INCREASING AWARENESS AND KNOWLEDGE AMONG ADULT LATINOS REGARDING SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED INFECTIONS

BACKGROUND: Latinos in the United States are disproportionately affected by Human Immunodeficiency Virus and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). They account for about 24% of newly diagnosed AIDS cases each year and are two to three times more likely to develop STIs when compared with non-Latino whites. Limited knowledge of STIs has remained one of the contributing factors to the disparity. PURPOSE: To implement an educational bundle and evaluate its effectiveness in increasing STI knowledge and consistent condom use among adult Latinos seen in an outpatient clinic. METHOD: A pre- and post-test design was used to evaluate changes in STI knowledge and consistency of condom use. An educational bundle consisted of YouTube STI-related videos, a pre-designed one to one educational session, and provision of condoms and STI-related educational materials. Self-administered questionnaires were used to collect data at baseline and one week post implementation of the educational bundle. RESULTS: Ranging in ages 19 to 60 years, 46 Latinos participated. The total mean STI knowledge and condom use frequency improved from pre-test (M = 1.67, M = 3.09) to post-test (M = 3.80, M = 5.33). Results of paired samples t-tests demonstrated statistical significant differences between total mean STI knowledge iv (t (45) = -15.48, p < .001) and condom use frequency (t(45) = -7.09, p < .001) at pre-test and post-testing. CONCLUSION: The educational bundle was effective in increasing STI knowledge and consistent condom use among adult Latinos in an outpatient clinic. Further study needs to be done to determine the long-term effect of this mode of education for this population