Abstract

Many adolescents in the United States engage in behaviors that increase their risk for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Because 95% of all youth aged 5-17 years are enrolled in school, school health programs can be an efficient method to help prevent these behaviors. Previous studies have examined selected characteristics of HIV education in the United States; however, none provide a comprehensive assessment of HIV education policies and programs nationwide. In 1994, CDC conducted the School Health Policies and Programs Study (SHPPS), which assessed five components of the school health program: health education, physical education, health services, food service, and health policies. To provide a comprehensive assessment of HIV-prevention education programs nationwide in 1994, CDC analyzed data from the health education component of the study. This report summarizes the findings, which indicate that although HIV-prevention education has been widely implemented in U.S. schools, improvement in these programs is needed.