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Communications plan for a HIV/AIDS education project
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Communications plan for a HIV/AIDS education project
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COMMUNICATIONS PLAN FOR A HIV/AIDS EDUCATION PROJECT Copyright 2000 by Beth Kuch A Dissertation Presented to the FACULTY OF THE GRADUATE SCHOOL UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of MASTERS OF ARTS (STRATEGIC PUBLIC RELATIONS) December 2000 Beth R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission. UMI Number: 1407916 UMI UMI Microform 1407916 Copyright 2002 by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest Information and Learning Company 300 North Zeeb Road P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 R eproduced with perm ission o f the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission. UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA The Graduate School University Park LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA 900894695 This thesis, w ritten b y "B-grB-y KvJC-K__________________________ U nder th e direction o f h & . C . . . Thesis Com m ittee, and approved b y a ll its members, has been p resen ted to an d accepted b y The Graduate School, in p a rtia l fu lfillm en t o f requirem ents fo r th e degree o f o$ hjdts ______________________ _ _ _ Dean o f Graduate Studies December 18, 2000 THESIS COMMITTEE V J R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission. TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES.................................................................................iv BACKGROUND................................................................................... 1 Current HIV Statistics and Trends.......................................... 2 At-Risk Behaviors of Adolescents.......................................... 6 RESEARCH........................................................................................... 8 Background................................................................................8 Primary Research: Focus Group..............................................8 Objectives..................................................................... 8 Methodology................................................................. 8 Parent Involvement.......................................................10 Conclusions and Recommendations........................... 12 Secondary Research.................................................................. 14 Parental Involvement................................................... 14 School Involvement..................................................... 16 Physician Involvement.................................................21 SUGGESTED PROGRAM PARTNERS............................................24 Primary Partners........................................................................ 24 Mothers’ Voices............................................................24 National Parent-Teach Association.............................26 American Academy of Pediatrics................................28 Secondary Partners.................................................................... 31 National Science Teacher Association........................31 PUBLIC RELATIONS PLAN..............................................................33 Goal............................................................................................ 33 Objectives..................................................................................33 Target Audiences...................................................................... 33 Key Messages............................................................................34 Strategies.................................................................................... 35 Tactics........................................................................................ 36 Set One...........................................................................36 Set Two..........................................................................38 Set Three....................................................................... 42 Set Four..........................................................................45 R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission. Set Five......................................................................... 45 Set Six........................................................................... 47 Set Seven....................................................................... 50 Evaluation Methods.................................................................. 50 MARKETING PLAN............................................................................52 Competitive Analysis................................................................52 Distribution................................................................................55 Mail................................................................................57 Direct Handouts............................................................57 Website..........................................................................59 Information Clearinghouses.........................................59 TIMELINE............................................................................................ 60 COST INFORMATION.........................................................................65 Price........................................................................................... 65 Funding...................................................................................... 65 Costs........................................................................................... 67 BIBLIOGRAPHY.................................................................................. 71 Appendix A - Magazine Media List.................................................... 75 Appendix B - HIV/AIDS Scientific Information............................... 77 iii R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission. LIST OF TABLES PAGE Table I - Number of AIDS Cases by Age Group............................... 4 Table II - Number of AIDS Cases by Ethnicity................................. 6 Table III - Percentage of Teachers who Taught Specific .................19 HIV-Related Topics by School Level Table IV - Ten States Reporting Highest Number of AIDS Cases ...56 Table V - Ten Metropolitan Areas Reporting Highest number of AIDS Cases........................................................................ 56 R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission. BACKGROUND This paper presents the plan and rationale for an outreach program to present teachers, doctors and parents with prevention information to help inform students at the fourth, fifth and sixth grade levels (approximate ages nine to thirteen) about human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). The program can be used in the classroom and in the home through discussions and dissemination of accurate information. Because of the significant increase in the number of homes in which both parents are working, there has been a decrease in the amount of time these parents can spend with their children in activities and going over what they learned in school. Parents expect their children to be taught about everything in school and do not take the time to find out exactly what their children are being taught. By developing this new communication program, instructors will be provided with up to date information in the schools and parents will know what is being taught and be able to quickly and easily answer any questions at home that their children may have. Additionally, if parents do not feel comfortable with these subjects being taught away from the home, they will know about the program and can still use the information to educate their children. 1 R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission. Although parents play a big role in this communications plan, teachers and pediatricians are the primary target market because they will be the catalysts for working with students, administrators, and parents. According to the Sex Education in America survey conducted by the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation released in September 2000, most students say they need more information about sexual health issues than they are getting in school. Even those students who have had sex education say they need more information about a number of sexual health issues; specifically, 47 percent want more information on HIV/AIDS. Parents feel that sex education should not shy away from more sensitive topics, and specify that issues such as these should be discussed in a way that provides a fair and balanced presentation of the facts and different views of society. In the Sex Education in America survey, 98 percent of parents of seventh through twelfth graders felt that sexual education should cover HIV/AIDS. Current HIV Statistics and Trends The following trends were found in the 1998 report on Trend in the HIV and AIDS Epidemic published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The report is based on the reporting systems in 25 states from January 1994 to June 1997. Although this data provides a reliable indication in the number and characteristics of individuals that have been diagnosed with HIV in confidential 2 R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission. settings, they do not account for individuals who were tested only at anonymous test sites or those who have not been tested yet. As a result the total numbers are significantly lower, especially in the cases of teenagers who are not currently encouraged to get tested for HIV. • Due to new treatments and education, the number of reported AIDS cases and deaths has dropped dramatically during the late 1990s. • Although AIDS diagnoses have declined, HIV diagnoses remained relatively stable with a higher proportion of the HIV cases among women and minorities. • 7,200 people ages 13-24 tested HIV positive in these 25 states from January 1994 to June 1997. • Of the 7,200 new adolescent HIV cases reported: 44 percent were female, 63 percent were African American, and 5 percent were Hispanic. At least 26 percent of cases were acquired through heterosexual contact, 31 percent were in men who have sex with men and 6 percent were among injection drug users. • Prevention efforts have helped slow the HIV/AIDS epidemic from a period of rapid growth to overall stabilization. • The epidemic is becoming increasingly prevalent in minority communities, which tend to have less health care and more substance abuse. 3 R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission. According to the HIV/AIDS Surveillance Report, published semiannually by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, following are the most recent statistics reported through December 1999 on the cumulative cases, cases pertaining to children and adolescents, and location of cases. Table I - Numbers of AIDS Cases by Age Group Age Number of AIDS Cases Percent of Total Under 5 6,753 .92 Ages 5 to 12 1,965 .27 Ages 13 to 19 3,725 .51 Ages 20 to 24 25,904 3.53 Ages 25 to 29 97,675 13.32 Ages 30 to 34 164,989 22.50 Ages 35 to 39 164,076 22.37 Ages 40 to 44 120,541 16.44 Ages 45 to 49 69,546 9.48 Ages 50 to 54 36,686 5.00 Ages 55 to 59 20,251 2.76 Ages 60 to 64 11,258 1.54 Ages 65 or older 10,002 1.36 Total 733,374 Source: CDC, HIV/AIDS Surveillance Report, December 1999 As can be seen from the numbers, the infection in the early adult category (20-24) is nearly seven times that of the adolescents (ages 13 to 19). This dramatic increase is likely due to the delayed period between becoming infected with HIV in their adolescence and the development of AIDS. As adolescents, they are becoming sexually active and experimenting with drugs, and during this time 4 R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission. they become infected. As a result, it is apparent that prevention methods are not used by those in their early teens as much as they should. This may be a result in ineffective, or lack of, communication of the appropriate prevention methods to take. This public education and relations program is meant to reduce the lack of communication and increase the effectiveness of current communications. Additionally, by educating adolescents effectively, the prevention techniques will stay with them as they age, and prevent additional cases. Facts about Adolescents and HIV/AIDS published in 1998 by the CDC presents some startling facts. The number of adolescents (13-19) with AIDS continues to increase substantially. In 1986, only 53 adolescents were reported with AIDS. That number climbed to 403 AIDS cases among adolescents 1996, the total in 1999 jumped to 3,725. Other trends found in adolescents include: • Of the approximately 40,000 new cases of HIV infection per year in the United States, about 50 percent may be among young people under the age of 25 and as many as 22 percent may be among people under the age of 22. • Among adolescents reported with AIDS, older teens and racial minorities are disproportionately affected. • The percentage of female adolescents with AIDS has more than tripled from 14 percent in 1987 to 46 percent in 1996 of the number of infected adolescents. 5 R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission. • Blacks and Hispanics represent about 25 percent of the US population, but account for 56 percent of adolescent males with AIDS and 82 percent of adolescent females with AIDS. As can be seen by the table below, the percentage of Black and Hispanic cases are lower than whites among the entire population of people affected with AIDS. Yet, these minorities continue to be infected at an increasing rate compared with whites. Table II - Number of AIDS Cases by Ethnicity Race/Ethnicity Number of AIDS Cases Percent of Total White 318,354 43.4 Black 272,881 37.2 Hispanic 133,703 18.2 Asian/Pacific Islander 5,347 0.7 American Indian/ Alaska Native 2,132 0.3 Race/Ethnicity Unknown 957 0.1 Total 733,374 99.9 Source: CDC, HIV/AIDS Surveillance Report, 1999 At-Risk Behaviors of Adolescents The studies the CDC conducts every two years in high schools suggest adolescents continue to put themselves at risk in the following ways: • Approximately two-thirds of high school students have had sexual intercourse R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission. • About half of sexually active 12th graders report using latex condoms all of the time • Nearly one-quarter of 12th graders have had four or more sex partners • Many students report using alcohol or drugs when they have sex • One in 50 high school students reports having injected an illegal drug Additionally, some of the attitudes that adolescents hold may also contribute to their risk of being infected by HIV. Perceived Invulnerability - Adolescents characteristically believe that they will not be affected or infected by disease, accidents, and death (Hochhauser, 1988). Ninety-one percent of 16-19 year olds surveyed by telephone did not think they would get AIDS (Strunin and Hingson, 1987). In another study, 73 percent of adolescents were not worried about becoming infected with HIV (Price et al., 1985). Developing Personal Identity - During this period in their lives, adolescents are learning new things about themselves daily. They are developing the characteristics that they will hold on to for most of their adult lives. Some of these include defining their sexual orientation, whether heterosexual, homosexual or bisexual, through sexual experimentation. R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission. RESEARCH Background In an effort to assess what is happening in local schools, original research was conducted by the writer. This included contacting schools, conducting focus groups with teachers, administrators and schools nurses, and attending a parent preview night. This research allowed the writer to witness the interaction of parents and teachers, find out what parents are looking for in term of information, and to better define a program of action. Primary Research: Focus Group Objectives • To understand the current process for developing and accepting new curriculum • To discover the best means of communicating with teachers through current HIV/AIDS curriculum • To find the most suitable way to integrate parents into the program Methodology The focus groups were both conducted in Southern California. One was conducted in Westlake Village in the San Fernando Valley on March 30, 2000, and the other in Costa Mesa in Orange County on April 14, 2000. The first group consisted of six teachers and one administrator, and the second group consisted of 8 R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission. four health services instructors. All participants were required to be instructors on the sexual reproduction and HIV/AIDS topics to fourth and fifth graders. The second group also instructs sixth graders. The writer moderated both focus groups and the sessions were audiotape recorded. The focus group conducted with the group from the Las Virgenes Unified School District (LVUSD) was conducted on a parent preview night at the White Oak Elementary School in Westlake Village. This included the teaching team making a small overhead presentation to parents, viewing of all of the videos to be shown to the students, and a question and answer period. After this portion of the evening, the group of teachers sat down with the writer to discuss their program and answer questions. After a slight adjustment to the research objectives, informal follow-up meetings were conducted at a wedding reception of one of the teacher’s daughters and via a conference call. The session conducted with the Newport-Mesa Unified School District (NMUSD) was held in the district health services office. The questions focused more on the instructors than on the parents. A follow-up conference call was also held. R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission. Although there were some differences in the formats and a difference in the teaching methods, the majority of the questions were the same and elicited similar responses from the different groups. Parent Involvement Currently, there is a significant difference between the parent involvement programs in the LVUSD and the NMUSD. LVUSD representatives go to each middle school within the district and present a parent preview night at that school. At the parent preview night the writer attended, about 25 parents came in representing about 200 children in the program from that school. The LVUSD sexual reproduction and HIV/AIDS education courses are taught in eight schools to a total of about 2,200 children in fourth and fifth grades. In the program presented through NMUSD, only one parent preview night is offered for the entire district. It is held at the district headquarters in Costa Mesa. Only 30 to 40 adults for the entire district attended while the program serves approximately 3,500 students in fourth and fifth grades. This is a ratio of about one to 87.5 in the NMUSD, while in the LVUSD it is about one to 8. The NMUSD has 18 elementary and middle schools that serve fourth, fifth, and sixth graders. R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission. Both districts do provide all of the materials to be checked out by parents or viewed in the district or school offices. However, even though the materials are available, very few parents take advantage of this opportunity. Differences in teaching approaches between the districts include the amount of time put into the program by the instructors and the commitment of the district. The LVUSD teachers are more connected to their students through constant interaction with the students throughout the year. The teachers also commit themselves to taking extra time and going to each school to present the program in the evenings for parents. The health services instructors do not have that special bond and do not seem to be willing to give extra time to the program outside of normal working hours. The significant difference in the outreach programs to parents presents the current dilemma of getting parents involved in the program. If the instructors are not committed to involving the parents closely, then the program will not be brought into the homes. Currently there are no materials on HIV/AIDS education that the instructors can give to the parents. This lack of hard information weakens any bond between teachers and parents. The instructors felt that parents play an important role in a child’s learning and they need to be there to support the R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission. student with answers. If the parents aren’t informed, then they cannot help the child in the learning process. Conclusions and Recommendations One the difficult parts of trying to conduct these focus groups was determining who in the school district was in charge of HIV/AIDS instruction. In the process of contacting school districts to participate in this program, the effort to find the right person to speak with generally involved being transferred to about four different people. Unfortunately, there is almost no consistency among school districts about who oversees HIV/AIDS education programs; neither is there consistency in the administrative make-up of the districts. This lack of a single identifiable contact within a district will pose as a barrier in this communication program. Perhaps additional focus groups and individual interviews might reveal structures that could facilitate easier communications of the HIV/AIDS education program. Even if a simple organization structure is not found, the communication plan should incorporate the following recommendations: • Target communications towards science teachers and health service professionals for schools. • Disseminate information at conferences, seminars, workshops, in-school training sessions, and continuing education courses. 12 R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission. • Develop a relationship with county and state education departments to obtain their endorsement of the program. • Send teachers direct mail brochures to present the new HIV/AIDS prevention program. • Ensure that the each element is an independent part of the HIV/AIDS prevention program, so that individual elements of the program can be used separately or all of the elements can be used together. • Offer teachers a framework for a parent outreach program and possible support services. • Provide brochures for parents at parent-teacher conferences, open houses, parent information sessions, and various other events so that children are not the sole means of delivering information to the home. • Develop a program that uses multiple media - video, writing exercises, group interaction, and question and answer periods to appeal to the various types of learners. • Continue conducting focus groups and a possible survey to determine if other school districts provide the same results. Another issue raised while conducting this research is who the appropriate instructor is for HIV/AIDS education. The teachers in the focus group felt that health services personnel should not be teaching sexual reproduction and 13 R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission. HIV/AIDS education because of the sensitive needs of the children. The teachers felt that it should be taught by someone with whom the children are comfortable and who is a regular part of the classroom environment, whether the homeroom teacher or science teachers. Secondary Research Parental Involvement The total amount of time children spend with their parents is decreasing. This results in a significant loss of relationships between the parent and the children resulting in a decrease in parental supervision. In spite of the fact that about 75 percent of teens are sexually active and the HIV/AIDS rates are significantly increasing among teens, many parents are unaware or in denial about their children’s sexual experiences. A study of mothers and their adolescent children found that 70 percent of the mothers believed their sons were virgins, but only 44 percent of sons actually were. With daughters, 82 percent of mothers thought they were virgins and only 70 percent of daughters actually were (University of California at San Francisco, 1997). Parents often think they are talking to their children about AIDS, when they may be discussing unimportant medical facts such as the types of cancer that result in AIDS cases and not necessarily issues of sexuality and safer sex. Additionally, children tend to remember less than one-fourth of the HIV 14 R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission. discussions parents said occurred. Mothers of children aged 11 and older rated themselves unsatisfactory when talking about issues such as how to tell when youth are ready to be sexually active, preventing HIV, sexual orientation, and how to use a condom (Mothers’ Voices, 1997). Parents can exert substantial influence over sexual behavior in three ways: communicating with their children, acting as role models, and by providing direct supervision. Contrary to popular belief, children do still look to their parents for guidance - especially on issues such as HIV and AIDS. Adolescents often want to talk to their parents but may find it difficult to do so. Children worry that parents’ disapproval or fears will prevent an honest discussion or that parents lack the correct information. This program is meant to help provide a guide for parents with up to date information, and suggestions for how to effectively communicate with adolescents. Parents may have unfounded concerns when talking to their children that talking about sex will increase the child’s curiosity and cause the student to experiment prematurely. There is a fear too that providing information on birth control is a sign of approval for intercourse. In fact, open discussion with parents can help postpone sexual activity, protect the children from risky behavior, and support healthy sexual socialization (Leland, 1993) 15 R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission. Parent-child communication has not often been a focus of HIV prevention efforts. However, programs that involve all family members in discussing sexuality, values, and family life can be very effective. A comprehensive HIV prevention strategy uses many elements to protect as many people at risk for HIV as possible. Family members and prevention educators must work together to ensure the education and future health of the children (University of California at San Francisco, 1997). School Involvement When both parents work, a child’s teacher spends more time with the child than do the parents during the week. A teacher spends approximately 30 hours a week with children where a working parent can only spend about 17 hours during the week With this significant gap in time, a teacher needs to be there to help provide the most accurate and educational information possible to children that parents can easily support and be involved in. To help teachers and school in developing a HIV/AIDS health education program, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention outlined the following guidelines in their Guidelines fo r Health Education and Risk Reduction Activities'. • School boards, parents, teachers, administrators, students, and appropriate community representatives should be involved in developing implementing, and assessing policies and programs for HIV/AIDS education. 16 R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission. • Education about HTV/ATDS is most appropriate and effective when carried out within a more comprehensive school health education program. • Local school boards should assure that release time is provided for school administrators, teachers, nurses, and counselors to receive training and HIV/AID, and HIV/AIDS education, including periodic continuing education courses. • Regular classroom teachers in elementary grades should provide education about HTV/ATDS and by qualified health education teachers or other similarly trained personnel in secondary grades. • It is crucial that sufficient program development time classroom time, and educational materials should be provided at each grade level to assure that students acquire knowledge about HIV/AIDS. • The processes and outcomes of HIV/AIDS education should be monitored and assessed by local school boards and state departments of education and health. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention 1994 School Health Policies and Programs Study, 86 percent of middle/junior and senior high schools taught HIV prevention in a required course. Further 79 percent of states and 83 percent of school districts required HIV-prevention education. In addition to teaching HIV-prevention, over 80 percent of teachers also taught communications skills and skills for resisting social pressure. 17 R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission. During the two years preceding the national survey, 49 states and 58 percent of school districts offered in-service training on HIV-prevention to teachers but only 31 percent of teachers received training on HIV-prevention education. The time spent teaching the children, however, is fairly limited; 46 percent of teachers only spend one or two class periods discussing HIV-prevention. Thirty-three percent of teachers spend three to five class periods and only 20 percent spend six or more class periods discussing HIV-prevention. Below is a table of the specific topics covered regarding HIV-prevention education by teachers who were surveyed. R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission. Table III - Percentage of Teachers who Taught Specific HIV-Related Topics by School Level Topic Middle/Junior High Senior High Basic facts about HIV/AIDS 71 89 How HIV is and is not transmitted 70 85 How HIV affects the immune system 63 78 Needle-sharing behaviors that transmit HIV 62 76 Reasons for choosing sexual abstinence 61 71 Sexual behaviors that transmit HIV 60 79 Disease progression of AIDS 51 67 Societal impact of HIV/AIDS 51 67 Influence of alcohol and other drugs on HIV risk behaviors 48 62 Social norms toward risk behaviors related to HIV 47 64 Perceptions of risk for HIV/AIDS 44 66 Compassion and support for persons living with HIV/AIDS 43 59 Statistics on adolescent death and disability related to HIV/AIDS 36 54 Condom efficacy/how well condoms work 33 58 Information on HIV testing and counseling 32 53 True prevalence of risk behavior related to HIV 32 48 Correct use of condoms 17 37 Source: CDC, Fact Sheet: HIV-Prevention Education, 1994 According to the Sex in America survey, input on sex education comes from many different places, but the large majority of principals report that the school district and/or local government and state government have the most input. Most principals say teachers and parents are also at least somewhat involved in determining what is taught. 19 R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission. Various groups have made significant recommendations on content that teachers should include in the HIV/AIDS education programs. Suggested content by the Education Development Center for fourth graders includes information of how the immune system works, how HIV attacks the immune system, how body fluids spread HIV, why people take health risks, and how to say “no” to health risks. For fifth graders, information would cover attitudes that affect behavior/decisions, factors that shape attitudes, ways to resist pressure, purpose of the immune system, characteristics of the HIV infection, extent of the HIV epidemic, transmission of HIV, most effective way to prevent HIV infection and how the world is fighting HIV. The information for sixth graders builds on the information presented in fourth and fifth grades. The information for sixth grade should include the importance of prevention, the modes of transmission, the most effective protection from HIV, who gets HIV, and social issues related to HIV infection and AIDS. Teachers have the ability to incorporate a wide variety of strategies to present the information to children. These include class discussions, group projects, speakers, role-playing, worksheets, lectures, and videos. Making an anonymous question box available to students also allows students to submit any questions that they would like answered without the stigma of asking the question publicly. Whatever strategies are used, an open classroom environment is 20 R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission. essential. Students should be allowed to speak freely and ask questions. Treating one another with respect is vital to effective instruction. Physician Involvement According to a 1996 survey conducted by the American Academy of Pediatrics, parents with young children are eager to leam from their child’s physician. Over 79 percent want more information on basic topics of child rearing such as how to encourage their children to leam (54 percent) and discipline (42 percent). Yet despite the willingness to receive the expert information from their physician, only about 23 percent actually receive any information at all on learning- and discipline-related subjects. This gap in wanting information and actually receiving the information can be explained in any number of ways: parents are not asking, physicians are not taking the time to speak with their patients regarding these issues, physicians do not have an easy reference guide to give to parents, and more. This program is meant to help bridge some of that communication gap in terms of HIV/AIDS. In 1993, the American Academy of Pediatrics published a report on the role of the pediatrician in prevention and intervention for adolescents and HIV. Some of the Academy’s key findings indicate that information regarding sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV and AIDS, should be included as an important component of the guidance provided by pediatricians to adolescents. 21 R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission. This information should include facts about transmission, implications of infection, and strategies for prevention including abstinence from risky behaviors and safer sex practices for those who opt to be sexually active. While parents should be involved in the child’s health care and education, the consent of the adolescent alone should be sufficient to provide evaluation and treatment for suspected or confirmed HIV infection. A survey conducted of physicians in the American Academy of Pediatrics in 1994 revealed that about 52 percent of physicians know that there are school programs to address HIV/STD prevention. This results in one in five (22 percent) of pediatricians participating in local school health programs. They participate through teaching a class, consulting on school health services or curriculum, or treating children referred by the school. Older physicians in more rural or suburban practices in solo or group practices are more likely to participation in school health programs. The reason for not participating or limiting participation in school health by 74 percent of physicians is lack of time. Yet 70 percent of physicians are interested in participating in school health programs through serving as a consultant on health curriculum and health services, teaching a class, or serving on an advisory committee. To increase pediatricians’ involvement, the doctors need information on: • How they can make a meaningful contribution in their limited amount of time. 22 R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission. • How to get started in local school health. • Their local school’s health curriculum so they can reinforce messages regular preventative care visits. • Components of an optimal comprehensive school health program. R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission. SUGGESTED PROGRAM PARTNERS Because of the intensity and size of this program, it will require the combined efforts of the three groups, Mothers’ Voices, the National Parent- Teacher Association, and the American Academy of Pediatrics, as the prime partners to implement the program. Mothers’ Voices was chosen because it is specifically focused on working with parents and HTV/ATDS. Mothers’ Voices currently has the beginnings of a program that educates parents. Mothers’ Voice is interested in expanding the parent education program and enhancing Mothers’ Voices’ position as a nationally recognized group. The National Parent-Teacher Association was chosen because of its large membership, direct connections to parents and teachers, and its commitment to HIV/AIDS education programs for both parents and children. The American Academy of Pediatrics was chosen because of its connection to children, its concerted efforts to work with school health programs, its stance on providing HIV/ADDS education to children, and large membership. Primary Partners Mothers’ Voices The mission of this group is to help bring an end to HIV/AIDS in the United States through assisting, educating, and encouraging mothers from all 24 R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission. backgrounds to improve HIV/AIDS prevention efforts, through fair and effective governmental policies, better medical treatments, human rights protections for those infected, more research, and, eventually a cure. In trying to accomplish this mission, an organization called Mothers’ Voices distributes brochures and presents workshops and training seminars to parents. Its advocacy campaigns include legislative lobbying, networking with key individuals, and consulting with the federal administration on HIV and AIDS research and prevention issues. Other Mothers’ Voices efforts include sponsoring and participating in the US Conference on AIDS, AEDSWatch 2001, AIDS Research Task Force of National Organizations Responding to AIDS, and National Coalition to Support Sexuality Education. Grassroots efforts are focused through chapters in Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, and Miami. These chapters implement local education and advocacy programs. Volunteers write letters, phone legislators, and hold advocacy and prevention training workshops. Although Mothers’ Voices has chapters throughout the country, the most active and recognized is still the main headquarters in New York City. Mothers’ Voices outreach efforts consist of in-store Mother’s Day promotions at Macy’s, a public service announcement in People magazine just prior to Mother’s Day, and Listen to Mothers ’ Voices, a newsletter sent out semi- 25 R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission. annually to approximately 40,000 individuals. The organization also holds an annual luncheon to recognize individuals for extraordinary efforts in advocacy for HIV/AIDS in research, prevention, and other aspects. A volunteer group of young professionals, Another Voice, is dedicated to helping Mothers’ Voices. Its members assist in fundraising, advocacy, and prevention efforts. Contact Mothers’ Voices 165 W. 46th Street, Suite 701 New York, NY 10036 Telephone: 212-730-2777 Web: www.mvoices.org National Parent Teacher Association As the oldest and largest volunteer association in the United States working exclusively on the behalf of children and youth, the National Parent Teacher Association (PTA) offers a group of 6.5 million members working in 26,000 local chapters in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and in the Department of Defense schools in the Pacific and Europe. The mission of the National PTA is to support and speak on the behalf of children in schools, the community and before governmental bodies making decisions R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission. affecting children; assist parents in developing skills to raise and protect their children; and to encourage parent participation in schools. The National PTA efforts include a legislative program that provides parents and families with a means and voice to be heard. The local PTAs act as a filter to bring issues to the National PTA’s attention. Current actions are directed toward support of public education, increased parental involvement, obtaining adequate funding for education and child-related programs, and support of the reauthorization of the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act. The National PTA supports various programs including the Arts in Education Program, local PTA awards, health and safety program, parent and family involvement programs, urban initiatives, and youth members. The National PTA also publishes an award-winning magazine, Our Children. In terms of HIV/AIDS education, the National PTA is currently supportive of programs for parents. In 1995, the National PTA developed an HIV/AIDS Education Planning Guide for PTA Leaders. This thorough guide for developing a program lays out step-by-step what to expect from parents and how to get them more involved on a local level. It also has a program that is developed to provide National Standards for Parent/Family Involvement Programs. R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission. Contact National Parent-Teacher Association 330 N. Wabash Avenue, Suite 2100 Chicago, IL 60611 Telephone: 800-307-4782 Web: www.pta.org American Academy of Pediatrics The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and its 55,000 members dedicate their efforts to the health, safety, and well being of infants, children, adolescents, and young adults.. One of the AAP’s major activities is to further the professional education of its members in the United States, Canada, and Latin America through continuing education course, scientific meetings, seminars, and publications. The AAP publishes Pediatrics, a monthly scientific journal; Pediatrics in Review, its continuing education journal, and its membership newspaper, AAP News. AAP also publishes manuals on various topics including school heath. In public education efforts, the AAP produces patient education brochures, Healthy Kids magazine, and childcare books written by its members. Each year, AAP also participates in Child Health Month (October) to emphasize the importance of preventive health care and other child health issues. R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission. The AAP executes original research in social, economic, and behavioral areas and provides funding for research. The AAP provides advocacy at the state and federal levels to ensure that children’s health and safety issues are taken into consideration as legislation and policies are developed. To focus on specific issues, the AAP developed 43 sections and 40 committees dedicated to special interests, diseases and therapies. In terms of HIV/AIDS prevention, the Section on Community Pediatrics and Committee on School Health is the most prominent. Approximately 450 members of this body focus on community education and school-based health services with their findings presented at both the spring sessions and annual meetings of AAP. The Committee on School Health (COSH) is a coalition of pediatricians and representatives for the American Medical Association, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Association of School Nurses, the American School Health Association, and the American Association of School Administrators. These organizations work together through policy development, educational programming, and special projects to help pediatricians address the health needs of children while in school and work closely with school health programs; help pediatricians become involved in their communities and play an important role in school health programs; coordinate multiple R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission. organizations to provide a united federal laws and regulations; and develop programs for the best outcomes for children. In the past AAP conducted surveys and research on physicians’ participation in community and school health programs and issues policy statements such as recommending mandatory HIV/AIDS education for graduation. The group also issued a policy statement regarding the role of the pediatrician in prevention and intervention in 1993. In this statement it voiced its opinion that information regarding sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV infection and AIDS, should be included as an important component of the prevention guidance provided by pediatricians. This guidance should include information on transmission, implications of infections, and strategies for prevention. Contact The American Academy of Pediatrics 141 Northwest Point Boulevard Elk Grove Village, IL 60007 Telephone: 847-434-4000 Web: www.aap.org R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission. Secondary Partner Although the PTA is meant to work with both teachers and parents, the involvement of teachers may not be as thorough as needed for this program. In order to reach more teachers, it is suggested that a second group targeted towards science teachers be used as a secondary partner to compliment the use of the PTA. National Science Teacher Association The National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), founded in 1944 is committed to promoting excellence and innovation in science teaching. NSTA's current membership of more than 53,000 includes science teachers, science supervisors, administrators, scientists, business and industry representatives, and others involved in science education. To address subjects of critical interest to science educators, the association publishes five journals, a newspaper, many books, and many other publications. NSTA conducts national and regional conventions that attract more than 30,000 attendees annually. NSTA provides many programs and services for science educators, including awards, professional development workshops, and educational tours. In addition, NSTA has a web site with links to state, national, and international science education organizations, an on-line catalog of publications, and two R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission. "discussion rooms" to foster interaction and ongoing conversations about science education. The association serves as an advocate for science educators by keeping its members and the general public informed about national issues and trends in science education. NSTA disseminates results from nationwide surveys and reports and offers testimony to Congress on science education-related legislation and other issues. The organization has position statements on issues such as teacher preparation, laboratory science, the use of animals in the classroom, laboratory safety, and elementary and middle level science. NSTA is involved in cooperative working relationships with numerous educational organizations, government agencies, and private industries on a variety of projects. Contact National Science Teachers Association 1840 Wilson Boulevard Arlington, VA 22201 Telephone: 703-243-7100 Web: www.nsta.org R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission. PUBLIC RELATIONS PLAN Goal To educate parents about preventing HIV/AIDS so they can teach their children. Objectives • Increase HIV/AIDS awareness among teachers, pediatricians, and parents. • Increase the number of parents who talk with their children about HIV/AIDS. • Increase the percentage of physicians who receive information on how to help children leam about HIV and AIDS from 23 percent. Target Audiences External Direct Audiences • Fourth, fifth, and sixth grade teachers (approximate ages nine through thirteen) • Parents of fourth, fifth, and sixth graders • Grade school administrators • School nurses • Pediatricians External Indirect Audience • Children in fourth, fifth, and sixth grades Internal Direct Audience • Volunteers 33 R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission. External audiences are considered audiences that are outside of the organizations implementing the education program. Internal audiences are people who work within the organizations implementing the programs. For example, for an automobile manufacturer, people who purchase a car are an external audience, while the company’s employees are an internal audience. Different messages, strategies and tactics are required to reach these internal and external groups. The audiences will be reached through different marketing tactics including both “push and pull” tactics to generate interest. Push tactics, such as articles and advertising in parenting magazines, will be directed at the parents. Pull tactics will be directed through the teachers and doctors by having them present the information to the parents. Key messages Teachers, Physicians, Administrators, and Nurses • Parents have the primary responsibility for educating their children about HIV/AIDS. • HIV/AIDS is a preventable disease. • The numbers of adolescents and young adults with HIV and AIDS is increasing. • Teacher, physicians, nurses and administrators are keys sources of information for parents. 34 R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission. Parents • By talking with your children you can help prevent additional cases of HIV and AIDS. • HIV/AIDS is a preventable disease. • Conversations with children have to be open and honest to communicate the prevention information clearly and effectively. • The numbers of adolescents and young adults with HIV and AIDS is increasing. Volunteers • This program succeeds because of your help. • We recognize and reward your volunteer efforts. • You are the key method of informing other parents, teachers, and doctors about HIV/AIDS. Strategies 1. Use partnerships and third-party associations to support the materials. 2. Teachers, doctors, parents, and administrators will present information on HIV/AIDS through direct contact with the target audiences. 3. Educate teachers, doctors, parents and administrators through the mass media and via electronic technologies. 4. Reach target audiences with materials tailored directly to them. 35 R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission. 5. Use parents to help to educate other parents about HIV/AIDS prevention. 6. Depend on volunteers to distribute the bulk of the materials. 7. Use advertising to further appeal to the target audiences. Tactics Following, each strategy has been paired with the appropriate tactics to implement this HIV/AIDS education project. Strategy One • Use partnerships and third-party associations to support the materials. Tactics Set One Partnering Kit - One of the first things that needs to be accomplished is the development of a partnership kit that develops ties and shows support from the three main partners, Mothers’ Voices, PTA, and AAP. Assuming that Mothers’ Voices takes the lead on this project, it would be in charge of developing this kit, which would include drafts and mock-ups of the brochures, flyers, letters, and a storyboard for the video discussed later in this communication plan. This presents the partners with hands-on elements so that they can see how they are investing their time and money. Also included in the package would be a detailed plan and budget for all of the recommended public relations and marketing activities. This would also be broken down to the amount of time and money each partner is expected to give. This partnering kit can also 36 R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission. be used partially to locate and secure development funding for the project from foundations and other organizations. Although it would take significant time and energy to develop the drafts and budget splits, it would present a more refined project that potential partners would be willing to invest in. For upfront costs, Mothers’ Voices would be compensated through additional partnering funding. Obtain endorsements from third-oartv associations - Once the brochures, mailers, presentation, and video materials are in a final draft stage, they should be presented to various associations to solicit third-party endorsements. These organizations could include the National Science Teachers Association, American Association of School Administrators, National Education Association, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, National Association of Secondary School Principals, American Medical Association, and National Association of School Nurses. By getting these endorsements, the project gains significant measure in the eyes of teachers, administrators, doctors, and parents because these are associations that they know, trust, and. Partner with a pharmaceutical company - This partnership would help to distribute the program information to pediatricians. The pharmaceutical company selected would have to have a high number of representatives who visit pediatricians on a regular basis. Since the drug representatives visit the doctors on a frequent and regular schedule, they could continuously monitor how many 37 R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission. brochures doctors needed and continually resupply them if needed. This partnership would be beneficial for the program and would not take much effort on the part of the pharmaceutical company. Also, this would help reach additional pediatricians who are not a part of the AAP. Partner with parenting and women’s issues websites - In an effort to reach parents who do not have the time to attend meetings and rarely see their child’s teacher, yet may surf the web at odd hours or at work, partnerships with parenting and women’s issues sites should be formed. Specific target sites should include Parentsoup.com, familyeducation.com, family.com, and momsonline.com (through oxygen.com). From information searches on these key parenting sites, it was found that they currently have very little to no information on speaking with children about HIV/AIDS and could be a vital source of information for busy parents. Partnerships with these websites could range from simply publishing the information through a link page in the information search to having a direct mention and story on the initial home page. Strategy Two • Teachers, doctors, parents, and administrators will present information on HIV/AIDS through direct contact with the target audiences. R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission. Tactics Set Two Develop brochures for teachers and doctors - The teacher’s brochure would be focused towards helping teachers guide parents into getting involved in HIV/AIDS prevention education. It would have suggestions for how to get parents involved, why they should be involved, and how they should be involved. Much of this brochure would be based on the guide the PTA has prepared, HIV/AIDS Education Planning Guide fo r PTA Leaders. Many of the strategies developed in that brochure would carry over to a program developed by a teacher to get parents involved, such as planning activities around National AIDS Awareness Month and World AIDS Day. This brochure would include charts, graphs, and photos; current facts and figures on the number of HIV/AIDS cases among adolescents; risk factors; parent integration information; how to integrate the program into current curriculums; sources for more information; reasons to be involved in this program; and program benefits. A slightly modified brochure focusing on many of the same topics as the teacher’s brochure, but directed towards pediatricians and their practices would be developed. For instance, instead of the section of how to integrate the program into current curriculums, a section on how to incorporate the program into patient R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission. treatment would be inserted. There would also be a section on how the physicians could be more involved with the school health programs. Develop a video for teachers -This 15-minute video would be a companion to the brochure mainly focused on what teachers and administrators can do to implement the parent education program. It is to be shown at school workshops with teachers, administrators, and nurses. There would be a small introduction with the facts of HIV/AIDS and current infection rates for about two to four minutes and then the rest of the video would be how to generate participation from parents and why schools need to organize this effort. School tour - This is a 20-week program for the ten target cities (New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Miami, Washington, D.C., Chicago, Houston, Philadelphia, Newark, and Atlanta) further discussed in the Distribution section. In each city, two presenters would visit as many schools as possible to conduct workshops. The workshops would include presentations and a question and answer session. These would be conducted for teachers, administrators, and school nurses. Conferences - This tactic includes promoting materials at education trade shows for administrators, teachers and school nurses and at medical trade shows for pediatricians. Many of the trade shows or conferences attended would be held by the PTA, the NSTA and the AAP. The PTA holds both a national conference 40 R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission. and state conferences that would provide significant forums for this program. The AAP provides a spring workshop and a fall conference that would also work well into the campaign. The American Medical Association trade shows would also be included in this program. The program also includes attending at least one conference for each targeted regional area for school nurses, usually at the state level, and at least one conference for school administrators at the regional level. The purpose of attending the conferences and trade shows is to be on the program and conduct workshops to train teachers, administrators, school nurses, and doctors to be able to go back and easily implement this program in their communities. Community tour - In conjunction with the school tour, the two presenters would also hold community meetings with parents and community leaders such as doctors and pastors. These meetings would include two sections, first, a general presentation and viewing of the program video and, second, a training session to enable the attendees to go out and present this HIV/AIDS education program using the presentation guide (developed under Tactics Set Five) to their own communities. These presentations would be based on the current presentations and trainings given by Mothers’ Voices. R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission. Strategy Three • Educate teachers, doctors, parents and administrators through the mass media and via electronic technologies. Tactics Set Three Press releases to increase interest - These media alerts would be targeted towards education, medical health, and family issue writers at newspapers, magazines, and television networks. They would be further targeted towards the regional areas that are being focused on. The media alerts would include information on the community outreach program, the overall education program, how this program brings together schools, doctors, and parents to try and educate children about HIV and AIDS. Alerts would also be sent to calendar editors to be sure that the events are posted in the local newspapers even if a story did not appear. Regular press releases would be sent to newspapers and television stations. The target media would include the main daily newspaper or papers in English and Spanish in the ten target cities: New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Miami, Washington D.C., Chicago, Houston, Philadelphia, Newark, and Atlanta. These cities were chosen based on their rates of HIV infection as further discussed in the Distribution section of this plan. In terms of targeting television stations, the local affiliates of ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox, WB, and 42 R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission. Uni vision, as well as the Lifetime and Black Entertainment Television cable channels would all be contacted. Pitch stories to education, parent, and medical magazines - Due to the longer lead time for the magazines, the stories for magazines and newsletters would be strategically pitched to coordinate with Mother’s Day (May), Father’s Day (June), World AIDS Day (December 1), and National AIDS Awareness Month (October). This gives the program specific dates to target and angles for stories, as well as media coverage dispersed throughout the year and not just related to one time period. This helps to keep a media “buzz” going about the program throughout the year with media peaks at the target dates in the spring and fall. A selection of the suggested target magazines can be found in Appendix A. Public Service Announcements (PSA) - In conjunction with stories and the target days, the program would also provide television stations, newspapers, and magazines with public service announcements (PSA) to increase public awareness. It would be requested that the PSA be shown for one or two weeks before the target date or run for the entire awareness month. For the magazines and newsletters we would request that they print the PSA in the issue in which they cover the program and in either the issue before or after. A radio PSA based on the television PSA would be recorded at the same time the television PSA is produced. The target radio stations would have a listenership between 25 and 45. 43 R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission. A station from each main music genre in each market would be targeted including pop, country, Spanish, talk, classical, and easy listening. The print, television, and radio PSAs would all be developed in Spanish for cities with large Hispanic population including New York, Los Angeles, Miami and Houston. Media Kit - To assist journalists covering the program, a media kit will be developed to help answer their questions. The media kit will include copies of the brochures; a background on the project; a synopsis on each of the partners and their involvement with the program; a backgrounder on the project; key articles that have been written about prevention and the project; facts on HIV/AIDS infection rates; and resource lists. Website - In this information age, a website is essential. The program website would have two sections - one in English and one in Spanish - and would include downloadable copies of the brochures; order forms for multiple copies of the brochures and videos; a question and answer section on HIV/AIDS; links to all of the partners, third-party endorsers, and key HIV/AIDS information sites; a media section where copies of the PSAs, media kit, and media releases are available; and individual pages for parents, doctors, and educators. Email updates - Anyone who receives the brochure is eligible to receive regularly updated fact sheets via email. This would be sent out two to four times a 44 R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission. year, depending on the information available from the CDC and other local agencies. These would be sent out via email to schools and individuals. The fact sheets would also be available on the website. By using electronic mediums to distribute the information, the groups will save a significant amount of money. Strategy Four • Reach target audiences with materials tailored directly to them. Tactics Set Four A direct mail piece for each of the target audiences - teachers, pediatricians, school nurses, school administrators, and parents - promoting the program will be developed. Each flyer will be geared towards the target audience specifically listing benefits of the program and why and how to get involved in the program. Mailing lists will be purchased for the targeted regional areas. Strategy Five • Use parents to help to educate other parents about HIV/AIDS prevention. Tactics Set Five Presentation guidebook - To help increase the involvement of parents who will present to others, a presentation guidebook will be developed that will have all of the information needed to make a thorough presentation. This will include background on the project, what they need to do to prepare for the presentation including checklists, presentation format, a script outline for the presentation, 45 R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission. group activities, resources including the brochures, video, PowerPoint presentation on disk, overhead projection sheets, fact sheets, statistics, education policies, and evaluation forms. This large binder of information would be distributed to parents who have gone through the training to be presenters. Once trained, they will be encouraged to continue to present to groups of parents and log the presentations with the program. Parent Presentations - The parent presentations will be given by trained presenters. The presentations can take place at any number of locations, from a home to a large gymnasium. The point is to train a few key presenters in each community to then go out and ensure that all the parents in an area have been educated on HIV, AIDS, and how to talk to their children. The Community Tour will act as the catalyst for the parent presentations and provide the initial training for the parents and then return to the communities when needed to conduct additional training sessions. Develop a brochure for parents - This brochure will be similar to those for teachers and doctors but will focus on how, why, where, and when parents should talk to their children. It will give easy tips to follow, quick facts on HIV/AIDS and infection rates, as well as in depth discussions on ways to approach children to discuss the sensitive subject. This brochure will be created as a stand-alone information source as well as a compliment to the presentations and video. This 46 R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission. ensures that no matter how a parent receives the brochure they will be able to quickly and easily use the information. This brochure will also be produced in both English and Spanish. Develop a video for parents - The video for parents will present the basic information of HIV/AIDS but will be more focused on how to talk to children and why. This will be a 20-minute video separated into two sections, the first section would be for parents to watch for the tips on how, when, and why to talk to their children, and the second section would be watched by parents and children together and is designed to present the basic HIV/AIDS facts that could be used as a conversation tool. This video will be developed in both English and Spanish. Follow-up brochure -To provide parents with material to pass on to their children, a follow-up brochure will be developed. This brochure will be geared towards children ages nine to thirteen. It will provide basic information on HIV/AIDS including methods of transmission, ways to prevent transmission, and discredit myths. Parents can receive this brochure by calling or submitting a web site request. Strategy Six • Depend on volunteers to distribute the bulk of the materials R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission. Tactics Set Six Trade Shows/Conferences - As mentioned earlier, the program will be presented at various trade shows and conferences for teachers, school nurses, administrators, and doctors. In addition to presenting the program, a booth space should also be secured and manned by volunteers from the appropriate group - teachers, doctors, etc. The partnership would obtain one physical booth set-up with frame and displays and send it to the various conferences for the volunteers to set-up and man during the conference. Manning the booth would be comprised mainly of handing out the appropriate brochures and discussing the program with interested conference attendees. Volunteer Network -To complete many of the tasks in this program, including attending trade shows, holding parent meetings, giving presentations, and gathering input from community members into the program, a volunteer network must be formed. This would include a nationwide administrator/trainer and local leaders. The local lead person would be either a teacher or parent and would be in charge of enlisting additional volunteers in each group from the partner groups (Mothers’ Voices, PTA, and AAP), giving presentations, and working with the nationwide leader to distribute current messages and materials. Volunteer Recognition Program - In an effort to encourage additional volunteers, a recognition program would be developed. This recognition program 48 R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission. will include awards such as a free luncheon once a year, special gifts/awards for the groups that made the most presentations per year, had the highest parent attendance at presentations, or made special accomplishments. Individual awards would also be presented to outstanding volunteers that had been nominated by their peers. Most of the recognition would be on a local level supported by the overall program. Certain award categories would be standard across the country. A small synopsis of those would be sent out and then all volunteers could vote on who should receive national recognition awards. The winners of the national awards would be flown to the ceremony and presented with a token of appreciation. Health Fairs -Each city or community holds at a general health fair that local volunteers would attend. Volunteers would be asked to represent the program at these fairs in the same manner - distributing information and discussing the program - as with the conferences and trade shows. Parent-Teacher Meetings - As part of the most state mandates on sexual education, schools are required to allow parents to preview the information that will be taught in the classroom. This also usually includes the HIV/AIDS material that will be covered. In an effort to give parents something to take away from the evening with them, the brochures should be made available by participating school districts and show the parent video at the sexual education preview night. 49 R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission. Additionally, parents regularly meet with teachers once or twice a year to discuss the student’s progress. Information can also be placed on a table at the school open house each year. This opens up various opportunities for volunteer teachers to distribute information to parents. Strategy Seven • Use advertising to further appeal to the target audiences Tactics Set Seven If the magazines, newsletters, and television stations are not receptive to PSA placement, then an advertising campaign focusing on the national magazines and regional television stations is recommended. This campaign would be focused around Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, World AIDS Day, and National AIDS Awareness Month. Evaluation Methods To evaluate the effectiveness of this program, an initial survey of parents and teachers should be taken. This could be a simple phone survey of the parents of middle school children in the targeted cities/areas. The method of evaluation would be to measure the number of parents who have spoken with their children regarding HIV-prevention. The same people would be surveyed at the end of the program to judge the effect of the campaign. R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission. Additional evaluation methods can be gauged by the number of phone calls received requesting materials and the number of requests from the website. Also the number of presentations and workshops held or requested can also be used as methods of evaluation. These methods gauge the number of people actually using the services of the coalition. The amount of materials distributed can also be used to evaluate how many people were interested in the program. This can also be compared with the phone survey to judge how many people were interested in the program and actually carried it through in presenting the information to their children. Media coverage analysis should also be used to see what the press covered and the types of stories that were written about the program. R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission. MARKETING PLAN Competitive Analysis To ensure that this HIV/AIDS education project was not duplicating a current project and that there was room in the market for this project to occur, a competitive analysis was undertaken. This involved researching and evaluating current HIV/AIDS education projects that are directed at parents of children in fourth, fifth and sixth grades. Following are the programs that are currently being implemented. Children, Parents, and HIV - American Red Cross The American Red Cross offers a single brochure for parents to talk with their children about HIV as part of a general brochure campaign. The brochure is only handed out or mailed by the American Red Cross at their specific offices. No mention of it can even be found on the American Red Cross website. The basic topics covered include talking with young children and teen, what parents should know, methods of transmission, and facts about HIV/AIDS, sexual activity, and condoms. It is a fairly basic 12-panel brochure that folds to be 4-inch by 11-inch printed in black and white with the headings in red and pull-out boxes in black with white text. The writing is very simple to understand and informative. However, it is rather text-heavy. This brochure has possibilities to help many R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission. families, but due to the lack of promotion and any sort of comprehensive program, it is not very successful as a means of communication. Talking with Kids About Tough Issues - Children Now and the Kaiser Family Foundation This program was developed to encourage parents to talk with their children earlier and more often about tough issues like sex, HIV/AIDS, violence, alcohol, and drug abuse. This program is multi-faceted and includes free parenting brochures that are available through telephone calls, on the Internet and in selected malls. President Clinton unveiled television and radio public service announcements, the booklets were also developed in Spanish, an online discussion group is offered in partnership with ParenthoodWeb.com, there is an organizer’s toolkit to bring the campaign to the community, and to target fathers there is a partnership with the National Fatherhood Initiative and ESPN. The brochure developed for this effort is user-friendly, printed in large type, with pull- put boxes of key issues, and a single two-thirds column allowing significant white space. Finding Our Voices: Talking with Children about Sexuality and AIDS - Mothers’ Voices This program is sponsored by the non-profit group Mothers’ Voices which is dedicated to mobilizing parents as educators and advocates for HIV prevention. 53 R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission. The Finding Our Voices program currently consists of a 36-page brochure that discusses sexuality, FHV/AIDS, STDs, and pregnancy. It is a two-color brochure that is bound in a heavy cover. The graphics included a variety of photos, backgrounds, diagrams, and varying typographical treatments. The brochure is still very text heavy and seems to include too much information. Many of the pages are divided into four columns of text. The information provided is thoroughly mixed together relating sexuality and HIV together. Because of the significant amount of information, it might be likely that most parents would not read this entire booklet. This booklet is available through Mothers’ Voices by calling and through the website. One deterrent to parents is the charge of $5.00. Mothers’ Voices is also starting to support the program through Parents Educating Parents, which is a peer education workshop. The workshop is a two-day program that trains parents to go into their communities to give one-hour presentations in their communities. Additional Brochures/Programs Additional brochures have been printed on this topic, but it was very difficult to obtain copies. The Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States has a number of brochures on HIV and AIDS, yet to takes approximately four to six weeks to obtain the information. In making phone calls to the California and National AIDS Information Clearinghouses, neither had any 54 R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission. specific brochures or information for parents on talking with their children about HIV and AIDS. Information clearinghouses outside of California are restricted to distributing information only within their state area. As a result of the inability to obtain this information, these brochures and programs are not considered competition to the program. Distribution This HIV/AIDS prevention education program is meant to be available throughout the country. Although the initial distribution will be focused around the headquarters of the PTA, AAP, and Mothers' Choices, eventually the product will be distributed through the United States. The second area that will be focused on will be the regions with the highest number of current cases where the epidemic is expected to continue. Once these areas have been successfully penetrated with the information, the program will focus on other general areas of high population and rural areas with few services. The final area focused on will be the general middle class and suburban areas. The ten leading states/territories reporting the highest number of AIDS cases among its residents are as follows: R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission. Table IV - Ten States Reporting Highest Number of AIDS Cases State/Territory Number of AIDS Cases Reported Rate per 100,000 New York 136,062 42.3 California 115,366 16.4 Florida 75,539 36.2 Texas 51,449 15.9 New Jersey 40,216 25.1 Puerto Rico 23,546 32.1 Illinois 23,220 12.8 Pennsylvania 22,988 16.4 Georgia 21,628 21.5 Maryland 20,231 29.5 Total 530,245 Source: CDC, HIV/AIDS Surveillance Report, 1999 The 10 leading metropolitan areas reporting the highest number of AIDS cases are as follows: Table V - Ten Metropolitan Areas Reporting Highest Number of AIDS Cases Metropolitan Area Number of AIDS Cases Reported New York City 115,059 Los Angeles 40,709 San Francisco 27,151 Miami 22,872 Washington, D.C. 21,648 Chicago 20,109 Houston 18,494 Philadelphia 17,770 Newark 16,316 Atlanta 15,204 Total 315,332 Source: CDC, HIV/AIDS Surveillance Report, 1999 56 R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission. Mail The program will pay for the initial mailing. Limited numbers of the brochures, videos, and flyers will be sent directly to teachers, school administrators, school nurses, pediatricians, high-volume health clinics, and local PTA and Mothers’ Choices chapters. Once the initial mailing of brochure and videos has been mailed, a second mailing with a single copy of the brochure and flyers will be sent to the remaining areas upon request of a parent, teachers, doctor, or school official. Overall, the cost of the mailing would be fairly significant. Applying for a non-profit mailing permit could reduce this cost. The National PTA would be responsible for distributing all of the mailings. This is due to their large member make-up and the ability to divide up the work between local chapters in the most pertinent areas. This way the members feel they are giving back to their specific community and the responsibility does not fall on a single group of volunteers. Handouts Brochures and videos will be heavily distributed in the first phase of the project through direct distribution of the program materials. This direct distribution includes handing materials out at school open houses, teacher conference days, PTA meetings, teacher conventions and workshops, teacher 57 R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission. continuing education courses, medical trade shows, pediatricians’ continuing education courses. The numerous volunteers from the three program partners - the PTA, Mothers’ Choices, and the American Academy of Pediatrics - would handle this distribution. This is a relatively low-cost method of distribution because it relies on people who are already attending these functions to spread the materials on a table. The only factor of additional costs would be paying for booth space at the large conventions. This method of distribution allows for the brochures to reach the target audiences, teachers, parents, and doctors. Additionally, through a partnership with a pharmaceutical company the brochures can be distributed in bulk to pediatricians. The pediatricians can then hand out this information to parents when they bring children in for check-ups and school physicals. The brochures can also be displayed in information racks within the doctors’ office for parents to pick-up while in the waiting room. However, to prevent offending some, they should be placed at points where the children would not be able to reach them easily. All three of the partners would be responsible for this type of distribution based on the types of events the collateral materials would be taken to. R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission. Website The website would also act as a method of distribution of the brochure because it would be readily available at all times. The brochures would be placed online as Adobe Acrobat documents and the video in a suitable format that would be easily downloadable. Additionally, a form would be placed on the web page for people to directly order numerous brochures and the video. This form would be automatically emailed to the Mom’s Choices. Since these requests will be coming in from throughout the US, a central contact will be necessary. Mothers’ Choices is ideal because of the limited number of volunteers, the materials can be sent out according to its volunteer schedule. Information Clearinghouses Significant sources of information throughout the United States on HIV and ADDS are the information clearinghouses run by the CDC and each state department of health services. Currently, the national information clearinghouse and the California information clearinghouse do not have any information to provide to parents to discuss HIV and AIDS with their children. By providing copies of the program brochures to the information clearinghouses, a large amount of the information will be distributed will little effort and only printing costs and modest shipping costs to be paid by the program. 59 R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission. TIMELINE To develop this timeline, it was assumed that the project would start in January and run for multiple years. This schedule is only for the first year but the schedule would basically repeat itself, except for the development of the various brochures, videos, presentation guide, and PSAs. This schedule is also based on the standard school year running from late August until mid-June. If year-round schools were incorporated, additional outreach to teachers and parents would be conducted during the summer months. January • Develop partnering kit. • Initial contacts with partners. • Conduct initial survey. February • Finalize primary and secondary partnerships. • Begin dividing up work. March • Begin development of brochures for teachers, doctors, and parents. • Begin development of videos for teachers and parents. • Begin development of follow-up brochure. • Begin development of website. 60 R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission. • Develop print, video, and radio PSAs. • Begin forming volunteer network. April • Finalize and print brochures for teachers, doctors, and parents. • Finalize and produce videos. • Complete follow-up brochure. • Continue work on website. • Develop media kit. • Obtain third-party endorsements. • Begin development of presentation and presentation guidebook. • Send direct mail flyer to teachers and parents. • Complete PSAs. • Distribute PSAs in time for Mother’s Day Placement. • Pitch stories for Mother’s Day and Father’s Day issues. • Continue forming volunteer network. May • Complete website. • Pitch stories for Father’s Day issues. • Distribute brochures and videos to teachers and parents. • Begin partnering with parenting and women’s issues websites. R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission. • Speak at conferences. • Advertising - if needed. • Attend health fairs. June • Advertising - if needed. • Distribute brochures to teachers and parents. • Develop partnership with pharmaceutical company. • Speak at conferences. • Attend health fairs. July • Pitch stories for October - long-lead media. • Distribute PSA - long-lead media. • Use pharmaceutical companies to distribute brochures to doctors to distribute at yearly school physicals. • Speak at conferences. • Press releases on school and community tour to local media. • Attend health fairs. August • Pitch stories for December - long-lead media. • Distribute PSA - long-lead media. 62 R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission. • Begin school and community tour. • Parent presentations as requested. • Press releases on school and community tour to local media. • Attend health fairs. September • Pitch stories for October - short-lead media. • Distribute PSA - short-lead media. • Continue school and community tour. • Distribute materials to schools for parent-teacher conferences. • Parent presentations as requested. • Press releases on school and community tour to local media. • Email update. • Attend health fairs. October • Continue school and community tour. • Speak at conferences. • Advertising - if needed. • Parent presentations as requested. • Press releases on school and community tour to local media. R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission. November • Pitch stories for December - short-lead media. • Continue school and community tour. • Distribute PSA - short-lead media. • Speak at conferences. • Parent presentations as requested. • Press releases on school and community tour to local media. December • Parent presentations as requested. • Advertising - if needed. • Email update. January • Continue school and community tour. • Volunteer recognition awards. R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission. COST INFORMATION Price The brochures and videos would be distributed and presentations and workshops would be conducted free of charge to doctors, school officials, teachers, and parents without any regard to their location. If the booklets were to be shipped in large quantities, a small fee for shipping would be charged. We would also accept other individual’s shipping account numbers to send out the packages so that the shipping costs can be billed directly to the individual. Additionally, the brochures would be available on the website as Adobe Acrobat documents and the video would also be avail able online. This document would also be available for downloading free of change as well. This HIV/AIDS prevention program is not designed to generate a profit; it is meant to be an education tool and distributed as widely as possible. By providing the information at little or no cost to the consumers, the program would be more widely accepted and embraced. Funding All funding would be provided through the American Academy of Pediatrics, Parent-Teacher Association and grants received by Mothers’ Choices. These grants would be received from various governmental agencies such as the R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, state departments of health, and foundation grants from organizations such as the: Ford Foundation - FHV/AIDS projects are funded under asset building and community development in the human development and reproductive health unit. Grants focus on reproductive health, including adolescent sexuality and HIV/AIDS prevention, early childhood and youth development, and family support. Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS - Grants are for start-up or emerging programs and ideas which reflect a unique or innovative approach to a problem. Digital Equipment Corporation - Grants support health, education, and leadership development programs and organizations. Health programs should address positive social development and family issues ranging from HIV/AIDS education to substance abuse prevention. Education programs should bridge the gap between schools and community programs to enhance the learning experiences. Public Welfare Foundation - Grants support seven programs including HIV/AIDS prevention programs for populations at risk, such as women, adolescents, and people of color through the population and reproductive health initiative. 66 R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission. Metropolitan Life Foundation - HIV/AIDS related grants, made within the health category, generally support prevention education and services. Two areas where this program could receive funding from the CDC are the HIV Prevention Cooperative Agreements and the Comprehensive School Health Programs (CSHP). Funds from these agreements are allocated to health departments in 50 states, six cities, seven territories, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. These funds support the provision of services at state and local levels to high-risk populations (including adolescents). Funds are used to provide health education and risk-reduction activities, HIV counseling, testing, referrals, and technical assistance. CSHP is funded through the CDC’s Division of Adolescent and School Health Department, which provides funds for all states to deliver HIV prevention education. The HIV prevention programs and services in the CSHPs are developed to prevent behaviors that increase risk for exposure to HIV and provide assistance to students or staff who are already affected by HIV. Costs This budget is for one year of the project. It assumes that staff will be hired by the project and the work with not be given to public relations agency. The staff will be responsible for development and implementation of all the tactics. The costs R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission. listed below for the tactics are only for direct costs such as printing, stationary, video production and duplication, and travel. Staff Salary Program Manager $75,000 Assistant Managers (2) $90,000 Administrative Assistant $30,000 Graphics Artist (freelance for 5 months) $35,000 Subtotal $230,000 Tactics Cost Set One Partnering Kit $ 1,000 Third-party endorsements $500 Partner with pharmaceutical company $250 Partner with parenting and women’s issues $300 websites Set Two Brochures for teachers and doctors $25,000 Video for teachers $35,000 School tour (costs split w/ community tour) $30,000 R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission. Conferences (speaking) $10,000 Community tour (costs split w/ school tour) $30,000 Set Three Press releases $500 Pitch stories $500 Public Service Announcements $25,000 Media Kit $1,000 Website $20,000 Email updates $500 Set Four Direct mail $6,000 Set Five Presentation guidebook $3,000 Parent Presentations $10,000 Brochure for parents $25,000 Video for parents $35,000 Set Six Trade Shows and Conferences (booth) $18,000 Volunteer network $3,000 Volunteer recognition program $7,000 R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission. Health fairs $5,000 Parent-teacher meetings $2,000 Set Seven - Optional Advertising $300,000 Subtotal $593,550 TOTAL $823,550 TOTAL WITHOUT ADVERTISING $523,550 R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission. BIBLIOGRAPHY American Academy of Pediatrics. “Adolescents and Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection: The role of the pediatrician in prevention and intervention.” Pediatrics. V 92, No. 4 (October 1993): p 626-630 American Academy of Pediatrics. Periodic survey #26: Pediatricians’ Participation and Interest in School Health programs. November 1994. American Academy of Pediatrics. August 2000. <http://www.aap.org>. American Association for World Health. HIV/AIDS Treatment. 1997. American Red Cross. Children, Parents, and HIV. 1999. American Red Cross. HIV and AIDS. 1999. Brazil, J. “Play Dough.” American Demographics. V 21, No. 12 (December 1999): p 56-61. California Education Code Sections 51201.5, 51202, 51229.8, 51513, 51550, 51551, 51554, 51555, and 51820. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Fact Sheet: HIV-Prevention Education.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. School Health Policies and Programs Study. (1994) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. AIDS Prevention Guide. Part of the America Responds to AIDS programs. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Facts on Adolescents and HIV/AIDS. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. March 1998. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Guidelines for Health Education and Risk Reduction Activities. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. April 1995. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. HIV/AIDS Surveillance Report. Vo. 1, No. 2. (1999) 71 R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. National Prevention and Information Network Funding Database. July 2000. <http://www.cdcnpin.org> Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. New CDC Data on youth HIV/AIDS Risk: wide range of prevention messages needed. Distributed by PR Newswire. July 1996. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Trends in HIV & AIDS Epidemic, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 1998. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Universal Infection Precautions. Children Now and Kaiser Family Foundation. Talk with Your Kids...before everyone else does, <http://www.talkingwithkids.org>. Children Now and Kaiser Family Foundation. July 2000. <http://www.talkingwithkids.org>. Dorman, Steve, Ph.D. Schools as a Site for HIV Education. University of Florida. 1992. Educational Development Center, Inc. AIDS: An Imperative for Comprehensive Health Education. Hochhauser, M. “AIDS: It’s Not What You Know, It’s What You Do.” Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Psychological Association, August 12-16, 1988. Family.com. August 2000. <http://www.family.com>. Family Support America. July 2000. <http://www.Irca.org>. Galloway, Ed. Personal interview. August 2000. Hardart, Marianna. “Why, How, What, When, Where.. .Should I tell My Children About HIV?” Body Positive. Vo. XII, No. 5, (May 1999). 72 R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission. Hoff, T., Greene, L., et al for the Kaiser Family Foundation. Sex Education in America: A series of national surveys of students, parents, teachers, and principals. September 2000. Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, Menlo Park, CA. Leland, N.L. and Barth, R.P. “Characteristics of adolescents who have attempted to avoid HIV and who have communicated with parents about sex.” Journal of Adolescent Research Vo. 8 (1993): p 58-76. Mothers’ Voices. Finding Our Voices: Talking with our children about sexuality and AIDS. Mothers’ Voices. May 1998. Mothers’ Voices. July 2000. <http://www.mvoices.org>. Mothers’ Voices. Listen to Mothers’ Voices. Spring 1999. V 6, No. 1. Mothers’ Voices. Media kit. August 2000. Mothers’ Voices. Mothers speak out on preventing and curing AIDS. Survey conducted by EDK Associates. 1997. National League of Cities et al. Ten Critical Threats to America’s Children: Warning signs for the next millennium. National League of Cities. November 29, 1999. National Parent-Teacher Association. HIV/AIDS Education Planning Guide for PTA Leaders. National Parent-Teacher Association. April 1995. National Parent-Teacher Association. National Standards for Parent/Family Involvement Programs. National Parent-Teacher Association. 1997. National Parent-Teacher Association. August 2000. <http://www.pta.org>. National Science Teachers Association. October 2000. <http://www.nsta.org>. Oxygen. August 2000. <http://www.momsonline.com>. 73 R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission. Price, J.H. et al. “High School Students’ Perceptions and Misperceptions of AIDS.” Journal of School Health. Vo. 55, No. 3, (1985): p 107-109. Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States. August 2000. <http://siecus.org>. Strunin, L., and Hingson, R. “Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome and adolescents: Knowledge, beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors.” Pediatrics, Vo. 79, No. 5, (1987): p 825-828. Summerfield, Liane. “Adolescents and AIDS.” ERIC Digest. 1990. Taaffe Young, Kathryn; Davis, Karen; and Schoen, Cathy. The Commonwealth Fund Survey of Parents with Young Children. The Commonwealth Fund. August 1996. The Learning Network. August 2000. <http://www.familyeducation.com>. University of California at San Francisco and the Center for AIDS Prevention Studies. How Do Parents and Children Talk about HIV?. University of California at San Francisco. September 1997. R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission. Appendix A - Magazine Media List National Magazines Targets C hild- With a circulation of 812,000, this is one of the essential guides for parents that offers information of child rearing and includes articles on child development, behavior, health, nutrition, fitness, and education. Family Life - This magazine contains information, advice, and other important issues for approximately 403,700 families with children ages 3-12. Parenting - Parenting covers all issues of raising children, from newborns to adolescents. Parenting reports on day-to-day topics such as diet, discipline, health, education, family activities, food, travel, and self-esteem. This is one of the largest magazines in the US relating to parenting with a circulation of about 1.5 million. Parents - One of the top competitors with Parenting is Parents with a circulation of about 1.75 million. Parents takes a slightly different approach focusing more on family formation and growth, and on rearing children from the crib to college. School Nurse News - The journal reports on current medical and professional developments of interest to 10,000 school nurses nationwide. AAP News/Pediatrics - Through the partnership with the AAP, articles and public service announcements can be placed in their newsletter and magazine 75 R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission. on news reports, clinical policy statements, legislations news, and practice management tips. This newsletter is circulated to their entire membership of about 55,000 members. Journal o f Pediatrics — Although this is a more scientific and technical journal offering practical guidance for physicians to diagnose and treat disorder in infants and children, obtaining a public service advertisement or placing a paid advertisement would reach about 16,000 pediatricians. American School Board Journal - Published by the National School Boards Association, the publication is distributed to over 43,000 administrators offering practical advise on topics pertaining to school governance and management, policy making, student achievement, and the art of school leadership. Leadership News - Distributed by the American Association of School Administrators, this newsletter provides over 15,000 AASA members and other school administrators with information and opinions on Kindergarten -12 public education issues from national state, and local perspectives. The Urban Review - Since many of the children being affected with HIV/AIDS reside within urban school districts, this magazine was chosen to reach their teachers and administrators. This publication is intended for urban educators, administrators, and all others concerned with improving public education in urban communities. 76 R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission. APPENDIX B - HIV/AIDS SCIENTIFIC INFORMATION Current HIV/AIDS Medical Information In order to be familiar with the most recent findings, a thorough review of materials provided by the Centers for Disease Control, a web search and a Lexis- Nexis search were completed. There have been no significant changes in the information reported over the last five years in terms of transmission, yet new treatments are continually developed. HIV/AIDS Basics The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) damages cells in the immune system that fight off infections and diseases. As the virus gradually destroys these cells, the immune system becomes less able to protect against illness. Typically, people can live for numerous years before any signs of illness appear. Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is the last stage of HIV infection where people, the period during which victims experience life-threatening infections and cancers that eventually kill them. However, HIV and AIDS are both preventable. The virus is spread through contact with the blood, semen, and vaginal discharges of an HIV-infected person. The most common means of transmission are through sexual contact and or certain drug-use practices. Also, HIV-infected women can pass the virus onto newborns during pregnancy and childbirth. In the R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission. past, people also received blood products that had been infected. However, since March 1985, all donated blood is screened for HIV. Methods to prevent the spread of HIV include: abstaining from vaginal, anal, or oral sex; using condoms; use water-based lubricants; use spermicidal foams and jellies with condoms; never sharing needles if using drugs; avoiding drugs and alcohol using anything that could cloud judgment and lead to engagement engaging in unsafe sexual practices. Other universal precautions used in schools and medical situations include hand washing, disposable plastic gloves, disinfectants, special trash disposal, and modification of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Treatments Currently, there is no way to eliminate the virus from the body once a person is infected. However, new medicines and medicine combinations can slow the damage that HIV causes to the immune system. The three main treatments include the following: Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors - These slow down the process of the HIV enzyme overtaking the infected cells nucleus or command center. Once the nucleus is taken over, the infected cell replicates itself creating more infection. Protease Inhibitors - These slow down the HIV protease enzymes so that HIV cannot properly replicate and infect healthy cells. 78 R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission. Combination Therapy - This includes combining two or three different drugs into a treatment cocktail. It has been found that by combining dmgs they can attack the virus in a variety of ways at the same time to slow its spread and its tendency to become drug resistant. Scientists are continuing to research additional treatments, cures, and vaccinations. But until on or all of those are found, prevention is the best method for controlling HIV infection. R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission.
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Kuch, Beth Ann
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Communications plan for a HIV/AIDS education project
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Graduate School
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Master of Arts
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Strategic Public Relations
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University of Southern California
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University of Southern California. Libraries
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education, health,health sciences, public health,mass communications,OAI-PMH Harvest
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