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Self‐efficacy and AIDS Prevention for Pregnant Teens
Author(s) -
Lawrance Lyn,
Levy Susan R.,
Rubinson Laurna
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
journal of school health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.851
H-Index - 86
eISSN - 1746-1561
pISSN - 0022-4391
DOI - 10.1111/j.1746-1561.1990.tb04771.x
Subject(s) - vulnerability (computing) , psychological intervention , psychology , scale (ratio) , self efficacy , construct (python library) , medicine , health education , clinical psychology , developmental psychology , public health , social psychology , psychiatry , nursing , computer security , physics , quantum mechanics , computer science , programming language
AIDS education, the only immediate solution to containment of AIDS, encourages active risk reduction among high‐risk populations. Self‐efficacy is a construct that can measure the likelihood preventive behaviors will be performed, and thus could be applied to identify specific areas where AIDS education should be augmented. In this study, pregnant, mostly black, teens (N = 58) attending an alternative school in a large, midwestern city completed a self‐efficacy scale to identify self‐perceived areas of vulnerability to participating in preventive behaviors and avoiding high‐risk behaviors concerning AIDS. The AIDS Self‐efficacy Scale identified four areas of greatest vulnerability: using condoms, discussing previous homosexual activity, discussing previous bisexual activity, and telling a partner about an experience with a bisexual. The last three situations result from an inability to discuss a partner's past sexual history, indicating a need to be very specific in these areas. School health interventions should recognize and deal with issues sexually active teens have identified as most difficult, particularly specific aspects of sexual histories, and provide these adolescents with prevention skills necessary to reduce high‐risk behaviors.