title: Differences among male/female adolescents participating in a School-based Teenage Education Program (STEP) focusing on HIV prevention in India.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  With the rising threat of HIV in India, youth are an important group to reach for prevention education. This pilot study tested the efficacy of STEP (School-based Teenage Education Program focusing on HIV Prevention) for school children.
  
  
  METHODS
  This pilot study randomized 25 schools in Mumbai to receive STEP (N = 1846). We trained forty two undergraduates from local colleges to deliver the, (six-session) program over a six-week period to eighth graders (age 13-15 years). Outcome measures collected at six weeks were HIV knowledge, attitudes toward abstinence/condom use, peer pressure, and confidence in dealing with risky social situations. A repeated measures analysis of variance was conducted with pretest and posttest scores with knowledge, beliefs, attitudes, and confidence as the within-group measures and gender as the between-group measure.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both boys and girls significantly improved on knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs regarding HIV/AIDS and in their confidence level in dealing with risky behavior. However girls increased more on knowledge (P < .05), agreement with abstinence (P < .05), and agreement with condom use (P < .001). Girls had significantly less need to follow peers (P < .05), better understanding of precautions against HIV (P < .001), and a higher confidence level in dealing with risky social situations (P < .05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Overall, girls benefited more from the STEP intervention than boys. The literature documents strong gender disparities in HIV/AIDS knowledge, information sources, and consequences of sex for youth in India. However, more work is needed to define and document the reasons for the differences.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Yeshiva University, New York 10461, USA. rchhabra@aecom.yu.edu
authors.forename: Rosy
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chhabra
authors.forename: Carolyn
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Springer
authors.forename: Bruce
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Rapkin
authors.forename: Yusuf
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Merchant
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006266:Health Education / Q000458:organization & administration*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012572:School Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*