| Popis: |
The Mission Neighborhood Health Center (MNHC) in San Francisco offers a Latino youth program, Latinos en Extasis, focusing on HIV, sexually transmitted disease (STD), and pregnancy prevention. The youth-focused, peer intervention program works to increase risk prevention, improve self-esteem among Latino youth ages 13 to 18, and improve communication skills for negotiating birth control and condom use. Based on Diffusion of Innovation Theory (DIT), the program builds on the social influence of community leaders and peer educators. Peer educators, chosen based on their presentation skills and desire to be community activists, are trained on HIV/STDs and reproductive anatomy. The peer educators, who come from a variety of socioeconomic levels and backgrounds, recruit participants at community events, health centers, and high schools. Participants enjoy the role-playing and games that peer leaders use to encourage participation and facilitate education. |
