Community intervention for HIV/AIDS prevention among young Guineans

Fannie Fonseca-Becker, Johns Hopkins University
Winnifride Mwebesa, Save the Children
Jane T. Bertrand, Johns Hopkins University

This quasi-experimental study evaluates the effectiveness of a community mobilization and behavior change campaign to prevent HIV and unintended pregnancies among youth (15-24) in Upper Guinea in 2001. Data were collected via a post-intervention survey in both the intervention and a comparison area. Multivariate analysis of predictors of condom use at last sex for the intervention area indicated that exposure to the campaign was significantly related to condom use, among males. Participation in campaign activities was a significant predictor of deciding to abstain for young women but not for young men. This study is one of the first efforts to evaluate the effectiveness of an HIV/AIDS communication program for youth in Francophone West Africa. Results strongly suggest that the campaign had a positive impact on youth’s preventive behavior, but further research is needed on the dynamics through which community mobilization and communication activities interact to improve preventive behavior.