In 2015, young people aged 13- 24 years accounted for > 1 in 5 new HIV diagnoses in the US. Young people aged 15-24 years also account for half of all new sexually transmitted disease infections. Many of those high-risk youth are caught in the juvenile justice system, where they experience more mental illness, substance abuse, and STDs than their peers in the general population.
It is a challenge to identify and implement effective prevention strategies for these young people, but a study at the University of Illinois shows potential. PHAT Life: Preventing HIV/AIDS Among Teens uses role-playing, videos, games, and skill-building exercises to promote knowledge about HIV/AIDS, positive coping, and problem-solving skills.
The study was conducted with 310 urban teens, mostly African American boys, on probation in Chicago’s Cook County, the second-largest county justice system in the US. The participants were assigned to PHAT Life or an equally intensive health information program. Both 2-week programs consisted of 8 90- to 120-minute sessions, delivered at detention-alternative after-school programs.
The study measured the degree of condom use and number of sexual partners in the 6 months before and after the intervention. Among participants who reported the highest-risk sexual behavior at baseline, those assigned to PHAT Life were over 4 times more likely than those in the control group to report a reduction in number of sexual partners and more consistent condom use. Of those who reported having had sex before age 12, the PHAT Life participants reported significantly fewer sexual partners after the intervention.
“Uniquely tailored interventions like PHAT Life … are essential to mitigate young offenders’ poor long-term trajectories,” says Geri Donenberg, PhD, study leader.
The next step, the researchers say, is to identify how best to disseminate PHAT Life resources to ensure it’s self-sustaining in the juvenile justice system.