Evaluation of HIV/AIDS education initiatives among women in Northeastern Thai villages

A longitudinal, naturalistic experimental design was used in an evaluation of the effects of an HIV/AIDS educational pamphlet controlling for secular trends (most specifically media coverage of HIV/AIDS) in Northeastern Thailand. Nine hundred and fifty-four women from 18 villages completed KAP interviews either in the autumn of 1991 or 1992 with HIV/AIDS education pamphlets distributed to every household in 12 of these villages in the spring of 1992. Pamphlets influenced women's perceptions of personal risk from casual sources and the degree to which they volunteered that condoms were a means of prevention of HIV transmission. Both results were related to the content and style of presentation of information about sources of risk and about condoms in the pamphlets Secular trends and an increase in communication between villagers had a significant influence on knowledge, perceived efficacy of self protection, readiness to use condoms, and perception of levels and sources of personal risk.