AIDS Education and Prevention in Belize

Belize currently has the highest HIV prevalence in§Central America 2.01 per 1,000. One-third of all§reported HIV/AIDS cases are in young people ages 15§to 24. Given the small population of Belize (235,000)§and the large percentage of Belizeans under the age§of 24 (64%), the continued increase of HIV/AIDS cases§could have a devastating impact on the future of§Belize's economy, health care system and society as a§whole. The purpose of this book is twofold: First, to§provide an in-depth examination of the behavioral and§socio-cultural context of AIDS in Belize; and second,§to give a detailed account of the program planning,§implementation, and evaluation of a theory-centered§peer-facilitated school-based HIV/AIDS education and§prevention program on HIV-related knowledge,§attitudes, and behaviors among primary and secondary§students in Belize. The intervention was shown to§have a significant impact on condom use behavior,§intention to use condoms, condom attitudes, and§knowledge. Given the increasing rate of HIV/AIDS in§Belize, the study detailed in this book has important§implications for AIDS education and prevention in the§country of Belize.