to HIV prevention education in Russia.; The first article presents background information related to historical and cultural factors that may be attributed to the specific nature of HIV in the Russian Federation where high rates of HIV transmission are concentrated among intravenous drug users. Further background is supplied concerning issues related to HIV prevention education efforts internationally and nationally. The effectiveness of school-based HIV prevention instruction is recognized in many countries and by many international organizations. Despite the need and desire by many Russian parents and youth for HIV prevention education, resistance to this form of education still exists.; The second and third articles are based on the results of a study carried out among Russian science teachers. The objective was to better understand what impacts their intention to teach HIV prevention education as well as their knowledge level regarding HIV/AIDS. Seventy-two female teachers participated in the study in the fall of 2004.; The findings of the study, presented in the final two articles, suggest that comfort with teaching HIV prevention education and being a biology teacher (as opposed to other science teachers), predicts intention to teach HIV prevention education, and that knowledge, attitude, and experience do not. Also found was a low level of knowledge among subjects related to HIV/AIDS. These findings suggest that in order to increase teachers' intention to teach HIV prevention education, it is necessary to create a teacher-training curriculum that emphasizes teachers' comfort with subjects related to sexuality and HIV prevention. Low knowledge scores suggested that a teacher-training curriculum emphasizing knowledge, and particularly knowledge of HIV transmission, is needed in order to prepare teachers with accurate information regarding HIV/AIDS so that they may provide students with accurate information.