Research Article HIV/AIDS Peer Education: A Rural

ABSTRACT: This article describes a program conducted by a group of adolescents in a rural western Nebraska high school that was designed to inform their peers about the risk of HIV/AIDS. The program was funded by state and county agencies. An AIDS Task Force composed of com-munity health leaders developed the guidelines for the program. The Task Force met annually to plan for the coming year, implement changes, and evaluate the program. A community health nurse served as the coordinator of the program and also served as a rural school nurse. A group of students called peer helpers carried out the HIV/AIDS program. Peer helpers created an aware-ness of HIV/AIDS with dissemination of factual information and also served as a referral resource for their peers. A number of recommendations are provided for future implementation of pro-grams designed to help adolescents develop a healthy lifestyle